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Baking gluten-free?
If so, you'll love this post.
If not, keep reading – considering the rapid growth of gluten-free baking, it's inevitable you'll connect with someone, at some point, who's trying to steer clear of gluten.
And when you do – these scones, and the rest of our gluten-free recipes, are a wonderful resource to have in your back pocket.
Plain scones are fine, but I like to add fruit or chips.
Many of our gluten-free recipes use our King Arthur Gluten-Free Multi-Purpose Flour (right, above), which includes ingredients that reduce the grittiness sometimes found in gluten-free baked goods. Our flour also increases the shelf life of your treats, keeping them fresh longer.
The following make-at-home blend, featuring stabilized brown rice flour, works well when substituted; and it tastes better than a homemade blend using regular brown rice flour.
Whisk together 6 cups (32 ounces) King Arthur stabilized brown rice flour; 2 cups (10 3/4 ounces) potato starch; and 1 cup (4 ounces) tapioca starch or tapioca flour. Store airtight at room temperature.
Note: You can substitute white rice flour for the brown rice flour if you like; it'll make your baked goods grittier (unless you manage to find a finely ground version).
Xanthan gum is another must-have ingredient when you're baking gluten-free. It steps in to provide the necessary structure missing when gluten is absent.
For prettiest scones, use a scone pan. Spray the pan with non-stick vegetable oil spray.
If you don't have a scone pan, grease a baking sheet (or line it with parchment).
Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Whisk together the following:
1 3/4 cups (262g) King Arthur Gluten-Free Multi-Purpose Flour or 2 1/4 cups brown rice flour blend
1/4 cup (50g) sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, optional
Don't forget the xanthan gum! Believe it or not, just 1/2 teaspoon will hold these scones together.
Add 8 tablespoons (113g) cold butter, cut into pats.
Work in the butter until the mixture is crumbly.
Add 3/4 cup (99g) of the dried fruits or chips of your choice: diced dried apricots, raisins, or cherries are all nice; or go tropical with dried pineapple, papaya, mango, and big flakes of lightly toasted coconut.
Place the following in a measuring cup or bowl:
2 large eggs
1/3 cup (74g) cold milk
1 teaspoon gluten-free vanilla extract
Whisk until well combined.
Add to the dry ingredients.
Stir until well blended. The dough should be cohesive and very sticky.
Drop dough by the 1/3-cupful into the scone pan or onto the baking sheet. A heaped muffin scoop works well here.
Smooth the sticky dough to the edges of the pan.
Sprinkle with coarse white sparkling sugar, if desired, for added crunch and glitter.
Ready to bake. That didn't take long, did it?
Bake the scones for 15 to 20 minutes.
They'll rise and brown nicely.
You'd NEVER know these were gluten-free, would you?
Remove the scones from the oven, and let rest for 5 minutes or so before serving.
They're best enjoyed warm.
With the fruit, they don't really need any embellishment. But butter, jam, or your favorite gluten-free spread are, of course, always welcome.
Read, rate, and review (please) our recipe for Gluten-Free Scones.
September 30, 2023 at 12:51am
I cannot find King Arthur stabilized brown rice flour on your website. Where can I purchase it? Thanks!
October 1, 2023 at 10:46am
In reply to I cannot find King Arthur… by Valerie (not verified)
I'm sorry, Valerie, we no longer carry this product. However, I was able to find a similar product on Amazon.
January 16, 2021 at 8:53am
The instructions on the main KA page ere not clear did not include cutting in the butter an essential step. Could they be updated? The scones were good, but I like to add the sugar after the butter cut tastes sweeter
January 22, 2021 at 2:51pm
In reply to The instructions on the main… by Carol Clay Mann (not verified)
Hi there, Carol! We're sorry to hear that you found the directions on the recipe page unclear. The recipe page does call for cutting the butter into the dry ingredients, this is in step 3. You're welcome to cut the butter into just the flour and then add the dry ingredients if you'd prefer. We hope this helps to clarify!
December 29, 2020 at 11:27am
I made the KA GF scone mix, in the mini scone pan. Love the size and they tasted very good. When I use the mini scone pan, how much dough should I put in each section?
I'd like to either customize the scone mix or try this recipe to make maple walnut scones. Suggestions? I notice that there are more flavors in the non-GF scone mixes, how can I make different flavors with either this recipe or the GF scone mix?
Whenever we are in Vermont we make a road trip to KA.
December 29, 2020 at 1:17pm
In reply to I made the KA GF scone mix,… by Evie (not verified)
Hi Evie! One of the things we love the most about scones is how easy they are to use as a template when it comes to trying out new flavors. From sweet to savory, they lend themselves to so many different results. So please do explore that. For instance, you could take part of this Maple Walnut Scone recipe, and easily apply it to either the mix, or this recipe. Or even check out some of the great tips and tricks on our Essential Guide to Scone Baking. As long as the dough consistency stays true to the recipe you're using, the sky's the limit. As for using the pan, we tend to fill each section just to the top, so they don't necessarily outgrow their space as they bake. And we'd LOVE to have you visit again soon. Maybe we'll share a scone or two. Have fun playing around with your scone expertise, and for sure let us know how they turn out.
January 23, 2019 at 3:50pm
January 24, 2019 at 12:34pm
In reply to These scones are the best GF I've tried. They're delicious, lig… by Ellen Kittredge (not verified)
January 8, 2019 at 12:43pm
January 8, 2019 at 4:10pm
In reply to Have you made this recipe with an egg replacer? I have sensiti… by Willow (not verified)
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