Ever wanted to learn how to make vegan scones? It's no where near as complicated as many of us have been lead to believe. Many of the practices utilized in making traditional, non-vegan scones are totally transferrable, making the process more approachable for all bakers.
Scones are traditional, delicious and universally beloved. For these reasons alone, mastering the art of making them is totally worthwhile! Scones are also the easiest way to enjoy dessert for breakfast.
In this post we will be sharing the best tips and tricks as well as a step-by-step guide to help you make perfect scones every single time. Let's get into it!
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Contents
- Key Ingredients in Vegan Scones
- Best Equipment for Scone Making
- Step by Step Scone Making Guide (with pictures!)
- Tips for Success
- Troubleshooting
- Frequently Asked Questions
- How to Serve Vegan Scones
- The Best Vegan Scone Recipes
Key Ingredients in Vegan Scones
The key to a great tasting scone is high quality ingredients. By making better quality choices, the recipes you choose to follow will also yield scones with better texture, rise and appearance. Here is what you should be looking out for:
- All-Purpose Flour: Provides structure and texture to the scones. It's the main dry ingredient in scone recipes. Look for unbleached if possible.
- Leavening Agent (Baking Powder): Helps the scones rise and become light and fluffy during baking.
- Sugar: Adds sweetness to the scones and contributes to their texture and browning when baked.
- Vegan Butter or Margarine: Provides fat to the scones, which adds flavor, tenderness, and richness. It's typically cut into the dry ingredients to create a crumbly texture. Try and use name brands here to achieve the best results.
- Non-Dairy Milk: Adds moisture to the scone dough and helps bind the ingredients together. Any non-dairy milk, such as almond, soy, coconut, or oat milk, can be used. Look for unsweetened and unflavored varieties.
- Flavorings: Depending on the recipe, flavorings like vanilla extract, lemon zest, or spices may be added to enhance the taste of the scones.
- Mix-Ins (Optional): Ingredients like fresh or dried fruits, nuts, chocolate chips, or spices can be added to the scone dough to add flavor and texture.
These key ingredients come together to create delicious vegan scones that are tender, flaky, and full of flavor.
Best Equipment for Scone Making
- Mixing Bowl: Choose a large mixing bowl to combine the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients. A bowl with a non-slip base can be helpful for stability during mixing.
- Pastry Cutter or Fork: A pastry cutter or fork is essential for cutting cold vegan butter into the dry ingredients. This helps create a crumbly texture in the scone dough.
- Measuring Cups and Spoons: Accurate measurements are crucial for baking, so make sure you have a set of measuring cups and spoons on hand to measure out the ingredients precisely.
- Baking Sheet: Use a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat to prevent the scones from sticking during baking. A rimmed baking sheet helps contain any spills or drips.
- Biscuit Cutter or Knife: For shaping the scones, you'll need a biscuit cutter or a sharp knife. A biscuit cutter creates uniform round scones, while a knife allows you to cut triangular scones.
- Pastry Brush: Prior to putting your scones into the oven, you'll want to brush them with nondairy milk or cream and sprinkle with coarse sugar. This will give the scones a golden, crisp finish.
- Cooling Rack: Once the scones are baked, transfer them to a wire cooling rack to cool completely. This helps prevent the bottoms of the scones from becoming soggy.
- Optional: Food Processor: While not necessary, a food processor can make cutting the vegan butter into the flour easier and faster. Simply pulse the ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
With these essential pieces of equipment, you'll have everything you need to make perfect scones every time. Adjustments can be made based on personal preferences and the specific recipe you're using.
Step by Step Vegan Scone Making Guide
You'll begin my whisking together all of your dry ingredients. This will likely include your all purpose flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. It could also include citrus zest or other spices.
Place the bowl with the combined dry ingredients into the freezer to chill for 15 minutes. You want to work with cold ingredients all the way through.
After chilling, cut in your vegan butter using a pastry cutter. The colder the butter the better! This contributes to better rise. Don't overwork the mixture. Butter lumps are encouraged.
