Chocolate Chip Gluten-Free Scones made dairy-free with only 7 ingredients required! This easy scone recipe requires zero fancy equipment and no baking experience!
The first time I made my Vegan Blueberry Scones, I became instantly obsessed with baking all sorts of scone flavors.
I’ve taken this passion in all sorts of directions with my Vegan Apple Scones, Vegan Carrot Cake Scones, and Keto Lemon Poppy Seed Scones. And so much more!
Now I’m back with just the simplest bare bones scone recipe headlining: chocolate chips.
One of my favorite parts about scones is that they feel like a marvelous sweet treat, but they aren’t as sweet as many other baked goods like muffins, cake, quick bread, etc.
For me, these gluten-free chocolate chip scones have just the right level of sweetness and they are a lovely celebration of one of my true loves in life: chocolate.
If you are a chocoholic like me, you may consider making my Vegan Chocolate Scones for a little double chocolate action.
In addition to being gluten-free, these scones are also dairy-free and vegan.
These gluten-free chocolate chip scones turn out crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, and are such a magical pairing for your morning coffee or afternoon mug of tea.
Let’s discuss the seven basic ingredients for gluten free chocolate chip scones.
Ingredients for Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Scones:
Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour: Replacing regular flour, we need a gluten-free flour blend to make this gluten-free scones recipe. I use Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour, as I do for all of my baked goods, and I absolutely love the way the texture turns out.
If you’re looking for grain-free scones made with almond flour, make one of the paleo scones recipes I have linked in this post.
While other brands of GF flour will certainly work, do note that each brand contains a unique set and quantity of ingredients, which produces varying textures. In addition, I’ve noticed a fairly sizable difference in how absorbent one gluten-free flour is from another.
For the best results if you use a different flour, follow the recipe exactly as written and make adjustments to the amount of flour or coconut milk based on how the dough turns out. I also recommend weighing the flour using a kitchen scale for this recipe.
Granulated Cane Sugar, Coconut Sugar, or Sugar-Free Sweetener: For those who enjoy very sweet treats, you can use up to ⅔ cup of granulated sugar and you can always use more chocolate chips.
Full-Fat Canned Coconut Milk: The liquid and fat portion of the recipe! Traditional scones are prepared using cold butter; however, this recipe omits the need for cutting butter into the flour using a pastry cutter.
We simply use full-fat canned coconut milk, which skips the chilled butter step and also eradicates the need for refrigerating the dough.
Pure Vanilla Extract: A generous amount of pure vanilla extract brings warm flavor to the scones, that I find to be so inviting. Without the vanilla extract the scones taste a little plain, so I recommend using it here.
Baking Powder: In order to get that crusty outside and keep the scones held together nicely, we need a leavening agent like baking powder.
Ground Cinnamon and Sea Salt: Cinnamon brings warm flavor to the scones and salt enhances all of the flavors.
Chocolate Chips: The majority of the sweetness in this easy scone recipe comes from the chocolate chips. If you know you prefer sweeter treats, I recommend increasing the amount of granulated sweetener and using 1.5 cups of chocolate chips.
Recipe Customizations:
- Exchange the full-fat canned coconut milk with heavy cream or buttermilk. Melted unsalted butter or vegan butter works too here but you may need to use a little extra.
- Mix in ⅔ cup of chopped pecans or walnuts if you love a nutty crunch.
- Add up to ⅔ cup of dried fruit such as raisins or dried blueberries.
- To keep the recipe dairy-free but use a substitute for coconut milk, use 1/2 cup of melted coconut oil or avocado oil and 3/4 cup of your non-dairy milk of choice, like oat milk, almond milk, or cashew milk.
Now that we’re experts on the basic ingredients for gluten-free scones, let’s bake them! The good news is your local grocery store should carry all of them.
How to Make Gluten-Free Scones:
Note: If your house stays relatively cool, it is likely that there will be separation between the coconut cream and coconut water in your can of coconut milk.
Before starting the recipe, open the can of coconut milk to see if the coconut cream has separated from the water.
If it has, pour the whole can of coconut milk into a jar or measuring cup and microwave for 30 to 60 seconds or until it is easy to mix together. Stir well before measuring out the coconut milk.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and line a large sheet pan with parchment paper. You can also spray the cookie sheet with cooking spray if you don’t have parchment paper.
