Gingerbread Scones (No Eggs, No Refined Sugar)

These Gingerbread Scones are easy, flakey scones packed with gingerbread spice flavors and perfect for your Christmas breakfast. They are made without eggs or dairy and made with simple pantry ingredients.

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I love baking scones and my kids love eating them, in particular my recent Orange Scones, Almond Flour Scones, or Lemonade Scones. But with Christmas approaching fast, I though of only one thing. Making scones taste like gingerbread.

This recipe is an amazing combination of my Easy Gingerbread Cookies with all the textures and flavors of classic scones. It’s a great Christmas morning breakfast to share with the whole family!

Ingredients and Substitutions

The secret of these scones is in the combination of spices and the molasses.

• All-Purpose Flour – Flour forms the base of the scones, providing structure and a tender crumb. You can also use a mix of white spelt flour and whole wheat flour for a slightly nuttier flavor. I don’t recommend gluten-free flours, as they will make the scones dense. Avoid whole wheat flour alone unless combined with all-purpose for balance.
• Coconut Sugar – Coconut sugar adds natural sweetness with a mild caramel flavor, perfect for anything gingerbread. You can also use soft brown sugar, muscovado sugar, or demerara sugar. Avoid white sugar, as it’s too neutral in taste and less moist.
• Baking Powder – To make the scones lighter and fluffy.
• Vanilla Extract – To boost the flavors of the gingerbread spices.
• Ground Ginger – This is essential for the classic gingerbread flavors.
• Cinnamon – Cinnamon goes really well with the ginger.
• Allspice – This adds hints of nutmeg, cloves, and cinnamon.
• Cold Dairy-Free Butter – Dairy-free butter creates the flaky, tender texture characteristic of scones. You can also use margarine or solid coconut oil, though the texture will vary slightly. Avoid liquid oils, as they won’t make flaky scones.
• Molasses – They add a deep, slightly bitter sweetness that is essential for gingerbread flavor. You can also use agave syrup or maple syrup for a lighter taste, though in won’t have the same classic taste.
• Almond Milk – This plant-based milk makes the dough moist while keeping it light. You can also use oat milk, soy milk, or any unsweetened non-dairy milk. Avoid flavored or sweetened versions, as they may alter the flavor.

How to Make Gingerbread Scones

These scones are quite easy to make. Here’s how in pictures.

Combine the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.

Incorporate the dairy-free butter with a spatula.

Pour the liquid ingredients on top of the batter.

Stir with a silicone spatula until the batter forms a rough dough.

Form a dough ball and refrigerate it for 15 minutes.

Take it out of the fridge and turn it into a large disc of dough.

Cut 8 portions all of the same size and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Brush the scones with almond milk and bake them for 20-30 minutes at 400 °F (200 °C).

Carine’s Baking Tips

This recipe is quite easy, but here are my top tips to make it perfect every single time!

1. Use Cold Butter for Flakiness: Keep the vegan butter cold and handle it as little as possible to maintain a flaky texture. Use a pastry cutter or your fingers to create pea-sized crumbles. Softened butter will result in a more bread-like texture.
2. Chill the Dough: Refrigerate the dough for at least 15 minutes before cutting and baking. This helps solidify the butter, which leads to flakier scones.
3. Don’t Overwork the Dough: Mix until just combined. Overmixing can activate the gluten in the flour, making the scones dense and tough.
4. Adjust Dough Consistency: The dough should be sticky but manageable. If too sticky, sprinkle a little flour on top. If too dry, add a tablespoon of almond milk at a time until it comes together.
5. Shape Evenly for Consistent Baking: Press the dough into an 8-inch disc and cut evenly into wedges. Uneven sizes will bake at different rates.
6. Use a Sharp Knife or Bench Scraper: When cutting the scones, use a sharp tool to avoid compressing the dough and ruining the flaky layers.
7. Brush with Milk for a Golden Finish: Brushing the tops of the scones with almond milk before baking enhances browning and creates a slightly shiny finish.
8. Bake at High Heat: A 400 °F (200 °C) oven ensures the scones rise quickly, creating a light and airy interior. Avoid opening the oven during baking, as it can cause them to collapse.
9. Cool on a Rack Before Glazing: Let the scones cool completely before applying the glaze to prevent it from melting and becoming runny.
10. Double the Recipe for Meal Prep: Scones freeze well. Wrap individually and store in an airtight container. Reheat in the oven or microwave for a fresh-baked texture.

