Learn how to make the best vegan scones from scratch with this easy recipe! They’re soft, moist, and tender – even with no eggs or dairy. Juicy blueberries fill every bite, and a special ingredient gives these healthy homemade scones that classic rich “bakery-style” flavor. They’re great for weekend brunches and even a midweek breakfast treat – because you only need 1 bowl and 30 minutes to make them!
During college, I challenged myself to try a vegan diet. I wanted to get out of my cooking rut, make different recipes, and play with new ingredients. So after using the carton of milk and nearly two dozen eggs in my refrigerator to make angel food cupcakes and lemon bars, I scribbled down a grocery list and headed to the store.
While many of my pantry staples were naturally vegan, like cold cereals and oats and even some snack bars, I picked up vegan-friendly butter, soy yogurt, and milk, along with a box of egg replacement powder for baking. I even bought a vegan baking cookbook at a local bookstore downtown and slowly flipped through its pages upon returning home.
Although I originally intended to stick with veganism for just a month, those four weeks flew by. I easily adapted some of my favorite baking recipes using simple swaps, like that egg replacement powder (which I still use!) and dairy-free yogurt, and I found I enjoyed some of the seitan and vegan-friendly granola I bought from the supermarket just as much, if not even more, than the previous ones I had been eating.Greek yogurt was the only thing I occasionally missed… And that was mainly because of its high protein content and really thick consistency. (Back then, nobody made “Greek style” dairy-free yogurt!)
When I realized how easy and natural it was, I continued with vegan baking and cooking for almost two months…
Until we took a family vacation to France.
As a once-in-a-lifetime trip, it felt like a fitting end to my vegan challenge, and I ate the same fancy cheeses, quiches, and pastries my family picked out. Croissants, profiteroles, pains au chocolat, tartes, macarons… I didn’t want to look back on that vacation with any regrets!
However, since then, I’ve also realized that certain pastries are really easy to make eggless and dairy-free… Like these healthy vegan blueberry scones! They’re just as moist and tender on the inside as classic scones, even with zero butter, eggs, or heavy cream. You just need one bowl and 30 minutes to make them too!
QUICK OVERVIEW – HEALTHY VEGAN BLUEBERRY SCONES
Difficulty: Fairly easy, including for most beginner bakers.
Taste: Not too sweet, with a “bakery-style” richness, as well as bright pops of naturally sweet fruity flavor from the berries.
Texture: Moist and tender on the inside with plenty of soft, juicy berries; plus a hint of a crust on the bottom and outside.
KEY INGREDIENTS TO MAKE HEALTHY VEGAN BLUEBERRY SCONES
Let’s go over the key ingredients you’ll need to make these healthy vegan scones! Like I previously mentioned, these scones have no eggs, no dairy, and no traditional butter. I’m also assuming that you have pantry staples like baking powder and salt, so we’ll mainly cover the more interesting and important ingredients here!
Flour. I used white whole wheat flour to make these blueberry scones. I know… That sounds a little confusing – and maybe like an oxymoron! But such a thing does actually exist, and it’s not simply a combination of white (aka all-purpose) flour and regular whole wheat flour.
Here in the US, the majority of wheat that’s grown is hard red wheat. This is what’s used to make regular whole wheat flour. However, there’s another variety of wheat called “white wheat,” which is used to make white whole wheat flour (hence the name!). White wheat is lighter in appearance, taste, and texture compared to red wheat – and much closer to the taste and texture of all-purpose flour! – but it still has the same health benefits as regular whole wheat flour, like extra fiber and micronutrients.
Hint: It’s similar to the difference between red and green grapes! Different colors, slightly different flavors, but the same health benefits.
So in a nutshell? (Or… “Wheat berry” shell?) White whole wheat flour is the best of both worlds! Your vegan scones have more nutrients, and they also have a lovely moist and tender texture.
Tip: If you’d like to make your healthy vegan scones gluten free, then see the Notes section of the recipe. I’ve shared my top recommendations there!
Vegan butter. For the best vegan scones, use stick-style vegan butter. I really like Earth Balance, and I recently tried and enjoyed Country Crock’s plant butter too.
