These Vegan Apple Scones have crisp cinnamon-sugar tops with bits of sweet apple peeking through. Healthier than traditional scones, these are dairy-free, oil-free, lightly sweet, and very satisfying thanks to oat flour. Try them drizzled with the easy maple glaze and dunked in a tall glass of almond milk!
Maybe calling these "scones" is a bit of a stretch, but I'm doing it anyway because look! They're in the classic American scone shape! Isn't that sugary, textured, triangle of baked goodness just BEGGING you to pick it up and take a bite?
These are part healthy scone and part vegan muffin, a scuffin, if you will. No matter what you call them they're fragrant, healthy, satisfying, and delicious.
In fact, if you don't want to mess with cutting these into triangles (not that it's difficult, I promise), you can always bake these in a rustic, drop biscuit-style, which makes the recipe even easier.
How To Prepare Healthy Vegan Scones
The great thing about these non-traditional scones is that aside from being hearty, filling, and super tasty, they're a breeze to make. The process goes like this:
- Preheat oven to 425 F (218 C), and line a baking sheet with parchment or a silicone mat.
- Whisk dry ingredients in one bowl.
- Whisk wet ingredients in a smaller bowl.
- Core an apple and finely chop it (you don't want really large pieces of apple in the scones). Make the cinnamon-sugar topping, and set aside.
- Pour wet into dry, and stir until combined. Fold in about two-thirds of the chopped apple.
- Sprinkle oat flour on a flat work surface, and pat the dough into a disc about 7-inches across and ¾ to 1-inch thick. Cut into 8 triangles.
- Press the reserved pieces of apple into the dough wherever it looks like it needs it, and liberally sprinkle on the cinnamon sugar.
- Transfer dough to the prepared pan, and bake for 12 to 13 minutes or until crisp on top and golden on the bottom.
Pretty easy, right?
Proper Dough Consistency and Tips
Okay, so here's the thing. We're walking a pretty fine line getting enough moisture into an oil-free dough while still having it remain dry enough to form into a disc and cut cleanly. Because of this the dough is a bit sticky, so you'll need to use extra oat flour on your work surface and on your hands and knife (or bench scraper or whatever you use to cut the dough).
A quick note about the ingredients:
An easier route to take would have been to use full-fat coconut milk for the liquid in these scones, and you can certainly do that if you want to. But since many people avoid coconut for various reasons, AND it seems like stores are constantly running out of coconut milk these days, I wanted to find a work-around. So we're using almond butter and non-dairy milk instead.
You can see in the prep photos above how the dough coated the bench scraper (photo on right). For easier slicing it helps to wipe off your knife between cuts and/or sprinkle it with oat flour. You'll also want to use care when transferring the cut dough to the baking sheet, as it is fairly soft.
But don't let these tips scare you off! It really isn't that tricky. I just like to give plenty of pointers in case you're not very comfortable with baking and so that you know what to expect. 🙂
Because these aren't loaded with saturated fat, they are on the drier side, as scones should be. But it's this dense, heartier texture that we really enjoyed! There's something satisfying about switching things up when you're used to lighter, fluffier baked goods like muffins or banana bread.
I think you'll love the texture and crusty exterior!
Storage, Freezing and Reheating
Like a lot of baked goods, scones are best eaten fresh. My favorite time to enjoy them is about 5 minutes after they come out of the oven, with a glass of cold, unsweetened vanilla almond milk.
They're also great toasted the next day. Just pop them into the oven for a few minutes until warm and crisp again. Store scones at room temperature for 1 to 2 days or refrigerated for up to four days. You can also warm them briefly in the microwave.
Scones also freeze well. Let them cool completely, then store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to one month. Thaw overnight and reheat as desired.
These would also be fantastic with a scoop of Butter Pecan or Vanilla-Maple Oat Milk Ice Cream.
If you enjoy these healthy apple scones, don't miss this new Carrot Cake Scones recipe!
More Oil-Free Vegan Treats:
The Best Vegan Pie Crust (GF, oil-free & so easy)
Apple Cranberry Baked Oatmeal
Oil-Free Banana Brownies
Coconut-Free Vegan Condensed Milk
Single Layer Chocolate Cake
Oat Flour Banana Bread
Oat Flour Peanut Butter Cookies
Vegan Apple Scones (Oil-Free)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ cups oat flour plus more for forming the dough - See Notes about measuring.
- ⅔ cup almond flour
- 5 tablespoons granulated sweetener of choice, divided - I used organic cane sugar.
