Rich and delicious gluten-free maple walnut scones, 2 ways! This post includes a traditional scone recipe using butter as well as a dairy-free vegan version. An easy scone recipe that requires hardly any time! Smear some maple butter on top for the ultimate treat.
DROP YOUR CLEANSE AND BAKE THESE RIGHT NOOOOOWAH!
Just kidding. These scones are fairly cleanse-friendly considering they’re gluten-free and refined sugar-free.
I’ve also done my vegan hommies a solid here, and have included a vegan version of the recipe, sans butter.
One scone, two ways! I almost feel a little guilty for posting this recipe one week into the New Year amidst the flowing tide of detoxing individuals.
Almost.
…But then I reminisce on all the tongue and mouth sensations I experienced while consuming the scones and the guilt just meeeeeelts away.
These scones are…
Recipe Highlights:
- Succulent.
- Rich
- Buttery (even if you make the vegan version, they taste creamy!)
- Maple-y
- Gluten-Free
- Nutty
- Breakfast-worthy
- Packable
- Dip in your hot chocolate (slash Irish coffee)-able
- Sinfully delicious
Let’s talk scone prep.
I used gluten-free all purpose flour and kept the recipe naturally sweet with pure maple syrup. In addition, I topped the scones with a maple glaze (we’ll get to that in a hot minute), double-whammy-ing the maple effect thusly.
How to Make Gluten-Free Scones:
The preparation on these things is pretty straight forward.
I generally use a stand mixer to expedite the sconing process, but you can also go the mixing bowl and pastry cutter route to cut in the butter (or if making the vegan version, simply pour the wet mixture into the dry, business as usual).
Form a dough disc, then cut said dough disc into triangles, like so:
Coat the triangles lightly with butter (or coconut oil if you’re making the vegan version).
Bake in the oven, then VIOLA! Addictive lumps of maple heaven.
AND THE GLAAAAAZE!!
It took me 17,000 hours to make.
Just kidding.
All I did for the glaze was smear Roxbury Mountain Maple Cream on top of the finished scones. BOOM icing on the cake!
If you’ve never tried maple cream (or maple butter), it’s plain and simple 100% pure maple syrup that has been heated to a high boil, cooled, and slowly churned into a butter consistency. It basically tastes like you took a stick of butter and whipped it with pure maple syrup…but all’s it is is maple syrup, ya feel?
If you prefer, you can enjoy the scones as is without a glaze or you can prepare a simple powdered sugar glaze as an alternative to the maple cream.
After I resisted the temptation to hoard the whole batch to myself, I stuck the scones in a zippy bag, high-tailed it to Tahoe.
I shared them with friends alongside Irish coffee before a moonlit snowshoe hike. The scones made for such a comforting pre-trail snack and my friends gave rave reviews.
More Healthy Scone Recipes:
- Paleo Vegan Banana Scones
- Vegan Strawberry Scones
- Paleo Pecan Chocolate Chip Scones
- Paleo Cranberry Orange Vegan Scones
- Paleo Vegan Lemon Poppy Seed Scones
And now for the recipes! Here’s the version using butter!:
Gluten Free Maple Walnut Scones
Ingredients
- 2 cups gluten-free all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ cup raw walnuts chopped
- 8 tablespoons 1 stick chilled unsalted butter, chopped into small cubes
- 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk*
- ¼ cup pure maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
For the glaze:
- 1/4 cup Roxbury Mountain Maple Cream
- 1/4 cup raw walnuts chopped
- Pinch ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Add the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and walnuts to a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or add to a mixing bowl). Mix on low just until combined.
- Keeping the mixer on medium speed, add the cold butter one or two chunks at a time.
- Slowly pour in the almond milk, followed by the pure maple syrup and vanilla extract. Increase the speed slightly and continue mixing until a ball of dough forms. Note: If dough is too dry, add a small amount of additional almond milk.
- Take dough in your hands and form it into a ball, then place on a floured surface. Press on the dough, forming it into a disc about 3/4-inch thick. If the dough splits around the edges, or if any of the walnuts poke out, press the dough back together and push the walnuts in.
- Cut disc into equal triangles and arrange on a lightly oiled baking sheet. Melt one to two tablespoons of butter in the microwave and lightly brush the triangles so that they're lightly coated in butter.
