These Vegan Carrot Cake Scones are delightfully wholesome, with shredded carrot throughout and cinnamon-sugar tops. Healthier than traditional American scones, these are dairy-free, oil-free, gluten-free, and lightly sweetened. Perfect for brunch, snacks, or breakfast any day of the week. Ready in 30 minutes!
Adapted from my Oil-Free Apple Scones, these carrot cake scones are perfect for Easter, spring brunches, or anytime you find yourself craving a healthy baked treat.
Think of these as a marriage between a scone and a healthy muffin, sometimes called a scuffin! But instead of rustic, drop-biscuit-shaped scuffins, we're cutting our dough into the classic American scone shape.
Carrot cake scones are moist, perfectly spiced, and sort of dense like a scone yet also light because they're not made with the heavy saturated fats usually found in scone recipes.
I highly recommend including the simple coconut butter glaze. It really puts these over the top! And if you add a squeeze of lemon juice it takes on a cream cheese frosting flavor.
Now, I'm not claiming these taste exactly like carrot cake - they're far too wholesome for that! But you'll definitely appreciate the carrot and spice vibes. And who doesn't love a way to include a veggie in baked goods? Chocolate zucchini bread, anyone?
Ingredient Notes
See recipe card below for amounts and full instructions.
- carrots - you'll need about 2 medium carrots, or 1 heaping cup when grated. Avoid pre-shredded carrots as they're too dry.
- oat flour - sometimes I make oat flour by blending rolled oats in my Vitamix; other times I order this one from Anthony's. Any fine oat flour works.
- almond flour - currently I'm using this blanched almond flour by Nature's Eats.
- cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg - for those warm carrot cake vibes.
- almond butter - I recommend raw, smooth, unsalted almond butte for the scones. If yours is salted simply reduce the salt added.
- applesauce - adds moisture to the dough in the absence of butter and oil.
- sweetener - I used organic cane sugar, but brown sugar, coconut, or date sugar are also perfect.
- apple cider vinegar - just a small amount rounds out the flavor; lemon juice is another option.
For the optional glaze:
- coconut butter - this is simply pureed coconut, which is different from coconut oil. You can usually find this on the baking aisle of well-stocked grocery stores or specialty markets, or make it yourself with unsweetened, shredded coconut and a food processor!
- maple syrup - substitute agave if you don't have maple syrup
- squeeze of lemon juice or a splash of non-dairy milk - lemon gives the glaze a cream cheese flavor; either way, you'll need just a touch of liquid to thin the glaze.
How To Make Carrot Cake Scones
The great thing about these healthy scones is that aside from being hearty, filling, and tasty, they're seriously easy to prepare. The process goes like this:
- Preheat oven to 475 F (246 C), and line a baking sheet with parchment or a silicone mat. Whisk dry ingredients in one bowl, wet ingredients in another, then combine. Fold in grated carrot.
- Sprinkle almond flour on a flat work surface, and pat the dough into a disc about 7-inches across and 1-inch thick. Liberally sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Cut into 8 triangles.
- Transfer to the prepared pan, and place in oven. Immediately lower the oven temp to 425 degrees F (218 C). Bake for 12 to 13 minutes or until the tops are crisp and the bottoms are golden.
Tip! We start with a really hot oven so the scones get an initial blast of heat to help them rise, then immediately reduce it by 50 degrees.
Additions
If you're a fan of raisins in carrot cake, feel free to add about ½ cup raisins to the dough.
For crunch and texture, chopped walnuts or pecans can be folded in, as well.
Equipment Needed
You don't even need any fancy equipment to whip up a batch of these tasty scones. These items will come in handy:
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- a vegetable peeler for the carrots
- large knife or bench scraper to slice the dough
- parchment paper or a silicone mat
- and 1 standard/small baking sheet
Tips for Handling the Dough
As mentioned in the Apple Cinnamon Scones post, this oil-free dough is fairly moist and sticky. So be sure to sprinkle your cutting board or work surface with some almond flour (or oat flour) before forming the dough into a disc.
And if it's sticking to your hands too much sprinkle a little almond flour on top of the dough, as well.
As you slice the dough into 8 triangles, it helps to wipe off the blade in between cuts.
If you happen to have a pie server, I found that to be the best tool to use to transfer the wedges of dough onto the prepared baking sheet.
How To Store
Store scones in an airtight container at room temperature for 1 to 2 days or refrigerated for up to 4 days.
They're great toasted the next day. Just pop them into the oven or toaster oven for a few minutes until warm and crisp again.
Scones also freeze well. Allow to cool completely, then store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to one month. Thaw overnight and reheat as desired.
Serving Tips
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 unsweetened vanilla almond milk or oat milk.
They're also delicious with vegan yogurt or a scoop of vanilla-maple oat milk ice cream!
More Oil-Free Vegan Baking Recipes:
Recipe
Vegan Carrot Cake Scones (Oil-Free)
Ingredients
Dry ingredients:
- 2 ¼ cups oat flour - See Notes for tips on measuring.
- ½ cup almond flour, packed into the measuring cup - See Notes.
- ⅓ cup granulated sweetener of choice, plus 2 teaspoons for the cinnamon-sugar topping - I used organic cane sugar.
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon, plus ¼ teaspoon for the cinnamon-sugar topping
- ¾ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
Wet ingredients:
- ¼ cup raw almond butter, smooth and unsalted
- ½ cup applesauce
- 2 tablespoons non-dairy milk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 medium carrots, peeled and freshly grated (approx. 6 oz) - About 1 heaping cup grated.
Optional glaze:
- 1 tablespoon coconut butter - This is pureed coconut and is different than coconut oil.
- 2 teaspoons maple syrup
- 1 to 2 teaspoons lemon juice or non-dairy milk, for consistency
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 475 degrees F (246 C), and line a baking sheet with parchment or a silicone mat.
- In a mug or small bowl, make the cinnamon-sugar topping by combining 2 teaspoons sugar and ½ teaspoon cinnamon. Set aside.
- In a mixing bowl whisk together the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, combine the wet ingredients.
- If you haven't already, peel and grate the carrots. Pour wet ingredients into dry, and stir until combined. Fold in the grated carrot.
- Sprinkle almond flour on a flat work surface, and shape the dough into a disc approximately 7-inches across and 1-inch thick. Liberally sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar. Cut into 8 triangles, wiping off the blade in between slices.
- Carefully transfer the triangles to the prepared pan (a pie server works well). Place in oven, and immediately REDUCE THE OVEN TEMP to 425 degrees F (218 C). Bake for 12 to 13 minutes or until the tops are crisp and the bottoms are golden. Remove from oven and let stand for a few minutes.
To make the glaze:
- In a mug or ramekin, warm the coconut butter just enough to melt it (about 10 seconds in the microwave). Whisk in the maple syrup, and add milk or lemon juice as needed for consistency. Drizzle over the scones and serve.
Notes
Estimated Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition information is an estimate and will vary depending on the exact amounts and specific products and ingredients used.
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