The Best Flaky & Moist Vegan Scones: An Easy Recipe for Every Occasion
These Vegan Scones are the epitome of perfect scone texture! Deliciously flaky, wonderfully moist, and perfectly sweet, they are truly a delight for any palate. Ideal for a cozy tea time, a festive party spread, a leisurely brunch, or any moment that calls for a special treat. Crafted with simple, everyday ingredients, this recipe makes baking these irresistible scones incredibly easy and enjoyable.
This post is proudly sponsored by Bob’s Red Mill! We extend our gratitude for supporting the brands that enable Jessica in the Kitchen to continue sharing delightful recipes. All thoughts and opinions expressed herein are entirely my own!
Crafting the Perfect Vegan Scone: A Culinary Journey to Flaky Perfection
The sheer joy of biting into a perfectly baked scone – that ideal balance of sweet, flaky, and moist texture – was something I cherished deeply before adopting a vegan lifestyle. I fondly remember enjoying them with my favorite tea or coffee, and the thought of giving up that simple pleasure was disheartening. The quest to recreate that exact same magic in a truly authentic plant-based version became a delightful challenge. I envisioned a vegan scone that could rival its traditional counterpart in every aspect: taste, texture, and appeal.
After numerous rounds of dedicated taste-testing (a tough job, but someone’s got to do it right?!), experimenting with different ratios, ingredients, and techniques, I am absolutely thrilled to announce that I’ve not only met but exceeded my expectations with this incredible vegan scone recipe! What makes this recipe truly special is its reliance on readily available, everyday ingredients, ensuring that anyone, regardless of their baking experience, can whip up these delectable treats. This recipe proves that you don’t need fancy, obscure ingredients to achieve bakery-quality results in your own kitchen. I am confident that you will fall in love with these easy, flaky, and moist vegan scones just as much as I have, making them a staple for all your special occasions and everyday indulgences.
Key Ingredients for Flaky Vegan Scones: What You Need to Know
Understanding the role of each ingredient is key to achieving scone perfection. Here’s a deeper dive into the components that make these vegan scones truly exceptional:
- Vegan Buttermilk: This clever, homemade combination of apple cider vinegar (or lemon juice) and your chosen cold vegan milk is a game-changer. The acid reacts with the plant-based protein in the milk, causing it to curdle slightly and mimic traditional buttermilk. This not only imparts a delightful tang that balances the sweetness, adding a subtle depth of flavor, but also contributes significantly to the scones’ tender crumb. Crucially, the acid in the buttermilk helps activate the baking soda, ensuring an optimal rise and light texture. While soy milk is my personal preference for its consistency and protein content, feel free to use any cold, thick vegan milk you have on hand, such as full-fat oat, almond, or cashew milk. The key is that it must be cold to maintain the chill of the dough.
- Vanilla Extract: A touch of high-quality vanilla extract elevates the overall flavor profile of your scones, adding a warm, aromatic note that complements the other ingredients beautifully. While it’s a standard, foundational flavor that brings richness, don’t hesitate to experiment with other extracts like almond, lemon, or even a hint of maple if you’re aiming for a different flavor profile to customize your vegan scones.
- Bob’s Red Mill Unbleached White All Purpose Flour: This is my absolute secret weapon and go-to flour for achieving the ideal scone texture, and indeed for most of my baked goods. Its unbleached, enriched quality, combined with malted barley, provides a perfect balance for both structure and tenderness. The protein content, typically between 10-12%, is ideal for creating light, airy scones that still hold their shape without becoming dense. Sifting the flour beforehand is a small but mighty step that ensures a fantastic rise and an even lighter texture, preventing any potential lumps. Beyond scones, this versatile flour also shines in recipes requiring good structure, like my no-knead Dutch oven bread or even homemade pizza crust. It’s truly an essential, reliable pantry staple for any baker looking for consistent, high-quality results.
