In a busy world, it’s can be tricky to eat your five servings of vegetables each day. A veggie-stuffed quiche for breakfast, a hearty salad for lunch, a warming soup or stuffed squash for dinner…throw in a side of cauliflower bites and you’re still a serving short! Sneak those extra veggies into tea time with this gluten-free vegetarian scones recipe. Have your vegetables and eat them, too!
Vegetarian Scones: A Delicious Redundancy
If you’re on the hunt for a good vegetarian scones recipe, rest assured: most scone recipes are vegetarian. The majority of scones are sweet—usually incorporating fresh or dried fruit or chocolate. Unless you’re putting bacon in your dough, it’s likely your scone recipe is vegetarian-friendly. (Although these maple bacon scones are a fun option for any meat-eaters out there…)
Even most savory scones are vegetarian, swapping out fruit and chocolate in favor of herbs and cheese.
Cheddar and scallion. Parmesan wheat with tomato goat cheese. You get the idea.
Delicious? Yes. Containing meat? No.
However, because they rely heavily on butter and milk for their dense, flakey texture, scones are not often vegan. For vegan scone recipes, check out these banana oat scones or these gluten and dairy-free almond scones and dried fruit scones!
With that in mind, when you’re looking for vegetarian scones recipes, you’ve got a huge range of options.
Feeling classic? Try a British strawberry scone!
Feeling simple? Try a cinnamon oat scone.
Feeling indulgent? Try a decadent red velvet scone with cream cheese topping.
For a fancy tea party, whip up a batch of hummingbird cake scones or lavender apricot scones.
For a zingy pick-me-up, try ruby red grapefruit scones or refreshing lemonade scones.
And if you’re ever short on ideas, the Plum Deluxe recipe index has dozens of scone recipes to choose from!
Sometimes we need a baked good with a little more nutritional value. And sometimes we crave savory instead of sweet. Enter: vegetable scones.
Choosing Your Vegetables: Peppers, Onions, Zucchini, Oh My!
Our vegetarian scones recipe today goes beyond the absence of meat to include an abundance of vegetables. I included sautéed peppers and onions because I love them. I also threw in some grated zucchini to pack an extra veggie punch.
(Bonus: they’re gluten-free! Flour blend compliments of my gluten-free baker-extraordinaire friend Jen)
If you’re partial to other veggies or spices, feel free to mix and match! This recipe gives you the foundation, and you can play around with it to your heart’s content.
If broccoli cheddar is more your style, swap out the peppers and onions for steamed or roasted broccoli and exchange the parmesan for cheddar.
Maybe puree a hefty bunch of spinach and mix it with your wet ingredients, then stir in a smattering of chopped artichokes and crumbled feta.
Perhaps you’d like a sweet potato scone with caramelized onions and sundried tomatoes.
You know what you like. Go nuts!
If your local farmer’s market is in season, wander the booths and see what speaks to you. Find inspiration in fresh, seasonal produce.
Or maybe head to your grocery store and stock up on your favorite year-round veggies. Maybe pick one of each color. Taste the rainbow!
Or simply stick with this recipe. I’m biased, of course, but I’m a fan.
They’ve got a great rise, nice color, an excellent crisp on the outside to contrast with the flakey crumb on the inside. They are moist, not too dense, and the bit of sweetness from the slow-cooked onions is augmented by a pop of flavor, texture, and color from the peppers. A wonderful choice for veggie and scone lovers alike!
Tea Pairings for Savory Scones
Any one of your favorite teas will probably be a nice accompaniment to these vegetable scones. There are tons of teas that pair well with savory foods!
For a straightforward black tea that pairs very nicely, try Highlands Breakfast tea. Simply flavored with orange peel and heather flowers, this low-frills blend gives the black tea a chance to shine. The slight sweetness from the onions compliments the sturdy flavors of the tea without contradicting them.
My personal favorite blend to drink with these scones is Crystal Clarity oolong. The burst of lemon compliments the sweet but savory notes in the onions and peppers, and the underlying basil leaf emphasizes the herbaceous flavors of the spices. The tea adds a brightness to the scones that harmonizes beautifully with the more grounded flavors. Definitely worth a try!
Check it out and let us know what you think! We always love to see what you’re sipping—tag us on social media @plumdeluxe. Cheers, and happy baking!
Gluten-Free Veggie-Loaded Vegetarian Scone
- 2 cups Jen’s gluten free flour blend (or 1:1 gluten free flour of choice)*
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
- 2 Tablespoons sugar
- 2 and 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon basil**
- 3/4 teaspoon oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric (optional)
- A few twists of fresh ground black pepper (optional, but recommended if using turmeric)
**For a more herbaceous flavor, double the spices. For a more veggie-focused flavor, leave recipe as-is.
Wet ingredients:
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup milk with squeeze of lemon juice or vinegar, OR buttermilk OR heavy cream (plus an additional 1-2 tablespoons for brushing—optional)
Ingredient Assembly:
Grate butter with a cheese grater. Store in freezer while prepping the rest of your ingredients (or overnight).
Assemble all dry ingredients except butter in a large bowl. (Flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and spices.) Place bowl in refrigerator while you continue your prep.
Grate zucchini; squeeze out excess moisture. (You may need to squeeze it out several times over the course of your food prep. Ideally, the zucchini should no longer drip when you squeeze it.)*
Heat butter or oil over medium-low heat in a large skillet.** Sauté onions for several minutes until they start to become translucent. Add the peppers. Allow vegetables to cook until peppers are softened. To bring out the natural sweetness of the vegetables, keep cooking until onions begin to caramelize and turn light to medium brown.*** Add zucchini and stir for another minute or so.
Set vegetables aside to cool.
Whisk milk and eggs together in medium bowl.
*Remember, you can use any vegetables you’d like. The zucchini is not a requirement for success in the taste or texture of these scones. Feel free to make adjustments according to taste, timing, and ingredients on hand!
**If you like more crunch to your vegetables, skip the sautéing step and add raw veggies to your dough.
***If you’re in a hurry, sauté only until vegetables are softened. Cooking the veggies low and slow brings out natural sweetness but is not strictly necessary.
Dough Assembly and Baking:
Preheat oven to 400°F.
Remove dry ingredients from fridge and butter from freezer. Using a pastry cutter or two knives, cut the butter into the dry ingredients.
Add milk and egg mixture, grated cheese, and cooled veggies. Stir until dough just begins to form. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead just enough for the dough to fully come together. If it seems too dry, add a little more milk. If it seems overly sticky, add a little more flour.
Shape dough into a roughly 8-inch circle. Cut circle into 8 wedges.
If time allows, rest in fridge for 15 – 30 minutes to allow ingredients to chill again after being handled.* (If you must skip this step, don’t worry, your scones will still taste good!)
Optional: For a crispier outside texture, brush dough with milk immediately before placing in oven.
Bake 20-25 minutes, or until tops are golden brown.
*You can also prep these the night before and leave them in the fridge overnight.
Jen’s Gluten-Free Flour Blend
- 2 and 1/4 cups brown rice flour
- 3/4 cups sweet rice flour
- 1/3 cup corn starch
- 1/4 cup potato starch
- 2 teaspoons xanthum gum or guar gum
Combine all ingredients.
Can be used immediately or stored in fridge in an airtight container.
*Will make more than you need for this recipe, but can be used for any gluten-free baking. Feel free to double or triple to keep on hand for other recipes!
