Easy Gluten-Free Blueberry Scones with a sweet and tangy lemon glaze. Made with only a few simple ingredients. The recipe also has a dairy-free option.
Gluten-Free Scones
I have something to admit to friends. Before working on this recipe, I had never had a scone. I am more of a gluten-free biscuit and muffin girl, so when a reader asked me if I had a gluten-free scone recipe, I was up for the challenge.
It’s a good thing my husband has had scones before, and I could ask him about how the taste and texture of scones are supposed to be. He said scones were a little drier than biscuits, but not too dry, and that their texture was less flaky.
So, I went to work modifying my Gluten-Free Buttermilk Biscuits recipe into a gluten-free scone recipe. With just a few adjustments, these scones came out perfectly! These scones are firmer than biscuits but not hard or dry, just the way a traditional scone is supposed to be.
How To Make Gluten-Free Scones
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Pre-heat oven to 425°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
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Cut the butter into small pieces and put in the freezer for 10 minutes. If you do not have buttermilk, make your own buttermilk by adding 1 tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice to the milk and let stand 5-10 minutes in the refrigerator to keep cold. You can also make buttermilk out of dairy-free milk.
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In a large bowl add flour, xanthan gum (leave out if your flour already has it), sugar, baking powder, salt, and lemon peel, stir to combine the ingredients.
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Cut in the really cold butter into the flour with a pastry cutter or fork until it looks like the size of small peas. (photo 1)
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Add in the buttermilk and the whisked eggs and stir until a soft dough forms. (I whisk the eggs right in the buttermilk). The key is to not over mix the dough because over-mixing will cause the dough to yield hard scones. The dough will be sticky. Carefully stir in the blueberries. (photo 2)
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Add one tablespoon of flour to a large piece of parchment paper. Place the dough on top of the floured parchment paper. Dust the top of the dough with 1 tablespoon of flour and gently fold dough over on itself 2 times. You do this by folding the dough in half on top of itself and then doing it a second time.
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With your hands, form a dough round that is about 7″ in diameter and 2″ thick. If you make it any larger or flatter you will end up with flat scones. (photo 3)
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Run a sharp knife under warm water and then cut the dough round in half. Then cut each half into 4 slices. Repeat on the second half. You will now have 8 dough triangles. Carefully place the dough on the parchment lined baking sheet. Brush the tops of the dough with the 2 tablespoons of milk. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until the tops are golden brown. Please watch your oven because all ovens are different. (photo 4 & 5)
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Add the glaze ingredients to a small bowl and stir together until smooth. Drizzle over warm scones. Enjoy! (photo 6)
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Store leftover scones in an air-tight container. Scones are best served warm.
Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour
I used Pillsbury gluten-free flour for this scone recipe. It’s my favorite cup for cup gluten-free flour blend. A cup for cup flour blend is one that already has xanthan gum it.
It makes gluten-free baking so much easier! Make sure you don’t add any extra xanthan gum to your flour if it already has it in it. If you do you will get super gummy scones!
Not all gluten-free flours are created equal. You may experience different baking results depending on the gluten-free flour blend you choose.
Pro Tip For Measuring Gluten-Free Flour
- The best way to measure gluten-free flour is the “spoon & level” method. Use a spoon to scoop the flour into a measuring cup. Then use the back of a knife to level off the top of the measuring cup. Please do not scoop the flour directly out of the bag with a measuring cup.
Dairy-Free Baking Tips
I have also included a dairy-free option to the scone recipe. Myself, my husband and youngest son are all dairy-free as well. So you can also enjoy a gluten-free and a dairy-free scone.
I used Smart Balance buttery spread and almond milk for the dairy-free scones.
Some of my favorite dairy-free alternatives that I like to bake with are almond, cashew or coconut milk. I also like baking with coconut oil or Earth Balance or Smart Balance butter.
Can I Freeze The Scones?
Yes! The scones can be frozen before you bake them. Flash freeze the cut scone dough for 30 minutes on a parchment lined baking sheet before placing them in a freezer bag and putting them back into the freezer. Bake the frozen scones for 15-20 minutes at 425° F. Please watch your oven because all ovens are different.