Add the flour, sugar, baking powder and sea salt to a large bowl and stir until the dry ingredients are combined.
Pour the canned coconut milk and vanilla extract (wet ingredients) into the mixing bowl with the dry ingredients and mix well until a thick dough forms.
The dough should not be overly sticky or overly dry and should press together very easily. If it seems too sticky, add ¼ cup to ½ cup of additional flour or until it is easy to work with.
If the dough seems too dry, add more full-fat coconut milk until it comes together easily.
Add the chocolate chips to the mixing bowl and mix them into the dough. I find this is easiest to do with my hands.
Form the dough into a large ball then shape it into a round disc.
Use a sharp knife to cut the disc into 8 equally sized triangles.
Arrange the triangles in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet, allowing them a little space to grow. If you’d like, press extra chocolate chips into the top of the dough.
Bake on the center rack of the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the scones are golden brown and baked through. I bake mine for 22 minutes and I live at high elevation.
Remove the scones from the oven and allow them to cool for 5 minutes before serving.
Store leftover scones in an airtight container or a zip lock bag in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. You can also freeze scones for up to 3 months.
Are you a scone fan girl or fan boy? Definitely try out some of my other delicious scone recipes.
Use this gluten-free scone recipe as a master recipe for all of your scone dough by mixing up the add-ins.
More Gluten-Free Scone Recipes:
- Blueberry Almond Flour Scones
- Paleo Cranberry Orange Vegan Scones
- Vegan Strawberry Scones
- Paleo Pecan Chocolate Chip Scones
The next time you find yourself eyeballs deep in a scone craving, you’ll have plenty of options!
Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Scones
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups (430g) gluten-free all-purpose flour*
- 1/2 cup (100g) raw cane sugar or coconut sugar**
- 1 Tbsp baking powder
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon optional
- 1 ¼ cups (10oz) full-fat canned coconut milk
- 1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup (170g) chocolate chips
Instructions
- Note: If your house stays relatively cool, it is likely that there will be separation between the coconut cream and coconut water in your can of coconut milk. Before starting the recipe, open the can of coconut milk to see if the coconut cream has separated from the water. If it has, pour the whole can of coconut milk into a jar or measuring cup and microwave for 30 to 60 seconds or until it is easy to mix together. Stir well before measuring out the coconut milk.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and line a large sheet pan with parchment paper. You can also spray the cookie sheet with cooking spray if you don’t have parchment paper.
- Add the flour, sugar, baking powder and sea salt to a large bowl and stir until the dry ingredients are combined.
- Pour the canned coconut milk and vanilla extract (wet ingredients) into the mixing bowl with the dry ingredients and mix well until a thick dough forms. The dough should not be overly sticky or overly dry and should press together very easily. If it seems too sticky, add ¼ cup to ½ cup of additional flour or until it is easy to work with. If the dough seems too dry, add more full-fat coconut milk until it comes together easily.
- Add the chocolate chips to the mixing bowl and mix them into the dough. I find this is easiest to do with my hands.
- Form the dough into a large ball then shape it into a round disc. Use a sharp knife to cut the disc into 8 equally sized triangles.
- Arrange the triangles in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet, allowing them a little space to grow. If you’d like, press extra chocolate chips into the top of the dough.
- Bake on the center rack of the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the scones are golden brown and baked through. I bake mine for 22 minutes and I live at high elevation.
- Remove the scones from the oven and allow them to cool for 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission off items you purchase at no additional cost to you.
I made these today. Are they supposed to be chewy? Because mine are. They are dense and chewy. Lol
Hi Sue! What brand of flour did you use?
@Julia, I used bobs red mill baking flour
The Gluten-Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour, or the regular Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour (containing bean flours)? The reason I ask is I use the 1-to-1 baking flour for all of my scones and I don’t notice a chewy texture, although I’m so used to gluten-free baking that it could be I’m just accustomed to the way GF baked goods turn out..
Hi,
Thank you for the recipe. Does the Bob’s Red Mill All-Purpose Baking Flour(with Bean flours) work in this recipe.
Hi Kathy! I haven’t tested the recipe using that particular flour, but I suspect it should work. I would prepare the recipe as written and make adjustments (add more flour or more coconut milk) based on the consistency of the dough. I hope you enjoy! xo