These scones are made with almond flour, and frankly, maybe all scones should be—whether you need them to be gluten-free or not. They’re 100 percent delicious, featuring perfectly tender insides and golden exteriors that offer a light crunch along the edges. Jammy burst blueberries, lemon zest and a light sprinkle of raw sugar take them to the next level!
I didn’t come up with this idea myself. When I published my Blueberry Scones, which are made with whole wheat or all-purpose flour, I received several questions about how to make the recipe with almond flour.
Since almond flour has become my favorite flour over the past year or two, I had to figure it out. Despite being made entirely with almond flour, the scones don’t taste overtly of almond. They’re easy to make with simple, wholesome, lower carbohydrate ingredients, so they’re a win all around.
It took seven tries to get the recipe just right. Along the way, it became the topping for a Peach Cobbler. I’m delighted with this recipe and all the variations you’ll find below.
How to Make Almond Flour Scones
Swapping almond flour for regular flour required several adjustments from the original recipe. I kept the flour amount consistent, but tweaked the rest. Here’s a rundown if you’re curious.
- Added an egg for structure, because they fall apart without it
- Less butter, since almond flour contains some fat already
- Less sugar, since almond flour doesn’t dull the sweetness like regular flour does
- Less Greek yogurt and no milk, since almond flour is inherently moist and less absorbent
- Less blueberries, since we reduced the volume with all the other reductions
A Few Notes
- No pastry cutter needed. Unlike regular scones, which need cold bits of butter to create tender pockets, these almond flour-based scones turned out better with melted butter. It’s easy to stir the dough together.
- The dough is delicate. Use a sharp chef’s knife to cut through the blueberries, then use a pie server, ideally, or a small metal spatula to move the scones to the baking sheet. If they fall apart along the edges, you can easily smush them back together. It’s like working with Play-Doh.
- Leave some space around each scone. They expand, and you don’t want them to run into each other.
Watch How to Make Scones
Suggested Flavor Variations
You can take this blueberry scone recipe into so many different directions.
Berry scones
Replace the blueberries with another berry, including raspberries, blackberries (halved if large) or sliced strawberries. You can keep the lemon zest or switch to orange.
Cherry scones
Halved and pitted cherries would be lovely. Omit the lemon zest and add 1/2 teaspoon almond extract to enhance the almond flavor, which plays so well with cherries.
Chocolate chip scones
Omit the fruit (including the zest) and use up to 3/4 cup chocolate chips. I tried a combination of ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips and ½ cup toasted chopped pecans, and loved the results.
Savory cheddar scones
Omit the fruit (including the zest) and reduce the sugar to 1 teaspoon. Stir in 3/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese, and 3 tablespoons chopped green onion if you’d like them to be extra savory. This scone has become one of my all-time favorite snacks!
Please let me know how your scones turn out in the comments! I love hearing from you.
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Almond Flour Scones (Gluten Free)
These scones are made with almond flour, yet they’re as good as conventional scones (if not better!). The recipe is gluten-free and easy to make. This recipe yields 8 blueberry lemon scones; you’ll find flavor variations within the post.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a mixing bowl, combine the almond flour, baking powder and salt. Whisk gently until combined.
- In a small-to-medium bowl, combine the sugar and lemon zest. Use your fingers to rub the zest into the sugar (this extracts more flavor from the lemon). Then, pour the mixture into the other dry ingredients and whisk to combine.
- In the smaller bowl, combine the butter, yogurt and egg, and whisk until evenly combined. Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture, and stir to combine. Gently fold in the blueberries.
- Dump the dough onto a clean work surface, gently fold it over onto itself a couple of times, then shape it into a circle about one inch deep all around. Sprinkle the turbinado sugar evenly over the dough, if using.
- Use a sharp chef’s knife to slice the round into 8 even wedges. Separate the slices and place them on the prepared baking sheet (I like to use a pie server for transferring them), leaving several inches around each scone. If a scone falls apart, gently shape it back together and tuck in any stray blueberries.
- Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, until the scones are turning golden brown on top. Enjoy them warm, or let them rest to allow the flavors to develop. Leftover scones keep well for up to 3 days at room temperature or up to 6 months in the freezer.
Notes
Recipe adapted from my Blueberry Scones made with wheat flour.
*Almond flour notes: Not all almond flours are created equally. I tested this recipe with Bob’s Red Mill’s super-fine almond flour and Whole Foods 365’s almond flour with great results.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