- Sugar: Unlike savory biscuits, scones traditionally feature added sugar for that signature sweet taste. This sweetness is crucial for balancing the slight tang from the vegan buttermilk and enriching the overall flavor, creating a well-rounded treat. Sugar also plays a role in the browning of the scones and contributes to their tenderness. If you prefer a subtly sweetened scone, you can easily reduce the sugar by half without significantly compromising the texture. I typically use granulated cane sugar, not only for its clean sweetness but also because it contributes to a beautiful golden-brown crust during baking.
- Baking Powder and Baking Soda: This dynamic duo is essential for the scones’ impressive rise and characteristic flaky layers. Baking powder provides an initial lift as soon as it gets wet and when it hits the heat of the oven. Simultaneously, baking soda reacts with the acid in the vegan buttermilk to create additional carbon dioxide bubbles, resulting in an incredibly airy and tender crumb. It’s important not to substitute one for the other, as they play distinct and complementary roles in the leavening process, ensuring maximum fluffiness and height.
- Sea Salt: A pinch of sea salt is vital for enhancing all the other flavors in the scone dough, providing balance and depth to the sweetness and tang. It also helps to strengthen the gluten structure slightly. If you’re using finer table salt, remember to reduce the amount by about half, as it’s typically much saltier by volume than coarse sea salt. For superior flavor in all your baking, I always recommend using sea salt.
- Very Cold Vegan Butter: This is arguably the most critical ingredient for achieving those coveted flaky layers, light texture, and high rise. The colder the butter, the better! When tiny pieces of cold butter are worked into the flour and then melt in the hot oven, they release steam. This steam creates small pockets of air, separating the layers of dough and resulting in an incredibly light, airy, and unmistakably flaky texture. Using unsalted vegan butter is preferred for better control over the salt content in the recipe, but if salted is all you have, simply adjust the added sea salt accordingly. Keep it in the freezer until just before use for the absolute best results.
- Blueberries: While these vegan scones are absolutely delightful plain, fresh blueberries add bursts of juicy sweetness and a lovely pop of color, making them even more appealing. For best results and to prevent them from sinking to the bottom during baking, toss them lightly in about a tablespoon of flour before adding them to the dough. The versatility of this recipe means you can easily customize it with other additions like fresh raspberries, chocolate chips, lemon zest, or even dried cranberries and orange zest for a different seasonal twist.
- Lemon Glaze: A drizzle of tangy-sweet lemon glaze provides a fantastic contrast to the rich, buttery scones, brightening every bite with its zesty freshness. Made simply with powdered sugar, a touch of salt, vanilla extract, a splash of vegan milk, and fresh lemon juice, it’s an easy addition that makes a big impact on both flavor and presentation. Remember to sift your powdered sugar thoroughly to ensure a smooth, lump-free glaze that drizzles beautifully.
How to Bake the Best Vegan Scones: Step-by-Step Perfection
Follow these detailed steps to create perfectly flaky and moist vegan scones that will impress everyone with their tender crumb and rich flavor:
- Chill the Butter: Begin by placing your vegan butter in the freezer for at least 30 minutes. This crucial step ensures it’s thoroughly chilled and firm, which is absolutely key to achieving a flaky texture in your scones.
- Prepare Baking Sheet: Line a large baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or a piece of well-greased parchment paper. A silicone mat is highly recommended for its excellent non-stick properties and for promoting even heat distribution, which helps in consistent baking.
Make Vegan Buttermilk: In a small bowl or jar, combine the apple cider vinegar (or lemon juice), cold vegan milk, and vanilla extract. Stir briefly to mix, then let it sit undisturbed for 5-10 minutes. During this time, the mixture will visibly curdle, forming your homemade vegan buttermilk. This ingredient is essential for both flavor and tenderness in the scones. Set this aside.
- Whisk Dry Ingredients: In a separate large mixing bowl, whisk together the Bob’s Red Mill Unbleached White All Purpose Flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and sea salt. Continue whisking until all the dry ingredients are thoroughly combined and evenly distributed, ensuring a consistent texture.
