Looking to make gluten-free scones! This gluten-free scone recipe can produce all sorts of scone varieties and flavors. It’s a tried-and-true recipe that creates flaky, light and flavorful bakery-style scones every time!
Grating the butter and adding sour cream are the secret tricks to the BEST gluten-free scones you’ll ever make! Check out this blog post for all the tips.
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.
Sour cream, baking powder, and high-quality gluten-free flour blends make this recipe unbeatable. (No dry, bland scones here!)
Jump to:
What Are Scones?
Before we dive into this master gluten-free scone recipe, let’s cover the basics. What are scones?
Well, it depends where you live!
British scones are most comparable to what we call biscuits in America. They’re usually less sweet and are topped with butter or jam. In contrast, traditional scones in America are usually sweeter (or savory) and don’t require toppings because they’re more rich and flavorful on their own.
In some parts of the U.S. (like Utah), scones are deep-fried dough that is more similar to Indian fry bread. These scones are light and puffy, and usually topped with powdered sugar, honey, or jam.
This scones recipe is for traditional American scones—the kind that are light and fluffy on the inside, with a crisp exterior and rich, sweet (or savory) interior.
For another gluten-free treat try this gluten-free baked donut recipe!
Video: Watch how to make them!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Light and flaky
- Moist crumb
- Can be customized
- Consistent rise
- Made with basic ingredients
- Easy to make
Ingredients You’ll Need
Here are some of the ingredients that make this such a great recipe!
- 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.
- 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 extract: Be sure to choose high-quality, real vanilla extract for your sweet scones (omit for savory scones).
- Sugar: Sweet scones call for 1/4 cup of sugar, while savory scones call for 1 tablespoon.
- 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
Make the Scones
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the gluten-free flour blend, sugar, baking powder and salt.
- Grate the frozen butter using a box grater. Add it to the flour mixture and combine with a pastry cutter, two forks, or your fingers until the mixture comes together in pea-sized crumbs.
- Stir in the mix-ins to the flour mixture until evenly distributed. In a separate bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients, including sour cream, egg and vanilla.
- Using a rubber spatula, stir the sour cream mixture into the dry mixture until no dry bits of flour remain.
- Spread out a large piece of plastic wrap. Using wet hands, transfer the dough to the parchment paper.
- 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 and refrigerate for 30 minutes. (Do not refrigerate longer than 30 minutes.)
- Preheat the oven to 500F. Line a baking tray with a silicone mat or parchment paper.
- After 30 minutes take the dough out of the fridge. Spray a sharp knife with vegetable oil and cut the dough on a floured surface into 6 equal triangle scone shapes. Arrange the scones on the prepared cookie sheet. Sprinkle with coarse sugar if desired.
- Lower the oven temperature to 425F and bake the scones for 12-14 minutes until golden brown. (You want the oven temperature to be hot to start so the scones turn golden brown as they cook through.)
- Transfer the scones from the baking sheet to a wire rack and let cool for 20 minutes, until the scones reach room temperature.
Make the Glaze (if desired)
- Whisk all glaze ingredients in a large bowl, including powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons milk or cream, vanilla extract, and pinch of salt.
- Add another tablespoon of milk or heavy cream to thin out if necessary. For thicker icing, add a little more powdered sugar.
- Top the scones with the 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 Scones
- Add ⅓ cup mini chocolate chips
- Top with coarse sugar
Blueberry Scones
- Add ½ cup blueberries
- Top with glaze after baking made with
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2–3 Tablespoons milk or heavy cream
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
- Whisk the powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons milk or cream, vanilla extract and pinch of salt together. Add another tablespoon of milk or heavy cream to thin out if necessary. For thicker icing, add a little more powdered sugar.
Raspberry Scones
- Add ½ cup raspberries
- Top with glaze above
Cheese Scones
- Omit the vanilla
- Reduce sugar to 1 tablespoon
- Add 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese
- Top with garlic chive butter AFTER baking
Chive Butter
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- Whisk the garlic chive butter ingredients together. Brush the tops of each scone with the butter after baking.
Storage Instructions
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.
FAQ
The secret to incredible gluten-free scones is to use frozen grated butter, sour cream, and baking powder. This will result in flaky, rich scones with a perfect rise.
Eggs help the scones dough bind together, creating lift and structure while baking. It also adds a richer, deeper flavor to the scones.
Your scones may not be light and fluffy because you didn’t use enough baking powder, you overworked the dough, or you put the scones in the oven before it was at the right temperature.
Gluten-Free Scones Expert Tips & Tricks
- Recipe variation: You can add any mix-ins you like to this recipe. Add 1/3-1/2 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. I also use this trick in my gluten-free chocolate chip cookies!
More Gluten-Free Recipes
I hope you love these gluten-free scones as much as we do! If you try this gluten-free scone recipe, be sure to leave me a comment/rating below. I’d love to hear from you!
Gluten-Free Scones (Endless Mix-Ins!)
