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 strawberry 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 (225g) 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
- ½ cup (113g) butter frozen
- ⅓-½ cup mix-ins of choice chocolate chips, berries, nuts, dried fruit
- ⅔ cup (160g) 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.
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