Troubleshooting

In case you had issues while making the recipe, here are a few tips that can help fix it!

• Why are my scones not flaky? This can happen if the butter melted into the dough before baking. Ensure the butter is cold, and chill the dough before cutting and baking.
• Why are my scones dry? Dry scones result from too much flour or overbaking. Measure flour properly by fluffing it, spooning it into the measuring cup, and leveling it off. Monitor baking time carefully, as ovens can vary.
• Why didn’t my scones rise? Check that your baking powder is fresh. Also, avoid overmixing the dough, which can reduce its ability to rise.

More Scone Recipes

Orange Scones

Pumpkin Scones

Almond Flour Scones

Banana Scones

Gingerbread Scones

These Gingerbread Scones are easy, flakey scones packed with gingerbread spice flavors and perfect for your Christmas breakfast. They are made without eggs or dairy and made with simple pantry ingredients.

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Prep Time: 15 minutes mins

Cook Time: 30 minutes mins

Refrigerate: 15 minutes mins

Total Time: 1 hour hr

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: American

Servings: 8 large scones

Calories: 219.6 kcal

Author: Carine Claudepierre

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Ingredients

US Customary – Metric

• ▢ 2 cups All-Purpose Flour - (note 1)
• ▢ ⅓ cup Coconut Sugar - (note 2)
• ▢ 1 tablespoon Baking Powder
• ▢ 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• ▢ 2 teaspoon Ginger
• ▢ 1 tablespoon Cinnamon
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon Allspice - (note 3)
• ▢ ½ teaspoon Salt
• ▢ 6 tablespoons Cold Vegan Butter (Unsalted) - (note 4)
• ▢ 2 tablespoons Molasses - (note 5)
• ▢ ½ cup Almond Milk - (note 6)

Optional glazing

• ▢ ½ cup Powdered Sugar - (note 7)
• ▢ 1 tablespoon Almond Milk
• ▢ ½ teaspoon Vanilla Extract

Instructions

• In a large mixing bowl, whisk flour, salt, coconut sugar, baking powder, ginger, cinnamon, and allspice.
• Pour the plant-based butter and use a pastry cutter or your fingers to rub the cold butter into the flour mixture until it forms pea-sized crumbles.
• Drizzle the almond milk, molasses, and vanilla extract over the mixture. Stir with a rubber spatula until a rough dough forms.
• The dough will be sticky. If it's too sticky, add a little more flour on top. If it seems too dry, add 1-2 more tablespoons of milk.
• Form a dough ball and chill for 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400 °F (200 °C). Line a large baking sheet with lightly oiled parchment paper. Set aside.
• Remove the dough from the fridge and place it onto a lightly floured work surface. Sprinkle a little flour on top of the dough, press into an 8-inch disc, and using a sharp knife, cut into 8 wedges.
• Separate each scone and place them 2-3 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet.
• Brush the top of the scones with 1-2 tablespoons of milk.
• Bake the scones for 20-30 minutes at 400 °F (200 °C) until golden brown and the edges and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
• Remove from the oven and cool for a few minutes on the baking sheet before transferring to the cooling rack to fully cool down at room temperature.

Decorate

• In a small mixing bowl, stir powdered sugar, almond milk, and vanilla extract.
• Drizzle on top of the cooled scones.

Notes

Note 1: We didn’t try all-purpose gluten-free flour and we don’t recommend this option as we think it will be too dense.

Note 2: Soft brown sugar, demerara sugar, or muscovado sugar works as well.

Note 3: You can also use nutmeg or more cinnamon.

Note 4: Margarine works as well, or regular cold butter if you use dairy in your kitchen.

Note 5: You can also use agave syrup or maple syrup.

Note 6: or any milk you like.

Note 7: Low-sugar options are powdered allulose or powdered erythritol.

Storage: You can store the scones in a sealed box in the fridge for up to 4 days.

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Nutrition

Serving: 1scone | Calories: 219.6kcal | Carbohydrates: 42.7g | Protein: 3.4g | Fat: 7.3g | Saturated Fat: 1.8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2.9g | Trans Fat: 0.04g | Sodium: 410.7mg | Potassium: 117.9mg | Fiber: 1.5g | Sugar: 8.3g | Vitamin A: 404.3IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 134.8mg | Iron: 1.9mg | Magnesium: 20.4mg | Phosphorus: 69.5mg | Zinc: 0.3mg