This is as close to a traditional scone as BabyCakes NYC comes. I 86’ed the butter, obviously, and played up the sweet, all without abandoning the light-yet-satisfying texture. I find that raspberries, more delicate than currants or other popular berries used in scones, have a tanginess that’s a perfect accompaniment to morning tea.–Erin McKenna
LC Vegan And Very Lovely Note
These vegan scones—wait, don’t stop reading!— deliver tons of classic scone flavor, despite calling for coconut oil in place of butter, agave nectar not sugar, and fresh raspberries as opposed to dried fruit.
☞ Contents
Raspberry Scones
Ingredients
- 2 cups spelt flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup coconut oil plus more for brushing
- 1/3 cup agave nectar plus more for brushing
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup hot water
- 1 cup fresh raspberries
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the oil, agave nectar, and vanilla and stir together until a thick, slightly dry batter of sorts forms. (Don’t worry if it doesn’t really seem batter-like.) Pour the hot water into the batter and mix until thoroughly combined. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold in the raspberries just until the batter is marbled with pink streaks.
- Scoop 1/3 cup batter onto the prepared baking sheet for each scone. Space the scoops 1 inch apart to allow them to spread. Lightly brush the scones with more oil. Bake the scones for 14 minutes, rotating the sheet 180 degrees after 7 minutes. The finished scones will be golden and slightly firm. Remove from the oven and lightly brush the scones with agave nectar. Let the scones stand on the sheet for 15 minutes, then carefully slide a spatula under each and transfer it to a wire rack and cool completely. The scones are best the day they’re baked.
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Recipe Testers’ Reviews
Vegan and flavor-packed! These scones burst with raspberry flavor enhanced by agave nectar and high-quality vanilla extract. They’re super easy to make, and no one would ever know they’re vegan. The ingredients are easy to find and the directions are clear, precise, and right on target. I made eight scrumptious scones, just as the recipe specified. Mine were not as picture-perfect as the photograph that accompanies the recipe here; they were rounder from having been scooped, browner (perhaps from the variety of spelt flour or agave nectar I used?), and had a more vibrant-looking ruby red color from the perfectly summer-ripe raspberries I marbled throughout the batter. While no one would ever know they’re vegan, they were not exactly light and crumbly. The texture was satisfying, but they were more heavy and solid than light and crumbly. They were terrific right after cooling—we could hardly wait to taste them!—and were gone long before the 2 days specified in the recipe. As with traditional scones, I felt they weren’t really keepers; by the next morning, they’d already lost some of their fresh-baked texture, part of what I love most about scones. Yet no one else seemed to mind, and no one commented on the texture. The raspberries were a great pairing for this recipe, but I wouldn’t hesitate to try blackberries or even tart dried cherries or cranberries on subsequent batches. Though specified as a perfect accompaniment for morning tea, why not also enjoy them for afternoon tea? A trio of additional notes: Have faith! In step two, I was initially skeptical about whether the batter would be usable, but as soon as I poured the hot water into the batter, it all came together beautifully. The 14-minute baking time was perfect. Would I call these utterly healthy? No, but they are definitely healthier than traditional white-flour, white-sugar scones!
Originally published July 07, 2009
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If you make this recipe, snap a photo and hashtag it #LeitesCulinaria. We'd love to see your creations on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
Love this recipe! Will make it again!
Thanks, Kropielnicki!
LOVE!! Holy, raspberry and make syrup go so well together that this could be on its own or with a multitude of soups. It is the perfect balance of sweet and tangy<3 I just used maple syrup instead of more oil as a coating because I love maple syrup
Laughs! Jessica, this is terrific to hear! Thanks SO much for taking the time to let us know. Greatly appreciate it and look forward to hearing about the other recipes from our site that you try…!
I made these yesterday and they are wonderful. I love that the recipe calls for spelt flour which is whole grain. The only thing I changed was that I put the dough mixture after it was all mixed with raspberries ; I cooked it in a round cake pan. After it was cooked ,cut into slices.It lakes longer to cook this way 350 for 30 min. This recipe was not dry at all. It stayed on the moist side but top still goes crisp. This will be my go to recipe for scones for sure. 😍😍😍😋😋😋
Love your tweak, Nikki, thanks so much for sharing that! Thrilled to hear you love these so much and so appreciate you taking the time to let us know!
Just tried these scones about to go for my second one. My question has to do with coconut oil. I am new to using it and I’m not sure if it’s supposed to be melted first or not. I melted it for this recipe but I made other scones and substituted coconut oil (solid) for cold butter to be worked into the batter. If a recipe doesn’t specify which would you use? Also new to using spelt grains and flours so thanks so much for this recipe.
Johnnie, you’re more than welcome. Unless the directions say to melt the coconut oil, you should use it as is.
Can you substitute the agave for oil or a dairy free butter? And can you swap the hot water for lemonade? Cause I know many other scone recipes use lemonade.
I didn’t put it in and they turned out awesome so it doesn’t make a difference. I think if I had added that, too, they would have been way too sweet.
Great, thanks for letting us know, Niki L!
Rebecca, the agave is the sweetener in this, so substituting oil or dairy-free butter will add more fat and eliminate the sweetness. It will also change the texture significantly. You can substitute lemonade for the water, but it won’t add enough sweetness.
Could I maybe swap the agave for honey instead? Or maple syrup?
Rebecca, yes, honey is a 1:1 substitution. There should be no problem.