These naturally gluten-free and grain-free Almond Flour Chocolate Chip Scones are a wholesome treat for my fellow sweet tooth owners. They are refined sugar-free, dairy-free, and so easy to make too!
By now, it is probably no mystery that your girl is attracted to almond flour scones. Like a bug to a bug zapper.
From my Blueberry Almond Flour Scones to my Lemon Poppy Seed Scones and Cranberry Orange Scones, I have covered all major flavor profiles for any occasion!
And next up? These almond flour chocolate chip scones! Think of them like a larger, less sweet chocolate chip cookie.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe:
I love this recipe for so many reasons. Here are my favorite features that I think you’ll love too!
- Easy to Prepare!: We simply mix all of the ingredients in a mixing bowl and we’re ready to bake. There’s no cutting cold butter into flour, no pastry cutter or pastry blender, and no chilling the dough. They are easier to make than regular scones?
- Amazing Texture!: While these scones don’t have the same texture as regular scones, they are light and fluffy with more moisture, which I find to be even better than traditional scones.
- Rich Flavor: Many scone recipes taste bland to me. Not these baddies! The healthy fats in the almond flour create a richness that is unparalleled, and the lumps of chocolate really sing here.
- Filling: Because these scones are calorie dense, they are ultra satisfying. So enjoy them as a hearty afternoon snack between meals!
Let’s discuss the simple ingredients for this healthy scone recipe! The great news is your local grocery store should carry the full list of ingredients, as most grocery stores have a gluten-free baking section now.
Ingredients for Almond Flour Chocolate Chip Scones:
Almond Flour: Taking the place of regular all-purpose flour, we use finely ground almond flour. Almond flour is a great gluten-free and grain-free alternative, and it results in light and fluffy texture. Plus, it adds healthy fats, fiber, and protein to a baked good.
Tapioca Flour: In order to lighten the texture to bring it closer to regular scones, we need a starch, like tapioca flour. The almond flour and tapioca flour combination yields the best texture for these gluten-free scones.
Large Eggs: A couple of eggs help bind the ingredients together and help the dough rise into a fluffy texture.
Avocado Oil: Bringing moisture and richness, avocado oil is here to ensure the flavor and texture is as great as it can be.
Pure Maple Syrup: Our sweetener here. I like using pure maple syrup because it isn’t as refined as cane sugar.
Pure Vanilla Extract: Brings a warm essence to the scones.
Baking Powder: The leavening agent here. Baking powder encourages the scone dough to rise and bake evenly.
Chocolate Chips: Choose your favorite chocolate option here. Semisweet chocolate chips or dark chocolate chips work great. As does a chopped up dark chocolate bar!
Sea Salt: Salt maximizes all of the flavors. Don’t skip it!
Pecans (optional): If you love a nutty crunch, add in some chopped pecans or walnuts! I find the nuts bring such a fun textural element.
Ways to Customize:
- Make it Vegan: Replace the regular eggs with two flax eggs for an egg-free option. To do so, mix two tablespoons of ground flax seed with six tablespoons of water. Allow this mixture to sit for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Tapioca Flour Substitution: Use arrowroot flour instead, or an additional cup of almond flour.
- Swap the Chocolate: Use peanut butter chips, butterscotch chips, milk chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, sugar-free chocolate chips, etc. Or, swap the chocolate chips for 1 cup of fresh fruit, such as blueberries, chopped apples, strawberries, etc.
- Use Gluten-Free Flour Blend: If you prefer baking with a gluten-free flour blend, make my Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Scones recipe.
Now that we’ve covered the basic ingredients, let’s make some chocolate chip almond flour scones
How to Make Almond Flour Chocolate Chip Scones:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line a large rimmed baking sheet with a sheet of parchment paper.
Whisk the eggs, avocado oil, vanilla extract, and pure maple syrup in a large bowl.
In a separate large mixing bowl, stir together the remaining dry ingredients.
Add the dry mixture to the mixing bowl with the wet ingredients and stir well until a sticky dough forms.
Stir in the chocolate chips. The dough will be very sticky and it won’t resemble regular scone dough – this is normal.
Use your hands to form scone shapes out of the dough, or use two spoons to drop the dough onto the prepared baking sheet. You can also use a scone pan if you own one, which is the easiest in terms of prep and cleanup.
