Looking for a cozy, bakery-style fall treat that is both plant-based and gluten-free? These Vegan & Gluten-Free Pumpkin Scones are delightfully flaky, perfectly spiced, and so easy to whip up for a weekend breakfast or afternoon coffee break!
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Every year when September arrives, the weather in Dubai remains extremely hot and humid. Meanwhile, across the globe, autumn sets in, and pumpkin spice mania takes over social media and coffee shops everywhere! Because of the desert heat, I don’t do much baking in September—and definitely nothing heavily spiced.
I usually have to wait until mid-October when the weather becomes tolerable. That’s when I finally get to cram in every single pumpkin recipe saved on my .Pinterest account! Today, I’m sharing one of my favorites: an easy, flavorful, light-on-sugar pumpkin scone recipe that is completely gluten-free and vegan… (mostly baked products which could be savory or sweet) So here we are with an easy recipe with pumpkin, flavorful and light on sugar, gluten free and vegan too.
Pumpkin Scones
🎃 The Secret to Perfect Gluten-Free & Vegan Scones
If you’ve followed Nutrizonia for a while, you might remember the first scones i tested was the strawberry scones . When I first posted them, I wrote that scones weren’t really my thing! But over time, I grew to love them— and made few scones recipes on the blog .. especially because a good scone is tender, lightly sweet, and buttery, making it ideal for a morning breakfast or afternoon tea.
Making scones without wheat flour or dairy requires a few simple baking tweaks:
1. Flour Selection & Flakiness
Getting the exact rise of wheat flour can be tricky in gluten-free baking. Look for a 1-to-1 gluten-free baking blend that includes tapioca starch, which aids in crispiness. However, the real secret to true scone flakiness is keeping your cold butter fat suspended throughout the flour mixture.
2. The Baking Powder Ratio
In traditional wheat baking, the standard rule of thumb is 1 teaspoon of baking powder per cup of flour. In gluten-free baking, you often need at least 2 teaspoons for a proper lift. For this recipe, we use 90g of flour (about ¾ cup) alongside 2 full teaspoons of baking powder. Because pumpkin puree provides natural moisture, adding too much leavening will turn your scones cakey instead of flaky.
3. Fat & Liquid Balance
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Plant-Based Milk: Soy milk works wonderfully here for a tender dough, but because pumpkin puree already adds moisture, we only need 1 tablespoon of milk!
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Vegan Butter vs. Coconut Oil: Both work well! Vegan block butter gives a wonderful traditional bakery flavor. If you choose cold solid coconut oil instead, make sure to use a high-quality refined brand so it doesn’t impart a soapy background flavor.This is my favorite brand
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Eggless By Design: Eggs add richness, but they can make gluten-free scones spongy or cake-like. Traditional British scones don’t use eggs, and since vegan butter provides plenty of moisture, no egg replacer is needed here.
Important Note
For the sugar, you can use vegan sugar if it’s a must for you. However, I didn’t find a vegan sugar that is not powered. So I don’t recommend using it in this recipe.
🎃 Health Benefits of Pumpkin & Diabetes Context
Pumpkin is a nutrient-dense fruit—delivering an abundance of vitamins and minerals for very few calories.
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Rich in Vitamin A & Antioxidants: A 100g serving of pumpkin provides over 100% of your daily Vitamin A requirement, alongside Vitamin C, potassium, fiber, and beta-carotene.
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Low Glycemic & Blood Sugar Friendly: Pumpkin has a low glycemic load and is naturally low in sugar and fat.
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Insulin Sensitivity Research: Animal studies on pumpkin compounds suggest promising metabolic benefits. Clinical research published in PubMed Central highlights that pumpkin polysaccharides can significantly reduce blood glucose levels and help improve insulin sensitivity and glucose tolerance. Early rodent studies even suggest pumpkin bioactives may assist in protecting pancreatic beta-cells—though more human trials are still needed!
🥗 Variations & Substitutions
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Nut & Spice Mix-Ins: Fold in 2 tablespoons of chopped toasted pecans, walnuts, or dairy-free dark chocolate chips into the dry flour mixture before adding the wet ingredients.
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Sugar Alternatives: You can substitute standard sugar with coconut sugar for a subtle caramel flavor.
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Milk Options: Soy milk gives the best structure, but unsweetened almond, oat, or cashew milk all work seamlessly.
Save the recipe for later, pin it!
🍂 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Why is freezing the shaped scones before baking necessary?
Do not skip the 30-minute chill step! Freezing hardens the vegan butter cubes inside the dough. When the cold butter hits the hot oven, it creates steam pockets, producing that signature flaky texture rather than spreading into a flat disc.
Can I use fresh pumpkin instead of canned puree?
Yes! If using homemade pumpkin puree, make sure to drain it in cheesecloth or paper towels first to remove excess water, otherwise your dough will become sticky.
How do I store and freeze leftover scones?
Store baked scones in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, or freeze unglazed baked scones for up to 3 months. Reheat frozen scones in a 175°C (350°F) oven for 5–7 minutes to restore their crisp exterior.
🛍️ Kitchen Favorites for This Recipe
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1-to-1 Gluten-Free Baking Flour — Pre-blended with xanthan gum and tapioca for ideal texture.
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Organic Pumpkin Puree — 100% pure canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix).
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Pumpkin Pie Spice — Warm blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves.
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Pastry Cutter / Dough Blender — Cuts cold butter into flour quickly without warming it with your hands.
Vegan & Gluten Free Glazed Pumpkin Scones
Tender, flaky gluten-free and vegan pumpkin scones lightly spiced with pumpkin pie spice and topped with a sweet 2-ingredient glaze
Ingredients
- 90g Gluten-Free Baking Flour (preferably a blend containing tapioca starch)
- 45g Vegan Butter (cut into small cubes and kept chilled)
- 45g Pumpkin Puree (100% pure pumpkin)
- 1 tbsp Soy Milk (or any plant-based milk)
- 1 tbsp Granulated Sugar (or coconut sugar)
- 2 tsp Baking Powder
- 1 tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice (or ¼ tsp nutmeg, ½ tsp cinnamon, ⅛ tsp cloves, ¼ tsp allspice, ⅛ tsp ground ginger)
- ¼ tsp Salt
- Optional Mix-Ins:
- 2 tbsp Vegan Chocolate Chips OR Toasted Chopped Pecans/Walnuts
- Optional Glaze:
- 60g (½ cup) Powdered Sugar
- 2 tbsp Soy Milk
Instructions
Notes
A Note on Vegan Sugar:
If strict vegan sugar is important for your diet, feel free to use your favorite organic granulated or coconut sugar. If you only have powdered vegan sugar on hand, save it for the glaze rather than the dough, as powdered sugar will alter the scone dough's texture and make it too spreadable.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
8Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 141Total Fat: 6gSaturated Fat: 4gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 12mgSodium: 233mgCarbohydrates: 21gFiber: 1gSugar: 11gProtein: 2g
🔗 Related Posts You’ll Love
If you love seasonal, nutrient-dense breakfast ideas, check out these Nutrizonia reader favorites:
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Creamy Pumpkin Polenta Porridge (Warm, cozy fall breakfast bowl)
What is your absolute favorite pumpkin dish to bake once autumn weather sets in? Give these flaky vegan scones a try, and leave a comment below letting me know if you added pecans or chocolate chips! Don’t forget to tag me @Nutrizonia on Instagram so I can share your beautiful bakes!