These gluten-free blueberry scones are perfect with your morning coffee or tea. They are super easy to make and only take a few simple ingredients.
The lemon glaze takes these scones to the next level! I just love the flavor of blueberries and lemon together.
More Gluten-Free Breakfast Recipes To Try!
- Easy Gluten-Free Blueberry Banana Muffins {Dairy-Free and Refined Sugar Free Option}
- Easy Gluten-Free Apple Cinnamon Crumb Muffins {Dairy-Free Option}
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Gluten-Free Blueberry Scones {Dairy-Free Option}
Ingredients
- ½ cup butter, diced and really cold dairy-free use Smart Balance butter
- 3 cups gluten-free all-purpose flour , I like Pillsbury gluten-free
- ¾ teaspoon xanthan gum , leave out if your flour already has it
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablspoons gluten-free baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon dried lemon peel (lemon zest)
- ¾ cup buttermilk (make buttermilk by adding 1 tablespoon white vinegar to the milk and sit for 2 minutes) dairy-free add ¾ tablespoon white vinegar to almond, cashew or coconut milk
- 2 large eggs , whisked
- 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
- 2 tablespoons milk , dairy-free use almond, cashew, or coconut milk
Glaze
- 1 cup confectioners' sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon water
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 425°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Cut the butter into small pieces and put in the freezer for 10 minutes. If you do not have buttermilk make your own buttermilk by adding 1 tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice to the cup of milk and let stand 5-10 minutes in the refrigerator to keep cold. You can also make buttermilk out of dairy-free milk.
- In a large bowl add flour, xanthan gum (leave out if your flour blend already has it), sugar, baking powder, salt, and lemon peel, stir to combine the ingredients.
- Cut in the butter into the flour with a pastry cutter or fork until it looks like the size of small peas.
- Add in the buttermilk and the whisked eggs and stir until a soft dough forms. (I whisk the egg right in the buttermilk) The key is to not over mix the dough because over-mixing will cause the dough to yield hard scones. The dough will be sticky. Carefully stir in the blueberries.
- Add one tablespoon of flour to a large piece of parchment paper. Place the dough on top of the floured parchment paper. Dust the top of the dough with 1 tablespoon of flour and gently fold dough over on itself 2 times. You do this by folding the dough in half on top of itself and then doing it a second time.
- With your hands form a dough round that is about 7" in diameter and 2" thick. If you make it any larger or flatter you will end up with flat scones.
- Run a sharp knife under warm water and then cut the dough round in half. Then cut each half into 4 slices. Repeat on the second half. You will now have 8 dough triangles. Carefully place the dough on the parchment lined baking sheet. Brush the tops of the dough with the 2 tablespoons of milk. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until the tops are golden brown.
- Add the glaze ingredients to a small bowl and stir together until smooth. Drizzle over warm scones. Enjoy!
- Store leftover scones in an air-tight container. Scones are best served warm.
Notes
- I like Pillsbury gluten-free flour. Not all gluten-free flours are created equal. You may experience different baking results depending on the gluten-free flour blend you choose.
- The best way to measure gluten-free flour is the “spoon & level” method. Please do not scoop the flour directly out of the bag with a measuring cup.
- Make your own buttermilk by adding ¾ teaspoon of white vinegar to the milk and let sit for 2 minutes.
- For the dairy-free option, I used almond milk and Smart Balance butter.
- Store-in an air-tight container. Reheat in the microwave or oven before serving again.
- The scones can be frozen before you bake them. Flash freeze the cut scone dough for 30 minutes on a parchment-lined baking sheet before placing them in a freezer bag and putting them back into the freezer. Bake the frozen scones for 15-20 minutes at 425° F. Please watch your oven because all ovens are different.
