Erin’s Recipe Rundown
Texture: Light and flaky with moist interiors and crisp golden-brown edges. Top with sanding sugar for a little more crunch!
Taste: Buttery and extra rich from the sour cream. Add any flavors/mix-ins you like.
Ease: So easy to make! Great beginner recipe.
Top Tips: Use frozen grated butter! Also freeze the dough for 15 minutes before slicing/baking for extra flaky scones.
Recommended GF Flour: Works great with many gluten-free flour blends. Use a high-quality flour that contains xanthan gum. I like King Arthur Flour and Bob’s Red Mill.
Would I make these again? Definitely! This is my go-to scone base recipe and we love to make different varieties!
xoxo erin
Featured Comment
From Christina: “I made these yesterday for a Mother’s Day High Tea, and they were fabulous! I was leery as so often gluten-free baked goods turn out so so, but these were scrumptious! Flaky on the outside and moist on the inside. Followed the recipe exactly minus any add-ins as I was serving them with whipped honey butter and blueberry compote. I will definitely be making these again and again!”
Table of Contents
- Erin’s Recipe Rundown
- Ingredients You’ll Need
- How to Make Gluten-Free Scones
- Gluten-Free Scone Variations
- Storage, Make-Ahead and Freezing Instructions
- Can I make these scones dairy-free?
- Do I have to refrigerate the dough, then freeze it? Can I just skip straight to the freezer?
- Why do scones need eggs?
- More Gluten-Free Recipes
- Gluten-Free Scones (Endless Mix-Ins!) Recipe
Ready to make incredible scones that also happen to be gluten-free?
This gluten-free scone recipe is what I consider a master scone recipe. You can easily tailor it with your favorite mix-ins or glazes to create gluten-free blueberry scones, gluten-free chocolate chip scones, and even savory baked scones.
No matter which variation you choose, you’ll get amazing scones every time.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Here are a few notes on the key ingredients you’ll need to make these gluten-free scones. Jump to the recipe for the exact measurements.
- Gluten-Free Flour: For best results, use a high quality gluten-free flour blend that contains xanthan gum. I recommend King Arthur Flour Gluten-Free Measure-For-Measure Flour or Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free 1:1 Baking Flour.
- Baking powder: A full tablespoon of baking powder helps gluten-free scones rise properly and turn out light and fluffy.
- Sour cream: Sour cream gives these scones richness, but also helps them hold their shape during baking.
- Frozen grated butter: Frozen grated butter is KEY to creating light, flaky, buttery scones. The cold butter and flour crumbs melt as the scones bake, releasing steam and creating air pockets. These pockets are what create flaky scones with crisp edges!
- Vanilla/Sugar: Sweet scones call for 1/4 cup of sugar and vanilla, while savory scones call for 1 tablespoon of sugar and no vanilla.
- Mix-ins: Add any mix-ins like chocolate chips, nuts or blueberries that you like! The possibilities are endless. You can use up to 1/2 cup of any mix-in.
You also might like these recipes for gluten-free blueberry scones, gluten-free chocolate chip scones and gluten-free cheese scones.
How to Make Gluten-Free Scones
Here’s a basic run-through of how to make this gluten-free scone recipe. You can find the full instructions in the recipe card below.
- Dry ingredients: Whisk them all together.
- Butter: Grate the frozen butter then mix it into the dry ingredients using a fork
- Sour cream/egg: Whisk the egg and add the sour cream and egg to the dry ingredients. Mix to combine. Note that the dough might look dry- this is normal and the dough will continue to hydrate in the fridge.
- Refrigerate: Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 20-30 minutes, then place in the freezer for 15 minutes (or longer!) before baking.
- Preheat the oven: You’ll preheat the oven to 500°F, then immediately turn the temperature down to 425°F when you put the scones in the oven. The hot oven helps the scones to rise quickly.
- Bake until golden brown! Cool before topping with any glaze.
Gluten-Free Scone Variations
There are so many ways to customize this gluten-free scones recipe! You can add a glaze to the tops of the scones, add mix-ins, make them sweet, or savory.
Here are some of my favorite ways to switch up these delicious gluten free scones.
- Chocolate Chip: Add ⅓ cup mini chocolate chips. Top with sparkling sugar.
- Blueberry Lemon: Add the zest and juice of 1 lemon and 1/2 cup blueberries. Top with a glaze made of 1 cup powdered sugar whisked together with 1 tablespoon lemon juice.
- Raspberry White Chocolate: Add 1/4 cup white chocolate chips and 1/3 cup raspberries (break them up slightly).
