I'm so pumped about this recipe I couldn't even wait till the end of the weekend to share it with you! :) I just can't believe I pulled these yummy, perfect-for-fall pumpkin spice scones off with all my food restrictions! I was at Starbucks 2 days ago and couldn't stop staring at their pumpkin scones. They just looked soooo good! {And so pretty too!} I knew I had to make them as soon as I got home (yep, I'm kind of crazy like that and can't get a dessert out of my head until it materializes on my plate sometimes...), and they came out wonderful.
So here's my wholefoods version of these babies -- Starbucks copycat gluten-free, vegan, and paleo pumpkin scones that you can now stop staring at and actually enjoy too! Did I mention your house will smell AMAZING too? Well, it will. So, what are you waiting for? Follow my lead:
Starbucks Copycat GF, Vegan, & Paleo Pumpkin Scones
A wholefoods copycat version of Starbucks pumpkin scones. Gluten-free, Vegan, and Paleo pumpkin scones that you can actually enjoy at home. Spiced + delish!
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 8 scones
- Category: Scones
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: Dessert
Ingredients
Scone:
- 1 ¼ cups pureed cooked pumpkin -- at room temperature (if using homemade, make sure it is strained well)
- ½ cup coconut oil
- ¼ cup coconut butter (manna)
- ¾ cup maple syrup -- at room temp
- ¼ cup hot water
- 1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
- dash of salt
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp cloves
- ¼ tsp allspice
- ⅛ tsp nutmeg
- 1 ½ cups coconut flour
- 1 cup tapioca starch
Glaze:
- 1 cup raw cashews, pre-soaked and strained (I was in a rush, so just soaked mine in boiling water for 15 mins.)
- ⅓ cup maple syrup
- 2 tbsp coconut oil
- 1 tbsp non-dairy milk (I used unsweetened vanilla almond milk)
Pumpkin Spice Drizzle:
- a third of the glaze mixture above (see directions in step 7)
- 2 tbsp pureed cooked pumpkin
- 1 tbsp non-dairy milk (I used unsweetened vanilla almond milk)
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- ⅛ tsp cloves
- ⅛ tsp nutmeg
Instructions
1. Place coconut oil and coconut butter in an oven safe baking dish or glass container and place in a toaster (or microwave) for a few minutes to warm up the oil and butter and let them melt a little. Note: If your maple syrup or pumpkin puree are colder than room temp, include them in this as well so that all the ingredients are warm enough not to make the coconut oil solidify.
2. Pour the coconut oil, coconut butter, pumpkin puree, maple syrup, hot water, vanilla, and spices into a large mixing bowl and blend all the ingredients together into a smooth mixture using an immersion blender (you can also mix by hand or put this mixture through a food processor and then pour into a mixing bowl).
3. Cut out a piece of parchment paper large enough to cover a cookie sheet. Place it on a cutting board and set aside.
4. Add coconut flour and tapioca starch to the liquid mixture in the mixing bowl and mix using a wooden spoon to combine the liquid ingredients with the dry. Now it's time to get your hands dirty -- you'll notice the batter will need more mixing than your wooden spoon can handle. Use your hands to thoroughly knead the dough and then lump it into a large ball.
5. Place the dough ball onto parchment paper on the cutting board. Flatten it with your hands into a 1" tall disc. Fix up and round off all the edges with your hands so that the disc looks nice and rounded everywhere. Using a knife cut the disc into 8 triangles (I first cut mine into 4 parts forming a cross, and then cut each triangle in half). Do not separate the scones just yet. Place the entire cutting board into the fridge and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes.
6. Preheat oven to 350F. Once the scones have chilled, remove from the fridge and transfer the parchment paper along with the scones onto a cookie sheet. Carefully separate and spread the scones apart on the cookie sheet on top of the parchment. Bake scones for approximately 22-26 minutes (watch the edges and remove from oven when they begin to brown up). Then, cool the tray on a cooling rack for 10 minutes.
7. In the meantime prepare the glaze by placing all glaze ingredients in your blender and blend on high until smooth. I used my Vitamix for this and recommend it for smoothest results (or another high power blender). If your blender isn't up to scratch, you may want to add a tiny bit more non-dairy milk to help it blend better. Once the scones are cooled a little, use a spoon to spread this glaze over each scone, but RESERVE about a third of the mixture for the next step (just leave it in the blender).