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 2 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon, divided
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger, optional
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 3 tablespoons smooth almond butter
- ½ cup applesauce
- ¼ cup non-dairy milk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 small apple, any sweet variety, cored and finely chopped - About ⅔ cup chopped.
Optional Maple Glaze:
- 1 tablespoon coconut butter - This is pureed coconut, not oil. Sub almond butter if desired.
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon non-dairy milk, for consistency
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (218 C), and line a baking sheet with parchment or a silicone mat.
- In a mixing bowl whisk together the oat flour, almond flour, ¼ cup sugar, baking powder, 2 tsp cinnamon, ginger, if using, and salt. In a separate small dish, mix together the remaining tablespoon of sugar and ½ teaspoon cinnamon.
- In a small bowl whisk together the almond butter, applesauce, milk, and vanilla.
- If you haven't already, core and finely chop the apple, and set aside. Pour wet ingredients into dry, and stir until combined. Fold in about two-thirds of the chopped apple, reserving some to press into the tops of the scones.
- Sprinkle some oat flour on a flat work surface, and shape the dough into a disc about 7-inches across and ¾ to 1-inch thick. Cut into 8 triangles, using more flour as needed to help with sticking. NOTE: for rustic scuffins (drop scones), you can skip this step of forming and cutting the dough. Simply spoon biscuit-size amounts of dough onto the baking sheet. Depending on size cook time may be reduced, so keep an eye on them around the 10 min mark.
- Press reserved pieces of apple into the dough wherever it is needed, and liberally sprinkle cinnamon sugar on top. Transfer dough to the prepared pan, and bake for 12 to 13 minutes or until crisp on top and golden on the bottoms.
To make the optional maple glaze:
- In a mug or ramekin, warm the coconut butter just enough to melt it (5 to 10 seconds in the microwave gets the job done). Whisk in the maple syrup, and add a teaspoon of milk as needed for consistency. Drizzle over scones, and serve immediately.
Notes
Measuring Oat Flour
There are contradictory weights for oat flour depending on where you look. I have measured and weighed Arrowhead Mills organic oat flour (90 g per cup) and homemade oat flour I blended in the Vitamix with similar results. For the best results use a kitchen scale and weigh exactly 205 grams of oat flour for this recipe. If you don't have a scale, whisk the oat flour first, then spoon it into the measuring cup and level off the top. If you use a measuring cup to scoop the oat flour straight out of a bag, you'll likely scoop up too much which will result in very dry scones. Scones are already more dense and dry than other quick breads.Storage and Reheating
Scones are best eaten fresh, but they're also great toasted the next day. Store scones at room temperature for 1 to 2 days or refrigerated for up to four days. Warm briefly in the microwave or in the oven or a toaster oven to bring back the crusty exterior. Scones also freeze well. Thaw overnight then reheat as desired.Estimated Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition information is an estimate and will vary depending on the exact amounts and specific products and ingredients used. We calculate this information using the online calculator cronometer.com.
Anita
Made these today in less than 30 minutes! Wonderful taste and fam was happy. Thanks so much for awesome recipe
Susan
Hi! Couple of questions, can coconut sugar replace the regular sugar and how would you suggest storing ect if I need to make alot for a gathering? Like if I put them in refrigerator after baking then they would be at room temp for couple days, would they hold up without being warmed again? Also, any other suggestions for additions/flavors? Scones have become my new obsession. Thank you!!
Lori
Hi Susan,
The texture of the scones is best when fresh. So in my opinion they're probably not the best candidate for making multiple days in advance. Muffins or cupcakes could be an option.
But if you have time you could always do a test to see how you like the texture after a couple of days in the fridge. They will be slightly moist and less dry/crisp on the outside.
Yes, you can definitely use coconut sugar. The result will be slightly less sweet.
Other flavor ideas: peanut butter chocolate chip, banana walnut. 🙂
Hope that helps!
Vanessa
Thanks for sharing! Do they keep long?
Suzanne
This looks so good! Can I make other flavors with the base recipe?
Lori
Absolutely, using this recipe as a base for other fruits and spices should work well. Let us know if you give them a try!
Asha
These scones are phenomenal! I just had one warm from the oven and it was bliss. Crisp exterior with a dense, yet soft interior. And so flavorful! This is now one of my favorite scone recipes (regardless of whether it's a stretch to call them that or not haha). Thank you for the amazing recipe.
Lori
Asha, I'm so glad you loved them! Thank you for the lovely comment.