Today is my ode to breakfast food. Is breakfast your favorite meal? If not, it should be! A good breakfast always gets my day off to the right start. I prefer oatmeal as my breakfast of choice, but it’s nice to switch it up sometimes. Especially if you’re feeding a crowd! So today I present my maple oatmeal scones. Ok, I just can’t get rid of my oatmeal for breakfast!
Scones have always been a favorite of mine, but it’s taken me a while to get my scone recipe just right. Especially gluten free scones. Let me tell you, not all scones are created equal!
My scones would always turn out a little too dry, regardless of what type of flour I tried using. But there is a fine line with scones when it comes to adding liquid. Too little, and your scones will crumble or will be too dry to eat. Too much, and you’ll have a sticky dough that you can’t easily work with. I’ve done both.
But if you get it just right, you could have a very tender, flaky scone on your hands with a nice soft interior. I’m personally a fan of softer scones over the crumbly ones. I’d rather eat my scones than have most of it end up on the table!
These scones are made with maple syrup, brown sugar, and gluten free oats. The syrup sweetens the scones, while the little bit of brown sugar help keep the inside moist. I also add yogurt instead of cream, which I think helps to keep the scones tender inside when using gluten free flour.
There are pretty major tips when making scones, so here are some things to consider before you start:
The Flour
Not all gluten free flour is created equal. I recently fell in love with Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 baking flour. I found that it seems to be the closest I can find to working with regular flour, and all of my recipes with it have turned out well!
If you use this flour, it does also contain xanthan gum. So there is no need to add any additional gums to your recipe! However, depending on what type of flour you use you could have a different result than I did. If using a different all-purpose gluten free flour, or even a mixture of your own, I recommend checking the texture of your scones when you try working the dough together. If it’s a little dry, you could add a splash more milk. If it’s too wet, add a touch more flour to bring it together. The dough should be slightly tacky, but not sticky. Just make sure not to overwork it!
Cold Ingredients
Listen closely, because this is the key to tender, flaky scones. You need VERY COLD butter. And it should stay as cold as possible as you prep and make your scones, until they hit the oven.
Why? As the butter melts in the oven, little air pockets take it’s place and it helps create those flaky layers. I cut my butter into my dry mixture using a food processor, but you can also do it by hand, and then I place the bowl right in the fridge to keep cool while I mix together the wet ingredients. I also make sure all my wet ingredients are very cold before mixing them in with the dry ingredients and the butter.
It helps to be sure to preheat the oven before you start. What happens if you take too long and leave your dough out while you wait for the oven to preheat…or answer your phone? Well, the butter could melt before you place the scones into the oven. If this happens, umm… let’s just say your scones could turnout to be rock hard. Don’t ask me how I know this.
I like to place my scones in the freezer for 10 minutes before putting them into the oven, as this ensures a cold dough before cooking.
I also like to top these with a thick maple glaze. I think it just ties all the flavors together, and really enhances that maple flavor. They are great to dip in your morning coffee or tea, or just have plain as a mid-day snack. Whichever way you choose, they are sure to please your tastebuds
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Gluten Free Maple Oatmeal Scones
Ingredients
Scones:
- 2 cups gluten free all-purpose flour (I used Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Baking Flour)
- 3/4 tsp xanthan gum (omit if your blend already contains it)
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 6 Tbsp cold unsalted butter, cubed
- 2 Tbsp brown sugar, packed
- 1/2 cup gluten free regular oats
- 1 egg
- 1/3 cup gluten free yogurt, vanilla or plain (I use Stonyfield low fat french vanilla)
- 2 Tbsp milk
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1 tsp gluten free vanilla extract
Glaze:
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 Tbsp maple syrup
- 1 1/2 Tbsp milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400℉ and adjust the rack to the middle position. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a food processor, add flour, xanthan gum (if your flour doesn’t already have it), baking powder, salt, sugar, and oats. Pulse a few times until all combined, and until the oats are all cut up (you could also use quick oats instead of regular oats and just pulse once or twice to combine). Add in the cold cubed butter (make sure it’s very cold!) and pulse 5-10 times just until its the size of large peas. It’s ok if you have a few large chunks in the mix.
- Empty the butter and dry mix into large bowl and place in the fridge to chill, so that the butter doesn’t melt.
- Meanwhile, whisk together the egg, yogurt, 2 Tbsp of milk, 1/4 cup of maple syrup, and vanilla. Take the large bowl with the butter and dry mix out of the fridge and drizzle the wet mixture over the dry mixture. Toss everything around with a rubber spatula until everything comes moistened and is mostly combined. Trying not to overwork the dough, lightly flour your hands and work the dough into a disc as best you can. The dough should be slightly tacky, but not sticky.
- Press the dough into a 6” disk on the baking sheet lined with parchment. Cut into 8 equal wedges and place each scone onto the baking sheet a few inches apart.
- For the best results, place the baking sheet and scones into your freezer for 10 minutes before placing into the oven. This assures that the butter and all ingredients are very cold before baking.
- Bake for 18-22 minutes until the tops are lightly golden and the scones are cooked through. They will be slightly soft on the inside. Allow to cool for a few minutes.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the glaze ingredients and spoon over the scones before serving.
Notes
- Not all gluten free flours are the same, even all-purpose gluten free flours. Some may need extra moisture compared to others, and some may be denser than others. If you use a different flour from what I used, I can’t guarantee you will get the same results.
- Make sure ALL your ingredients are very cold. This will ensure that the butter does not melt before baking. You need that cold butter to help create all those flaky layers in your scones. I recommend placing your baking sheet with the scones in the freezer for 10 minutes before baking for better results.
- These scones freeze very well. Once cooled, place them into a freezer-safe bag and freeze. To reheat, place one in the microwave for 12-15 seconds or until heated to your liking.
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