Oat Flour Scones (Gluten Free)

Similar to my recipe for oat flour muffins and oat flour blueberry muffins, this gluten free oat flour recipe creates a reliable gluten-free scone that you can adjust and adapt to suit anything your heart desires. No bland or dry scones here; instead, whole grain oat flour and heavy cream, plus plenty of butter, form a gorgeously tender scone without a lot of effort.

I adapted this recipe from King Arthur Flour, and it's a winner. Scroll down to see add-in ideas, scone-baking best practices, and more. And don't forget to check my oat flour recipes for more recipes featuring oat flour.

Why You'll Love Oat Flour Scones

If you've been missing scones since you went gluten-free, you will be so happy you found this oat flour scone recipe! Sure, you could use a commercial or homemade gluten free flour blend to adapt your favorite recipe to be gluten-free, but these taste soooo much better. I promise that these scones bake up beautifully moist and tender every time, so similar to a "regular" scone. I hope you love these as much as I do. Some high points include:

• So easy to customize - Use this oat flour scone recipe as your base and make any type of sweet or savory scone you love. Some of my favorite combinations include dried cherry and chocolate, lemon, almond and blueberry, and fresh peach!
• No crumbly or dry scones. One of the reasons I prefer not to use store-bought gluten-free flour mixes is that they can bake up into dry or gritty baked goods. This is particularly noticeable in scones, which by their nature are a bit on the dry side anyway. When you use oat flour and properly hydrate your dough, you will have the light and tender scones you crave!
• Simple ingredients. Take a look at the ingredients list below and you'll note that you won't need anything fancy, complicated, or expensive to make these scones. That's always a win in my book.

Ingredient Notes

This short ingredients list will have you baking scones in no time! You can find the full ingredient amounts and detailed instructions in the recipe card lower down.

• Oat flour - Naturally gluten free oat flour is the only flour you'll need for these scones. If you can't eat oats, try sorghum flour or brown rice flour.
• Granulated sugar - See my notes below on how much sugar to use. You can also sprinkle sugar over the tops of the scones before baking.
• Salt - A pinch of fine sea salt balances the sweetness of the scones.
• Baking powder - Make sure to check the expiration date on your carton of baking powder! If it's old, the scones won't rise well.
• Unsalted butter - Always use unsalted butter in baking recipes unless otherwise specified so that your finished product is not too salty.
• Eggs - I used large eggs in this recipe.
• Heavy cream - I love using heavy cream in gluten free scones because it gives that extra richness and moisture needed in gluten free baking. However, I have also made this recipe using whole milk, and the scones also turn out very well.
• Add-ins - See my ideas below for add-ins and flavors!

Gluten Free Scones Tips

These simple tips are applicable to any kind of scone you bake, with a few extra specific just to gluten free scones. I hope they help you when you make this recipe!

• Rest and chill the dough: For the best texture and highest rise, place the pan of scones in the freezer for 30 minutes. Like with all gluten free baking recipes, resting the batter is important so that the flour can hydrate. Placing the scones in the freezer before baking them also chills the fat, helping the scones to be flakier once baked.
• How to tell they're done: When you separate the scones they should look baked all the way through with no wet edges.
• Make them refined sugar-free: Use coconut sugar or maple sugar for the granulated sugar.
• Add brown sugar: Or, use light or dark brown sugar in place of the granulated sugar for a richer taste.
• Make them sweeter: One more note about sugar - these are lightly sweet scones. If you like your scones less sweet, use less sugar. Or, if you like them sweeter, feel free to add a bit more.
• Make them dairy-free: Swap very cold coconut oil or your favorite non-dairy butter for the butter. Switch the whole milk for non-dairy milk.
• Freeze: To make scones ahead of time and save them until you wish to bake them, place the scones after they've rested in the freezer in a zip-top plastic bag, then store them in the freezer for up to 1 month. You can bake them directly from the freezer, but you may need a couple of extra minutes of baking time.

Add In Ideas

You can add in anything you like to oat flour scones - I added cherries and dried ginger to the batch used in these photographs - from nuts to spices to fruit and more. Some ideas include:

• Chocolate - I recommend using finely chopped chocolate or mini chocolate chips in scones so that you don't end up with big clunky chunks of chocolate. Try semisweet, milk chocolate, or white chocolate!
• Dried fruit - Allll the dried fruits are great in oat flour scones. I especially love dried cherries and blueberries.
• Citrus zest - The zest of a lemon, lime, or orange is a wonderful way to add easy flavor to a batch of scones.
• Fresh fruit - Any fresh fruit you like is perfect in scones! Remember that if you use a more delicate fruit, such as raspberries, you'll want to very gently fold them in. A sturdier fruit, like chopped apples or pears, will hold up a bit better to kneading.
• Spices - Fresh ginger, dried ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, cloves - all are lovely in oat flour scones.
• Vanilla - Add 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract to the wet ingredients, or add ½ teaspoon of almond extract.
• Maple syrup - Add maple syrup instead of the sugar to the dough to make maple-flavored scones, or brush 1-2 tablespoons of maple syrup over the tops of the scones before baking.
• Nuts - Ooh, I love crunchy nuts in scones! Chopped walnuts are my favorites, but sliced almonds are also nice, as well as shelled pistachios and pecans.

Serving Suggestions

Scones are, in my opinion, the absolute best when served warm. I love to split them in half and spread a little bit of softened salted or unsalted butter over each. Jam is also lovely, and a little whipped cream can make scones into more of a dessert.

Proper Storage

Scones keep well, and they're great to freeze after baking to save for another time. Here's how to do it:

• Counter - Wrap cooled scones in plastic or place them in an airtight container and store on the counter at room temperature for up to several days.
• Freezer - Place the baked scones in a freezer-safe, sealable bag and store them in the freezer for up to 3 months. You can reheat them from frozen, which will take longer, or thaw them in the fridge before reheating.
• To Reheat - Place the scones on a baking sheet, tent lightly with foil, and warm in a preheated 350°F oven for about 10 minutes.