Before this recipe I didn’t even know it was possible to have paleo scones that tasted this good! Holy moly guys. They are something really special, and I’m so so excited to share the goodness of these paleo maple pecan scones with you!
Back a few years ago before I gave up gluten, a maple pecan scone bakery shop score was life to me. They represent all the best things about a coffee date treat –> Tender, a little flaky, slightly crisp on the edges and brimming with nutty pecan maple flavor. YAAAS. Tell me you feel the same
But what if I told you that you could have BOTH?! Yep.I think I’ve cracked the code.
Specifically these deeee-licious paleo maple pecan scones. Because after 3 (maybe 4?) batches they are so ready for your grain free coffee dates + holiday gatherings.
I am all about not wasting time when it comes to making home baked goods. If the recipe is not good, whyyy even bother? You’re just going to end up feeling disappointed. And be left with a big ol’ case of the wah wahs. Basically, my standard super is high. I test my baked good recipes more times than my other recipes, because I appreciate you all taking the time to make my creations, and I want the results to be amazing for you!
And when they turn out right… it’s literally one of the best feelings in the world.
A feeling that is double awesome because not only did you nail making paleo maple pecan scones, but you also now get to enjoy them with your family for breakfast, a mid day pick me up, or just whenever your day needs a treat inserted into the hustle.
Yay for treats!
There are a few important steps to getting this recipe just right, but don’t you worry, I’ve got your back the whole way through – from start to finish (exactly the reason I made these four times! All for you). Here we go.
here’s a few tips for making perfect paleo maple pecan scones
(Say that three times fast 😉)
- Tapioca flour is your friend! It’s the ingredient that is most responsible for turning my paleo baked goods into something that I am actually excited to eat. It adds a certain amount of structure by holding things together (what gluten usually does) and also produces a nice crisp edge that everyone loves. Also, with a sticky dough like this, you can use it the same way you would use flour on your countertop / hands / the dough itself to keep it manageable. Such a win!
- Chill your wet ingredients before adding in the melted ghee/coconut oil. This will create little pockets of fat that melt once you bake the scones, giving you a tender, moist crumb.
- After dough is mixed and formed into a disc, chill it again! You will be able to cut it into triangles much more easily, and it will spread less when it bakes, giving your scones a more structured look.
- Brush the tops of scones with almond milk before baking for a lovely golden + crisp finish. This is a profesh touch that will take your scones from good to great.
- For extra maple flavor goodness, add a little bit of maple flavoring to the dough. Frontier Co-op makes a great one that you can find here –> Frontier Co-op Maple Flavor.
- MAPLE BUTTER GLAZE. Made with just maple butter. This ingredient took a little tracking down, but it was so worth it. It’s also sometimes called maple cream, and is basically just maple syrup that has been heated to a certain temperature, cooled and then whipped until creamy. You can also make it yourself, but it requires some serious elbow grease. This is all I used for the glaze on my scones. You simple heat it up a little bit until it’s drizzle-able, spoon it over the scones and it will set in a matter of seconds. BOOM.
And that’s a wrap! Happy baking season, friends! I hope you enjoy these paleo maple pecan scones as much as we have – morning, noon, and night. XO
equipment used for this recipe
Calphalon Nonstick Bakeware, Baking Sheet, 2-Piece Set
Paleo Maple Pecan Scones {paleo + gluten free}
- Total Time: 37 minutes
- Yield: 6 scones 1x
Description
These paleo maple pecan scones are the perfect gluten free swap for a bakery shop classic! Brimming with nutty maple flavor & naturally sweetened.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups fine blanched almond flour
- 1/2 cup tapioca flour + extra for flouring your work surface
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans
- 1/4 cup coconut sugar
- 1 egg
- 3 tablespoons almond milk + 2 more tablespoons to brush over the top of scones before baking
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon maple flavoring (optional)
- 1/4 cup ghee or coconut oil, melted
- Maple butter for the glaze or you can sub another glaze recipe
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- In a small bowl whisk together egg, 3 tablespoons almond milk, vanilla extract, maple extract (if using) and teaspoon of lemon juice. Place in the freezer – you’ll want it in there for about 10 minutes.
- Heat ghee in the microwave or over the stove top until completely melted. Set aside to cool a little bit while you prepare the dry ingredients.
- In a large bowl whisk together almond flour, tapioca flour, coconut sugar, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and chopped pecans until combined.
