Easy British Scones Recipe (vegan) (2024)

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Easy British Scones 🌳 A quick and easy recipe for making the best vegan scones. With just a few basic dairy-free and eggless ingredients, you'll have a batch of warm and fluffy scones ready to eat in about 20 minutes!

Easy British Scones Recipe (vegan) (1)

There is just something about the timeless charm of classic British scones that makes them so appealing. Enjoyed for their soft, tender texture and subtly sweet flavor, scones are a beloved staple for traditional afternoon teas. They also make a delicious addition to any vegan breakfast and brunch menu, along with other plant-based baked goods like blueberry muffins and shortbread.

This simply scrumptious scone recipe was shared with me by my wonderful friend, the distinguished British cookbook author, Pamela Brown. As a vegetarian for more than 75 years, Pamela used her culinary talents and voice to influence the way we think about our food choices, helping both people and animals in the process. This scone recipe is a perfect example of how easy it is to enjoy delicious food without causing harm to animals. Thank you Pamela!

Table of Contents
  • Why you will love this recipe
  • 🌳 Ingredients
  • 🌳 Instructions
  • 🌳 Serving Tips
  • 🌳 Equipment
  • Recipe
  • Comments
Easy British Scones Recipe (vegan) (2)

Why you will love this recipe

  • Just a few basic ingredients
  • Eggless and dairy-free
  • Ready to eat in about 20 minutes!
  • So yummy!
  • Who doesn't love scones?

🌳 Ingredients

Easy British Scones Recipe (vegan) (3)

See the printable recipe card below for quantities and details.

Self-Rising Flour - Scones are typically made with self-rising (or self-raising) flour which has baking powder added as a leavening agent. If you don't have self-rising flour, you can use 2 cups all-purpose flour with 1 tablespoon baking powder and ½ teaspoon salt added.

Sugar - I use vegan granulated sugar. You can substitute with any similar texture sugar or sweetener you prefer.

Vegan Butter - Use your choice of non-dairy butter.

Non-dairy Milk -Almond milk, oat milk, soy milk, cashew milk, or rice milk.

Maple Syrup - May be substituted with agave nectar or vegan honey.

Salt - just a pinch is all you need (about â…› teaspoon).

🌳 Instructions

Preheat oven to 425℉/220℃

Easy British Scones Recipe (vegan) (4)
  1. Pour flour, sugar, and salt into a mixing bowl.
Easy British Scones Recipe (vegan) (5)

2. Stir the dry ingredients together to completely combine.

Unlike traditional British scone recipes that specify using cold butter, with this recipe, we will melt the vegan butter in hot water and then stir it into cold milk before adding it to the dough. So easy!

Easy British Scones Recipe (vegan) (6)

3. Heat water until steaming hot. Add butter and stir to melt.

Easy British Scones Recipe (vegan) (7)

4. Pour milk into a measuring cup.

Easy British Scones Recipe (vegan) (8)

5. Add melted butter/water to the milk and stir well.

Easy British Scones Recipe (vegan) (9)

6. Pour wet mixture into the dry ingredients, adding a small amount at a time while stirring until just combined. Don't over-stir.

Easy British Scones Recipe (vegan) (10)

7. Dough should be thick and soft, but not wet.

Easy British Scones Recipe (vegan) (11)

8. Dust a cutting board or clean work surface with flour. Form the dough into a large ball. Turn it over (add a little extra flour to keep the dough from sticking to the board if needed).

Easy British Scones Recipe (vegan) (12)

9. Lightly flatten the dough to about 1 inch thick, using a rolling pin or pressing with your hands.

Easy British Scones Recipe (vegan) (13)

10. Begin cutting out scones using a 2"-3" round biscuit or cookie cutter (I used a 2-½" biscuit cutter). Dip the edge of the cutter into flour before using. It helps keep the dough from sticking.

Easy British Scones Recipe (vegan) (14)

11. Place scones onto a parchment lined baking sheet.

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12. Lightly brush the tops of the scones with a wash made of 2 tablespoons of non-dairy milk and 1 tablespoon of maple syrup.

