Chocolate Cherry Almond Scones (Vegan+GF)

Well, I think we can agree that we never thought 2020 would actually end. Although, the joke is kind of on us since 2021 is starting out to look pretty similar.

But we’re not going to talk about that. Let’s talk about these delicious scones. I’ve been working at a bakery part time for a while now and we bake so many flavors of scones. I always end up thinking about how I haven’t made a scone recipe in ages and how many flavors of scones that I would like to try. My favorite part of coming up with recipes is that I can go to the ingredients I have on hand and get inspired to try a new flavor.

So what’s the first thing you think about when you think of a scone? I’m guessing you’re thinking “dry”, “bland”, or just generally “meh”. Well, let me tell ya, that’s probably just because you haven’t tried these scones.

They’re lightly sweet, soft not dry, and they aren’t loaded with unhealthy ingredients. In fact, they fit pretty well for January being a month of better health choices. I’m personally not huge fan of the January reset mindset because I feel like it’s not the best way to think about goals. To me, it’s better to live life in balance and not be thinking it’s all or nothing and if you fail your New Year’s resolution you can’t just keep making good choices. Healthy living doesn’t mean perfection.

The texture is different from what you’d expect from a “normal” scone due to the almond flour but personally I love the texture and nutty flavor. I had to adjust the bake times and temperatures to make sure that they baked in the center without burning on the edges so you may need to increase the bake time a bit depending on your oven.

If you try them be sure to let me know what you think.

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Chocolate Cherry Almond Scones (Vegan+GF)

These scones combine the perfect balance of flavors and textures for a perfect tea time or morning treat.

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes

Servings 8 scones

Ingredients

Scones

• 3 cups almond flour
• 2 tablespoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup coconut cream
• 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
• 1 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
• 100 g about 2/3 cup dairy-free semi-sweet dark chocolate roughly chopped (or chocolate chips)
• 1/2 cup slivered almonds (plus additional for topping)
• 1/2 cup dried cherries

Glaze:

• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons almond milk
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (190 C) and line 2 baking sheets with parchment or silicone mats.

2. Add almond flour, baking powder, salt, chocolate chips, cherries, and almonds to a large mixing bowl and mix well until you have a course, crumbly mixture.
3. Add the maple syrup, vinegar, coconut milk, and extracts to a small bowl and stir to combine, then pour into dry ingredients and fold together with a rubber spatula just until it comes together.

4. Scrape dough onto a lightly dusted with arrowroot starch or cornstarch. With well dusted hands because the dough will be a bit wet, flatten into a circular disc shape, about an inch high. Do your best to handle the dough as little as possible in order to keep it cold. (If you're having trouble with handling it you can chill it for about 30 minutes in the fridge or even the freezer to make it easier to work with.)

5. Make 4 cuts, straight, across, and diagonally, in the circle so that you have 8 equal triangles (see photos) Separate them and place each triangle about 2 inches apart on prepared pan.

6. Bake for 30 - 35 minutes or until edges start to turn golden brown. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely.

7. While the scones are cooling, whisk all ingredients together for the glaze until smooth. When they're completely cool, drizzle with glaze.