- After egg and almond milk mixture has chilled for 10 minutes, stir in the melted ghee and mix with a fork until little balls of ghee have formed and hardened. Break apart with fork if it gets too clumpy.
- Pour ghee mixture into the bowl with dry ingredients and mix together with a spatula until combined. The dough will be thick but still fairly sticky.
- Generously sprinkle tapioca flour on your work surface and dump dough out on top of tapioca. Sprinkle the top of the dough generously with tapioca flour, flip it, and sprinkle the other side with tapioca flour as well so you can handle it without it being too sticky. Pat dough, and form into a 6 inch disc. If at any point in time the mixture is too sticky sprinkle with a little more tapioca flour.
- Transfer disc of dough onto a plate and move to the freezer to chill for 15 minutes so you can cut it more easily, and so that it holds it’s shape better while baking.
- Once dough has chilled, cut into 6 equal triangle shaped pieces and carefully move each one to a parchment lined baking sheet, several inches apart from each other.
- Lightly brush the tops and sides with remaining 2 tablespoons of almond milk (for and extra golden and crisp crust!)
- Bake for about 22 minutes, until edges are browned and tops are nice and crackly.
- Let scones cool on the baking tray for about 10 minutes before transferring and glazing.
- Melt maple butter until smooth and drizzle-able – 10 seconds in the microwave should be about right. If you melt it too much and it’s very thin, let it sit on the counter to cool a little until it has thickened a bit. You may have to re-melt throughout the glazing process if it starts to thicken up.
- Drizzle over the top of scones and top with some crushed pecans if desired.
Notes
- Scones will keep on the counter top for about 3 days, or in the refrigerator for up to a week.
- Maple butter literally makes the easiest yummiest glaze, but I understand everyone won’t be able to get there hands on some. Check your natural and specialty food stores or find some online if you want to try it out. Otherwise, there’s lots of other glaze recipes out there that you can substitute, although many do use powdered sugar. If you come up with an alternative I would love to hear what you created in the comments!
- If you don’t want to be troubled with cutting the scones, you can also bake the disc of dough whole and then cut it after it has baked! To do this chill the dough the same way you would if you were cutting it, and increase the baking time to 30-35 minutes.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 22 minutes
Dana says
Hello! Do you have a suggestion for what I could substitute the tapioca with? Thank you so much!
Nyssa Tanner says
Hi Dana! You could try substituting the tapioca flour with cassava flour, though the starch levels are slightly different and I haven’t tested this swap. Let me know if you give it a try, and happy baking 🙂 – Nyssa
Michelle R says
I made these this morning because I’ve never had a scone before and these looked so delicious and they were even with my mistake. I forgot the baking soda but they still were crumbly and delicious especially with the maple butter drizzle
And for anyone else wondering a flax egg will work for these. I’ve never had a “real” scone to compare but these were too delicious ♡
Nyssa Tanner says
I’m so glad to hear they turned out well for you even without the baking soda! Love the feedback that they work with a flax egg as well. Thank you for your thoughtful comment! – Nyssa
Gail says
I just made these. Delicious! I didn’t have any tapioca flour so I used cassava. Think they still worked out well. This was my first time making paleo scones—a game changer! Thank you!
Nyssa Tanner says
Yes! Amazing! So good to know that this recipe works well with cassava flour. Love that they’re interchangeable here. Thank you so much for your helpful comment and I’m so glad to hear that you loved them! xo, Nyssa
Carol says
OMG! These scones were amazingly great! The last maple scones I made were from Ina Garten and involved a food processor and 4 sticks of butter. Yikes! These were so simple to make and really delicious. I used maple sugar instead of coconut sugar, which seemed like a natural swap. This recipe is a keeper. Thanks!
Nyssa Tanner says
Yes! I’m so happy you loved them! They’re a favorite of ours as well. Maple sugar sounds like a fabulous swap! I’ll have to give that a try the next time I make them 🙂
Haley says
These are great! So glad they’re paleo.. what a treat.
Nyssa Tanner says
Yes!! So happy you loved them 🙂
Susie Anderson says
When I gave up gluten, I thought I would never be able to enjoy the taste and texture of an amazing scone… Until I found these! These are by far the best Paleo scones I’ve ever come across!! I’ve made them over and over again, doubling the recipe to share with others My son, who is not a fan of gluten free baking said these were fantastic and asked for more!
Nyssa Tanner says
Ohh I’m so happy that you and your family love these scones 🙂 They are a favorite at our house as well. Thank you for sharing your review + happy baking!