But why stick-style vegan butter?
When you put these scones in the oven, the vegan butter melts, which creates tender little pockets in the dough and that irresistible moist, soft, bakery-style texture. If the vegan butter softens or melts ahead of time, you lose out on those tender pockets, and it changes the scones’ texture.
Non-dairy butter already tends to be softer than traditional butter, even when it’s cold and straight from the refrigerator, and therefore more prone to melting during the mixing process. The spreadable, tub-style vegan butter is even softer, can sometimes have a higher water content, and is even more likely to melt while making the dough.
So… For the best moist and tender “bakery-style” texture, use stick-style vegan butter!
Tip: This is why I highly recommend against substituting coconut oil, if at all possible. Its melting point is around 76-78°F (or slightly above room temperature!), so it’s much more likely to melt well before you get your scones in the oven.
Unsweetened applesauce. In addition to vegan butter, this is the ingredient you’ll use to help make your scones beautifully moist instead of eggs or heavy cream – or Greek yogurt, if you’ve made any of my other healthy scone recipes before!
To make things as easy on you as possible, I designed this vegan scone recipe to use exactly one single-serving container of unsweetened applesauce. I almost always keep some of these in my pantry. They’re really handy for snacking and baking! (And… They make fantastic extra fudgy brownies too!)
Dairy free milk. Just about any non-dairy milk will work! I often use unsweetened vanilla almond milk because that’s the variety my family drinks the most. Unsweetened cashew milk is my other favorite; it’s so creamy and a little thick, almost like whole milk!
Tip: Regular dairy milks also work, so just use whatever you normally keep on hand. No need for a special trip to the grocery store!
Almond extract. Here it is… That special secret ingredient that gives these healthy vegan scones that rich “bakery-style” flavor!
Almond extract is my favorite baking extract. It adds a lovely sweetness to baked goods and makes them taste fancy and sophisticated, just like the ones that come from expensive bakeries! If you haven’t used it before, I highly recommend it. Almond extract is wonderful addition to cakes, cookies, fruit crisps, muffins, scones, even banana bread… And biscotti too, of course!
Tip: You can find almond extract on the baking aisle, right next to the vanilla extract!
Blueberries. It’s pretty hard to make healthy vegan blueberry scones without them! 😉 I prefer using fresh, whenever possible, since frozen ones often stain the dough a grayish color. In a pinch, frozen ones will still work though! Your scones may just take a little extra time to finish baking.
HOW TO MAKE THE BEST VEGAN BLUEBERRY SCONES
Now that you’ve assembled the ingredients, let’s talk about how to make the best vegan scones! This recipe is fairly easy and straightforward, but I still have some tips for you.
One bowl. That’s right! Just one bowl. I love how one-bowl recipes usually result in fewer dishes to wash. 😉
Cold ingredients. Unlike many recipes for cookies and cakes that call for room temperature ingredients, you actually want your ingredients to be cold when making scones! Straight from the refrigerator is perfectly fine. No need to freeze your vegan butter!
Like we covered earlier, you want the vegan butter to stay cold while making the dough so that it yields tender little pockets in your scones when you put them in the oven to bake. (See the “vegan butter” header above for more info!) If your other ingredients are also cold, like the milk, applesauce, and blueberries, that helps keep your dairy-free butter colder longer too.
Cut in the vegan butter. This is a shorthand way of saying “work in the butter until it resembles fine crumbs.” (Who knew one little word could convey so much? 😉 )
I love using a pastry cutter to do this. It makes the process much faster and easier! If you don’t have one, then use the back of a sturdy fork instead. It takes longer – but it still works just as well!
Keep going until the vegan butter is evenly worked in and the mixture looks like sand, with no big lumps remaining. It’ll take time and effort, so be patient!
Shape, brush, and slice. Once you’ve made the dough and folded in the blueberries, transfer it to your baking sheet, and shape it into a large circle. The dough is sticky, so don’t use your hands! I like to use these mini spatulas. They’re so useful (and really cute too!).
Next, you’ll brush the top and sides of that circle with milk. This seals moisture into the dough, which makes the insides of your scones soft and tender, and it also creates that hint of a crust on the outside.