Amy Hartman says
I made these delicious scones today and they turned out beautifully! I used almond milk, and regular butter. The texture was soft and flaky, the sweetness just right, and I loved the lemon with the blueberries. Such a yummy combination of flavors. I am a novice at making scones…. this was only met 3rd try, and the first try of gluten free scones. I will be making these again as a special treat for myself and my guests! Thankyou for a wonderful recipe.
steve says
I made these yesterday and my daughter came home from school and told me I made the best scones ever! So thank you for letting me a hero scone maker in my daughter’s eyes. Of course we all know the real hero is the recipe maker! That’s where all the work is. So I appreciate the effort you went through in developing this recipe. I thought they were delicious as well!
Sawyer says
Can you use oat milk instead of almond or cashew milk?
Audrey says
Hi Sawyer. You can use your favorite dairy-free milk in any of my recipes.
Karen says
Excellent scones. Great consistency and the lemon is nice undertone.
Theresa Johnson says
These are amazing! I made them for our churches Women’s Tea a few weeks ago, and there was not a single one left (I made two batches and cut each triangle in half for a total of 32). People could not believe that they were gluten, free, dairy, free, and egg free. They turned out fantastic. I used gluten-free 1:1 flour, oat milk, and aquafaba as an egg replacement. I am making them again tonight for Parrish group. These are my new “go to” recipe. 😊
Suzanne says
I wasn’t expecting that!!!!! I thought I could find a recipe I liked and then tweek it to my liking but this needs NO tweeking. I’m anxious to try other flavors. Thanks
Connie Ashmore says
great recipe. turned out perfectly. can I freeze the baked scones?
Audrey says
I am so happy that you enjoyed the scones Connie! Yes you can freeze the baked scones.
Jenny B. says
My husband was diagnosed with Celiac this past March and I was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s thyroid disorder and Hypothyroidism last year. We’ve both been gluten-free since the beginning of this year and baked good are what I’ve missed most. I baked these scones last night and my husband said and I quote, “These are incredible! So good!” He’s not much of a sweets or baked goods kind of guy, so that is high praise!! I made them with Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 flour and with your milk and white vinegar trick to make buttermilk. I’m going try this recipe with chocolate chips next! Thank you!!
Steve says
Just have to say I tried your scone recipe tonight. Holy Mother of all that is good and pure – it was incredible. I grated the frozen butter. Used my go to Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 and these were so incredible. They rose up perfectly. I’m going to experiment more now and make brown sugar chocolate chip scones. Been gf for 15 years and these were one of the best recipes I’ve ever made.
Tracy Conrad says
These were delicious. I made them gluten free and dairy free by using GF flour Cup 4 Cup, almond milk and Smart Balance Buttery spread. Everything from the scone to the icing was delicious! I will definitely make these again!!
Susan Mellady says
I have been GF for years and making scones. They were all ok but this recipe —to die for good. Unfortunately i ate them all over a few days. My hips thank you hahaha. The BEST ever. You really do know your gluten free baking.
Juli says
I’ve made these five times in the last three months and they always turn out great! giggle when it says to gently add the blueberries because I am using frozen ones and squishing them in to the dough quite roughly. turns out super anyway:)
Sarah Schain says
I made the gluten-free, dairy-free recipe and it was a hit by family and neighbors! Couldn’t even taste the difference. These will be on repeat, Thank you for sharing!
Next time I am going to substitute coconut sugar for the cane sugar…. I’ll let you know if it works!
Katie says
these were delicious! the directions we’re straight forward and easy to follow! I subbed out the blueberries for orange-flavored cranberries and the lemon zest for orange zest to make orange cranberry scones. yum!
Chisti says
Holy cow these flew out of my kitchen! I’m the gluten free one and usually I can’t pay my family to try gluten free confections, but these they devoured! The lemon zest and the icing really made the flavors pop, and the texture was softer than a normal scone but still had a nice crumb, and a perfect browned crust thanks to the milk brush. Excellent recipe!
Libby says
Scrumptious! Used dairy free ‘butter’ and Bob’s Red Mill cup 4 cup. Fresh picked blueberries to add to the deliciousness. Thank you for a wonderful recipe!