Jackie says
Is there a way to sub out the egg for vegans?
Nyssa Tanner says
Hi Jackie! Unfortunately I haven’t tested the recipe with any vegan egg substitutes. This post from My Darling Vegan is a good resource for replacing eggs in baked goods – I might try the fruit puree + baking soda option, or possibly a flax or chia egg! If you give it a whirl I would love to know how they turn out for you.
valerie says
So delicious!! i may have overcooked but it still taste great and easy to make!! I made a paleo maple glaze and so delicious with the scone!
Nyssa Tanner says
I’m so glad you’re enjoying them! And that they’re still yummy even with a little extra time in the oven 🙂 Thanks for the comment and for trying out the recipe!
Joy says
Hi!
Can I use another type of flour instead of tapioca?
Thank you!
Nyssa Tanner says
Hi Joy! I have not tested the recipe with an alternative flour besides tapioca, but I know that arrowroot starch can often be used interchangeably with tapioca. Let me know if you give it a shot!
Marilyn says
These were delicious. I used another recipe for the glaze because I couldn’t find the one you mentioned. I’m trying to avoid chocolate right now, and these were so good and a lovely alternative. Thank you for all the work you do testing recipes and sharing with us.
Nyssa Tanner says
Yes! This comment made my DAY ☺️ So happy that you loved the recipe. It definitely satisfies a sweet tooth craving – chocolate or no!
Marilyn says
I’m confused… the recipe calls for 3 T almond milk, plus 2 T for brushing on the tops.
The instructions say whisk the egg, 1/4 c. almond milk… Not sure which is the correct amount ??
Thanks for clearing this up for me… I read all the comments and no one else mentioned this ??
Nyssa Tanner says
Hi Marilyn,
My apologies about the discrepancy in the recipe. It’s supposed to be 3 tablespoons! I have corrected it. Thanks for pointing it out! Happy baking! 🙂
Nyssa
Rachael says
Just made them. Delicious! I’d definitely recommend these to anyone— paleo, gluten free, or not! I subbed maple sugar (not to be confused with syrup) for the coconut sugar, and had to add quite a bit more flour than it called for because it was such a wet dough.
Nyssa Tanner says
Yay!! So happy you loved them 😉 and thx for sharing the mods you made! They are one of my favorite baked goods I’ve ever made!
Katrina says
First time reading your blog and made these scones today, they were absolutely fantastic! That’s coming from someone who went to pastry school 🙂
Nyssa Tanner says
Oh my gosh.. what an amazing compliment! You just made my day! ☺️ I’m so glad you loved them and THANK YOU for reading!!
Donna in Inwood says
For the glaze, I plan to try a recipe I see several places, using coconut butter and maple syrup. The proportions seem to be: 1/2 c of coconut butter, 1/4 c of maple syrup, 1 teaspoon of vanilla.
And for maple extract, in the past i have substituted rum. Works fine. The proportion is about 1 tablespoon of run for 1 teaspoon of maple extract. Cheers!
Nyssa Tanner says
That sounds great, Donna!! Hope you love them.
Christina says
These were fantastic. I used the exact recipe only substituting red palm oil for the coconut/ghee. (I find red palm oil lends a butterish flavor to other things I cook.) But I digress, the texture of these scones are AMAZING! And not too sweet. I did opt for some maple flavor. I have been baking quick breads with flour alternatives for a while trying to find the best technique and surely the freezer-chill-blend-oil thing is the thing to do. I also chilled the shaped scones on their baking sheet before baking. Raised just like butter! Cheers
Nyssa Tanner says
Christina! I have no idea how this great comment slipped past me. So sorry for the delayed response! I loved hearing about your success! These scones have a soft spot in my heart (after 6 rounds of testing a recipe, you’re kind of forced into loving it! ☺️) and I’m so happy you found them. Thank you for the great comment! Cheers!
Cathleen @ A Taste of Madness says
Maple pecan is seriously one of my favourite combos! This looks so good!!
Nyssa Tanner says
Me too! Forever and ever ❤️
cakespy says
Well, these look simply perfect. Never would have known they were paleo til I read the recipe! Gorgeous and delicious sounding.
Nyssa Tanner says
I know right?! I think that’s the best part! I love it when something doesn’t taste (or look) like a compromise thanks for the love! ❤️
Neta says
AMAZING!!!!!
Nyssa Tanner says
Haha glad you think so!