These Gluten-Free Vegan Pumpkin Scones are moist and fluffy, fragrantly spiced and perfectly rich. They're great for dessert, breakfast or a snack and perfect for Thanksgiving and Christmas!
Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius (350 degrees Fahrenheit)
Place the coconut oil in a large bowl and melt over a saucepan of boiling water or in the microwave (skip this step if using any other oil)
Once melted, add the maple syrup to the same bowl along with the vinegar, vanilla, salt, pumpkin purée and ground almonds
Sift in the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and pumpkin pie spice
Mix well until a dough forms, adding the milk a little bit at a time to ensure you don’t add too much - it should be soft, but firm enough to mould easily. You can add a tiny splash more milk if it’s looking too dry
Line a baking tray with greased baking paper
Use your hands to shape the dough into a slightly circular shape about 2 cm (1 inch) thick - you can also use a floured rolling pin for this, but I prefer to do it with my hands because it’s easier. There’s no need to use a floured surface as the baking paper works to stop the dough from sticking
Keeping the dough in that shape, use a knife to carve the surface of the dough into eight - cut in half first, then each half into half, and each quarter into half again until you end up with eight even triangles. It's a bit like cutting up a pizza, but make sure not to cut all the way down through the dough
Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes until browned and an inserted skewer comes out clean
Leave to cool on a wire rack before cutting up properly
For the glaze:
Mix together the coconut oil and the maple syrup - if coconut oil is solid then use a small whisk to combine
If the mixture is quite liquidy, I’d recommend placing in the fridge for a bit for it to firm up slightly
Make sure the scones have cooled completely before drizzling over the glaze (if you want it to look nice), otherwise hot scones will melt the glaze
Tastes best when fresh, but keeps covered in the fridge for up to a few days - delicious reheated in an oven toaster!