Gluten Free Maple Walnut Scones
With a pure maple flavor, crunchy walnuts in the dough, and a soft, crumbly texture, these Gluten Free Maple Walnut Scones are sure to become your newest fall favorite.
Classic Scone Recipe, Updated for Fall
Scones are considered a quintessential dish in the United Kingdom and Ireland, but they aren’t something you see too often in the States. And that, my friends, is a tragedy.
If you’ve never had a scone, you need to remedy that immediately. Scones are like a biscuit’s older, wiser, more sophisticated cousin. And so much easier to make. We’re talking 10 minutes to make the dough and then just 25-30 minutes to bake. Easy peasy, give me all the scones to put in my belly.
And these gluten free maple walnut scones use a tried and true recipe from Ireland as the base for the dough. My mom’s friend Peggy gave me the original recipe. Her mother used to make these scones as did her grandmother back the in County Clare, Ireland. I believe the recipe is from the late 1800s… so yeah, it’s been tested extensively over the years. Or centuries.
Maple Flavor, Without All That Sugar
OK, I’ll be honest, maple isn’t really one of my favorite flavors. I find most maple flavored desserts or baked goods to be sickeningly sweet. I fell like all I can taste is pure sugar and I need to brush my teeth asap. So it might seem strange, but that’s exactly why I wanted to make these gluten free maple walnut scones.
Good Grade A maple syrup is complex – it’s smokey, it’s sweet, a little earthy. In short, it’s delicious. That’s the flavor I wanted in my scones. Something that tasted like maple, not just sugar.
What’s In Gluten Free Maple Walnut Scones? It’s Maple Extract for the Win!
First, I tried substituting some of the granulated sugar for maple syrup, but that left the dough too wet and sticky. After adding some additional gluten free flour (just 2 tablespoons), the dough seemed to come together a bit more. I baked the first batch of scones for 25 minutes and topped them with my maple glaze after letting them cool.
The results from the first batch of gluten free maple walnut scones were… underwhelming. Hardly any maple flavor in the actual scones, which were bone dry from the additional 2 tablespoons of flour. You wouldn’t think that little bit of flour would make a difference, but it does. Baking is a science, my friends!
I was going to try substituting all of the granulated sugar for maple syrup, but again, that would mean more flour and a bone-dry scone. So I settled on some good quality maple extract. I say “good quality” because the last thing you want in your gluten free maple walnut scones is the sugar alcohol taste some lesser quality extracts produce.
By adding a tablespoon of extract to the dough and 1/4 teaspoon to the maple glaze I had the results I wanted. Delicious maple flavor without a sickeningly sweet, sugary taste.
BONUS: my house smelled AH. MAZE. ING.
Tips for Making Gluten Free Maple Walnut Scones
- This dough is pretty forgiving as far as when or how you add the ingredients. I’ve been lazy and dumped everything in a bowl and mixed with a hand mixer, spoon, or my hands. I’ve also creamed the butter and sugar, then added the dry ingredients, then the sour cream. Both results were great! But my favor way is the latter, just so I have a little more control of texture.
- Once you add the egg and extract to the butter and sugar, it will look lumpy and almost curdled. Don’t worry, the batter is fine! It will become smooth once the additional ingredients are added.
- I find an ice cream scooper works best to portion out the dough onto the baking sheet. I fill the ice cream scoop about 1/2 way full for perfectly sized scones.
- Keep in mind the scones don’t spread or rise like a biscuit, so they can be a little closer on the baking sheet.
- The recipe calls for 1/2 cup of walnuts, chopped. Which means you measure out 1/2 cup of walnuts and THEN chop them. So the walnuts equal a little under 3/4 cup once chopped.
- I can’t stress enough the importance of good quality maple extract. I prefer McCormick maple extract as there is a lot of maple flavor without the sugar alcohol taste.
- Additionally, you’re going to want really good quality maple syrup for the glaze. There’s no sense in going through the effort of making the scones just to top them with a glob of sugar. Your grocery store should have some decent options for Grade A maple syrup, some may even be from local farms!
Let’s Eat!
And there you have it, friends! Gluten free maple walnut scones – soft, crumbly, and a warm maple flavor without all the sugary taste. These scones are perfect for a crisp fall morning or an impromptu afternoon tea. Pour yourself a cup of chai or Earl Grey (my favorite with these scones!), relax, and dig in to some freshly baked scones.
If you make this scones, be sure to leave a comment and/or rate the recipe! I love hearing from you and constructive feedback is always welcome. And be sure to tag me on social if you make it. Seeing photos of recipes you’ve made is my favorite!
Cheers to you, friend!
Gluten Free Maple Walnut Scones
Ingredients
Scones
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter room temperature
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg slightly beaten
- 1 tablespoon maple extract
- 1½ cups King Arthur Flour Gluten-Free Measure for Measure Flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- pinch kosher salt
- 8 ounces sour cream
- ½ cup walnuts chopped
Glaze
- ¼ cup confectioner's sugar
- 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup Grade A
- ¼ teaspoon maple extract
Instructions
For the Scones
- Preheat your oven to 350 and line a cookie or baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar together on medium low speed until slightly lighter in color, about 1-2 minutes.
- Add beaten egg and 1 tablespoon of maple extract to the bowl. Mix on medium low until just combined, about 1 minute. The batter will look lumpy and almost curdled, don’t worry, it will become smooth with the additional ingredients.
- With the mixer on low, add flour, baking soda, baking powder, and pinch of salt. Increase the speed to medium low and mix until the butter mixture is incorporated to the dry ingredients, about 1 minute. It will still be very dry and crumbly.
- Finally, add the sour cream and walnuts to the bowl and mix on medium low speed until well combined and smooth, about 2 minutes.
- Using an ice cream scoop, fill the scoop about 1/2 full with dough and drop onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Space the scones about 1-2 inches apart on the baking sheet.
- Place scones on middle rack in oven and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until scones are lightly browned on top. Let cool slightly before toping with the glaze.
For the Maple Glaze
- Combine powdered sugar, maple syrup, and 1/4 teaspoon of maple extract in a bowl. Stir until smooth.
- Drizzle about 1-2 tablespoons of glaze over each scone, depending on size. Scones can be stored wrapped in aluminum foil or in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Notes
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