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Gluten-Free Blueberry Buttermilk Scones

Blueberry scones cooling on a wire rack.
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5 from 7 reviews

These fluffy and tender scones have an amazing vanilla flavor, with juicy bites of fresh blueberries taking center stage. This easy, gluten-free breakfast treat can be made in under 30 minutes!

  • Author: Alexandra
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Chill Time: 1 hour
  • Cook Time: 18 minutes
  • Total Time: 1 hour 38 minutes
  • Yield: 8 scones 1x
  • Category: biscuits and scones
  • Method: baking
  • Cuisine: American
  • Diet: Gluten Free

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 cup + 7 tablespoons (10 1/4 ounces) gluten-free all-purpose flour with xanthan gum, divided use*
  • 3/8 cup (2 5/8 ounces) granulated sugar
  • 2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
  • 5/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1 vanilla bean, split and scraped (optional)
  • 6 tablespoons (3 ounces) cold unsalted butter**
  • 7 tablespoons (3 3/4 ounces) buttermilk***
  • 1/2 cup (4 1/8 ounces) heavy cream, plus extra for glaze
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • scant 3/4 cup (3 1/2 ounces) fresh blueberries, rinsed and patted dry
  • demerara or sparkling sugar, for garnish

Instructions

  1. Whisk together dry ingredients: In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together 2 3/8 cup (10 ounces) gluten-free all-purpose flour with the granulated sugar, baking powder, salt, and vanilla bean seeds (if using).
  2. Toss in butter. Using the large-hole side of a grater, grate the butter into the dry ingredient mixture. Toss it in gently with your hands to disperse.
  3. Add liquid ingredients. In a liquid measuring glass, whisk together the buttermilk, heavy cream, and vanilla extract. Pour into the flour mixture and fold in with a spatula just until incorporated. Your dough should be starting to come together at this point.
  4. Add blueberries and knead. Toss the blueberries with the remaining 1 tablespoon of flour to coat. Add to the scone dough, folding in briefly with your spatula. Then, use your hands to gently finish kneading the dough into a ball, being careful not to overwork. The dough should be tacky, but not overly sticky.
  5. Shape and freeze. Transfer the scone dough to a parchment-lined baking sheet and use your hands to flatten it into a disc about 1" thick. Place in the freezer to chill for 1 hour.
  6. Slice and glaze. At the end of the chilling time, preheat your oven to 400ºF. Just before baking, remove the scone dough from the freezer and slice it into eight equal triangles. Spread the individual scones out on the prepared baking sheet. Brush the tops with heavy cream and sprinkle them generously with demerara sugar.
  7. Bake. Bake scones in the preheated oven for 18 minutes, or until the tops are golden and a toothpick inserted into the center of one comes out clean. Cool on the baking sheet for about 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack. Serve warm. 

Equipment

Notes

*Regular all-purpose flour can also be used. If you don't have a scale to weigh your flour, it's important to use the spoon and level method of measuring.

**To substitute salted butter, reduce the added salt by ⅛th teaspoon.

**You can make your own buttermilk for this recipe if you don't have any on hand.

To freeze and bake later:

If you want to bake the scones more than a few hours after prepping the dough, remove the dough from the freezer after step 5, slice into individual portions, and continue to freeze until firm. Then, transfer to a freezer-safe bag or container to store until ready to bake. Remove from freezer to thaw slightly while oven is preheating. Baking time may need to be increased; simply bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

To store and reheat:

Store leftover scones in an airtight-bag or container at cool room temperature. They're best if reheated in a toaster oven (on the "toast" setting) at 375ºF for 5-7 minutes. Baked scones should keep for about 3 days.