Asal Tutorial : How to Make Vegan Scones

Fluffy scones topped with jam are a classic for any tea table. Fortunately, you don't have to give them up if you've given up dairy. Swap vegan butter or coconut oil for the butter and use dairy-free milk in place of heavy cream. Once you've gotten the hang of baking vegan scones, try a unique variation by adding your favorite ingredients. Make a savory herb scone, for instance, or mix in dried fruit or spices.

[Edit]Ingredients

3 3/4 cups (475 g) of self-raising flour
1/4 cup (50 g) of granulated or caster sugar
1/2 teaspoon (3 g) of salt
6 tablespoons (84 g) of vegan butter or scoopable coconut oil
of plain dairy-free milk
of vinegar

Makes 15 scones

[Edit]Steps

[Edit]Baking Basic Vegan Scones

Preheat the oven to and prepare a baking sheet. Get out a rimmed baking sheet and line it with a piece of parchment paper or a reusable silicone baking mat. Set the sheet aside while you make the scone dough.^[1]
Whisk the flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Put 3 3/4 cups (475 g) of self-raising flour into the mixing bowl along with 1/4 cup (50 g) of granulated or caster sugar and 1/2 teaspoon (3 g) of salt. Whisk for about 30 seconds so the dry ingredients are combined.^[2]
- Check the expiration date on your package of self-raising flour. If the flour has expired, the leaveners won't work and your scones won't rise.
Mix the vegan butter into the dry ingredients until it's crumbly. Use a pastry cutter or your fingers to mix 6 tablespoons (84 g) of vegan butter or scoopable coconut oil into the dry ingredients. Keep rubbing the vegan butter in until the mixture becomes sandy and there are no large clumps.^[3]
- If your coconut oil is liquid, stick the container in the freezer for 10 to 20 minutes so it firms up enough to scoop.
- If you prefer, you can use a food processor to combine the vegan butter with the dry ingredients.
Stir in dairy-free milk and vinegar to make a sticky dough. Slowly pour of plain dairy-free milk and of vinegar into the mixing bowl. Stir the mixture until the dry ingredients are moistened and form a shaggy dough. If the dough looks too dry, slowly mix in some of the remaining of dairy-free milk.^[4]
- You can use white or apple cider vinegar.
- Try making the scones with almond milk, soy milk, oat milk, or your favorite dairy-free milk.
Knead the scone dough and roll it thick. Sprinkle a little flour onto your work surface and turn the dough onto it. Use your hands to knead the dough just enough to bring it together. Then, use a rolling pin to roll it until it's thick.^[5]
- If doesn't matter what shape you roll the dough into unless you'd like to cut triangular scones. To make triangular scones, roll the dough into a circle that's thick.
Cut the dough into circles. Use a smooth-edged circular cutter to cut the dough out. You can use a drinking glass if you don't have a smooth circular cutter. You should be able to get around 15 scones if you re-roll the dough.^[6]
- If you prefer triangular scones, use a sharp knife to cut the circle of dough in half. Then, cut it in half in the opposite direction to form 4 quarters. Cut each quarter into 3 triangles so you get 12 scones.
Place the scones on the sheet and brush them with dairy-free milk. Put the scones on the lined baking sheet so they're at least apart. Then, pour a little dairy-free milk into a small dish. Dip a pastry brush in the dairy-free milk and brush the tops of the scones with it.^[7]
- Brushing the scones with dairy-free milk will help them turn brown a little as they bake.
Bake the scones for 10 to 12 minutes. Put the baking sheet into the preheated oven and cook the scones until they turn a light golden color. Keep in mind that if you used a dairy-free milk wash, they will be a richer color. Remove the scones and serve them with your favorite jam and vegan clotted cream.^[8]
- Although scones have the best texture the day they're baked, you can store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 to 2 days.

[Edit]Trying Flavor Variations

Add your favorite spices to the dry ingredients. For fragrantly spiced vegan scones, add about 4 teaspoons (8 g) of spices. You can use 1 type of spice, such as cinnamon, or combine different flavors for mixed spice scones. Try this combination to get started:^[9].}}
- 2 teaspoons (4 g) of cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon (2 g) of ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon (1 g) of ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon (1 g) of cloves or allspice
Mix vegan chocolate chips into the dough for decadent scones. If you'd like to make an extra-special treat, mix 3/4 cup (130 g) of vegan mini-chocolate chips into the dough along with the dairy-free milk. You can also use any of these vegan baking chips:^[10]
- Butterscotch
- Cinnamon
- White chocolate
- Peanut butter
Include lemon zest or vanilla extract to add subtle flavor. If you don't want to add chunks of fruit or baking chips when you flavor the scones, use a flavor extract. Stir in the zest of 1 lemon or of pure vanilla extract when you add the dairy-free milk.^[11]
- You can try other flavor extracts, such as almond or lemon extract.
- For a slight crunch, mix in 1 tablespoon (9 g) of poppy seeds to create vegan lemon poppy seed scones.
Toss in a handful of fruit to make the vegan scones naturally sweet. It's easy to customize your scones by gently folding in around 1 cup (175 g) of your favorite fruit. Try using blueberries, chopped peaches, fresh cherries, or strawberries.^[12]
- If you prefer, use dried fruit, such as cranberries, raisins, currants, or sultanas.
Add 2 tablespoons (7 g) of chopped fresh herbs for a savory flavor. If you're tired of sweet scones or would like savory scones to serve with a meal, add 1 or 2 types of fresh herbs. For example, mix 2 tablespoons of chopped rosemary, thyme, dill, chives, or parsley to the dry scone ingredients.^[13]
- If you like, top these scones with shredded vegan cheese before baking them.