Gluten-free Scones Recipe – BEST EVER! (dairy-free/vegan option)

Gluten-free scones recipe – yes, you can make them in 30 minutes! Nobody would ever know they’re Coeliac-friendly and wheat-free too.

Gluten-free scones recipe, anyone? It makes some of the softest, buttery scones I’ve tasted in years. I didn’t know they could be so soft in the middle! So if you’re sick of gluten-free scones that are like flat, rock solid hockey pucks, then this recipe is for you…

But let’s get one thing out of the way first… is it pronounce as ‘scon’ or ‘sc-own’?!

(I say ‘scon’, Mark says it the other way and we’re from the same town… so we’re probably not much help!!)

But whatever you call them, it doesn’t have to change the fact that it’s actually pretty hard to find a gluten-free scone when you’re out and about.

It’s an iconic British classic, yet we seem to just be inundated with gluten-free brownies everywhere you look… so I decided to finally create my own gluten-free scones recipe!

Why make my gluten-free scones?

• Super easy to make – just mix up the dough, shape to the right thickness and cut them out using biscuit cutters. Bake and enjoy!
• No need for any fancy mixers or anything – I always make these by hand and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
• All of the ingredients required for the recipe are easily available in supermarkets and supermarket free from aisles.
• Best of all, you’d never know they were gluten-free by tasting or looking at them – they’re super soft and NOT crumbly or dry at all.
• Yep, it’s easy to make dairy-free or vegan too – just see the FAQ section to find out how.

My gluten-free scones recipe has come off the back of a couple of things.

Firstly, I went for a lovely afternoon tea late last year at the Corinthia and had some lovely, warm gluten-free scones. From that day forth I realised that I want these on the regular!

Secondly, I’ve had soooo many requests for this recipe and your wish is my command (feel free to always message me recipe requests ❤️).

And fortunately for us, scones in general are actually really simplistic as recipes go. I mean, Mark always reminds me that it was one of the few things he used to make when he was at secondary school in food technology classes.

If 12 year old Mark was a whizz at scones I think we can all give gluten-free scones a go! Here’s what you’ll need for this recipe:

Gluten-free Scones Recipe: What you’ll need…

• Gluten-free self-raising flour – I use Doves Farm’s FREEE flour, which you easily find down the free from aisle in supermarkets. If you can’t find a blend like this where you live, you can always make your own using my gluten-free flour recipe.
• Gluten-free baking powder – Though there’s a little of this in gluten-free self-raising flour, a little goes a long way to ensure a nice, perfect rise. Please note that this is NOT bicarbonate of soda, which is much, much stronger!
• Xanthan gum – This helps to bind the cake crumb together so it doesn’t become crumbly, replacing the gluten that would otherwise do the same job. 
• Butter – Ensure that your butter is super cold – ideally straight out of the fridge. Rubbing warm butter into flour is not something I would ever recommend!
• Caster sugar – Of course, sugar isn’t just for sweetness – it helps to achieve a lovely crisp exterior.
• Milk – Milk not only provides the ever important liquid part of the mixture, but also helps to give the scones a lovely golden colour as they bake.
• Lemon juice – This is to ensure that the milk reacts and becomes a little curdled and lumpy, essentially making homemade buttermilk.
• Vanilla Extract – A little goes a long way and the better quality it is, the better your scones will taste.
• Egg – This is just for egg-washing the top of each scone to give them a lovely golden finish on top. It’s just a visual thing!

Looking for the method and measurements? Keep scrolling to the bottom of this post until you find the recipe card. You can also print it off there too.

Gluten-free Scones Recipe: Frequently asked questions and tips

And here’s a few answers to some frequently asked questions, as well as a few tips and product recommendations for this recipe. Hopefully this will help you to make this recipe perfect, first time!

Can I make this recipe gluten-free? Is it suitable for Coeliacs?

It is gluten-free, though nobody would know just by tasting it – trust me!

Bear in mind that minimising cross-contamination is hugely important if you’re Coeliac or making this for someone who is. Here’s some tips from Coeliac UK on minimising the risk of cross contamination.

Also, make sure that all ingredients used don’t have any gluten-containing ingredients. Then make sure that they also don’t have a ‘may contain’ warning for gluten, wheat, rye, barley, oats (which aren’t gf), spelt and khorasan wheat (aka Kamut).

Here’s some more info from Coeliac UK on identifying safe gluten-free products.

Is your gluten-free scones recipe dairy free?

Yep, this recipe can easily be dairy free! First of all, use a hard margarine like Stork baking block. And then use any dairy-free milk you like – I find that unsweetened almond works really well.

Can I make this recipe vegan?

Start by following the steps above the make the scone mixture dairy free. Secondly, instead of using egg-wash, use a little unsweetened almond milk instead. That’s it!

Is your gluten-free scones recipe low FODMAP?