- Incorporate Cold Butter: Retrieve the very cold vegan butter from the freezer. You can either cut it into small, pea-sized cubes or grate it directly into the flour mixture using a box grater. This creates tiny, flour-coated butter pieces. Using a pastry cutter, two forks, or your fingertips, quickly work the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs or sandy pebbles, with some pea-sized pieces of butter still visible. It’s crucial to work quickly to avoid melting the butter with the warmth from your hands.
Add Wet Ingredients & Blueberries: Create a shallow well in the center of the dry ingredients. Pour in the prepared vegan buttermilk mixture, then gently fold in the flour-tossed blueberries. Using a wooden spoon or spatula, mix everything together very gently until a shaggy, cohesive dough just begins to form. Be careful not to overmix! The dough should not be overly dry, nor excessively wet, but it might be slightly sticky, which is perfectly normal for scone dough.
Shape and Cut Scones: Lightly flour a clean work surface and dust your hands with flour. Turn the dough out onto the floured surface. Gently pat and form the dough into an 8-inch flat circle or disc, about 1-inch thick. Using a sharp knife or a bench scraper, cut the circle into 8 even wedges, much like slicing a pizza.
Chill the Scones: Carefully transfer the scone wedges to your prepared baking sheet, ensuring they are spaced at least 2 inches apart to allow for proper expansion. If desired, sprinkle a little extra coarse sugar on top for a delightful textural crunch and sparkle. Place the entire baking sheet with the scones into the refrigerator while your oven preheats, or even longer. This chilling period, even just 15-20 minutes, is essential for maintaining the cold butter and ensuring the best possible rise and flakiness during baking.
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to a precise 425°F (220°C). A hot oven is crucial for that initial burst of steam and a good rise.
Bake to Golden Perfection: Once the oven is fully preheated, transfer the chilled scones into the hot oven. Bake for approximately 15 to 17 minutes, or until the tops are beautifully golden brown and the scones appear light and fluffy. They should sound hollow when tapped on the bottom.
Cool and Glaze: Remove the baked scones from the oven and let them cool on the baking sheet for at least 5 minutes. This allows them to set slightly and retain their shape. While they are still warm, carefully transfer them to a wire rack. In a small bowl, whisk together all the lemon glaze ingredients until smooth. Drizzle the delightful lemon glaze generously over the warm scones. For the best experience, allow them to cool completely before serving, letting the glaze set beautifully, or do as I do and sneak one while it’s still wonderfully warm for an irresistible treat! Enjoy your homemade vegan scones!
How to Prepare the Zesty Lemon Glaze
- Mix Glaze Ingredients: In a small bowl, combine the sifted powdered sugar, a pinch of sea salt, vanilla extract, vegan milk, and fresh lemon juice. Stir vigorously with a spoon or whisk until a smooth, pourable glaze forms and all ingredients are fully incorporated.
- Adjust Consistency: If you prefer a thicker glaze, gradually add a little more sifted powdered sugar, mixing until desired consistency is reached. For a thinner glaze, add a few more drops of vegan milk or lemon juice, depending on whether you prefer a creamier or tangier finish.
- Storage: Any leftover lemon glaze can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Give it a quick stir before using again.
Expert Tips for Unbeatable Flaky Vegan Scones
Achieving bakery-quality vegan scones is easier than you think, especially with these insider tips and tricks that focus on the science of good baking:
- The Power of Cold Butter & Cold Ingredients: This tip cannot be overstated – cold butter is the single most important factor for truly flaky, perfect-texture vegan scones. If you realize your butter isn’t cold enough mid-recipe, stop and chill it immediately; it’s that important. Melting butter before baking leads to flat, dense, and less enjoyable scones. The science is simple: tiny pockets of cold butter create steam when they hit the hot oven, pushing apart layers of dough and creating that desirable flakiness and lift. Beyond butter, ensuring your vegan milk and any other liquid ingredients are also thoroughly chilled contributes to a better dough consistency and helps keep the butter from melting prematurely while you work with it. Consider placing your vegan butter in the freezer for 15-30 minutes before grating or cutting for optimal results.