8. Add pumpkin spice drizzle ingredients to the blender. Blend on high to create a smooth mixture. Transfer into a squirty bottle or a piping bag and then drizzle over the glaze on the scones. Serve warm with a hot cup of coffee, or enjoy these chilled (or reheated in the toaster) for an incredible breakfast treat!
Happy Baking!
Julia says
These are very tasty! I followed exactly and my oven cooks and bakes wonderfully. I had to bake them for over an hour since they were raw/doughy in the middle. Even after the glaze and drizzle I popped them back in the oven at 375 instead of 350. Nothing melted or dripped everywhere.
★★★★
Audrey says
Hi Julia, thanks so much for the feedback. I'm glad you enjoyed the recipe! :)
Helen S. says
I was really excited to make these yesterday. I'm not sure how everyone else is getting a good crumb consistency,
as made no substitutions and followed the instructions....but mine were raw and doughy in the middle, even though I added extra time and they were starting to get colour around their edges. I'm convinced they would have been successful if the recipe had just included leavening. I broke off a little edge piece to taste and the flavour was yummy, so it definitely has potential!
★★★
Audrey says
Hi Helen, thanks for sharing your feedback. Too bad they didn't work out as you expected. I wonder why yourself and a few people have had this experience, while myself and others didn't. It's a toughie for me to figure out! The only thing I can think of is that maybe they weren't flattened to a low enough height in some cases? (I.e. if they are "pudgier" in shape they might not bake through all the way in the middle? That's the only variable I can think of given you mentioned you followed the recipe as is? What do you think?
Perhaps a leavening agent could work here, I haven't tried. It's an interesting idea. If you give it a try, I'd love to hear how the results turn out.
Erin McCanlies says
Hi,
In your substitution recipe above that used almond flour do you think I could replace the almond flour with either cassava flour or tiger nut flour-I’m allergic to almonds and struggle to find replacements in recipes that use almond flour. I made this recipe, and really like it. I found it way too sweet , so will reduce the maple syrup to 1/4 cup next time. I really like the added molasses too. I find coconut flour a little heavy and tends to upset my stomach if I eat too much, that’s why I’m thinking either cassava or tiger nut flour might work? Thanks for this recipe overall it is really nice! I.m looking forward to trying your aip sourdough bread. Thanks again.
Audrey says
Hi Erin, I'm really glad you enjoyed the recipe :) Which substitution recipe with almond flour are you referring to?
Cindy says
I made these following all the instructions to the letter. Mine also came out heavy and doughy in the middle. My oven is not the problem....have checked the temp on it. I am wondering if this recipe needs some baking soda or baking powder. The flavor is very good. But I am not sure I want to risk using more of my expensive ingredients to try this recipe again with the possibility that I will have doughy scones. I have been making other scone recipes for all lately with no problems.
Audrey says
Hi Cindy, hmm... not sure what could be the issue, other than maybe they just need to be baked longer? Sorry they didn't work out as you expected.
Julia says
Can I use coconut oil instead of coconut butter
Audrey says
Hi Julia, no unfortunately they are two different products. Coconut butter has a very different flavor, texture, and consistency.
Laura Niezgoda says
Do you use raw or roasted salte/unsalted cashews?
Audrey says
Hi Laura. Raw and unsalted cashews would work best here (I'll clarify that in the recipe too now -- thanks for drawing my attention to it).
Jai Franklin Sarki says
I made these today and dangggggg!!! My kids and his band and I loved them. They are seriously the perfect pumpkin scone. I usually modify recipes after making them but this one was perfect ❤️
★★★★★
Audrey says
Thank you so much for the lovely feedback -- best comment ever! :)
KC says
I can't wait to try this recipe! Is there a substitute for the tapioca starch?
Audrey says
Hi KC. You can do arrowroot, potato starch, or corn starch instead.
Chelsea says
Ah.maz.ing. These are moist on the inside, very very sweet for someone who isn't used to sugar (I've been on AIP and these are the first sweetened treat I've had in weeks!), and totally have that delicious pumpkin spice flavor I felt like I'd been missing out on this fall! These are going to be my go-to treat!
★★★★★
Audrey says
I'm so happy these work for you, Chelsea. Thanks for the wonderful feedback :) Enjoy them!
