Gluten-Free Buttery Tea Scones Recipe for the Perfect Afternoon Treat

Gluten Free Buttery Tea Scones

Every time I set these scones out at a church potluck or a weekend brunch, someone asks the same question before the plate is half empty. Are these really gluten free? They are, and the answer always makes people reach for a second one.

This recipe began as a gluten free version of the UBC Tea Scones I have baked for years, and it keeps the tender, melt in your mouth texture that makes a proper tea scone so hard to stop eating.

It is also about as easy as baking gets. You whisk the dry ingredients, cut in cold butter, stir in milk and a beaten egg, and drop the dough onto a baking sheet. There is no rolling, no folding, and no chilling.

One batch makes about 20 scones, which is just right for a potluck table, a brunch spread, or a quiet afternoon with a hot cup of tea.

You can leave them plain or stir in up to a cup of mix ins, and you can split one batch into two or three flavors if your crowd has strong opinions.

The shape is a little different from the wedge cut scones you may be used to, but they are scones through and through. Even friends who never choose gluten free baking finish these without a second thought.

Ingredients

One batch makes about 20 scones. Keep the butter cold until the moment you need it.

Dry Ingredients:

• 240 grams brown rice flour
• 160 grams tapioca starch
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 5 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon xanthan gum
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Wet Ingredients:

• 1 cup milk
• 3/4 cup cold butter, cut into small chunks (about 170 grams)
• 1 egg, beaten

Instructions

Here is the whole process, from mixing bowl to cooling rack.

Making the Dough

Start by heating the oven to 425F/220C so it is fully hot when the dough is ready. In a large mixing bowl, combine the brown rice flour, tapioca starch, sugar, baking powder, xanthan gum, and salt, and whisk them together until everything is evenly blended.

Add the cold butter chunks to the flour mixture. Use a pastry cutter, a fork, or two knives to cut the butter into the dry ingredients. You are done when the butter bits are well coated in flour and the mixture looks like coarse crumbs.

Those little pieces of butter are what give the scones their tender crumb, so take a minute here and do not rush it.

Pour in the milk and the beaten egg, then mix with a spoon or a rubber spatula just until a sticky dough forms. This is the one place where a heavy hand works against you, so stop mixing as soon as the dough comes together.

If you want filled scones, stir in up to 1 cup of your chosen mix ins now. Fresh blueberries, dried cranberries, grated cheddar, and chocolate chips all work beautifully. To make more than one flavor from a single batch, divide the dough into separate bowls first, then stir a different filling into each one.

Shaping and Baking the Tea Scones

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Use a cookie scoop or two tablespoons to drop moundfuls of dough onto the sheet, leaving a little space between them. The scones do not need to be perfectly even, though scooping them to a similar size helps them bake at the same rate.

If any mounds have rough edges or pointy tops, dampen your fingers slightly and smooth them down. This step is optional, but it gives you a tidier finished scone.

Bake for 12 minutes, until the scones are golden brown. Move them to a cooling rack and let them cool for 10 minutes before serving. Leftovers keep in a sealed container or bag for 2 to 3 days, and a short warm up in the toaster oven or the microwave softens them right back up.

Serving Suggestions

A buttery tea scone is at its best next to something hot to drink. I usually put on a pot of tea, but coffee works just as well. Coffee Milk Tea, Ginger Honey Tea, or an English Tea Latte are all lovely pairings if you want to make the afternoon feel a little special.

For toppings, keep it simple with soft butter, or go the British route with clotted cream and jam. A spoonful of 3 Ingredient Blueberry Jam on a warm scone is one of my favorite combinations, and it takes almost no effort at all.

Part of what makes these scones so tender is the cold butter you cut into the flour. Those butter bits melt during baking and leave little pockets of richness behind, which is why the texture stays soft even without wheat flour.

They are not only for tea time. Serve them for breakfast or as part of a brunch table alongside a tray of bacon for a crowd or a crustless roasted vegetable quiche. Set out a basket at a potluck and watch how quickly it empties.

If you do have leftovers, keep them in a sealed container or bag for 2 to 3 days. A quick warm up in the toaster oven or the microwave brings back that fresh from the oven softness.

Commonly Asked Questions

These scones are gluten free, yet they taste so tender and buttery that people who do not avoid gluten happily eat them. That is the whole point of the recipe, and it is why I keep baking them. A few questions come up often.

Can I freeze them? Yes. Let the scones cool completely, then freeze them in a resealable freezer bag for up to 1 month.

Can I swap the tapioca starch? Cornstarch works as a substitute for the tapioca starch.

Can I make the dough ahead of time? I would not. The dough should be baked right after it is mixed, so plan to shape and bake in one go.

How long do they keep? At room temperature they are good for 2 days, and up to 5 days in the refrigerator.

