How To Make Delicious Gluten Free Scones, Recipe
This recipe for gluten free scones has been created after some trial and error. If you have to avoid Gluten completely because you are Celiac (Coeliac) or if you have had to cut down or cut out Wheat Gluten because of Gluten intolerance, baking has to be relearned to a certain extent. I have found that the proportions used in baking with wheat flour need to be adapted for baking with gluten-free flour in order to achieve the desired result. If you look down at the bottom of the page, you will find some variations for using the basic recipe to create fruit or cheese scones and for making a delicious savoury 'cobbler' topping which can be used instead of pastry. I hope you will enjoy my gluten free scones, my husband says they are nicer than 'ordinary' ones. Enjoy!
Note: Please follow either cups or ounces or grams as the measurements are not interchangable
My own recipe for perfect Gluten Free Scones
Ingredients
12oz (1.5 cups) (340g) Gluten Free Self-Raising Flour (in the UK, I use Doves Farm)
2 level tsp Xanthan gum if you have it (not necessary if using the Self Raising flour above as it already contains Xanthan gum – check the packet ingredients if you are not using this brand) Xanthan gum helps to take the place of gluten in binding the ingredients together.
1 level tsp Salt
4 tbsp caster sugar (I prefer to use the unrefined version)
4oz (1/2 cup) (115g) unsalted butter (you can use margarine if you wish but in this case, leave out or reduce the salt above)
2 eggs, preferably free range
4 – 6 fluid ounces of milk (I prefer to use semi-skimmed and this is the only milk I have used)
A non-stick baking tray lightly dusted with flour or ordinary tray lined with a sheet of baking parchment
Note: If you cannot get gluten free self raising flour, you will need to add baking powder but you must make sure that this is also Gluten Free (follow the instructions on the baking powder for how much to add to the weight of flour required in this recipe)
Method.
1. Preheat the oven to 220° C (for fan ovens) or 230° (for non fan or gas oven)
2. Sift all the dry ingredients into a large bowl and mix well.
3. Whisk the eggs in a separate bowl and when well whisked gradually stir in the milk – leave to one side.
4. Rub the butter into the dried ingredients, using your fingertips to incorporate as much air as possible.
5. Make a well in the centre of the flour mixture and gradually add the egg and milk mixing to a soft dough with a spoon. Leave the very last tablespoon of the egg and milk mixture to brush onto the tops of your scones before baking.
6. Leave the mixture to rest for five minutes. I have found that mixtures using gluten free flour tend to be rather ‘wet’ to start with and this standing time makes it easier to roll out.
7. Dust your board and rolling pin with flour and cut out into rounds just under an inch thick with a cutter about 2 ¼ “. The size is not critical though!
8. If the mixture really is too wet to roll out, don’t despair, use an ice cream scoop to scoop out mounds of the mixture and transfer these directly to your baking tray – the results will taste just as good.
9. Brush the tops of the scones with the reserved egg and milk mixture.
10. Bake towards the top of the oven for approximately 10 minutes in a fan oven, 12 minutes in an ordinary oven.
11. When nicely browned on top, remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool.
12. Serve split in half with butter and raspberry jam or some delicious Cornish clotted cream and strawberry jam! (not for the calorie counters!)
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Did you know that in Cornwall the jam goes on first, then the cream - in Devon it is traditional to put the cream on first!
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Cook's Tips. These scones keep well in an airtight container in the freezer for at least a month and can be defrosted quickly in the microwave if required.
Luxury scones can be made by replacing the milk with the same amount of plain, natural yoghourt (this makes the scones even lighter and more tender)
For fruit scones add 4oz (1/2 cup) sultanas to the dry ingredients before adding the liquid.
For cheese scones (which are delicious instead of a bread roll with a ploughman’s lunch) add 4 oz (1/2 cup) grated cheddar cheese to the dry ingredients, reserving a small amount to sprinkle on the top of the scones before they go into the oven.
Top Tip for cheese scones why not roll out the cheese scone mixture to half thickness and use as a 'cobbler' topping for savoury mince dishes (instead of mashed potato on cottage pie or instead of pastry on a meat pie) - It is really delicious, part cook your filling first and add the cobbler topping to the hot mixture, sprinkle on a little more cheese and bake for a further 20 - 30 minutes.
I will be adding more gluten-free recipes of my own in future hubs
How about trying my delicious gluten free desserts raspberry cheesecake? Or perhaps the blueberry, strawberry or fudge variation for a special treat or dinner party dessert?
If you have enjoyed this scone recipe, please see my recipe for coconut cookie biscuits wih almond and chocolate chip variations. How to make delicious gluten free cookies.