Lisa says
I would love to make this recipe, but I am not very knowledgeable in the kitchen about substitutions. I need to substitute something for the cashews as my husband is sensitive to cashews (a member of the poison ivy family). What would you recommend as a substitution for the cashews? Thanks!
Audrey says
Hi Lisa,
So the cashews are just in the glaze and drizzle part here, and for that you can use coconut butter -- it's like a nut butter made from shredded coconut. You'll probably need about 1/3 - 1/2 a cup. Note that it hardens when it comes into contact with cold things and softens when warmed (same as coconut oil), so for blending and frosting it's best if it's at room temperature. If it seems the mixture is too thick, add another 1-2 tbsp non-dairy milk to thin it out a little. This will add a stronger coconut taste to these scones, but should still be delicious :)
Susan says
So excited to try this recipe!
Especially since everyone is saying it's so great :D !
Audrey says
Thanks Susan -- Enjoy it! :)
C.C. says
In all your baked goods recipes could I use almond flour instead of coconut flour? While I like coconut, sometimes the flavor is too over powering.
Audrey says
Hi C.C. coconut flour is incredibly unique. I rarely use it, but when I do it's with purpose because of its absorptive properties -- which other flours don't typically have. So it's not easily substituted. However, re-posting this from a reply to an earlier comment on this recipe:
Meghan says
Thanks for this! I have a sister in law allergic to coconut and I wanted to make these scones for Waster Brunch. I will make two batches.
Audrey says
Oh good -- glad it's of help! :)
Kayla says
These turned out great! It's nice to find a gluten-dairy-egg-free baked good that is moist and not crumbly! Thank you
Audrey says
Aw, thanks so much for the feedback, Kayla! So happy you liked these :)
Renu says
Do the cloves need to be ground?
Audrey says
Sorry for the delayed reply, Renu. The cloves should definitely be ground. Whole cloves are typically used just in recipes where they are not eaten whole (like in a curry where they are removed and set aside, or in a sauce where you use them to infuse flavor but not for actual eating -- they are typically discarded). Their texture when whole is just too tough and strong to incorporate into a dessert. That said, you could always grind them into a spice on your own.
Samantha says
These were absolutely amazing. Thank you for this wonderful and thorough recipe. I will definitely be making these again in the future and will be coming back to your website for more!
Audrey says
So happy to hear you liked these, Samantha! :) Thank you for the feedback.
Helen says
Wow, these turn out quite nice! I didn't do the two glazes, or I didn't do it the same way. I had a little bit of leftover coconut butter. So, I just added a little coconut oil, coconut milk, cinnamon, and cloves to that, and heated it through. It doesn't spread as easily and is not as sweet as if I had added some maple syrup, but I was trying to cut back on the sugar since there is some already in the scones. The flavor and texture are really impressive especially when you consider all the things that are not in this recipe. I think that anyone could enjoy these.
Audrey says
Thank you so much for the beautiful feedback, Helen, and for sharing what you've done with the recipe. I think it sounds equally delicious with the coconut butter ♥ Good to have options :)
Alyssa says
I made these and they were oh so delicious, not to mention fun to tell everyone I made Paleo scones. :) I made it the first time with pumpkin, following the above recipe, then today I made a variation, using shredded carrots with applesauce instead of pumpkin, pineapple juice and some shredded chunks instead of water, and added raisins, slivered almonds, and shredded coconut for carrot cake scones. It was amazing and I would recommend it! Next time I'm going to make zuchinni bread scones.
Audrey says
Oh Alyssa, your second version sounds beautiful! And thank you so much for your lovely feedback. So happy you're having fun with this recipe!
Elle says
Hi. I made these and they're phenomenal. I also did the math on the calories and ended up with around 600 calories per scone. That seems kind of crazy. Is that accurate?
Audrey says
Hi Elle,
Thank you so much for the feedback -- so happy to hear you liked them :)
I haven't calculated the calories in this recipe, but I'd say that sounds fairly accurate. It is on the higher end of things (like a cake slice), but so are most desserts that rely on coconut butter/oil and nuts, etc. because they are naturally a lot more nutrient dense and rich. So I have things in smaller portions to offset that. I cut mine in half to make smaller scones because I found them very filling as it is.
