You're going to love these Lemon Blueberry Vegan Scones. Filled with blueberries and lemon in every bite, this vegan pastry is the ultimate comfort food. Flaky, buttery, and delicious!
For years, the most popular recipe on the blog have been these vegan blueberry muffins. You guys love them! The secret to making this particular vegan blueberry muffin recipe stand out is in the lemon zest. Blueberries + lemon zest, so good.
Because these muffins continue to be such a big hit, I decided that today I was going to turn them into delicious vegan scones. I mean it doesn't get much better than a flaky, buttery, slightly sweet, blueberry-packed scone, amiright??
I've been making scones for over 15 years. From my first baking job to my last, scones were always a staple. From over a decade of experience (and 13 years as a vegan), I have been slowly perfecting the vegan scone, finding the best replacements for commonly used butter, cream, and eggs. I've tried many different scone recipes, and I believe this one is the best!
I think you're going to love these blueberry scones as much as I do. They are simple, delicious, and fail-proof. Wanna see for yourself? Let's dive in!
Ingredients For Vegan Scones
The key to a perfect scone is finding that perfect buttery and flaky texture without making it too dry. To do this, we must choose our vegan ingredients carefully.
Ingredients & Substitutions
- All-Purpose Flour – I have also made these scones with 1:1 Gluten-Free Flour Baking Blend with great success.
- Granulated & Powdered Sugar – Check out my guide to vegan sugars and healthy sugar alternatives. For a healthier alternative, I suggest coconut sugar.
- Baking Powder
- Salt
- Vegan Butter – Look for a high-quality non-hydrogenated vegan butter. I recommend either Earth Balance or Miyoko’s.
- Lemon Zest - You will need both the zest and the juice. For traditional blueberry scones, you can omit this and use non-dairy milk for the glaze.
- Canned Light Coconut Milk – Most traditional scone recipes use cream to give the scone its rich flavor. Non-dairy milk simply won’t replace the fat and creaminess in the same way. For that reason, I use canned lite coconut milk. It is thick, rich, and adds a nice subtle flavor. If you don’t like coconut, I recommend using a quality unsweetened non-dairy creamer rather than milk.
- Chickpea Flour – This is used as an egg replacer. Because of its high protein content, chickpea flour gives the scones structure without being too crumbly. It also is completely flavorless meaning it won’t affect the taste of the scones itself (unlike some other vegan egg replacers). If you can’t find it at your local grocery store, you can buy chickpea flour online. (<<affiliate link)
- Vanilla Extract
- Fresh Blueberries - If you don’t have fresh blueberries, check out how to use replace them with frozen berries.
Recommended Equipment
You will need a baking sheet, with a silicone baking mat, mixing bowls, a pastry cutter, an 8″ cake pan, and basic kitchen utensils. (<<affiliate links)
Check out the full list of my recommended kitchen tools and gadgets.
How to Make Vegan Scones
Step one - Make the Dough
Step One – Mix the Ingredients
In a small bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Cut the butter into small pieces and add it to the dry ingredients. Use either a pastry cutter or your fingers, mix the butter in until it forms fine crumbs.
In a different bowl or a liquid measuring cup, combine ¾ cups of non-dairy milk and chickpea flour. Mix vigorously until the chickpea flour is completely dissolved in the water then stir in the vanilla.
Finally, pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. The dough will be kind of dry. This is necessary for getting a flaky pastry. Work the dough with your fingers until it is evenly hydrated. Only add more liquid if it feels like it’s not sticking together when pressed between your fingers.
Fold in the blueberries
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links.
Step Two - Shape the Dough
Use some additional flour to dust the bottom of an 8 inch cake pan if you have one. Press the dough evenly into the pan to shape the scones. Flip the flattened dough onto a floured countertop and cut it into 8 equal pieces.
Pro Tip: I learned this in my many years as a baker. By pressing it into a cake pan you ensure a perfect circle. More importantly, this step allows you to press the dough together so that it holds together better in the oven.
Step Three - Bake the Scones
Place the scones on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Brush them with extra coconut milk or non-dairy milk and bake for about 20 minutes, until they are golden brown and flaky.
Once they are out of the oven, top them with lemon glaze and serve.
Serving And Storing
Serve these scones immediately with some vegan butter and a Chai Tea Latte.
Store leftover scones in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Make in Advance: If you want to make this recipe in advance, you can store unbaked scones in the freezer for up to 2 months. Place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet and let them freeze all the way through. Once they are frozen, transfer them to a large Ziplock bag. When ready to bake, you can bake them straight from the freezer following the instructions below. They may need a few extra minutes in the oven since they will be frozen.
Tips and Tricks
- Don’t over mix the batter it can become too dense and lose it’s flakiness if it is overly mixed.
- Use cool vegan butter that is not at room temperature when mixing the batter. This prevents the butter from melting too much in the oven, allowing the scones their signature flakiness.
- Chill scones in the freezer for at least 20 minutes before baking to allow scones to keep their shape in the oven.
Frequently Asked Questions
I prefer using fresh blueberries as frozen ones can sometimes bleed into the dough and make it turn purplish. However, if you are making this recipe offseason, frozen ones will work just fine. Follow these steps when using frozen berries:
- Place the cranberries in a colander and run them under room temperature water, breaking the berries up with your fingers. This will allow the excess juices to run out of the berries so they don’t bleed into your batter.