Form a well in the center of your ingredients. Here you will pour in your chilled liquid ingredients. These include but are not limited to nondairy milk, nondairy cream, vanilla and other extracts, pumpkin, etc. Mix until a dry dough starts to come together.
Here you will add any mix-ins. This step is optional and totally based on the recipe you are working with. Try and evenly distribute these mix-ins as well as possible.
Pull the dough into a ball using your hands. Flatten into a disk and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Place in the refrigerator to chill for at least 30 minutes.
Once the dough has been chilled for the appropriate amount of time, remove it from the fridge and set in on a sheet of parchment paper. Roll it out into a circle with an 8-inch diameter using a rolling pin.
Slice the circle into 8 equal-sized triangles and spread them out on the baking sheet. Keep the scones about 1-2 inches apart. You want to keep them a little bit cozy. This will give them nice, soft sides.
Place baking sheet with scones into the refrigerator to chill again for 15 minutes.
Brush each individual scone with nondairy milk or cream and sprinkle with coarse granulated sugar. This will give the scones a golden color and crisp finish. This step can be skipped or adapted to a recipe with streusel or another kind of topping.
Bake the scones on the center rack of a preheated oven based on your recipe instructions. Do not over-bake them! Allow scones to cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Tips for Success
Here are some tips and tricks that can be used for vegan scone making success:
- Use Cold Ingredients: Just like with traditional scones, cold ingredients are key to achieving a tender, flaky texture. Use cold vegan butter and cold non-dairy milk straight from the refrigerator. Place your dry ingredients in the freezer for a few minutes after mixing as well.
- Work Quickly: Vegan butter tends to soften faster than dairy butter, so work quickly when cutting it into the flour mixture. Use a pastry cutter or fork to cut the cold vegan butter into the dry ingredients until it resembles coarse crumbs.
- Do Not Over-mix: Over-mixing the dough can lead to tough scones. Mix the wet and dry ingredients until just combined. It's okay if the dough looks a little shaggy; it will come together when you knead it.
- Fold in Mix-Ins Gently: If adding mix-ins like blueberries or chocolate chips, fold them into the dough gently to avoid crushing them. This helps ensure even distribution throughout the dough.
- Don't Thaw Fruit: You don't want to introduce too much extra moisture to your scone dough. Mix frozen fruit in directly out of the freezer.
- Handle the Dough Lightly: Handle the dough as little as possible to prevent tough scones. Pat the dough into a circle or rectangle without kneading it too much.
- Chill the Dough: For even flakier scones, chill the shaped scone dough in the refrigerator for about 15-20 minutes before baking. This helps solidify the fat in the dough, resulting in a better rise and texture.
- Preheat Your Oven: Make sure your oven is fully preheated before baking the scones. A hot oven ensures that the scones rise properly and bake evenly.
- Watch the Baking Time: Keep an eye on the scones while they're baking to prevent them from overbrowning. They're done when they're golden brown on the outside and cooked through in the center.
- Let Them Cool: Allow the scones to cool on a wire rack for a few minutes before serving. This allows them to set and develop their flavor.
Troubleshooting
Here are some common troubleshooting tips for vegan scones:
Dry or Crumbly Texture:
- Possible Causes: Over-mixing the dough or using too much flour.
- Solution: Be cautious not to over-mix the dough; mix until just combined. Additionally, make sure to measure the flour accurately using the spoon and level method, avoiding packing it into the measuring cup.
Dense or Tough Scones:
- Possible Causes: Over-handling the dough or using warm ingredients.
- Solution: Handle the dough as little as possible and work quickly, especially when cutting in the cold vegan butter. Ensure that all ingredients, especially the vegan butter and non-dairy milk, are cold.
Scones Spread Too Much:
- Possible Causes: The dough was too warm when placed in the oven, or too much liquid was added to the dough.
- Solution: Chill the shaped scone dough in the refrigerator for about 15-20 minutes before baking to firm up the fat in the dough. Double-check that the measurements of wet ingredients are accurate.
