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Chocolate Chip Pistachio Scones made with almond flour and pure maple syrup for a naturally gluten free treat that everyone loves to love! This easy scone recipe requires zero fancy equipment or techniques, making it suitable for all cooking levels.
If you’ve been around The Roasted Root for a number of years, you know I’m all about my scones. I have fashioned up many different flavors of gluten-free scones to keep brunch fun and exciting.
Well, now I’m here with my all new pistachio scones, which are definitely on my Top 5 list of favorites. In fact, they take the number one spot for me at the moment, as they are just so nutty with the perfect balance of sweet and savoriness to them.
Plus, chocolate is involved, so you know they are a great time.
The best part about this easy recipe is that the dough is so incredibly simple to prepare. Regular scones require cutting cold butter into flour using a pastry cutter or a pastry blender until the butter pieces resemble coarse crumbs the size of peas. Then, the dough must be chilled in the refrigerator prior to cutting scones and baking them off.
To me, traditional scones require far more time and effort, which is why I love the simple approach that I have laid out in this pistachio scone recipe.
I will provide a forewarning that this recipe produces tender scones, not flaky scones. This is due to the differences in the ingredients. I have to admit, I prefer the texture of my version over the traditional approach, and am biased when saying it makes the best scone.
If you love pistachio recipes, also try my Pistachio Butter Cookies or my Pistachio Ice Cream!
And of course, whip up a batch of these scones the next time you’re craving something comforting and unique to share with friends and family.
Ingredients for Pistachio Scones:
Almond Flour and Tapioca Flour: The combination of almond flour and tapioca flour generates a fluffy texture that closely resembles all-purpose flour.
Both flours are gluten free and grain free, which makes these scones suitable for those who have Celiac disease, or those who are gluten intolerant. Plus, they both add health benefits to the scones, including protein, fiber, healthy fats, and resistant starch.
Raw Unsalted Pistachios: Shelled pistachios add a nutty crunch and nutty flavor throughout the baked good, which is positively delicious for pistachio lovers. I also like to add some chopped pistachios on top of the scone dough for added crunch.
Eggs: Because these scones are grain-free, they need an extra binding agent because there is no gluten or excess of starch to keep everything held together.
Pure Maple Syrup: The sweetener here, pure maple syrup both sweetens and adds moisture to the recipe.
Avocado Oil: Fat content generates moist crumbs so that the scones taste nice and inviting. I like using avocado oil, but olive oil or melted butter work too.
Vanilla Extract and Almond Extract: Both vanilla extract and almond extract add a warm flavor to the scone dough. Almond extract provides a nutty flavor that helps enhance the pistachio essence of the recipe. If you can find pistachio extract, it works great too.
Ground Cinnamon: I love adding ground cinnamon to my baked goods for that subtle warm spice. Feel free to skip it if you aren’t into it.
Chocolate Chips: While optional, chocolate chips add little pockets of chocolate goodness, which is ideal for those who love the combination of chocolate and nuts (like me!).
Baking Powder and Baking Soda: The leavening agent. Baking powder and baking soda help the scone dough rise into a fluffy texture. Don’t skip either one, as they prevent the dough from spreading too much on a baking sheet.
Sea Salt: Salt enhances the flavors of the scones and makes them taste sweeter with deeper pistachio flavor.
Recipe Customizations:
- Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of fresh orange zest to the scone mixture if you love the combination of nuts, orange, and chocolate.
- Sprinkle the top of each scone with turbinado sugar prior to baking if you enjoy a crunchy topping.
- Mix 1/2 cup of fresh cranberries or dried cranberries for cherry pistachio scones. You can add other kinds of dried fruit, like dried apricots or dried blueberries too.
- Use 5 cups of almond flour and skip the tapioca flour if you don’t have tapioca flour on hand. You can also use arrowroot starch as a replacement for tapioca flour.
How to Make Pistachio Scones:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. If you’re using a scone pan, spray it liberally with cooking spray. If you’re using a cookie sheet or two, line them with parchment paper.
Whisk the eggs, avocado oil, pure maple syrup, vanilla extract, and almond extract together in a large bowl until the wet ingredients are well combined.
In a separate bowl, stir together the almond flour, tapioca flour, baking powder, baking soda, ground cinnamon, and sea salt until the dry ingredients are well combined.
Pour the wet mixture into the bowl with the flour mixture and mix well until everything is combined. Stir in the pistachios and chocolate chips until they are well distributed throughout the dough.
Follow the instructions below based on whether or not you are using a scone pan.