- Bake on the center rack of the oven for 18 to 25 minutes, or until scones have browned around the edges. Remove from oven and allow scones to cool.
- Spread maple cream on each scone, then top with chopped walnuts and a sprinkle of cinnamon. Serve with your favorite hot beverage.
Notes
Nutrition
Vegan Maple Walnut Scones
Ingredients
- 2 cups gluten-free all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ cup raw walnuts chopped
- 5 tablespoons coconut oil melted and cooled
- 2/3 cup full-fat canned coconut milk
- ¼ cup pure maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Add the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and walnuts to a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or add to a mixing bowl). Mix on low just until combined (dry mixture).
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the coconut oil, coconut milk, pure maple syrup, and vanilla extract (wet mixture).
- Keeping the mixer on medium speed, slowly pour in the wet mixture into the mixer. Increase the speed slightly and continue mixing until a ball of dough forms. Note: If dough is too dry, add a small tablespoon or two of additional coconut milk.
- Take dough in your hands and form it into a ball, then place on a floured surface. Press on the dough, forming it into a disc about 3/4-inch thick. If the dough splits around the edges, or if any of the walnuts poke out, press the dough back together and push the walnuts in.
- Cut disc into equal triangles and arrange on a lightly oiled baking sheet. Brush the triangles with melted coconut oil so that they’re lightly coated.
- Bake on the center rack of the oven for 18 to 25 minutes, or until scones have browned around the edges. Remove from oven and allow scones to cool.
- Spread maple cream on each scone, then top with chopped walnuts and a sprinkle of cinnamon. Serve with your favorite hot beverage.
Nutrition
I love maple cream! I just discovered it a few months ago, but it is lovely!
We must be two birds of a feather! I’m fairly new to maple cream as well, and I can’t get enough of the stuff! I could seriously eat it by the spoonful..
It’s definitely very difficult to find maple syrup outside of London here in Uk :/
Hi Amber, if you like the flavor of honey, you can sub out the maple syrup for honey, and swap the maple cream for honey cream. Just be sure to keep a close watch on the scones because honey has a lower burn temperature than maple. Let me know if you try the recipe!
Wow! These look incredible, Julia! I need to get me some of that cream!!
Yuuuuuhs! They’re fantastic! Let me know if you end up trying them!
This looks amazing! Love that these scones are gluten free 🙂 And walnuts are a fave of mine. To the above commenter, I’m sure she can sub golden syrup for maple in these- a pretty similar flavor and that should be available elsewhere in the UK 🙂
YOU STOP!!! These are making me want to gauge my eyeballs out right now. Like, I really wish I didn’t just see them because now that’s all I want. Life cannot go on until I have one in my mouth!! That maple cream is everything. F the cleanse, pass me a scone! 🙂
My, oh my, these scones look beautiful! They hold together soo well! I want a slice + a generous dollop of that maple cream, please!
Coming right up! I think you’d love these scones! #maplecreamfordayz xo.
These scones are everything I want and more! Love that you included a vegan version!
I just tried to make the Gf/Df scones. Taste was great but they are totally crumbly and more cake like. Do you think it might be because I used soy milk instead of the thicker coconut cream? Would like to try again.
Hi Dorothy,
Yes, I definitely think the soy milk is the culprit. With the vegan version, you need to replace the fat from the butter somehow, which is the purpose of the full-fat coconut milk and coconut oil. These two ingredients are what help bind the scones together. I should have made it more clear in the post that lower fat substitutions won’t turn out. Let me know if you try the scones again, and I hope you had a great weekend!
thank you. will definitely try it again.
Lumps of heaven, indeed! These are the prettiest scones I ever did see.
Cani I use brown rice flour?
The flavor was good but I could still taste the grit. How do I fix that? I had to add additional gf all purpose flour bc it was runny and never did form a dough ball in my stand up mixer. Not sure what went wrong. My 7year old daughter has gluten sensitivity amd I am new to gf baking. Its frustrating and takes forever to obtain the right flours in our pantry but the prepackaged mixes are too expensive and too sugary. Wish is luck!
Is there a nutritional value count on this recipe?
Being diabetic I need to keep track of everything.
Has anyone tried making these and just subbing the butter for a vegan butter alternative instead of the dairy free version of the recipe?
Hi Ricki!
I haven’t tried using vegan butter, but I’ve made the scones with coconut oil and they turn out great! Hope you enjoy! xo