If you are from outside UK and want to serve these with a traditionally made cup of delicious tea, please read my hub How to make the perfect English Cup of Tea
Gluten Free Scone Mix
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Comments
@jennie27s, thank you for your comments, glad you enjoyed the scones. No I do not make my own bread. Here in the UK, there is a company called Genius and their bread is the best gluten free bread I have tried. It really is good and makes great sandwiches because it has a nice, light texture. Just do a search for Genius Gluten Free, I can recommend it!
Alison, do you have any recipes to make scrummy gluten free bread? Thanks, Jennie
Hi Alison, I made these scones yesterday and were a great success. Yes, I did have to have them in much longer than 10 mins but that's more to do with my oven. Each oven can differ. I really liked how you explained the differences between gluten and gluten free cooking. I now realise where I've gone wrong as I've always used gluten recipes to cook gluten free food and been disappointed with the results. Thanks for all the tips. I will keep this recipe and UAE again and again. I look foward to trying out your other recipes. Yum :)
Retroblue, thanks so much for your comment and the tip about the xylitol sugar, glad your fiance enjoyed the scones, it is nice to have a treat now and again!
Hey Alison - I've just finished your recipe and it worked a treat. My fiancee agreed that it was certainly as good as any wheat based scones he has had. Result! They rose beautifully too but it's true - you do need to give them good height before popping into the oven. I added a couple of tweaks: I used xylitol sugar instead of caster sugar as it doesn't increase blood sugar levels and so is better for health. I also whipped up some Lactofree cream as my partner and I both suffer from dairy intolerance too. Thank you for sharing!
Ger, it would be best to follow the instructions on the pack of gluten free baking powder you have.
Say for example, the pack said to use two teaspoons for 12 ounces of flour, for scones, that would be right if you were using plain flour so I would suggest you start with half and see how it goes.
Really whisk the egg well to incorporate as much air as possible and be very gentle with mixing in and rolling out - if you knead the mixture like bread dough, you will knock all the air out and they won't rise so well.
Hope this helps.
Alison
Had it rolled about inch and a half,how much baking powder would be enough to give them a bit more rise?
Ger, if you are using the Doves farm Self Raising gluten free flour, you could still add some gluten free baking powder. How thick did you roll out the scones, you need to make this around one inch or 2.5 cms in thickness and they should only need baking for a maximum of about 12 minutes at the temperature quoted for your oven.
Hope this helps.
Alison
Tried making the scones but didnt rise much,had them in the oven for 30 mins,would adding baking powder help?
Ger, one tip that works well for the 'day after' is to 'refresh' the scones - just pop them in the microwave on the defrost setting for a few seconds. Depending on the power of your microwave, four scones take about a minute!
Ive been trying for a few weeks to make gluten free scones but they were very hard the day after and i am using dove farm self raising flour,i was adding xantham gum and baking powder but after seeing your recipe there is no need for either,going to try today with your recipe and will let you know how i get on.
Hi Hillary, glad they turned out well for you! Yes, I agree, you must have the oven hot and if you don't have a glass door where you can keep an eye on them whilst they cook, you must resist the temptation to open the oven door before the time is up!
Worked first time. Really lovely, thank you. Mine rose well, and for what it's worth I think the oven needs to be hot, and don't keep looking at them. I only say this as I have had problems with flat normal scones!!
I just made your gluten free scones and they are gorgous i did not use castor sugar but will do so next time i had the same problem they went flat but taste great thanks
Wow lovely!
Ron from http://www.intervalstraining.net
Hi Amy, that's great - now you have perfected the cheese version, try rolling the mix out to half thickness, cutting out the scone shapes and using them to cover a savoury mixture (like you would use for a cottage pie or sheperd's pie) as a 'cobbler' topping - instead of pastry or mashed potato - brush with a little milk or beaten egg and sprinkle on just a little more grated cheese about ten minutes before serving - yum!
I made this recipe last night for a friend, and made the cheese variety. I added a cup and a half of finely grated mature cheddar and an extra teaspoon of baking powder. My oven is temperamental, so cooked them on 180 (fan assisted) for 15mins, and they are delish. really light and fluffy! Thank you. :)
This is great to hear Ben, so glad you enjoyed the scones - homemade strawberry jam -mmmmm! The success of this recipe could explain why I am getting so many visits to my hub about calculating BMI - http://alisongraham.hubpages.com/hub/How-do-I-calc (!!) - anyway, stay tuned, my gluten free lemon drizzle cake recipe will be along in a couple of weeks (we are just enjoying doing the product testing at the mo).