Baking in a Scone Pan:
Fill the holes of the prepared scone pan ⅔ of the way up. If your scone pan holds 8 large scones, like mine, you will have extra dough and you can either make a second batch in the scone pan, or make drop scones with the rest of the dough.
Bake on the center rack of the preheated oven for 23-25 minutes, or until the tops of the scones are golden brown.
Allow the scones to cool completely to room temperature inside of the scone pan before releasing them from the pan.
I have found that running a sharp knife in between the pan and each scone helps to release them from the pan and to lift them out.
Baking Drop Scones:
If you don’t own a scone pan, no sweat. Use one or two spoons to scoop mounds of dough onto one or two parchment-lined baking sheets.
The dough will spread substantially during the baking process, so be sure the lumps of dough are fairly small and leave plenty of room in between them to allow space to grow. If you like triangular shapes, you can shape the dough into triangles (or circles).
Feel free to sprinkle some chopped pistachios on top of the dough, which results in crunchy pistachios for a lovely texture.
Bake on the center rack of the preheated oven for 20-24 minutes, or until the edges of the scones are golden brown. The exact baking time depends on the sizes of the scones.
Transfer scones to a serving plate for serving, and store leftovers in a sealed container.
Storage Options:
- Room Temperature: Store scones in an airtight container or in a zip lock bag on the counter for up to 2 days.
- Refrigerator: Refrigerate the scones in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
- Freezer: Freeze leftover scones in a freezer bag for up to 2 months.
- Reheating: If reheating from room temperature or the refrigerator, microwave a scone on a plate for 20 seconds. If reheating from frozen, microwave for 25 to 35 seconds, or until the scone is warmed through.
The next time you’re craving a delicious baked good, whip up a batch of these nutty chocolatey scones! They require very little time or effort and they make the perfect treat for sharing with friends and family.
Enjoy a warm scone alongside a mug of coffee or your afternoon tea for the perfect pairing as an afternoon snack.
If you love baking homemade scones, try some of my other favorite scones recipes!
More Scone Recipes:
- Almond Flour Cranberry Orange Scones
- Vegan Blueberry Scones
- Almond Flour Pumpkin Scones
- Gluten-Free Dairy-Free Peach Scones
- Almond Flour Blackberry Scones
Pistachio Scones Recipe
Equipment
- Scone Pan or large baking sheets
Ingredients
- 2 eggs
- ⅓ cup avocado oil
- ¾ cup pure maple syrup
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 tsp almond extract, optional
- 4 cups almond flour
- 1 cup tapioca flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon, optional
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1 cup shelled unsalted pistachios, lightly chopped
- 1 cup chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. If you’re using a scone pan, spray it liberally with cooking spray. If you’re using a cookie sheet or two, line them with parchment paper.
- Whisk the eggs, avocado oil, pure maple syrup, vanilla extract, and almond extract together in a large bowl until the wet ingredients are well combined.
- In a separate bowl, stir together the almond flour, tapioca flour, baking powder, baking soda, ground cinnamon, and sea salt until the dry ingredients are well combined.
- Pour the wet mixture into the bowl with the flour mixture and mix well until everything is combined. Stir in the pistachios and chocolate chips until they are well distributed throughout the dough.
- Follow the instructions below based on whether or not you are using a scone pan.
Baking in a Scone Pan:
- Fill the holes of the prepared scone pan ⅔ of the way up. If your scone pan holds 8 large scones, like mine, you will have extra dough and you can either make a second batch in the scone pan, or make drop scones with the rest of the dough.
- Bake on the center rack of the preheated oven for 23-25 minutes, or until the tops of the scones are golden brown.
- Allow the scones to cool completely to room temperature inside of the scone pan before releasing them from the pan.
- I have found that running a sharp knife in between the pan and each scone helps to release them from the pan and to lift them out.
Baking Drop Scones:
- If you don’t own a scone pan, no sweat. Use one or two spoons to scoop mounds of dough onto one or two parchment-lined baking sheets.
- The dough will spread substantially during the baking process, so be sure the lumps of dough are fairly small and leave plenty of room in between them to allow space to grow. If you like triangular shapes, you can shape the dough into triangles (or circles). Feel free to sprinkle some chopped pistachios on top of the dough, which results in crunchy pistachios for a lovely texture.
- Bake on the center rack of the preheated oven for 20-24 minutes, or until the edges of the scones are golden brown. The exact baking time depends on the sizes of the scones.
- Transfer scones to a serving plate for serving, and store leftovers in a sealed container.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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