Easy British Scones Recipe (vegan) (16)

13. Bake in a preheated 425℉/220℃ oven for 12 minutes or until scones are lightly golden brown. Allow to cool for a few minutes and enjoy!

Easy British Scones Recipe (vegan) (17)

🌳 Serving Tips

Scones are delicious with fresh berries and spreads such as fruit jams, vegan honey, vegan cream cheese, non-dairy butter, coconut whipped cream, or this easy vegan version of traditional British clotted cream. Enjoy with a cup of tea for a classic British treat!

How to make vegan British clotted cream

  • 6 tablespoons canned coconut cream (or full fat coconut milk that has been refrigerated at least 24 hours).
  • ¼ cup vegan butter
  • 3 tablespoons powdered sugar

Scoop the hardened coconut cream from the top of the can. Place all the ingredients into a small blender or mixing bowl. Blend or whisk until the cream is thick and fluffy. Refrigerate until ready to use. Store refrigerated in an airtight container up to 3 days.

Easy British Scones Recipe (vegan) (18)

Variations and Add-ins

Get creative with your scones and boost the flavor by adding other ingredients! Here are some tasty ideas:

  • Fresh berries - raspberries, blueberries, strawberries
  • Fresh fruits - apple, mango, pineapple,
  • Dried fruits - dates, raisins, apricots, cranberries
  • Nuts - pecans, walnuts, almonds
  • Citrus zest - lemon, lime, orange
  • Chocolate chips - vegan dark or white chocolate
  • Spices - cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cardamom

You can also make savory vegan scones by omitting the sugar and maple syrup and adding herbs or other ingredients such as:

  • Vegan cheese - grated
  • Fresh or dried herbs - chives, scallions, basil, rosemary, sage, thyme
  • Seasonings - curry, chili, pepper, sea salt, dried onion or garlic
Easy British Scones Recipe (vegan) (19)

🌳 Equipment

Here are the kitchen tools you will need to prepare scones:

Scone FAQ's

What are scones?

Scones are a popular British baked good, often served with tea. If you haven't tried scones before, they are similar to American-style biscuits, usually a bit bigger in size with a denser (not flaky) texture. The best scones have aslightly crisp exterior and a tender, fluffy interior. Scones can be prepared sweet or savory.

Why is a scone called a scone?

According to Wikipedia: "The origin of the wordsconeis obscure and may derive from different sources. That is, the classic Scottishscone, the Dutchschoonbroodor "spoonbread" (very similar to the drop scone), and possibly other similarly named quick breads may have made their way onto theBritish teatable, where their similar names merged into one".

Pronunciations of the word "scone" vary, with some people pronunciating the word "scon" rhyming with "gone", and others say "scone" as in "tone".

What's the best way to store vegan scones?

Store scones in an airtight container at room temperature for a day or two. For longer storage, freeze them and reheat when ready to eat.

What makes a scone vegan?

In a vegan scone recipe, traditional animal-based ingredients like dairy and eggs are replaced with plant-based alternatives.

If you love this recipe ★★★★★ please be sure to rate it below! Sharing your experience lets me know that you enjoyed it and will help other readers decide if they should give the recipe a try too. Thanks a bunch!🥕

Recipe

Easy British Scone Recipe (vegan)

5 from 2 votes

by Connie🥕

Easy British Scones🌳 A quick and easy recipe for making soft, tender and buttery vegan scones. Prepared with just a few basic dairy-free and eggless ingredients, you'll have a batch of warm scones ready in about 20 minutes!

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 12 minutes mins

Course Breakfast, Brunch, Tea

Cuisine British

Servings 8

Calories 170 kcal

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 2 cups flour self-rising
  • 1 teaspoon sugar granulated
  • â…› teaspoon salt
  • ¼ cup water hot
  • 2 oz vegan butter
  • ½ cup non-dairy milk plus 2 tablespoon for glaze
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup for glaze

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 425℉/220℃

  • Pour flour, sugar, and salt into a mixing bowl.

  • Stir dry ingredients to completely combine.

  • Heat water until steaming hot. Add butter and stir to melt.

  • Add melted butter/water to the milk and stir well.

