My gluten free English Scones were born in the midst of planning a trip to England for Harry and Meghan's wedding. I figured that I needed to make my own, because I wouldn't be able to find gluten free English Scones while in England. Fortunately, I was wrong! Check out my post on the Bicester Hotel for more on what they offered:-) So it ends up that I have this awesome recipe to enjoy at home and I ate some delicious gluten free English Scones while on my trip. Whoop! Whoop!
My recipe for gluten free English Scones tastes almost identical to what I had in England. It is more like a biscuit than the sugary scones dripping with icing we find here in the States. The English usually don't put fruit or a lot of sugar in their scones, the sweetness comes from the jam they are served with. I love clotted cream with them as well. If you haven't had it before, think of a thick, creamy and almost sticky butter. I buy the Devon Cream Company clotted cream at Whole Foods, because I can't usually find it in my regular grocery store. You can also find it online through other stores.
Substitutions
I haven't tested these with dairy free alternatives yet. If you decide to give it a try- I'd suggest using dairy free buttery sticks or Crisco Butter Flavor Sticks and a dairy free cream alternative. The moisture to fat ratio will be different with the dairy free alternatives. Therefore, you will need to adjust the amount of cream and flour. Begin with the recipe below then add flour or cream depending if the batter is too wet or dry. I suggest a dairy free cream instead of dairy free milk because of the higher fat content. That will help to create a more flavorful scone. Please post pics and your thoughts in the comments below if you make substitutions!
English Scones
Ingredients
- 350 grams Gluten Free Flour Blend with xanthan gum - approximately 2 ¾ cups, I use Bob's Red Mill 1 to 1 Baking Flour
- 2 Tbsp sugar
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 6 tablespoon cold butter cut into cubes - (or dairy free buttery sticks)
- ¾ cup cold whole milk - (or dairy free cream alternative)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 beaten egg - to glaze (omit if needed)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place a baking sheet in the oven to heat up as well.
- In a small bowl beat one egg and set aside.
- In another small bowl add milk, vanilla and lemon juice. Set aside.
- Mix flour, salt, baking powder & sugar in a bowl. Add cubed, cold butter and work with your hands until it resembles damp sand. Slowly add milk mixture until it all combines into a smooth ball of dough. If it is dry and crumbles, add a tablespoon of milk at a time until it comes together. If it is a little sticky, that is ok, it should smooth out with a dusting of flour.
- Dust your work surface with a small amount of flour and roll your dough into a disk about and inch & a half thick if you want tall scones, or one inch thick if you want shorter scones. Using a 2” diameter cutter, cut out your scones and lay them on a sheet of parchment paper on top of a baking sheet. Reshape and roll out scraps of dough until all of the dough has been cut into scones. You should be able to cut out 7 tall scones or 8 shorter scones.
- Brush egg wash on the tops of the scones. Pull the oven rack out with the hot baking sheet on it. Carefully place parchment paper onto the hot baking sheet. Then transfer scones one by one onto the parchment lined hot baking sheet. Push the rack back in the oven and close the door. Let bake for 15-20 minutes depending on how thick they are. If they start to brown more than you like, cover them loosely with a sheet of aluminum foil.
- Serve warm with clotted cream and your favorite jam. Just heavenly, aren't they?
Melody Davis says
It would be helpful to know how much xanthan gum to add when using a flour mix that doesn't include it. Help?
Shay says
Hi Melody! In general, 1/4 teaspoon of xanthan can be added per 1 cup of gluten free flour blend that does not contain xanthan. However, I do not test my recipes this way unless specifically stated. As you know, when it comes to gluten free flour blends, the results can vary dramatically from one flour blend to the next so just adding xanthan doesn't always provide the results you hope for. Thank you for being the "tester" though, and please let me know how it goes! -Shay
Susan Kaye says
How well do these freeze?
Shay says
Hi Susan! Great question:-) They freeze very well! Let them cool to room temp then seal them tightly in a freezer bag. Defrost at room temp, in the microwave or or for a large batch- covered with aluminum foil on a baking sheet in the oven. Enjoy!
Emily says
Salt is missing from the ingredient list, but called out in the recipe instructions. How much do I add?
Shay says
Excellent catch Emily! I will add it in now... 1/2 tsp salt should be added. Thank you so much for taking a moment to bring it to my attention:-) -Shay
Sally says
You can make clotted cream quite easily in a slow cooker. Use the warm setting and then refrigerate overnight before skimming off the clots; you can find the “recipe” with timing online. Works like a charm!!
Shay says
Hi Sally! That sounds like a great idea! I will have to look into making it. Thank you for writing:-) -Shay
Edward Ryan says
look forward to making. hope to find clotted cream had it when stationed in London in Navy. In Florida might be hard to find
Shay says
Hi Edward! That must have been wonderful eating the real thing in England! I get my clotted cream from Whole Foods- they always have it in stock. They carry 2 varieties. Let me know if you find it elsewhere & what you think of my English Scones recipe!
Carol says
Dairy Free "cream" made from Aquafaba, which is the liquid that
comes with canned garbanzo beans - it is amazing!
https://minimalistbaker.com/a-guide-to-aquafaba/
Great Scone recipe - Thanks!
Shay says
Thanks Carol for the idea! I haven't tried the Aquafaba hack, but I have seen posts on it. I will have to give it a try! I am a big fan of MinimalistBaker too;-)