Finally, cut that circle into 8 wedges – but do not separate them! Leave them touching. This also helps keep moisture inside, which yields the best texture in your healthy blueberry scones.
Bake. It’s time! Traditionally, scones are baked at a fairly high temperature, around 425°F, which helps create that classic crisp exterior texture. They’re done baking once the tops are golden and they feel firm to the touch.
Tip: Once they’ve cooled, the cuts you made to create those 8 wedges should act like perforations, and the scones should easily break apart!
FAQS ABOUT HEALTHY VEGAN BLUEBERRY SCONES
Are these vegan blueberry scones gluten free, dairy free, egg free, or clean eating?
Yes! These healthy vegan scones are dairy free, eggless, and clean eating with no “traditional” butter. I’ve also shared my top recommendations for making them gluten free in the Notes section of the recipe.
Can I substitute coconut oil for the vegan butter?
I don’t recommend it, if at all possible. This is because coconut oil has a much lower melting point, which affects the texture of your scones. (See the “vegan butter” header above for more information!)
Can I substitute sweetened applesauce?
Yes! That will work just fine in place of the unsweetened applesauce.
I can’t find applesauce. What can I substitute?
To keep these scones dairy free and vegan, you can substitute non-dairy yogurt and a bit of dairy free milk. See the Notes section of the recipe for details!
Can I use frozen blueberries?
Yes! Just remember that they’ll stain the dough a gray-ish color, and your scones may take a bit more time to bake.
How should I store these vegan blueberry scones? And how long do they keep?
Store any leftover scones in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They’ll keep for at least four days, if not longer. These healthy vegan scones freeze really well too!
If you’ve refrigerated them, I highly recommend reheating them prior to eating. Doing so gives them a more moist and tender texture, almost as if they were freshly baked! I typically pop individual scones into the microwave and reheat them on 30% power. Quick, easy, and delicious!
Ready to bake? And when you make your own, remember to snap a picture and share it on Instagram using #amyshealthybaking and tagging @amyshealthybaking IN the photo itself! (That guarantees I’ll see your picture! 🙂 ) I’d love to see your healthy vegan blueberry scones!
Healthy Vegan Blueberry Scones
These classic blueberry scones taste like ones you’d find in a bakery! They’re soft, moist, and tender on the inside with a hint of a crisp crust. Juicy blueberries fill every bite, and almond extract gives these healthy homemade scones that classic rich “bakery-style” flavor. They’re great for weekend brunches – or even a midweek breakfast treat! Leftovers will keep for at least four days (if not longer!) if stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. I highly recommend reheating leftovers before eating; it makes them soft and moist again, almost as if they were freshly baked!
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups (180g) white whole wheat flour or gluten-free* flour (measured like this)
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2 tbsp (28g) stick-style vegan butter, cold and cubed (see Notes!)
- 1 (111g) single-serving container unsweetened applesauce (the equivalent of 7 tbsp + ½ tsp – see Notes!)
- 3 tbsp (45mL) pure maple syrup
- 1 tbsp + 2 tsp (25mL) unsweetened vanilla almond milk, divided
- 2 tsp almond extract
- ½ cup (70g) fresh blueberries (see Notes!)
Instructions
-
Preheat the oven to 425°F, and line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
-
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Cut in the vegan butter with a pastry cutter (highly recommended!) or the back of a fork until the mixture resembles fine crumbs. Make a well in the center. Pour in the applesauce, maple syrup, 1 tablespoon of milk, and almond extract. Stir them together, then gradually stir in the surrounding flour mixture until just incorporated. Gently fold in the blueberries.
- Using a spatula, shape the dough into a ¾” tall circle on the prepared baking sheet, and brush with the remaining milk. Slice the circle into 8 triangular segments with a sharp knife (but don’t separate them!). Bake at 425°F for 22-26 minutes, or until the tops are deep golden and the center feels firm to the touch. Cool on the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
IMPORTANT BAKING NOTE – READ BEFORE BEGINNING: Do not separate the 8 dough wedges before baking in Step 3. Instead, leave them touching on the baking sheet! This helps make the insides really moist, soft, and fluffy.