Video
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups gluten-free 1:1 baking flour 240 grams
- ¼ cup granulated sugar 50 grams
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 8 tablespoons butter frozen, 113 grams
- ⅓-½ cup mix-ins of choice chocolate chips, berries, nuts, dried fruit
- ⅔ cup sour cream
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract omit for savory scones
- Coarse 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 it to the flour mixture and combine with a pastry cutter, two forks, or your fingers until the mixture comes together in pea-sized crumbs.
- Stir in the mix-ins to the flour mixture until evenly distributed. In a separate bowl, whisk together the sour cream, egg and vanilla until combined.
- Using a rubber spatula, stir the sour cream mixture into the flour mixture until no dry bits of flour remain. Stir in the mix-ins.
- Spread out a large piece of plastic wrap. Using wet hands, transfer the dough to the parchment paper. 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 and refrigerate for 30 minutes. (Do not refrigerate longer than 30 minutes.)
- Preheat the oven to 500F. Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper.
- After 30 minutes take the dough out of the fridge. Spray a sharp knife with vegetable oil and cut the dough into 6 equal wedges. Arrange the scones on the prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle with coarse sugar if desired.
- Lower the oven temperature to 425F and bake the scones for 12-14 minutes until golden brown. (You want the oven temperature to be hot to start so the scones turn golden brown as they cook through.)
- Remove from the oven. Transfer the scones to a cooling rack and let cool for 20 minutes before serving. Enjoy!
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.
Am I able to freeze these? If so, should I freeze the dough or already made scones?
You can actually freeze these either way – the shaped dough or baked. I hope you enjoy them 🙂
Hello! Do you use salted or unsalted butter?
I like to use salted butter!
Since this only has one egg. Could I use an egg replacer for it? My grandson is gluten free and egg free. Thanks.
I think that should work great! Let me know how they turn out if you try it 🙂
Made these today with dark chocolate chunks as my mix-in. They turned out perfect! I love how these aren’t super heavy/dense scones. Thank you for sharing this recipe that I can be easily personalized.
Could you add in Orange Marmalade to this recipe as the add in or would that change the consistency?
That’s a good question! I think you could add up to 3 tablespoons of marmalade to the recipe without changing anything else. I hope this helps!
These is the best GF pastry I’ve made! Made them for a family tea and no one knew they were GF. We made cherry chocolate chip, yum!
Cherry chocolate chip sounds amazing! I’m so glad they turned out for you! 🙂
I am a scone expert! I have been making them for years. But I needed to make gluten free scones for a family and wanted to see if there was anything else I needed to do differently besides the gluten free flour. I basically stuck to your recipe. I did not have sour cream, so I stuck with what I normally use, heavy whipping cream. I made cranberry orange scones, so I added orange zest and 1 cup of dried cranberries. Other than that, I make mine the same way you do. HOWEVER, I have never, ever seen the suggestion to heat your oven to 500 and then bake the scones at 425. I can not express enough how delicious these scones were. They were by far the BEST I have ever made – and I have made a lot!! They were crunchy/flaky on the outside, and moist on the inside. Thank you!! I can’t wait to make my regular scones and all my different flavors.
Hooray! I’m so glad as a scone expert they passed the test! Cranberry orange sounds delicious 🙂 Great to know heavy whipping cream worked too!
This was a delightful treat for me. I was missing my mom’s Irish scone and this was definitely the perfect substitute. Followed the recipe exactly and added extra raisins (like my mom did). Love it! New go to scone ! Thank you
I’m so glad these are a good substitute for your Mom’s scone recipe! Raisins sound delicious. Thanks for the comment! 🙂
Such an easy, customizable recipe. Great texture too. I made them with chocolate chips and they were delicious!
Chocolate chips are one of my favorite additions too! I’m so glad they turned out for you 🙂
These were fantastic! I made the chocolate chip ones to go with my morning coffee – you would never guess they are gluten free. Looking forward to trying one of the savory flavors next!
Love this gluten free version of scones! So happy I can finally enjoy them again!
These scones came out GREAT! I didn’t have sour cream so I substituted greek yogurt. I made 1/2 of the recipe w/ chocolate chips and 1/2 of the recipe w/ orange zest & dried cranberries.
My husband who eats gluten and very picky about sweets also said he couldn’t tell they were gluten free and said they were really good.
Can’t wait to try a savory version of these. Thank you!!
This is so great! Those sound like delicious flavor additions. Glad your husband approved too! Thanks for the comment 🙂
Can you freeze the baked scones?
Yes! They freeze great!
I have tried many gluten free recipes with poor results. I made your zucchini bread recipe and it was better than any of my previous wheat recipes. They are delicious and my husband said, “these can’t be gluten free!” Thank you, trying the scone recipe next!
Hooray! I’m so glad you like the recipes 🙂 Hope the scones turn out well too!
That’s the recipe I was waiting for!! I tried it right away, and they turned out great!!! It was a big hassle with cutting it, since it was sticking to the knife, but it’s definitely worth the effort!! <3