Carrie Dettinger says
My search is over! I’ve made several GF scone recipes, this is by far the best! (I used Namaste GF flour blend)
Amy says
Amazing recipe! Is there any substitute for eggs ( to make it vegan as well as gluten-free?) Would ‘flax-egg’ work?
Audrey says
Thank you so much Amy! I have not tested the recipe with flax-egg but I have baked them using Bob’s Red Mill gluten-free egg replacer.
Bethany says
This recipe is phenomenal!! I had never made scones let alone gluten-free scones before making this recipe. They were light, slightly crispy, deliciously flavorful, and easy! Thank you so much!! You have some of the best recipes I’ve tried on my gluten-free journey!!
Susan says
Made blueberry and chocolate chip scones. Both were a hit and so easy to make. Thanks. Froze them and got 11 smaller ones. Baked 18 minutes. Perfect.
Kay says
Made these dairy free for the first time they came out great, had to sub with Just eggs and oat milk, and added a little more milk, but that came out great and tasted delish. Wish I could share my befor and after photo. 👌
Sadie says
I just made these for the first time and they turned out so good! I’ve been craving gf scones for so long and they’re even better than I hoped! Thanks for the great recipe!
Lynda Savage says
My first attempt at GF scones and I must say this recipe is excellent. I pre-freeze the amount of butter the recipe calls for and grate it into the dry ingredients. Chill all the ingredients including the baking sheet in the freezer for 15 minutes before baking and the scones come out light and fluffy and perfect. This will be my go to GF scone recipe from now on.
Nico says
These are unbelievable! I never thought I could make delicious GF scones. Thank you so much! 🙏
Sally says
This has become a staple in my house. I make them about once a week. They’re so good my daughter says I should bake and sell them. I have to say though, that I never make the glaze. I like them just as they are warm from the oven. You can substitute other berries if you prefer. I have also made with chocolate chips for my husband. A keeper for sure!
Naomi says
Made these twice and they are so good!
Tiana Whitfield says
Made these for my mother’s birthday, she loved them. Thank you for this wonderful recipe!
Krista Sarkinen says
These are amazing! I expected them to be a flop but was pleasantly surprised. I made different batches with a few types of berries and they still turned out perfectly. First time ever making gluten-free scones and actually having them turn out! They honestly looked better than the gluten ones I usually make. Thank you so much! Looking forward to trying your other recipes!
Heather Watkins says
I switched out the blueberries for cranberries and white chocolate and OMGoodness! They were amazing! Thank you for sharing this recipe, it will forever be my go-to!
Dee says
These are absolutely delicious. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. I sell my baking at a local farmer’s market. I made a few batches and gave them to my lovely non-celiac neighbours. They like them so much they placed orders.
Ana says
Wonderful Recipe! These were easy to make and absolutely delicious!
Bobbie says
I made these this morning, forgot I didn’t have blueberries swapped in frozen strawberries blitzed in the food processor to make smaller pieces, and used Bob’s red mills gf flour and spectrum shortening turned out great texture was perfect 👍 can’t wait to make again with blueberries! Thanks for the recipe.
Lorrie says
Scrumptious! My first time making scones and I couldn’t believe how easy and fun this recipe is! I used almond milk and made my own buttermilk. I used coconut palm sugar instead of white sugar. I used Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 GF flour (contains xantham gum) and my only concession to dairy was Kerrygold butter. I combined fresh and frozen blueberries. I gave them an extra 5 minutes cooking time to get that golden crust. Everything was so well explained and the results were DE-luscious!!!
Mary says
Easy and good! So glad I was able to find an easy recipe for GF/DF. First time making scones ever so this was delicious!
Patty V says
First time making scones and they turned out great! So happy to have a gluten-free version to enjoy. Followed the recipe exactly and I wouldn’t change a thing. Thank you
Martha says
This is the perfect scones. I’ve never found a way to replicate scones I used to make with wheat flour until now. Thank you for the detailed photos and instructions. They are easy to make and turned out great!
Eric says
Reasonably easy to make and delicious. The GF isn’t something I necessarily look for but these were great and the glaze was good for getting unadventurous kids to want them again.