FLOUR ALTERNATIVES: Whole wheat pastry flour, regular whole wheat flour, or all-purpose flour may be substituted for the white whole wheat flour.
IMPORTANT VEGAN BUTTER NOTES + ALTERNATIVE: I really like Earth Balance and Country Crock’s plant butter. (I’ve used Country Crock’s olive oil plant butter to make these scones, and that worked really well!)
It’s very important that your vegan butter is cold, straight from the fridge. (Freezing it isn’t necessary for this recipe!) With very cold vegan butter, it won’t soften or melt until you put the scones in the extremely hot oven, and it will create little air pockets and a very tender crumb when it melts.
For this reason, I do not recommend substituting tub-style spreadable vegan butter. (It’s already soft and more likely to melt!) I also do not recommend substituting coconut oil. It melts at a much lower temperature, which affects the texture of your scones. (See the “vegan butter” header in my blog post above for more information!) If you do decide to substitute spreadable vegan butter or coconut oil, just keep this in mind!
If you aren’t concerned about keeping these scones dairy free, then substitute regular stick-style unsalted butter in place of the vegan butter.
UNSWEETENED APPLESAUCE NOTES + ALTERNATIVES: I specifically designed this recipe to use one single-serving sized container of applesauce (which is why the tablespoon amount is kind of strange!) to make things as easy as possible.
If you can’t find unsweetened applesauce, then sweetened applesauce will also work.
If you can’t find any type of applesauce, then substitute ½ cup of non-dairy yogurt (such as soy-based, almond-based, oat-based, etc) or Greek yogurt (if you aren’t concerned about making them dairy free!) PLUS 2 tablespoons of milk (any type!) in place of the unsweetened applesauce.
PURE MAPLE SYRUP ALTERNATIVES: Honey or agave may be substituted for the pure maple syrup.
I do not recommend substituting sugar free maple syrup. Those products are often water-based, which affects the scones’ texture. The scones usually turn out denser and collapse some while cooling.
MILK ALTERNATIVES: Any milk may be substituted for the unsweetened vanilla almond milk milk.
ALMOND EXTRACT NOTE: Almond extract is my favorite baking extract! It gives these homemade scones that rich “bakery-style” flavor. However, if you’re not a fan, you can substitute vanilla extract instead.
BLUEBERRIES NOTE: I prefer fresh, whenever possible! Frozen blueberries will work in a pinch. Just remember that they’ll likely stain the dough a gray-ish color, and your scones may take a little extra time to bake.
FOR SWEETER SCONES: As written, these scones aren’t overly sweet. If you prefer sweeter scones, substitute an additional 1 tablespoon of pure maple syrup for the 1 tablespoon of milk in the dough. (In other words, use 4 tablespoons of pure maple syrup, and omit the milk in the dough. You’ll still need those final 2 teaspoons of milk for brushing the dough though!)
DAIRY FREE, EGG FREE + VEGAN OPTION: No modifications necessary!
GLUTEN FREE OPTION: For the gluten-free flour, I recommend the following: 1 cup (120g) millet flour, ¼ cup (30g) tapioca flour, ¼ cup (30g) brown rice flour, and 1 teaspoon xanthan gum. Most store-bought gluten-free flour blends (I like this one from Bob’s Red Mill) will work as well, if they’re measured like this.
HOW TO STORE: Store your scones in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They’ll keep for at least four or five days, if not longer.
I highly recommend reheating leftover scones in the microwave before eating. It really improves their texture and makes them soft and fluffy again! I heat them on 30% power until they’re warmed all the way through.
These scones also freeze really well!
gluten free, dairy free, egg free, vegan, clean eating, low fat
View Nutrition Information + Weight Watchers Points
You may also like Amy’s other recipes…
♡ Healthy Extra Fudgy Vegan Brownies
♡ Healthy Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies
♡ Healthy Vegan Banana Muffins
♡ Healthy Vegan Almond Butter Cookies
♡ Healthy Vegan Cinnamon Rolls
♡ Healthy Vegan Peanut Butter Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies
♡ …and the rest of Amy’s healthy scone recipes and healthy vegan-friendly recipes!
