I feel like the only recipes I share on the blog are for breakfast foods, but it’s usually because I’m so excited that I have found a decent dairy free alternative that I have to post it! That’s how I feel about these scones. Becoming dairy free meant at every coffee shop or bakery, I have to turn down the yummy looking baked goods (unless I want an extremely fussy child and an upset tummy for myself). So finding an alternative that I can have for said baked goods is very exciting for me- and trust me, these scones aren’t lacking due to the fact that there isn’t any butter! I have made a few variations, but this one seems to be my favorite and has become a go-to.
Dairy Free Almond Cranberry Scones
makes 12 scones
Basic recipe and instructions from King Arthur with a few of my own dairy free/add-in alterations
2 3/4 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour or Measure for Measure Gluten-Free Flour
1/3 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 cup coconut oil, solid
1 cup dried cranberries
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons almond extract
2/3 cup almond milk
2 tablespoons lemon juice
Optional Topping:
2 teaspoons almond milk
2 tablespoons sugar in the raw
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 425°F.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder.
Work in the coconut oil just until the mixture is unevenly crumbly; it’s OK for some larger chunks of oil to remain unincorporated.
Stir in the fruit.
In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, almond extract, almond milk, and lemon juice.
Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until all is moistened and holds together.
Line a baking sheet with parchment; if you don’t have parchment, just use it without greasing it. Sprinkle a bit of flour atop the parchment or pan.
Scrape the dough onto the floured parchment or pan, and divide it in half. Round each half into a 6″ circle. The circles should be about 3/4″ thick.
Brush each circle with milk, and sprinkle with sugar, if desired.
Using a knife or bench knife that you’ve run under cold water, slice each circle into 6 wedges.
Carefully pull the wedges away from the center to separate them just a bit; there should be about 1/2″ space between them, at their outer edges.
Bake the scones for 20 minutes, or until they’re golden brown. When you pull one away from the others, it should look baked all the way through; the edge shouldn’t look wet or unbaked.
Remove the scones from the oven, and cool briefly on the pan. Serve warm. When they’re completely cool, wrap in plastic and store at room temperature for up to several days.