Carole says
Do you think I could use almond flour in place of coconut flour? I have a sensitivity to coconut.
Audrey says
Hi Carole,
I wouldn't do a straight substitution here because coconut flour acts so differently to other flours in baking and requires a lot more moisture, etc. So substituting it would require some experimenting.
However :) I have a recipe for pumpkin scones that are almond-based that would work great here instead. So use this topping, but for the scone do this:
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 cup maple syrup {or another liquid sweetener}
1 tbsp molasses {optional, but adds a really nice flavor}
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 tsp pumpkin spice + 1 tsp cinnamon {or use spices from recipe above if don't have pumpkin spice}
1/4 tsp salt
2 cups almond meal
3/4 cup tapioca starch
Preheat oven to 350F. Line a small baking tray with parchment and set aside. Mix all ingredients, except almond meal and tapioca in a mixing bowl. Add the flour and starch and mix with a wooden spoon to combine. Then knead with your hands until you can shape the dough into a ball. Place on the baking tray, flatten into a disk. Cross-cut into 8 slices. Bake in a preheated oven for 35 minutes. Cool on a wire rack, then frost with the frosting in the recipe above.
They come out so delicious this way -- nice and crispy on the outside, soft on the inside :) I actually love this new almond-based recipe even more, just haven't had a chance to share it yet.
Happy baking!
Sanja says
Do you think I could substitute arrowroot for the tapioca starch?
Audrey says
Hi Sanja -- absolutely! Arrowroot will work just fine. Enjoy the recipe :)
Maddy says
I just tried making these scones. They baked perfectly on the outside, but aren't fully cooked on the inside. I've had this issue with other vegan/gluten free baking. Any suggestions?
Audrey says
Hi Maddy,
It sounds like your oven may be too hot. Try lowering the temperature and giving them more time to bake as needed. Many ovens have inaccurate or uneven temperatures, which can result in things baking fast on the outside but not being ready on the inside -- it's usually an indicator of the temperature being too hot.
You might want to pick up an oven thermometer {they're usually in the $5 range} so that you can test your oven and see what's going on. For food baking temperature accuracy isn't always crucial, but for baked goods it's good to have the temperatures right. I always have a thermometer in my oven just to keep an eye out. If the temperature seems too high, you can lower it and vice versa.
Also, it's good to test the cake / baked goods for "doneness" by piercing them with a skewer and seeing if it comes out clean. If there is wet residue on the skewer, give the baked goods a bit more time. If you're concerned the outside looks done but the inside isn't, then lower the temperature while still allowing it more time to bake.
I hope this gives you a trail to explore and get things right :) Let me know if you have any other questions.
WillowTree says
These were fantastic! I made these with only about 1/4 cup of maple syrup and added pumpkin to add moisture in place of the rest of the maple syrup. I didn't make the glaze to further reduce sugar. I added raisins to give them more flavor in place of the glaze. It took about 45 minutes to bake these (maybe due to the extra pumpkin). They came out absolutely delicious! I needed a convenient breakfast that didn't fall apart for an early morning flight, and these did the trick. They were very good cold from the fridge, filling, didn't fall apart at all. I will be making them again and again.
Audrey says
That's really wonderful to hear -- thanks so much for sharing. I think the modifications you've shared sound really great too. It's definitely a versatile recipe. I'm so glad you enjoyed them and I agree, they do make a wonderful breakfast -- especially with the raisins in there!
Jamie says
Do you have to use coconut butter or can you swap for dairy butter?
Audrey says
Hi Jamie. I'm not sure if you mean just the coconut butter or the coconut oil as well, but you've got options here :)
I used 1/2 cup coconut oil + 1/4 cup coconut manna in the base. You can substitute dairy butter for just the coconut butter, or for both {so either 1/2 cup coconut oil + 1/4 cup butter, or 3/4 cup butter}. Or you can add an extra 1/4 cup pumpkin puree in place of the coconut butter. If for any reason the dough seems a little too wet to form a ball, then add 1-2 more tbsp coconut flour and that should do the trick.
You can also use butter in place of coconut oil in the glaze -- it will just not harden as much, but it's such a minor difference that I would go for it.
I hope this helps, and ask away if you've got any other questions!
Happy baking!