  • Pour wet mixture into the dry ingredients, adding a small amount at a time while stirring until just combined. Don't over-stir.

  • Dough should be thick and soft, but not wet.

  • Dust a cutting board or clean work surface with a small amount of flour. Form the dough into a large ball. Turn it over (add a little extra flour to keep the dough from sticking to the board if needed).

  • Lightly flatten the dough to about one to 1-½" thick using a rolling pin or pressing with your hands.

  • Begin cutting out scones using a 2"-3" round biscuit or cookie cutter (I used a 2-½" biscuit cutter). Dip the edge of the cutter into flour before using. It keeps the dough from sticking.

  • Place scones onto a parchment lined baking sheet.

  • Lightly brush the tops of the scones with a wash made of 2 tablespoons of non-dairy milk and 1 tablespoon of maple syrup.

  • Bake in pre-heated oven for 12 minutes or until scones are lightly golden brown.

  • Allow to cool for a few minutes and enjoy!

Notes

Variations And Add-Ins

If you want to get creative with your scones and boost the flavor by adding other ingredients, here are some tasty ideas:

  • Fresh berries- raspberries, blueberries, strawberries
  • Fresh fruits- apple, mango, pineapple,
  • Dried fruits- dates, raisins, apricots, cranberries
  • Nuts- pecans, walnuts, almonds
  • Citrus zest- lemon, lime, orange
  • Chocolate chips- vegan dark or white chocolate
  • Spices- cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cardamom

For a crispy sweet top, add a sprinkle of coarse sugar on the scones before baking.

You can also makesavory vegan sconesby omitting the sugar and maple syrup and adding herbs or other ingredients such as:

  • Vegan cheese- grated
  • Fresh or dried herbs- chives, scallions, basil, rosemary, sage, thyme
  • Seasonings- curry, chili, pepper, sea salt, dried onion or garlic

Nutrition

Calories: 170kcalCarbohydrates: 27gProtein: 4gFat: 5gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.03gSodium: 91mgPotassium: 62mgFiber: 1gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 329IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 28mgIron: 2mg

These are estimated values generated from a nutritional database using unbranded products. Please do your own research with the products you're using if you have a serious health issue or are following a specific diet.

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

More Breakfast/Brunch

  • Blackberry Muffins (vegan) with Crumble Topping
  • Best Ever Vegan Banana Muffins
  • Best Vegan Blueberry Muffins Recipe
  • Vegan Cranberry Oat Crumble Bars

Reader Interactions

Comments

    Leave a Reply🥕

  1. Hilda

    The method mentions butter, but I don’t see it listed with the ingredients. How much I needed?
    Thanks!

    Reply

    • Connie Edwards McGaughy

      Oh my gosh Hilda, I'm so grateful you caught that. Seems like no matter how many times I proof read, there's always something I miss! I just updated the recipe. You will need 2 ounces of vegan butter (1/2 stick). Thank you!😘

      Reply

    • Sue

      The oven temp of 220 c is that fan or regular x

      Reply

      • Connie

        That is 220℃ Celsius

        Reply

  2. Connie Edwards McGaughy

    Easy British Scones Recipe (vegan) (25)
    I was so excited when my friend Pamela shared this recipe with me. Oh my gosh, not only is this the easiest recipe to prepare, it's absolutely delicious. My family loves them so much, I've made these scones three times in the last week!

    Reply

Easy British Scones Recipe (vegan) (2024)

FAQs

What to avoid when making scones? ›

5 Mistakes to Avoid When Baking Scones
  1. Using anything but cold ingredients. The secret to the flakiest scones is to start with cold ingredients — cold butter, cold eggs, and cold cream. ...
  2. Only using all-purpose flour. ...
  3. Overmixing the dough. ...
  4. Not chilling the dough before baking. ...
  5. Baking them ahead of time.
May 1, 2019

What is better for scones buttermilk or heavy cream? ›

Heavy Cream or Buttermilk: For the best tasting pastries, stick with a thick liquid such as heavy cream or buttermilk. I usually use heavy cream, but if you want a slightly tangy flavor, use buttermilk.

