Light and flaky Paleo scones? Yes! It can be done. And we're going to do it together. January, the official month of New Year's Resolutions, when the gyms are packed and intentions are good, is the perfect time to talk about Paleo recipes. And I'll tell you why (p.s. It's not what you think).
There's plenty of room for debate about whether eating Paleo is better for you, or healthier overall. Carbs are good, carbs are bad, eat like a caveman, eat like a bird (hey, aren't birds essentially dinosaurs anyway?)—I try not to get too involved, to be honest.
Simply put, I see Paleo recipes as useful for a few reasons: First and foremost, baked goods made with nut flours like almond flour are naturally higher fat and lower carb, and for that reason they're just more satisfying. So they don't create those ugly just-one-more-please carb-style cravings. Second, if you do them right they honestly simply taste really, really good. I try not to focus too much on making them taste exactly like their more conventional counterparts, like I do with straight-up gluten free recipes (which absolutely must taste spot-on like you're used to or what's the point). I want the texture to be right (which means sometimes I have to use some Paleo-legal starches), but the taste of almonds in almond flour and coconuts in coconut oil and milk is just different than a rice flour blend, which can mimic conventional flour quite readily. And that's okay by me! They taste great.
Finally, since all Paleo recipes are, by their very nature, gluten free and dairy free, it creates a whole new category of recipes for me to create that can reach even more people than just my regular gluten free baking recipes. And reaching more people, helping them to eat well within their dietary needs, is just plain good. Don't you agree??
This recipe for Paleo scones is one I'm especially proud of, too, since it really turns out uncommonly light and flaky pastries. I used miniature chocolate chips, but you could easily sub in any small pieces of dried fruit or even fresh blueberries. If you use fresh blueberries, though, use a full cup (about 120 grams), toss them with some extra starch, and add them at the very end so they don't get crushed!
Chocolate Chip Paleo Scones
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups (168 g) blanched almond flour*
1 cup (120 g) tapioca starch/flour**, plus more for sprinkling
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 3/4 teaspoons Paleo baking powder (1/2 teaspoon baking soda + 1 teaspoon cream of tartar + 1/4 teaspoon starch (arrowroot or tapioca work well))
1/4 cup (40 g) coconut palm sugar
2 ounces miniature dark chocolate chips (I use Enjoy Life brand)
5 tablespoons (60 g) nonhydrogenated vegetable shortening (I use Spectrum Naturals brand)
1/3 cup (2 2/3 fluid ounces) unsweetened almond or coconut milk
Egg wash (1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water)
*I recommend using Honeyville brand or Nuts.com brand for a finely ground, blanched almond flour (not almond meal).
**I only recommend buying tapioca starch/flour from Nuts.com or Authentic Foods. Bob’s Red Mill tapioca starch is of inconsistent quality. Do not buy tapioca starch/flour from the Asian food store as it is frequently contaminated.
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 325°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with unbleached parchment paper and set it aside.
In a large bowl, place the almond flour, tapioca starch/flour, salt, baking powder and palm sugar, and whisk to combine well. Add the chocolate chips, and stir to combine. Add the vegetable shortening, toss it in the dry ingredients to coat. With your fingers, as best you can, break up the shortening into chunks about the size of large peas. Create a well in the center of the mixture, add the milk and mix to combine. The dough should come together and be thick but soft.
Turn out the dough onto a flat surface sprinkled lightly with tapioca starch/flour and press into a disk about 1-inch thick. Using a tapioca starch/flour-floured 3-inch round biscuit cutter, cut out rounds of dough and place them, about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet. Gather the scraps and cut out more rounds, sprinkling with flour as necessary to prevent sticking. Toss the rounds of dough in more tapioca starch/flour to create a light coating of flour on all sides of each. This will help the scones keep their shape during baking. Place in the freezer for about 10 minutes or until the shortening is firm. Brush the top and sides of each round sparingly with the egg wash.
Place the baking sheet in the center of the preheated oven and bake until the scones are lightly golden brown all over, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before serving.
Jen says
Hi Nicole! Good news is they tasted amazing. Bad news, mine flattened like a pancake. I followed the recipe exactly. Ideas?
Nicole Hunn says
Hi, Jen, My first guess is the temperature of your dough before baking. It must be very cold, as directed in the recipe. Other than that, I’d take a good look at the brands of flours you are using. Only a few specific brands of both almond flour and tapioca starch/flour provide a consistent quality, also as explained in the recipe. I understand that it can be frustrating when a recipe doesn’t turn out, and readers almost always say that they followed the recipe exactly, but rarely do. Apart from the two issues I mentioned, there is likely something you are doing without realizing that is sabotaging your efforts.