Josephine Kimberling says
SO excited to make these! I'm very sensitive to sugar and would love to reduce the amount of maple syrup in the scones to 1/4 or 1/3 cup. I'm concerned that the recipe needs that much wet ingredients though...do you have any advice on how to reduce the sugar content and still have them turn out? Thank you!!
Audrey says
Hi Josephine. I don't think it would be a problem at all. I would sub out more pumpkin puree for the maple syrup -- so if you're taking out 1/2 a cup of the sweetener, then add in an additional 1/3 to 1/2 a cup pumpkin puree and that should keep things moist enough. Another way is to keep the pumpkin amount the same, reduce the maple syrup and add some non-dairy milk to the batter a little bit at a time until the dough is kneadable enough to be formed into a dough ball without cracking (but while still being quite firm). Or you can do a bit of both -- add a bit more pumpkin and a bit of non-dairy milk if need be. You may want to add an alternative sweetener that works for you as well, if you like things on the sweeter side. Enjoy! :)
Amanda says
Wow, these were a fun surprise to have pop up in Pinterest! Yum! I'm curious if you think they would freeze well?
Audrey says
Hi Amanda. Thanks so much :) I think they'll freeze well for sure. I haven't tried it with this particular recipe, but I have frozen similar baked goods I've made and they worked well.
Gabby says
Hi! Looks delicious!! I have been secretly craving these forever so I am VERY happy to have found this recipe! I have a question about the consistency of the scone. Is it crunchy/crumbly/dry like a traditional scone? Or, is it more like a cake? I'm thinking I will make this for my family on Saturday, I'm so excited!
Audrey says
Hi Gabby. I made these with 1/2 cup less coconut flour (just using 1 cup coconut flour in total) and they were cakey and people LOVED them that way, but I couldn't call them a scone... So I had to try again to see what happens. Adding the extra 1/2 cup coconut flour did the trick in terms of making it a drier scone and I was quite happy, but if you want it even drier try adding another 2 tbsp coconut flour. I'd love to hear what you do and how it goes!
Laura@Baking in Pyjamas says
Audrey, those look amazing. I really want to reach through the screen and grab a couple. I love that glaze on top, yum!! This has been featured as one of my favourites over at Sweet and Savoury Sunday. Stop by, grab a button and link up again with us this week. Have a great day!
Audrey says
Thanks so much, Laura! I've been away for the weekend and this is a pleasant surprise to come back to :) . So glad you liked the recipe and thanks for featuring it!
Lindsay says
Audrey, I had been dreaming about finding just this kind of recipe! I'm so looking forward to trying these out soon! A big thank you to you for posting this! Do you have any tips for making coconut manna, or a place where you like to buy it? I'd appreciate some guidance! Have such a good day, and keep up the excellent work! :)
Audrey says
Hi Lindsay, glad I could help ;)
You can usually buy coconut manna at a health food shop, like Whole Foods or Trader Joe's. It's also sometimes called coconut butter. There's a brand of it I really like called Artisana, though I tend to use different brands all the time and they all seem to work equally well. You can also order it online on Amazon, etc. I never tried making my own yet, but if I had to, this is the recipe I would use as the results look closest in consistency to what I normally buy. Seems easy enough :)
If you haven't tried coconut manna yet, I highly recommend giving it a try -- it's really versatile in desserts (my favorite way to use it is in these raw coconut snow balls) and full of health benefits. But if you can't find coconut manna and are eager to give the recipe ago, you can probably just substitute it with an equal amount of additional pumpkin puree. I haven't tried that personally, but I've made these scones before with just applesauce without the manna, so I don't see why all pumpkin puree wouldn't work. If you try that, I'd love to hear how that goes!
Happy baking!
Eleanor says
if you put coconut flakes in a food processor, you can make your own manna/coconut butter for cheaper. it's a lot like making nut butter.
Audrey says
Hi Eleanor,
Thanks so much for the tip. That comment of mine above is from a few years ago and I've actually since been making my own coconut butter as well and I absolutely love it :) -- so easy! And fun to flavor too.
Shirley @ gfe & All Gluten-Free Desserts says
Those are AMAZING looking, Audrey! Bravo! I'm glad that "must make" urge hit you. It benefits us all. ;-) Thanks for sharing on Gluten-Free Wednesdays! :-)
Shirley
Audrey says
Thank you Shirley! :)