- Let the cranberries sit in the colander for at least 30 minutes so all the water has drained from them. If they are still wet, they will add liquid to your batter, altering the texture of these muffins.
- Gently pat the berries dry with a paper towel before adding them to your batter.
Do I have to use coconut milk?
I recommend coconut milk because it is thick, rich, and adds a nice subtle flavor. If you don’t like coconut, I recommend using a quality unsweetened non-dairy creamer rather than milk.
Can regular flour be swapped for chickpea flour?
Unfortunately, no. Chickpea flour is uniquely dense in protein and works as an egg replacer in a way that all-purpose flour cannot. You should be able to find chickpea flour at your grocery store – look in the bulk or alternative flours section.
More Vegan Scone Recipes
Do you love vegan scones as much as I do? Check out some of my other favorite vegan scone recipes below.
- Oatmeal Date Scones
- Chocolate Chip Walnut Scones
- Raspberry Coconut Scones
- Lemon Poppy Seed Scones
- Chai Spiced Scones with Cinnamon Glaze
Lemon Blueberry Scones (Vegan)
Ingredients
Lemon Blueberry Scones
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for flouring surfaces
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp. baking powder
- ½ tsp. salt
- zest of 1 lemon
- ½ cup vegan butter, I use Earth Balance
- ¾ cup lite coconut milk
- 3 tbsp. chickpea flour
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1 cup fresh blueberries
Lemon Glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2-3 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking mat and set aside.
- In a small bowl combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and lemon zest.
- Cut butter into small pieces and add them to the dry ingredients. Mix in with a pastry cutter or your fingers until a fine crumb has formed.
- In a small bowl or liquid measuring cup combine coconut milk and chickpea flour, stirring vigorously until chickpea flour has completely dissolved. Stir in vanilla extract. Add wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, stirring to combine.
- With a wooden spoon or your hands, fold in the blueberries.
- Flour the bottom of an 8" cake pan and press dough evenly into the pan to shape. Flip onto a floured surface and cut into 8 equal pieces. Place scones on the prepared baking sheet. Brush with a light layer of coconut milk or non-dairy milk and bake for 20-25 minutes until tops are golden brown.
- While scones are baking combine ingredients for the glaze, adding juice slowly to the powdered sugar until desired consistency is reached. It should be slightly thick but thin enough to easily dip scones into the glaze.
- Remove scones from the oven, let cool for 10 minutes, then dip tops in the glaze before letting cool completely. Serve or store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Don’t over mix the batter it can become too dense and lose it’s flakiness if it is overly mixed.
- Use cool vegan butter that is not at room temperature when mixing the batter. This prevents the butter from melting too much in the oven, allowing the scones their signature flakiness.
- Chill scones in the freezer for at least 20 minutes before baking to allow scones to keep their shape in the oven.
- Do I have to use coconut milk? I recommend coconut milk because it is thick, rich, and adds a nice subtle flavor. If you don’t like coconut, I recommend using a quality unsweetened non-dairy creamer rather than milk.
- Can regular flour be swapped for chickpea flour? Unfortunately, no. Chickpea flour is uniquely dense in protein and works as an egg replacer in a way that all-purpose flour cannot. You should be able to find chickpea flour at your grocery store – look in the bulk or alternative flours section.
Hi, I’m Sarah. I’m a 14-year (and counting) vegan, professionally trained photographer, former pastry chef, founder of My Darling Vegan, and author of the
Georgie says
This looks delicious! I’ve never made scones before, so apologies if this is a simple question, but: how do we bake them if we want them to have a traditional scone shape (not a triangle)? Is there a different thing, or do you use a baking tray?
Hannah McCartney says
I have a jar of full-fat coconut milk sitting in my fridge I need to use up. Do you think it would work vs. light milk? I also have high-fat extra creamy oat milk as an alternative.
Vanessa says
I made these again (last time my dough was too wet) and they turned out delicious! The texture was great. I made sure this time to blend the chickpea flour and coconut milk (I used coconut cream this time) with a blender and also did not all the liquid. I shaped and handled the dough as little as possible and froze the scones for an extended period before baking.
Vanessa says
My dough was very wet and the end result didn’t have a scone texture. Should I not have added all the liquid? I didn’t make any substitutions other than using full fat coconut milk.
Debbie says
These are so delicious ! I've never tried chickpea flour as an egg substitute I was worried about the taste but they are so good. Thank for such clear instructions, it was a joy to make. I'm adding this to my favorite file
Nicole says
These were delicious and I will definitely make them again. (Followed recipe as stated) Thank you!
Marie says
Thank you for a very nice recipe! Do the scones freeze well?
Sarah says
Yes. For best results, I would suggest shaping them and freezing them before baking. Then when you are ready to enjoy one, bake it according to the directions. If you've already baked them, you can also store the scones in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 2 months.
mindy says
Mine turned out more like muffins rather than being flaky. Any ideas? Thanks!
Sarah says
Sounds like they were too wet. The dough should be very dry - almost tricky to hold together.
Krista says
I cannot have gluten. Have you tried to make these with a gluten-free flour?
Sarah says
Sure. I would try a 1:1 gf flour mix.