I tried this recipe tonight. I'd been having a scone/high tea craving all day and couldn't remember the last time I'd eaten the yummy things. Absolutely delicious and worked a treat. Tastes just like the real thing if not superior! Home made stawb jam with whipped cream. Used Doves Farm. In danger of getting very fat.
Thanks so much Mary-Ann, glad your friends found your gluten free scones even more delicious than 'normal' ones - they really are yummy - the ice cream scoop idea works well doesn't it?
Thanks Alison
Fantastic recipe, had my neighbours over for HIGH TEA - they loved them, said they were way better than NORMAL scones. I left them pretty wet and used the ice cream scoop idea - worked wonderfully- topped with jam and cream!! Yummy for an OCCASIONAL treat.
hi infonolan, I hope you will try out the scones. Living in the uk I think that the Dove's farm flour is the best - however, depending on where in the world you live, gluten free flour formulations and results will vary - I tried a few before I settled on this brand.
I might try this recipe, as my friend is coeliac (and so am I) and she's currently contemplating giving in to a wheaten scone on the next chance she gets. She believes all gluten free foods are inferior to their wheaty counterparts. :/
Hi Lyndsey, different gluten free flours do vary so trying the extra baking powder will probably help - leaving the scones to rest for a few minutes before baking also helps.
Just made them, they taste lovely. Didn't rise so well, but still more so than a previous recipe I tried. I may try adding the extra baking powder next time.
Thanks!
Hi Rachael, thanks so much for sharing this information which might well be helpful for other Moms whose children have similar dietary requirements. I bet your version of the scones will be delicious too - and your daughter is lucky to have a Mom who understands the importance of being able to have the same as her friends.
@saif113sb, thanks for your comment, glad you liked the recipe.
A great recipe, thanks
Hi Alison. I had to make some scones for my daughter who is gluten, dairy and sugar intolerant. So I used your recipe with dairy free spread and fruit sugar and they've come out well! Not as delicious as your original recipe would have been I'm sure, but my daughter will love them and be able to have the same as her friends at school tomorrow! Thank you!
Hi Sarah, I have recently been adding an extra teaspoon of gluten free baking powder to my scone mixture as I started to have problems with how well they rose. You definitely do need to roll them out to the right thickness though!
.... comment continued. I seem to have suffered from the same problem as Vicky above! They didn't rise much, but i think i can put that down to the thickness when i was rolling the mixture out.
my scones have been in the oven for about 2 minutes now, followed the recipe exactly - using natural yoghurt for a change! excited to taste the outcome (:
Tom, that's great, glad you enjoyed them! Steady with the clotted cream though or you will be needing my hub on calculating your BMI!!
Seriously though, thanks so much for taking the trouble to leave a comment, much appreciated. Alison
Just made these and they were delicious! Had to scoop the mixture but worked fine. Lovely and light and best served with clotted cream and jam :-)
Thanks Susan, hope your daughter will like these, they are a great favourite in our house, especially with my home-made strawberry jam!
Thanks, I am always looking for gluten free recipes for my daughter.
I actually took some photos of a batch I made yesterday so I will have to upload them later Liz. If your sister thinks she may have a problem, I really urge her to go for the coeliac test as if this is positive it is VITAL she changes her diet - if she is gluten intolerant but not coeliac, some gluten in her diet is ok as long as it doesn't cause too much discomfort.
Hi Alison,
This looks great. I told someone about your hub page as she is a celiac, and she was excited. She said she would visit your hub.
I also think my sister might have this problem, so I will let her know. She loves to bake, too.
Thanks,
Liz
Bettina, thank you for your comment, this is interesting as I have only ever heard of baked goods with yeast as the raising agent not rising in wet weather. Thanks for sharing this information.
My scones sometimes do not rise much if it has been very wet (weather) for awhile.
Hi Vicky, sorry to hear you have had trouble making the scones. The recipe says to roll out to just under 1" thick (about 2.5 cms) - how thick or thin did you roll your scone dough? They should not flatten out when baking, were you able to roll out your mixture? You should not need to add more baking powder to the recipe. I look forward to hearing from you.
I made this recipe and whilst they tasted good they didn't rise very much. I used the exact same Doves Farm wheat free gluten free self raising flour but they look more like biscuits than scones, even though they taste like scones! How can i get them to rise more?
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val 4 days ago
Great website. Just going to try and make my first batch of scones now. I do make my own gluten free bread, very good and so simple. I don't know if it's right or not, I do follow the recipe but it always turns out like crumpets which is even better. Trouble is I eat too much of it! Also,I have managed to make the very best Victoria sponge I have ever made.I use Dove Farm flour and Glutafin.