Easy British Scones Recipe (vegan)

Easy British Scones 🌳 A quick and easy recipe for making the best vegan scones. With just a few basic dairy-free and eggless ingredients, you'll have a batch of warm and fluffy scones ready to eat in about 20 minutes!

There is just something about the timeless charm of classic British scones that makes them so appealing. Enjoyed for their soft, tender texture and subtly sweet flavor, scones are a beloved staple for traditional afternoon teas. They also make a delicious addition to any vegan breakfast and brunch menu, along with other plant-based baked goods like blueberry muffins and shortbread.

This simply scrumptious scone recipe was shared with me by my wonderful friend, the distinguished British cookbook author, Pamela Brown. As a vegetarian for more than 75 years, Pamela used her culinary talents and voice to influence the way we think about our food choices, helping both people and animals in the process. This scone recipe is a perfect example of how easy it is to enjoy delicious food without causing harm to animals. Thank you Pamela!

Why you will love this recipe

• Just a few basic ingredients
• Eggless and dairy-free
• Ready to eat in about 20 minutes!
• So yummy!
• Who doesn't love scones?

🌳 Ingredients

See the printable recipe card below for quantities and details.

Self-Rising Flour - Scones are typically made with self-rising (or self-raising) flour which has baking powder added as a leavening agent. If you don't have self-rising flour, you can use 2 cups all-purpose flour with 1 tablespoon baking powder and ½ teaspoon salt added.

Sugar - I use vegan granulated sugar. You can substitute with any similar texture sugar or sweetener you prefer.

Vegan Butter - Use your choice of non-dairy butter.

Non-dairy Milk -Almond milk, oat milk, soy milk, cashew milk, or rice milk.

Maple Syrup - May be substituted with agave nectar or vegan honey.

Salt - just a pinch is all you need (about ⅛ teaspoon).

🌳 Instructions

Preheat oven to 425℉/220℃

1. Pour flour, sugar, and salt into a mixing bowl.

2. Stir the dry ingredients together to completely combine.

Unlike traditional British scone recipes that specify using cold butter, with this recipe, we will melt the vegan butter in hot water and then stir it into cold milk before adding it to the dough. So easy!

3. Heat water until steaming hot. Add butter and stir to melt.

4. Pour milk into a measuring cup.

5. Add melted butter/water to the milk and stir well.

6. Pour wet mixture into the dry ingredients, adding a small amount at a time while stirring until just combined. Don't over-stir.

7. Dough should be thick and soft, but not wet.

8. Dust a cutting board or clean work surface with flour. Form the dough into a large ball. Turn it over (add a little extra flour to keep the dough from sticking to the board if needed).

9. Lightly flatten the dough to about 1 inch thick, using a rolling pin or pressing with your hands.

10. Begin cutting out scones using a 2"-3" round biscuit or cookie cutter (I used a 2-½" biscuit cutter). Dip the edge of the cutter into flour before using. It helps keep the dough from sticking.

11. Place scones onto a parchment lined baking sheet.

12. Lightly brush the tops of the scones with a wash made of 2 tablespoons of non-dairy milk and 1 tablespoon of maple syrup.

13. Bake in a preheated 425℉/220℃ oven for 12 minutes or until scones are lightly golden brown. Allow to cool for a few minutes and enjoy!

🌳 Serving Tips

Scones are delicious with fresh berries and spreads such as my strawberry compote sauce, vegan honey, vegan cream cheese, vegan lemon curd, non-dairy butter, coconut whipped cream, or this easy vegan version of traditional British clotted cream. Enjoy with a cup of tea for a classic British treat!

🌳 How to Make Vegan British Clotted Cream

Here is a simple recipe for making your own vegan clotted cream!

• 6 tablespoons canned coconut cream (or full fat coconut milk that has been refrigerated at least 24 hours).
• ¼ cup vegan butter
• 3 tablespoons powdered sugar

Scoop the hardened coconut cream from the top of the can. Place all the ingredients into a small blender or mixing bowl. Blend or whisk until the cream is thick and fluffy. Refrigerate until ready to use. Store refrigerated in an airtight container up to 3 days.

These scones with raspberry and apricot jam and homemade vegan clotted cream were simply scumptious!

Brighten your day with a batch of homemade scones and your own citrusy sweet and silky smooth easy vegan lemon curd!

Variations and Add-ins

Get creative with your scones and boost the flavor by adding other ingredients! Here are some tasty ideas:

• Fresh berries - raspberries, blueberries, strawberries
• Fresh fruits - apple, mango, pineapple,
• Dried fruits - dates, raisins, apricots, cranberries
• Nuts - pecans, walnuts, almonds
• Citrus zest - lemon, lime, orange
• Chocolate chips - vegan dark or white chocolate
• Spices - cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cardamom

You can also make savory vegan scones by omitting the sugar and maple syrup and adding herbs or other ingredients such as:

• Vegan cheese - grated
• Fresh or dried herbs - chives, scallions, basil, rosemary, sage, thyme
• Seasonings - curry, chili, pepper, sea salt, dried onion or garlic

🌳 Equipment