Dawn Rennick says
These are awesome!!! Mine looked flat, I used my English Muffin rings, it is all I had, but holy cow they are delicious!!! Very light and not real dry
Kelly says
Hi Nicole! I know you are a stickler for substitutions, but I was wondering what could be used in place of the tapioca flour. I have King Arthur Flour’s multipurpose flour (which has tapioca in it) and the Almond flour but not the tapioca. Thanks so much!
Bridy says
These were great, my kids loved them! Thank you.
Nicole Hunn says
Thanks so much for stopping back to let us know, Bridy. I’m really glad!
Mare Masterson says
Oh…yummy!
kittywitty says
Nicole, this is totally off topic, but I’m in the middle of making tortillas for the first time and I need some help! (From anyone would be fine!) I’ve divided the dough into 5 pieces and you say you can get 3 or 4 six to eight inch circles out of one piece, but I can only get ONE! Ack! What am I doing wrong? If I roll it out any more, the dough will be too thin! Thanks so much if anyone can help! I’ve promised my family homemade tortillas when they get home and they are so excited!
Nicole Hunn says
Don’t worry about it, Kitty. Just roll it as thin as you can, and cut as many as you can. You’re doing fine. They will still be soft and pliable. :)
kittywitty says
Thanks for your quick reply, Nicole. I just don’t understand how I only got 5 tortillas out of 1 batch of dough. I had to make a 2nd batch so I could make enchiladas and I got 5 out of that one, too. I’m rolling them quite thin. Mine also came out stiff, not soft and pliable. I put them in a plastic zip close bag while they were warm and they were pliable that way. Would love to know what I’m doing wrong! I did not make *any* substitutions to your recipe and I measured my ingredients by weight. Would you love your thoughts on this! Thanks! (Oh, and the scones look delish!) :)
Nicole Hunn says
Kitty, if you’re only getting 5 tortillas out of the whole batch, you are definitely rolling them too thick. And the dough should not be stiff at all. I recommend weighing your water. It sounds like your liquid measurement is off. Good luck!
kittywitty says
Thanks again, Nicole. Well, I did measure the water by weight and I don’t know if I can roll them thinner without them tearing when I try to get them off the parchment! I thought I rolled them pretty thin. Either way, I definitely would not have been able to get another whole tortilla out of one portion of dough. I will try them again because they are so easy and they tasted great! :)
Jennifer S. says
I know it’s been said but holy cow these look amaze-balls! can’t wait to try them!
Nicole Hunn says
Thanks, Jennifer!
Lauren Morra says
Mmm delish! And I’m home today so I can make these mwahaha. I agree when I eat treats that don’t have flour in them I tend to eat WAY fewer because they are filling. Win win situation since I don’t need to eat 10 of anything ;)
Nicole Hunn says
Exactly, Lauren!
Donia Robinson says
I agree about Paleo recipes being more satisfying. I know the high fat content scares people off, but it’s possible fat was mistakenly blamed for heart disease. It’s interesting reading both sides of the issue. But no doubt about it – Paleo recipes are tasty!! These look great, Nicole.
Nicole Hunn says
I am fully convinced that fat doesn’t make you fat—or sick. I love fat! ;)
Donia Robinson says
Yes, but you’re skinny. ;) I think you’d probably be skinny no matter what you ate. I smell food and gain weight, I think! But Crossfit is helping me build muscle, and I’m eating more of a ketogenic diet (which is VERY high in fat) to try to help with migraines. I’ve lost 20 pounds eating ice cream. ;) But it’s probably all the work at Crossfit…
Jennifer S. says
Just be careful at crossfit Donia – my chiropractor is seeing lots of crossfitters come in. I’m doing Kosama. Love it.
I’m proof that low fat doesn’t work! so I’m eating more fat, feeling more full and eating less these days – yahoo!
Michelle says
I agree. Fat is a necessary part of one’s diet, and it is satiating. I have a friend who is afraid of fat, and her skin and hair certainly show it. I am not a particular fan of Paleo in general, but these look really good. I think they would be great as an afternoon snack. I love almonds, and think these would probably be great even without the chocolate chips!
Lucy says
Nicole your scones look amazing!
Taking the girls to school today, first day back since the storm. we still have power, yay!
Have a great day!
Donia Robinson says
I’ve always said Nicole has great looking scones. ;)
Nicole Hunn says
You’re making me blush, Donia. :)
Nicole Hunn says
So glad you didn’t lost power, Lucy! That is always so incredibly disorienting.