Yes! You can easily make this low FODMAP by using lactose-free milk. Butter is naturally low in lactose so that’s low FODMAP too.

Is this recipe nut free?

Yep, this is a nut-free recipe as far as ingredients go, BUT make sure you check the ingredients label on ALL the products you use just to be safe.

Even if the products don’t contain nuts, they may have a ‘may contain nuts’ warning due to being produced in a factory that handles nuts.

You can never be too careful so always read the labels on everything first.

Do I need any special equipment to make your gluten-free scones recipe?

Nope, all you really need to make this is a mixing bowl and a metal spoon! I wouldn’t recommend using a standing mixer or a food processor for this one, it’s a little overkill.

I can’t buy gluten-free self-raising flour where I live, can I use gluten-free plain flour?

Yes, BUT! If you use gluten-free plain flour, then add 2 tsp extra baking powder and another 1/4 tsp of xanthan gum. gluten-free self-raising flour naturally has a little baking powder and xanthan gum in it (usually) but gluten-free plain flour doesn’t, so make sure you add extra.

Can I make this recipe without xanthan gum?

There’s a little xanthan gum in self-raising flour already, so in a sense, yes you can skip adding more xanthan gum, though I always make mine with it just to be safe. It really helps everything bite together and the final texture!

Can I make this recipe using other gluten-free flours like buckwheat flour or coconut flour?

There’s a big difference between ‘gluten-free self-raising flour’ and a *singular* type gluten-free flour. When I say ‘gluten-free self-raising flour’ in a recipe, I mean a BLEND of gluten-free flours, not just one, singular flour.

Most gluten-free flour you buy in the supermarket typically contains a blend of rice flour, potato flour, maize flour, tapioca flour AND buckwheat flour. That’s a lot of different flours!

So to replace it with just one specific type of flour… that’s not going to cut it at all. Definitely go for a gluten-free flour blend.

How many scones does this recipe make?

My gluten-free scones recipe doesn’t make a huge amount of scones – around 6 per batch as I like to make them really tall and towering.

But you could easily make slightly shorter scones and get more out of your dough – it’s totally up to you. What I like to do, just double the quantity of the ingredients listed below for around 12 lovely, tall scones. I do always think scones are best served up fresh though, so small batches aren’t a bad thing!

Can I add raisins or sultanas to the scone mixture?

Yes you can! Simply add a handful of sultanas (or whatever dried fruit you like before you roll out the dough).

Do I need weighing scales to bake your gluten-free scones recipe?

In short… yes, yes and yes! And I wouldn’t advise attempting any of my recipes without them. One of the worst things you can do in any baking recipe is alter the quantities by mistake or on purpose.

A lot of work went into fine tuning ratios and quantities so I wouldn’t mess around with them unless you really know your stuff. I’d recommending using digital cooking scales like these so you know you’re getting an accurate measurement.

How long can I keep your gluten-free scones for?

You can keep them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-5 days.

Can I freeze your gluten-free scones?

Yes! You can keep them in the freezer in an airtight container for up to 2-3 months.

When you want to eat them, simply allow to defrost at room temperature for 3-4 hours.

Can I print your gluten-free scones recipe?

Of course! Just hit the print button located on the recipe card below ?? (otherwise you might end up printing this entire post which would probably make your printer go into early retirement)

Gluten-free Scones Recipe: Troubleshooting

My scones were flat and didn’t rise? What did I do wrong?

There’s three reasons a scone will be flat or won’t rise:

• Firstly, scones aren’t the type of thing that rise much as all. That’s why you need to roll out your dough to be nice and thick before baking. That way, you’ll get a little extra rise when baking, but the nice, tall shape of your scone will already be guaranteed before baking them.
• Using old baking powder. Make sure it’s well in date!
• Overworking the dough. Don’t play with the dough too much or roll it out multiple times!

What flour did you use for this recipe? I’m not sure what to buy!

I used FREEE by Doves Farm’s gluten-free self raising flour to create this recipe. You can find it in the free from in aisle in nearly all supermarkets.

But any gluten-free self-raising flour should do fine!

My scones look really pale – what happened?!

The egg-wash is what gives them a lovely golden colour on top. If you don’t use it, they’ll look a little pale all over. Still taste exactly the same though!

Gluten-free Scones Recipe: The actual recipe…

Ok, so here’s my gluten-free scones recipe. Please rate it 5 stars if you liked it as it helps others to know it’s a recipe worth trying! Feel free to leave your written reviews in the comments below this post ??

Thanks for reading all about my gluten-free scones recipe! If you make it, I’d love to see how it turned out so don’t forget to take a snap of your creations and tag me on Instagram!

Any questions about the recipe? Please do let me know by following me on Instagram and leaving me a comment on a recent photo!

Thanks for reading,

Becky xxx

Oh and don’t forget to pin this for later!