- Cheese: Omit the vanilla and reduce sugar to 1 tablespoon. Mix in 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese. Top with garlic chive butter after baking
Storage, Make-Ahead and Freezing Instructions
Storage: Gluten-free scones are best eaten the day they are baked, but they can be stored in an airtight container for up to two days.
Make-Ahead: After the dough has rested in the refrigerator for 20-30 minutes, you can freeze it for up to 5 days. Then slice and bake the scones directly from the freezer.
Freezing Instructions: Let the gluten-free scones cool completely, then wrap each one in plastic wrap. Put the wrapped scones in a freezer bag, squeeze out the air, and freeze them. To reheat, place the frozen scones in a preheated oven at 350°F for about 10 minutes.
Can I make these scones dairy-free?
Yes! I have successfully made these scones dairy-free using dairy-free sour cream.
Do I have to refrigerate the dough, then freeze it? Can I just skip straight to the freezer?
Once the dough is mixed together, you’ll form it into a ball and wrap it tightly with plastic wrap, then refrigerate for 20-30 minutes and freeze for 15 minutes. The time in the refrigerator serves a different purpose than the time in the freezer.
20-30 minutes in the refrigerator gives the gluten-free flour time to hydrate and absorb the moisture from the sour cream/egg. The 15 minutes in the freezer allows the butter to solidify so it creates those light pockets of air once the scones hit the hot oven. Both are needed for the ideal gluten-free scone texture!
Why do scones need eggs?
Eggs help the scones dough bind together, creating lift and structure while baking. It also adds a richer, deeper flavor to the scones.
More Gluten-Free Recipes
- Gluten-Free Muffins
- Gluten-Free Banana Bread
- Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Gluten-Free Brownies
- Gluten-Free Vanilla Cake
Gluten-Free Scones (Endless Mix-Ins!)
Video
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups (240g) gluten-free 1:1 baking flour
- ¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar reduce to 1 tablespoon for savory scones
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 8 tablespoons (113g) butter frozen
- ⅓-½ cup mix-ins of choice chocolate chips, berries, nuts, dried fruit
- ⅔ cup sour cream
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract omit for savory scones
- sparkling sugar for topping
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the gluten-free flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.
- Grate the frozen butter using a box grater. Add the butter to the flour mixture and combine with a pastry cutter, two forks, or your fingers until the mixture resembles pea-sized crumbs.
- Stir the mix-ins into the flour mixture until evenly distributed.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the sour cream, egg and *vanilla until well-combined.
- Using a rubber spatula, stir the sour cream mixture into the flour mixture until no dry bits of flour remain.
- Spread out a large piece of plastic wrap. Using wet hands, transfer the dough to the plastic wrap. Clean and wet your hands again then pat the dough to form a 6-inch round that is 1-inch thick.
- Wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 20-30 minutes. Then freeze for 15 minutes (or up to 5 days).
- Preheat the oven to 500°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- After 15 minutes (or up to 5 days), take the dough out of the freezer. Spray a sharp knife with cooking spray and cut the dough into 6 equal wedges. Arrange the scones on the prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle with coarse sugar, if desired.
- Place the scones in the oven, then immediately lower the oven temperature to 425°F. (You want the oven temperature to start hot so the scones turn golden brown as they cook through.) Bake for 12-14 minutes until golden brown.
- Remove from the oven. Transfer the scones to a wire rack and let cool for 20 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Gluten-Free 1:1 Baking Flour: I like to use a high quality gluten-free flour blend like gluten-free measure-for-measure flour blend like King Arthur Flour in my baked goods. It works best to use a blend that contains xanthan gum in this recipe.
- Sour cream: Sour cream gives these scones richness, but also helps them hold their shape during baking.
- Frozen grated butter: Frozen grated butter is KEY to creating light, flaky, buttery scones. The cold butter and flour crumbs melt as the scones bake, releasing steam and creating air pockets. These pockets are what create flaky scones with crisp edges!
- Recipe variation: You can add any mix-ins you like to this recipe. Add ⅓-1/2 cup of your favorite ingredients such as chocolate chips, berries, nuts, dried fruit and more!
- Rest the dough: Resting the dough for 30 minutes before baking allows the gluten-free flour to hydrate, since gluten-free flour takes longer than regular flour to absorb moisture.
Hi! These look so yummy, if I were to make them the day before, would it be ok to freeze overnight and bake in the morning? Can they be in the freezer that long?