Bake on the center rack of the preheated oven for 18 to 22 minutes (depending on size of scones), until scones are golden brown around the edges. If you’re making small scones, bake for 14 to 18 minutes.
If using a scone pan, bake scones for 20 to 22 minutes. The exact baking time is dependent upon the size of the scones, as smaller scones require less time to bake than large scones.
Allow the scones to cool for 15 minutes before using a spatula to remove them from the scone pan or baking sheet.
If you’d like, make the optional glaze by mixing one cup of powdered sugar with 2 tablespoons of water in a small bowl or a measuring cup until creamy. Drizzle the glaze over the scones and enjoy!
Storage Options:
- Room Temperature: Keep scones in an airtight container or a zip lock bag on the counter for up to 3 days.
- Refrigerator: Store scones in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
- Freezer: For longer storage, freeze scones for up to 3 months in a freezer bag or ziplock bag.
- Make Ahead Tip: You can prepare the dough ahead of time, form it into a ball and wrap it in plastic wrap until you are ready to bake the scones.
And that’s it!
Whether you’re looking for a fun brunch recipe to enjoy with family and friends, or you’re like me and you believe life with a daily scone is better than zero scones per day, this easy recipe is here to impress.
Enjoy them with a protein source like Greek yogurt or cottage cheese for breakfast!
I find paleo chocolate chip scones to be a stellar option for serving guests with gluten intolerance or allergy. Just be sure no one has a nut allergy!
Be sure to check out my other almond flour recipes if you love baking gluten-free treats!
If you enjoy baking scones as much as I do, also try out some of my other flavors!
More Scone Recipes:
Chocolate chunk scones, let’s go!
Almond Flour Chocolate Chip Scones
Ingredients
- 2 large eggs or 2 flax eggs for vegan
- 1/2 cup avocado oil
- 1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup pure maple syrup
- 4 cups finely ground almond flour
- 1 cup tapioca flour or arrowroot flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1 cup raw pecans chopped, optional
- 2/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips or chopped chocolate bar
For the Optional Glaze:
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 Tbsp water
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Whisk the eggs, avocado oil, vanilla extract, and pure maple syrup in a large mixing bowl.
- In a separate mixing bowl, stir together the remaining dry ingredients. Add the dry ingredients to the mixing bowl with the wet ingredients and stir well until a sticky dough forms. Stir in the chocolate chips.
- Transfer the scone dough to a lightly-oiled scone pan or line a baking sheet with parchment paper and form drop scones using two spoons or your hands. You can make them any shape you would like if you aren't using a scone pan.
- Bake on the center rack of the oven for 18 to 22 minutes (depending on size of scones), until scones are golden-brown around the edges. If making small drop scones, bake for 14 to 18 minutes. If using a scone pan, bake 20 to 22 minutes.
- Allow scones to cool 15 minutes before using a spatula to remove them from the scone pan or baking sheet.
- If you'd like, make the optional glaze by mixing one cup of powdered sugar with 2 tablespoons of water until creamy. Drizzle the glaze over the scones and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Frequently Asked Questions:
No, please don’t! Coconut flour absorbs 4 times more liquid than any other flour and requires more eggs in order to achieve the right texture. For this reason, too many changes would need to be made to the recipe for it to work out with coconut flour.
Nope! The combination of almond flour and tapioca flour generate a texture that is similar to all-purpose flour. So for the best results, I recommend keeping the tapioca starch in. Nevertheless, you can swap it out for an additional cup of almond flour. The texture turns out grainier, but it is still lovely!
Yes! Replace the avocado oil with melted butter, melted coconut oil, or heavy cream.
Yes. Use 1 cup of coconut sugar and add 2/3 cup of any kind of milk to the recipe, such as coconut milk, oat milk, regular milk, etc.
Can I use blueberries instead of chocolate chips?
Yes, absolutely! I recommend using 1 cup of fresh blueberries or dried blueberries. Happy baking!
Hi Julia!
Can I use corn starch instead of tapioca flour? Thanks!
Krista
Hi Krista! You can! I haven’t tested it myself, but the internet tells me you’ll need about half the amount of corn starch because it thickens more efficiently than tapioca flour. So use 1/2 cup cornstarch, and you should be good to go! I hope you love the scones 🙂