Mallory says
These were by far the best gluten and dairy free scones I have ever eaten! The recipe is perfect-even my gluten dairy loving children devoured them!
Paige says
This was DELICIOUS!!!!! Soft and light and you can’t even tell it’s gluten free! I did have to use some extra milk (about 1/4 c.) & I used chocolate chips because I didn’t have blueberries. SOOO GOOD.
Becky says
Excellent recipe. I used goat butter, as my daughter and I cannot eat cow’s butter but goat dairy. The scones turned out perfectly and delicious! I highly recommend!
Becca says
Amazing scones! I couldn’t even tell they were gluten free. The texture and flavor were outstanding! Definitely my go-to recipe for gluten free scones now.
Jannason Long says
They came out beautifully and yummy!! Thank you for the recipe! My son was diagnosed with Celiac Disease at the age of 5 and is now 13 years old. We are always looking for new recipes to try! I’m also a mamma of 4 kiddos!
Cindy O says
Excellent!!!!
Carol says
Excellent recipe…these were absolutely delicious scones. Your helpful directions were the key to success! I highly recommend!!!
Parlee says
Really tasty. I’d add a photo if I could because they are also quite pretty.
Shyla M says
This is an AWESOME recipe! SO happy I can now bake scones, my favourite baked good at home. The only thing was, mine turned out kind of … dusty LOL. What would make the scone taste dusty? Maybe it was the flour I used (Bob’s Red Mill GF baking flour). I also might have under mixed because I was worried about over mixing! But this is now my go to scone recipe and I’ll try again!
Audrey says
I am so happy that you enjoyed the scones Shyla! I think the “dusty taste” was because the Bob’s Red Mill baking flour is made with bean flours. I do not recommend using that particular flour (the one in the red bag) with any of my recipes. I bake with Pillsbury gluten-free flour which is rice flour with, pea protein, starches, and xanthan gum. I order it from Walmart. Thank you again for the wonderful recipe review.
Jay says
What an amazing recipe. These scones came out delicious and beautiful. So beautiful, in fact, that when my friends s a aw my batch it inspired 4 of them to make them too! The only unusual thing for me was that I had to add 1/3 C more milk to get the dough right. Otherwise, they came out great.
Robin says
So delicious! Nobody cares if it’s gluten free or not! (Except me) So easy, but I recommend reading the recipe through 2 or 3 times. So glad I did! Just a wonderful recipe!
Dave says
This recipe, when followed, will end with you taking a bite, closing your eyes and exhaling with yum. I do have a question, though, would it need to be modified slightly for dry fruit, like cranberries?
Audrey says
I am so happy that you enjoyed the scones Dave! I have not tried the recipe with dried fruit. I would just watch the scones during the last 5 minutes. Thank you for the awesome 5-star recipe review!
Jessica Atkinson says
WOW!!!! I cannot believe how amazing these turned out. I used King Arthur measure for measure and omitted the xantham gum, and also used lactose-free whole milk. A question I have is, if I make them smaller next time do I need to adjust the cooking time? Like if I halve the size of the scones? Thank you!
Heather says
I switched to almond milk when I began breaking out in an itchy rash whenever I consumed dairy milk. Thank you for offering this option (and testing it out). Not all recipes come out when I sub almond milk for reg milk. My English BFF got me hooked on scones years ago (pre GF). Haven’t had one in over 4 yrs so I can’t wait to make these and see what she thinks. I know I’ll love them…all your recipes have been a home run for me so far!
Lexie Shaffer says
Thank you for the amazing recipe! They turned out perfect. I used dairy free butter and raspberries instead of blueberries. All of your recipe always turn out great, They have been a saviour the best few months being on a new diet. Your website is one of the only places to get good gf recipes that are dairy free but not vegan. I’ve made your pumpkin bread like 4 times 😋
Gabbi says
These scones turned out perfectly! I really appreciated that you included alternatives to make them dairy free, as well as gluten free. I have made other scone recipes and they always would come out crumbly and dry. These were perfect!! I actually used orange peel instead of lemon and added dried cranberries instead of blueberries. So delicious! Thank you!