- Mastering the Butter-Flour Texture: The ideal texture for your butter-flour mixture should resemble “coarse crumbs” or “sandy pebbles.” This means the butter should be thoroughly incorporated into the dry ingredients, but not fully blended into a smooth paste. You want to see visible bits of flour-coated butter, ranging in size from tiny poppy seeds up to small peas or corn kernels. These little pieces are what create the crucial steam for flakiness when baked. Avoid overmixing until it becomes a smooth paste, which would develop the gluten too much and result in tough, dense scones rather than light, tender ones. A pastry cutter or even a sturdy fork can help achieve this quickly without overworking.
- Gentle Dough Handling is Key: Scone dough should be handled as little as possible. Overworking the dough develops the gluten, making the scones tough and chewy rather than tender and delicate. When combining the wet and dry ingredients, stir and fold them together very gently, just until they barely come together in a “shaggy” consistency. It’s perfectly fine if it looks a bit messy and slightly sticky – that’s exactly what you want! The less you handle it, the more tender and irresistible your finished scones will be. Trust the process and resist the urge to knead extensively.
- Embrace the Chill (Refrigerate Again!): Especially if you’re baking in a warm kitchen, your dough can quickly become soft and difficult to work with, causing the precious cold butter to melt. A quick return to the fridge or freezer for 10-15 minutes, either before cutting or after shaping and before baking, can make a huge difference. This chilling period helps firm up the butter again, ensuring maximum flakiness, a beautiful rise in the oven, and preventing the scones from spreading too much. Don’t skip this critical step!
Storing and Freezing Your Delicious Vegan Scones
To enjoy your delicious vegan scones for longer, proper storage is key to maintaining their freshness and flavor:
- Refrigeration: Leftover baked scones can be stored in an airtight container or wrapped tightly in plastic wrap in the refrigerator for up to a week. For the best flavor and texture experience, I highly recommend reheating them briefly in a warm oven (around 300°F/150°C for 5-10 minutes) or toasting them before serving. This revives their warmth and tenderness, making them taste freshly baked.
- Freezing Baked Scones: For longer-term storage, allow baked scones to cool completely. Then, place them in freezer-safe bags, pressing out as much air as possible before sealing. For ultimate freshness and to prevent freezer burn, you can individually wrap each scone tightly in plastic wrap before placing them in the larger freezer bag. They will keep beautifully in the freezer for up to 3 months. To serve, thaw them completely at room temperature, then warm them in a low oven until heated through for that fresh-baked feel.
Can I Make These Vegan Scones Gluten-Free?
While I haven’t personally tested a gluten-free version of this specific vegan scone recipe, it’s definitely achievable! For best results, I would confidently recommend swapping the Bob’s Red Mill Unbleached White All Purpose Flour for Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour, using a direct weight-for-weight substitution. This particular blend is formulated to work seamlessly in most standard baking recipes, offering a great texture and flavor without any gluten.
More Delicious Vegan Baking Recipes to Try
If you loved these flaky and moist vegan scones, you might also enjoy these other plant-based baking delights from our kitchen:
- Fluffy Vegan Biscuits (with a Gluten-Free Option)
- Zesty Vegan Lemon Bars with Shortbread Crust (also GF!)
- Easy Homemade Vegan Naan Bread Recipe
- The Best Moist and Tender Vegan Cornbread
Enjoy, friends! If you create these incredible Vegan Scones, we would absolutely love to see your culinary masterpieces. Please snap a photo and tag #jessicainthekitchen on Instagram! Your feedback means the world to us, so please feel free to leave a comment below and give the recipe a rating. Thank you so much for your support!
