Gluten Free Scones

Build your own perfect gluten free scones when you check out this versatile master recipe, which makes quick work of the lightest, crispiest GF pastries. Add your favorite mix-ins!

Why you'll love this recipe for gluten free scones

You'll love this master gluten-free scones recipe because it's versatile and allows you to add various mix-ins to create your own unique and delicious gluten-free scones.

The uncomplicated base mix, in fact, acts as the foundation of most of the scone recipes here on the blog. From this foundation, you can make them in whatever flavor you think makes the best gluten free scones.

The dry mix can be made weeks in advance, and stored in a jar in the refrigerator for weeks. That makes it quick and easy to whip up a fresh batch of scones whenever you're in the mood.

What are scones?

Scones are not biscuits. They're a light and airy pastry, but they're not technically flaky. They're absolutely a great idea for a gluten free breakfast, but they also make a great snack.

Unlike gluten free biscuits, which are usually savory, scones are usually sweet, and more crumbly than biscuits. That's not to say that, when made right, they're dry. They're just not layered and flaky like a rolled biscuit.

Flaky layers in pastries in general, gluten free and conventional, are achieved through rolling and folding, rolling and folding, a process called lamination. It's the basis of gluten free puff pastry, the most laminated of pastries.

The flakiness comes from cold cold pieces of butter, surrounded by and layered among dough, that expand when they meet the high heat of the oven. The dough holds the shape and the space created by that expansion.

Scones, on the other hand, are not rolled and folded. They're simply rolled and cut, chilled and baked. The pastry that results is almost crumbly—not because it's dry, but because it's light.

Making gluten free scone mix in advance

This gf scones recipe is written with a built-in “mix” so you can make it weeks in advance. You'll be that close to fresh, homemade sweet pastries any time.

Storing gluten free scone mix

I recommend storing your gf scones dry mix in a sealed container in the refrigerator, since buttermilk powder is best kept refrigerated. If you're using powdered milk instead of buttermilk powder, you can store your sealed container in the refrigerator or in a cool, dry pantry.

How to make gluten free scones

Repeat after me: cold dough, hot oven. All pastry is made using cold ingredients and butter (or another fat that's mostly solid at room temperature) that is in solid chunks that expand when they hit the sudden heat of the oven. It's that expansion that creates the characteristic texture of pastry.

Since grating cold butter tends to warm it up, it's best to grate the butter onto a piece of plastic wrap or parchment or waxed paper, then have it sit in the refrigerator for at least 10 minutes before adding it to the mix.

You don't have to use actual ice water, although it's the coldest type of water (colder than ice alone). You can just use water from a filtered pitcher you keep in your refrigerator, or tap water that you measure and chill completely before baking with it.

To make this recipe for gluten free scones:

1. Make the dry mix by adding all of the dry ingredients (flour, xanthan gum, cornstarch, buttermilk or milk powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and granulated sugar) in a large mixing bowl. Whisk to combine.
2. Add cold, shredded unsalted butter to the dry ingredients, and mix to combine. Some of the shredded butter will clump, which is fine (and actually what we want). Add your dry mix-ins here, too.
3. Create a well in center of the dry ingredients with the butter and mix-ins, and mix in cold water just to bring together a relatively dry dough. If the dough is wet, your scones won’t hold their shape and rise the way we want them to.
4. Shape the biscuits by turning out the dough onto a flat surface, and patting the dough into a square, then rolling it out lightly until it’s about 3/4-inch thick, and still roughly a square.
5. Square the edges of the dough using a large knife or metal bench scraper. We want well-defined sharp edges.
6. Cut the dough using one swift motion of the bench scraper at a time into 4 equal squares (2 cuts in a cross), then each of the 4 small squares into 2 triangles by cutting on a 45° angle. You should have 8 triangles.
7. Brush the tops and sides of the raw scone triangles with some milk to help browning, and sprinkle with some coarse sugar for some sweet added texture. Chill the triangles until they’re firm for best results.
8. Bake at 400°F until the scones are puffed up, pale golden and just firm to the touch. Don’t overtake or the bottoms will burn. Don’t underbake or the centers will be wet.