Hi Kara, we haven’t tried freezing the dough before baking. If you want to try it, freeze them on parchment until they are firm, them transfer to a freezer-safe bag. Bake from frozen, adding a few minutes to the bake time. Let us know how it goes!
These were delicious! My family loved them as part of our holiday breakfast. I did chocolate chip mix ins. Will definitely make again.
Hi there – thanks for the recipe – are you using salted or unsalted butter ? It’s not specified on the recipe. Thanks
Hi Patty, thanks for your question! We always prefer salted butter for more depth of flavor!
You suggested we let the dough rest before baking but didn’t indicate when this rest should happen. After freezing?
Hi Pam, it rests in the fridge for 20-30 minutes, then in the freezer for 15 minutes (step 7). The chill time allows the flour to hydrate properly. We hope you enjoy the scones!
These sound great! I’m planning holiday breakfast and thought these would be nice – how long do they stay fresh once baked? I’ve heard a lot of things with 1:1 gluten free flour are only good the day of – is that true?
Hi Jillian, these scones are best the day they are made, but can be stored in an airtight container for up to 2 days or frozen for longer storage. It really depends on the type of baked good as to how long it’s good/fresh, not as much using gluten-free flour in general. For example, gluten-free cookies typically stay fresh longer. We hope you enjoy the scones!
That makes sense – thanks so much! I’ll have to try out some cookies too
Making the blueberry lemon scones. With the lemon juice added, they seem quite wet. Should the sour cream or the temperature be adjusted to accommodate this additional liquid.
Hi Nancy, usually the dough handles the lemon juice addition without adjustments since the dough gets refrigerated then frozen before slicing and baking. You can freeze it longer than 15 minutes to help it set too. If it seems like it doesn’t bake up well though, then yes the sour cream measurement can be reduced next time. We’d recommend a small adjustment of just 1-2 tablespoons. We hope you enjoy the scones!
AMAZING scones! I could not believe that these were gluten free, and neither could the other gf members of my family (now THAT’s success!).
You have this down to a science and we are very grateful 🙂 I am eager to try your other recipes. Thank you for sharing!
Wow, thank you for such amazing feedback, Maggie! We’re so happy to hear everyone loved the scones this much!
Question, typically one cup regularflour is roughly 125 grams, why is gf cup flour higher?
Hi Mia, the measurements in the recipe are correct. We find that 1 cup of gluten-free measure-for-measure flour weighs much closer to 160 grams. At the end of the day a cup measurement is subjective – and we think the manufacturer doesn’t realize gluten-free flour is denser than traditional wheat flour (traditional wheat flour is 120 grams/cup) so they provide that generalized measurement on their label that really isn’t accurate for gluten-free flour. We hope you enjoy the scones!
In years of gluten free baking, these are the nicest texture ever! I kept them simple and just used walnuts for an add in and dairy free sour cream with a sprinkle of course sugar atop. This recipe goes into my file!
Yay! We’re so happy you found this recipe to be a keeper! Thank you for taking the time to share your positive experience with us, Randy!
Can I use yoghurt instead of sour cream?
Hi Donna, we would recommend using whole milk Greek yogurt as the closest sub for the sour cream. It’s similar fat content will keep the scones rich, tender, and moist. We hope you enjoy the recipe!
I made these last week with chocolate chips. This week I am making them with lemon! Thank you!
Yay! We’re so happy to hear you loved the chocolate chip scones and we hope you love the lemon ones just as much! Thank you for your positive feedback, Nola!
I left the dough in the freezer for 2 days. How should I thaw before baking?
Hi Lori, there’s no need to thaw the dough before baking. If it is too hard to slice, let it sit out at room temperature for 10-15 minutes so that is becomes just workable enough to cut into wedges. We hope you enjoy the scones!
Can I use something else besides sour cream?
Hi Diana, dairy-free sour cream is another option! The sour cream adds richness and helps them hold their shape during baking. We hope this helps!
Have you ever frozen these after baking?
Hi Barb, yes these scones can be frozen! Let them cool completely, then wrap each one in plastic wrap. Put the wrapped scones in a freezer bag, squeeze out the air, and freeze. To reheat, place the frozen scones in a preheated oven at 350°F for about 10 minutes. We hope you enjoy the recipe!
The flour you mentioned is so expensive. Can I use a different flour? Chick pea? Almond? Etc
Hi Gia, you’ll want to use a high-quality gf flour blend that contains xanthan gum. Neither chickpea nor almond flour work as 1:1 swaps for a gf blend as they don’t contain starches or binders like the blends do. The texture would end up very different unfortunately.