Classic Vegan Scones Recipe
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Ingredients
For the Vegan Scones
- ½ tablespoon apple cider vinegar (or regular vinegar)
- ¾ cup cold, thick vegan milk (180mL) – such as full-fat coconut milk, full soy milk, or cashew milk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups Bob’s Red Mill Unbleached White All Purpose Flour (240g), sifted for best results
- ½ cup granulated sugar (100g) (cane sugar recommended for golden color)
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ cup very cold vegan butter (112g), preferably unsalted
- Up to ⅓ cup extra flour for dusting work surface and hands
- 1 cup fresh blueberries, lightly tossed in about a tablespoon of flour to prevent sinking
- Coarse sugar for topping, if desired
For the Zesty Lemon Glaze
- ½ cup powdered sugar, sifted to avoid clumps
- Pinch of sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ tablespoon vegan milk
- ½ tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Instructions
For the Vegan Scones
- Chill the Butter: Place the vegan butter in the freezer for at least 30 minutes to ensure it is very cold and firm. This is vital for flaky scones.
- Prepare Baking Sheet: Line a large baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper. If using parchment, make sure it’s lightly greased.
- Make Vegan Buttermilk: In a small bowl or jar, combine the apple cider vinegar, cold vegan milk, and vanilla extract. Stir briefly and let it sit for about 5-10 minutes. The mixture will curdle, forming your vegan buttermilk. Set aside.
- Whisk Dry Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the Bob’s Red Mill Unbleached White All Purpose Flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and sea salt until thoroughly combined.
- Cut in Cold Butter: Remove the chilled vegan butter from the freezer. You can either cut it into small pea-sized chunks or grate it into the dry flour mixture. Using a pastry cutter, two forks, or your fingertips, quickly work the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some larger, pea-sized pieces of butter still visible. Work quickly to avoid melting the butter with the heat from your hands.
- Combine Wet and Dry: Create a well in the center of the flour-butter mixture. Pour in the vegan buttermilk mixture and add the flour-tossed blueberries. Using a wooden spoon or spatula, gently fold the ingredients together just until a shaggy, cohesive dough forms. Do not overmix; it’s okay if it looks a bit sticky and uneven.
- Shape the Dough: Lightly flour a clean work surface and your hands. Turn the dough out onto the floured surface. Gently pat and shape the dough into an 8-inch flat circle or disc, about 1-inch thick. With a sharp knife or bench scraper, cut the circle into 8 equal wedges.
- Chill Before Baking: Carefully transfer the scone wedges to the prepared baking sheet, ensuring they are at least 2 inches apart. If desired, sprinkle some coarse sugar over the tops. Place the baking sheet with the scones in the refrigerator while the oven preheats. This keeps the butter cold and enhances flakiness.
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C).
- Bake the Scones: Once the oven is preheated, transfer the chilled scones to the oven. Bake for 15 to 17 minutes, or until they are golden brown on top and appear delightfully fluffy.
- Cool and Glaze: Remove the baked scones from the oven and let them cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack. While still warm, generously drizzle them with the prepared lemon glaze. Allow them to cool completely before serving for the glaze to set, or enjoy one warm for an extra treat!
For the Lemon Glaze
- In a small bowl, combine the sifted powdered sugar, a pinch of salt, vanilla extract, vegan milk, and fresh lemon juice. Stir until completely smooth and free of clumps.
- Adjust the consistency as needed: add more powdered sugar for a thicker glaze, or a few drops more of vegan milk or lemon juice for a thinner consistency. Store any unused glaze in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
Nutrition Information (Estimated Per Scone)
- Calories: 292kcal
- Carbohydrates: 48g
- Protein: 4g
- Fat: 10g
- Saturated Fat: 2g
- Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g
- Monounsaturated Fat: 4g
- Trans Fat: 1g
- Sodium: 477mg
- Potassium: 91mg
- Fiber: 1g
- Sugar: 22g
- Vitamin A: 637IU
- Vitamin C: 4mg
- Calcium: 126mg
- Iron: 2mg
Disclaimer: While jessicainthekitchen.com strives to provide accurate nutritional information, please note that these values are estimates only. Nutritional content can vary based on specific product brands, ingredients used, and other factors. Jessicainthekitchen.com is not responsible for any loss or damage resulting from reliance on this nutritional information. If you require a specific caloric regimen or have dietary concerns, please consult a healthcare professional or registered dietitian.
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Dessert, Breakfast, Brunch, Snack
Jessica Hylton