Tips for shaping your raw gluten free scone dough

Keep the dough cold; handle lightly

Be sure to handle the dough with as light a touch as possible to minimize the amount of contact the dough has with the warmth of your hands. Once the scones have been shaped, place them in the refrigerator or freezer to chill until truly firm.

Then, when you place the cold dough in a hot oven, the baking soda will be activated, but that's not all. The chunks of cold fat in the form of butter will expand quickly, pushing out the surrounding pastry dough and causing it to rise.

Blunt cut the pastry edges

I find that the sharper the cuts on the edges of your scones, the more readily they rise. Sharp cuts mean pastry dough that isn't compressed.

I use a metal bench scraper, which is also just a very handy tool to have. But a sharp chef's knife works well, too.

I would not recommend using a pastry cutter, which has a small wheel which will compress the pastry dough. If you have a metal pizza cutter with a very large wheel, you can try using that.

Suggested gluten free scones flavor combinations

The best part about using this master gluten free scone recipe is that it can be made with many flavor combinations. If you'd like to use a fresh or frozen berry, I recommend using our recipe for gluten free blueberry scones.

This recipe is for dried or self-contained pieces like chocolate chips and dried berries. Here are a few flavor combinations I suggest trying.

Strawberries and cream gluten free scones

Replace 3 tablespoons of the ice water in the recipe with homemade strawberry syrup. Use some syrup here, and then whip up a batch of our gluten free strawberry cupcakes. For mix-ins, use white chocolate chips, and brush the raw tops with a mixture of cream and strawberry syrup.

You see these beautiful, lightly pink-colored gluten free scones in some photos in this post (including just above). They're a family favorite!

Peanut butter and chocolate chip gluten free scones

For the mix-ins, use half chocolate chunks or chips, half peanut butter chips. You can even replace a tablespoon or two of the cornstarch with some powdered peanut butter. 

Chocolate berry gluten free scones

Use half chocolate chunks or chips, half dried berries (cranberries, cherries, or blueberries). The combination I used in many of the photos and video in this recipe is half dried cranberries, half broken chocolate baking disks.

Lemon blueberry gluten free scones

For bright lemon blueberry flavor, add finely grated zest of one lemon to the dry ingredients, and replace one tablespoon of water with lemon juice.

Try using dried or freeze-dried blueberries as your mix-in, with or without some dark or white chocolate chips. The photo below is of these lemon blueberry gluten free scones, made with 1 ounce of freeze-dried blueberries.

Cherry almond gluten free scones

For mix-ins here, use a combination of roughly chopped or sliced raw almonds (almond slivers don't tend to have enough flavor and a less pleasant texture) with dried cherries. Add some ground cinnamon, too, to complement and enhance the flavors.

Orange cranberry gluten free scones

Similar to the instructions for lemon blueberry scones, add 1 tablespoon finely grated orange zest to the dry ingredients, and replace two tablespoons of ice water with freshly-squeezed orange juice (that's been strained of all pulp). Lightly sweetened, dried cranberries are your mix-ins here.

Gluten free scones: ingredients and substitutions

Gluten free, dairy free scones

The mix calls for a dairy powder, preferably buttermilk powder, which is what allows the scones to be made with cold water, not cold buttermilk. My favorite cultured buttermilk powder is made by Saco, and the powder stays fresh in the refrigerator for a long time after opening.

You can replace the powder with milk powder or even whey powder. If you're dairy-free, try replacing the buttermilk powder with powdered coconut milk powder.

To eliminate the butter, try replacing it with vegan butter. My favorite brands are Melt and Miyoko's Kitchen. I don't recommend Earth Balance buttery sticks for pastry, since it has more moisture and melts more quickly than butter.

If you're dairy-free, be careful about what mix-ins you use. Many will have dairy, so choose non-dairy pieces.

Corn free, gluten free scones

If you can't have corn, you can replace the cornstarch with another light, flavorless starch. I would try arrowroot powder, but potato starch might work well, too.

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