Scones Are Too Brown or Burnt on the Bottom:
- Possible Causes: Baking at too high a temperature or placing the scones too close to the bottom heating element.
- Solution: Reduce the oven temperature slightly and/or move the oven rack to a higher position to prevent the scones from getting too brown on the bottom.
Scones Are Flat or Have Little Rise:
- Possible Causes: The leavening agent (baking powder) is expired or inactive, or the scone dough was handled too much.
- Solution: Check the expiration date of your baking powder and make sure it's still active. Handle the dough gently and avoid overmixing to preserve the air bubbles created by the leavening agent.
Scones Are Soggy or Wet Inside:
- Possible Causes: Too much liquid added to the dough, or the scones were underbaked.
- Solution: Double-check the measurements of wet ingredients and ensure the scones are baked until golden brown on the outside and cooked through in the center.
By troubleshooting these common issues, you can adjust your technique and ingredients to achieve perfectly baked vegan scones every time.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can substitute vegan butter for regular butter in scone recipes. Make sure the vegan butter is cold and solid when you cut it into the flour mixture to achieve the desired texture.
Yes, you can use any non-dairy milk alternative in vegan scone recipes. Just make sure to use unsweetened and unflavored varieties to avoid altering the flavor of the scones.
To achieve flakier vegan scones, make sure to use cold vegan butter and handle the dough as little as possible. Cut the cold butter into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs, and avoid over-mixing the dough. Chilling the shaped scone dough in the refrigerator before baking can also help solidify the fat in the dough, resulting in flakier scones.
Yes, you can freeze vegan scone dough for later use. Shape the scone dough into rounds or triangles, wrap them tightly in plastic wrap or aluminum foil, and place them in a freezer-safe container or bag. When ready to bake, thaw the frozen dough in the refrigerator overnight before baking as directed.
Yes, you can make gluten-free vegan scones by using a gluten-free flour blend in place of all-purpose flour. Be sure to use a gluten-free baking powder and check that all other ingredients are gluten-free. Adjustments to the recipe may be necessary to achieve the desired texture and flavor.
This step is highly encouraged. It will aid in rise, scone texture/flakiness and limit spread.
How to Serve Vegan Scones
There are many delicious ways to serve vegan scones! Here are some ideas to consider:
- Classic: Enjoy your vegan scones warm, fresh from the oven, with a cup of hot tea or coffee for a classic pairing.
- Fruit Spread: Serve your scones with a variety of fruit spreads, such as raspberry jam, strawberry preserves, or apricot marmalade.
- Vegan Butter or Margarine: Spread a dollop of vegan butter or margarine on your warm scones for a rich and creamy addition.
- Vegan Whipped Cream: Top your scones with a dollop of vegan whipped cream for an indulgent treat. You can make your own whipped cream using coconut cream or a store-bought vegan whipped topping.
- Fresh Fruit: Pair your scones with fresh fruit, such as sliced strawberries, raspberries, or blueberries, for a light and refreshing option.
- Lemon Curd: Spread your scones with vegan lemon curd for a zesty and tangy flavor. You can make your own lemon curd using vegan butter, sugar, lemon juice, and cornstarch.
- Chocolate Drizzle: Drizzle melted dairy-free chocolate over your scones for a decadent finishing touch. You can also sprinkle chopped nuts or shredded coconut on top for added texture.
- Glaze: Top your scones with a simple glaze made from powdered sugar and non-dairy milk for a sweet and glossy finish. Add a splash of vanilla extract or lemon juice for extra flavor.
No matter your preference in toppings, there are plenty of delicious ways to enjoy vegan scones for breakfast, brunch, or as a snack. Get creative and experiment with different flavor combinations to find your favorite!
The Best Vegan Scone Recipes
- Vegan Lemon Blueberry Scones
- Vegan Chocolate Chip Scones
- Vegan Strawberry Rhubarb Scones
- Vegan Pumpkin Scones
- Vegan Apple Cinnamon Scones
If you try these tips and tricks at home please snap a photo and tag @censoredbaker on Instagram!
If you have any comments or questions please leave them below!
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