What is a vegan scone made of? ›

Vegan Scones Ingredients

Instead of butter and cream, they're made with coconut oil and almond milk. To make them gluten-free, I use a combination of oat flour and coconut flour. Lately, I've been getting a lot of comments asking for more (or, um, any) recipes with coconut flour. It's a funny flour to work with.

What type of flour is best for scones? ›

The secret is using cake flour instead of all-purpose flour. It's lower in protein and makes for ultra-tender scones. If you don't have any on hand, you can easily make your own using all-purpose flour and cornstarch (see the FAQs below). For a kid-friendly twist, don't miss my chocolate chip scones.

Why are scones bad for you? ›

They are typically extremely high in calories from the heavy butter and cream. And, although scones with fruit might seem healthier, most are even higher in calories and still high in saturated fat. Steer clear of scones.

Is it better to make scones with butter or oil? ›

For example, if you substitute oil for butter or margarine, you can significantly reduce the amount of saturated fat in your baked goods. This streamlined recipe for Light Scones uses just 3 tablespoons of canola oil, which contains a fraction of the saturated fat found in butter or margarine.

Should butter be cold or softened for scones? ›

Butter must be COLD from the very start to when the dough enters the oven. The cold butter melts upon entering the oven and the water content in butter evaporates in steam. As the steam escapes, it bursts up and creates that beautiful tall, flaky, fluffy texture.

How thick should you roll out scone dough? ›

It is far better that the scone mixture is on the wet side, sticking to your fingers, as the scones will rise better. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and flatten it out with your hand, or use a rolling pin, to a thickness of 1-2 cm (1/2 – ¾ inch).

What is a vegan substitute for butter? ›

What are good vegan butter substitutes? In baking, you can use vegan butter, applesauce, dairy-free yogurt, coconut oil, coconut butter, olive oil, nut butter, mashed banana and mashed avocado. In cooking, you can use olive oil, coconut oil, vegetable stock, or avocado oil to replace butter.

Do vegans use flour? ›

Yes. All flours are essentially plants crushed into a powder form that can be used to bake and cook a variety of foods. What types of flour are vegan? The vast majority of flours are vegan, from white to oat and everything in between.

What is a substitute for eggs in scones? ›

11 EGG SUBSTITUTES: HOW TO BAKE WITHOUT EGGS
  1. MASHED BANANA. ...
  2. APPLESAUCE. ...
  3. SILKEN TOFU. ...
  4. GROUND FLAXSEED OR CHIA SEEDS & WATER. ...
  5. YOGURT. ...
  6. BUTTERMILK. ...
  7. SWEETENED CONDENSED MILK. ...
  8. ARROWROOT POWDER OR CORNSTARCH.

Should you chill scone dough before baking? ›

Not chilling the dough before baking: to really ace your scones, it helps to chill your dough again before it's baked. Using cold ingredients does help, but your hands will warm up the dough when you're working with it and the extra step of chilling will help you get the best result.

How long should you rest scones before baking? ›

Recipes for scones sometimes provide a make-ahead option that involves refrigerating the dough overnight so it can simply be shaped and then popped into the oven the next day. But now we've found that resting the dough overnight has another benefit: It makes for more symmetrical and attractive pastries.

How do I get my scones to rise more? ›

To ensure taller scones, start with a thicker dough disc and place the scones on a tray with sides, allowing them to slightly touch one another. This arrangement encourages the scones to push against the pan and each other, promoting height.

How does butter affect scones? ›

The cold butter melts upon entering the oven and the water content in butter evaporates in steam. As the steam escapes, it bursts up and creates that beautiful tall, flaky, fluffy texture. I like to cube then freeze my butter before assembling the dough.

What makes scones break? ›

Why are my scones too crumbly? The liquid that you add after adding the butter is required to keep the whole dough together. If there's not enough water to keep the dough together, it will fall apart too easily and it will be very hard to bring it all together.

Should scone dough rest before baking? ›

The explanation is simple: As with other doughs, including pizza dough, resting lets scone dough's gluten relax completely, so that it doesn't snap back during shaping or baking.

What is the main reason for resting scones before baking? ›

This short rest relaxes the gluten, making scones more tender; and cold chills the fat, increasing flakiness.

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