Can I shape the dough into a disc and cut wedges? Better not. This dough needs more flour to hold together as a disc, and that extra flour makes the scones less tender. Dropping the dough by the scoop gives you the softest result.

Are they dairy free? Dairy free swaps have not been tested here, so I cannot promise the same tender result.

Ingredients

Here is the full list for one batch of 20 scones, ready to copy into your own notes.

• 240 grams brown rice flour
• 160 grams tapioca starch
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 5 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon xanthan gum
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup cold butter, cut into small chunks
• 1 cup milk
• 1 egg, beaten

Mix in 1 cup (optional):

• Fresh blueberries
• Dried cranberries
• Grated cheddar
• Chocolate chips

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 425F/220C.
2. Combine the brown rice flour, tapioca starch, sugar, baking powder, xanthan gum, and salt in a mixing bowl and whisk together to combine.
3. Add the cold butter chunks to the flour mixture and use a pastry cutter, a fork, or two knives to cut the butter into the dry ingredients. The bits of butter should be well coated in flour and resemble coarse crumbs.
4. Add the milk and the beaten egg and mix well with a spoon or a rubber spatula until a sticky dough forms.
5. Stir in 1 cup of scone fillings, if desired. If you are making more than one flavor from a single batch, divide the dough between bowls and mix a different filling into each.
6. Use a cookie scoop or tablespoons to drop moundfuls of dough onto a parchment lined baking sheet.
7. Flatten any edges or points on the scone mounds with slightly wet fingers, if desired.
8. Bake for 12 minutes, until golden brown.
9. Transfer the scones to a cooling rack and let them cool for 10 minutes before serving.
10. Store leftover scones in a sealed container or bag for 2 to 3 days. Warm them in the toaster oven or the microwave to soften.

Notes

These are the small details that make the recipe work the first time you try it.

• 3/4 cup of butter weighs about 170 grams, so a kitchen scale makes measuring simple.
• No pastry blender? Two knives or a fork work fine, and a food processor can be used with short pulses as long as the butter does not soften.
• Dry flavorings such as cinnamon or pumpkin spice go in with the dry ingredients.
• Wet flavorings such as lemon zest or vanilla go in with the milk and the egg.
• Fillings are always stirred in after the flour mixture has come together with the milk and egg.
• Lightly dampened fingers can flatten rough spots on the dough before baking.
• Leftovers keep in a sealed container for a couple of days, and a brief warm up in the toaster oven or microwave softens them again.

Cold butter is the quiet hero here. Keep it in the refrigerator until the moment you cut it into the flour, and you will be rewarded with the softest scones.

Recipe details

One batch is enough for a crowd, and the hands on work moves quickly once the oven is hot.

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Gluten-Free Buttery Tea Scones

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Gluten Free Buttery Tea Scones Every time I set these scones out at a church potluck or a weekend brunch, someone asks the same question before the plate is half empty. Are these really gluten free?

• Total Time: 0 min
• Yield: 20 scones 1x

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

Ingredients
240 grams brown rice flour
160 grams tapioca starch
½ cup sugar
5 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
½ teaspoon salt
¾ cup cold butter, cut into small chunks
1 cup milk
1 egg, beaten

Mix in 1 cup (optional)
Fresh blueberries
Dried cranberries
Grated cheddar
Chocolate chips

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

Instructions
1-Preheat oven 425F/220C: Preheat oven 425F/220C.
2-Combine brown rice flour, tapioca starch, sugar,: Combine brown rice flour, tapioca starch, sugar, baking powder, xanthan gum, and salt in a mixing bowl and whisk together to combine.
3-Add cold butter chunks to the flour: Add cold butter chunks to the flour mixture and use the pastry cutter (or fork or two knives) to cut the butter into the dry ingredients. Bits of butter should be well-coated in the flour and resemble coarse crumbs.
4-Add milk and beaten egg to the: Add milk and beaten egg to the flour-butter mixture and mix well with a spoon or rubber spatula until a sticky dough forms.
5-Stir in 1 cup of scone fillings,: Stir in 1 cup of scone fillings, if desired. If making more than one flavor from one batch, divide the dough to different bowls and mix in the different fillings to each.
6-Use a cookie scoop or tablespoons to: Use a cookie scoop or tablespoons to drop moundfuls of dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet.
7-Flatten any edges or points on the: Flatten any edges or points on the scone mounds with slightly wet fingers, if desired.
8-Bake for 12 minutes until golden brown: Bake for 12 minutes until golden brown.
9-Transfer scones to a cooling rack and: Transfer scones to a cooling rack and let cool for 10 minutes before serving.
10-Store leftover scones in a sealed container: Store leftover scones in a sealed container or bag for 2-3 days. Warm in the toaster oven or the microwave to soften.

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• Prep Time: 30 min
• Cook Time: 12 min
• Method: bake