Vegan Lemon-Raspberry Scones
Today reader Libby Becker — founder of Ironwomandiaries.com— shares her absolute favorite vegan scone recipe! Libby is a content and community manager with a passion for food and exercise. She fell in love with sports and nutrition at an early age, even planning weekly lunch meals for herself in middle school. Her mom and dad taught her the importance of healthy eating, which has carried through in the recipes that she creates today. She loves running with her dog, Coco, and biking through the bluffs along the Mississippi River. Her ultimate goal is to complete an Ironman before age 30.
Wow! Are you ready for an explosion of flavor in your mouth? Seriously, these are the absolute best scones I’ve ever made, and I’ve made lots. These have so much flavor thanks to the coconut oil and lemon zest, plus they are so healthy, and did I mention, vegan?! No butter, no eggs. I’m in heaven with these and I know you will be, too. These vegan lemon-raspberry scones are packed with power foods: chia seeds, coconut oil and raspberries.
I’m not sure when I developed a weakness for scones. I suppose it probably started as a teenager when I discovered this amazing little vegetarian coffee shop in Ashland, Wisc., just a short 15-minute drive from home. This is also where I fell in love with Italian sodas, although I haven’t had one of those in years. Since then I’ve become somewhat of a connoisseur of scones, always trying different ones at coffee shops and the occasional grocery store if they look extra appealing. I developed a particular love for blueberry scones, although strangely enough I’ve never actually made a blueberry scone. I also recently had a caraway scone that was surprisingly delicious. So on my quest to find a healthier version of my beloved scone, I discovered then morphed and created, the perfect vegan scone recipe.
Now, zest of anything was foreign to me. I actually Googled exactly what I needed to do to incorporate this thing called zest into my recipe. WOW! I had no idea that zest could be so powerful! I think it may have become my new favorite thing, and I’ll have to invest in a zester to make sure all of the zest makes it into my recipe. Here’s how I got my zest (for those of you who also don’t own a zester): I used the medium-whole-size side of my cheese grater, careful to only get the yellow part of the lemon. I at first tried the smallest of sides, but found that it seemed to be more work and effort than the return. The medium side didn’t quite let the zest loose, so when I was ready to pour my soymilk into my mixture, I poured it over the grater at an angle to allow for the zest to be cleaned off the grater and into my mixture. (Genius, right?!)
I might be rambling at how good these are, but it’s because I’ve never tasted anything like these! Whenever I experiment with things, it’s always questionable how good they’ll actually be. Sometimes my creations are, well, kind of awful. Then, every once in a while I hit it out of the park and make something so delicious I want to shout from the rooftops! I hope you make these and come back here and tell me how much you love them, too.
- 1 ¼ cups rolled oats
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup whole-wheat pastry flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup vanilla soymilk
- 1 tablespoon chia seeds ground (I grind mine by using my Vitamix, you’ll have to toss in more than you’ll need, but you can keep the extra ground chia seeds, that last for months, in the fridge to use again, add to smoothies or other recipes).
- 3 tablespoons water
- ⅓ cup coconut oil, melted
- ½ teaspoon real vanilla extract
- zest of one large lemon
- 1 cup fresh raspberries
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Prepare a large baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray.
- In a medium bowl combine ground chia seeds and water. Let sit for 5 minutes while you complete the next step.
- In a large bowl, mix together the dry ingredients starting with the rolled oats through the brown sugar.
- Return to your medium bowl with the chia seed and water mixture. The consistency should be like that of an egg white. Combine the coconut oil, vanilla extract and zest, using the soymilk to help ensure all of your zest makes it into the bowl by pouring it over the grater to help clean the zest from grater. (Note: Your melted coconut oil will become slightly solid again due to the chilled soymilk, but don’t be alarmed; everything will still combine beautifully.)
- Make a well in the dry ingredients, pour in the wet ingredients and stir until combined.
- Add the raspberries and stir gently until they are combined into the mixture.
- Using your ¼ cup measuring cup, scoop mixture onto the greased baking sheet. Ever so slightly press down on top of each scooped ball. The goal is to flatten slightly to help the scone cook through evenly.
- Bake 12-14 minutes, until center is cooked through (test using a toothpick) or scones become just slightly golden brown on top. Remove from oven and let rest on baking sheet 2-3 minutes. Using a spatula, remove from baking sheet and let cool on a wire rack.
Devour! (Seriously, try eating just one. It’s nearly impossible!) —Libby
Comments
Hi! This recipe sounds perfectly awesome! Jut wondering if fresh cranberries might be used as a substitute for the raspberries? Can’t wait t try this one. Thanks!
Hi Martha!
Yes, you can substitute any fruit you prefer. I’ve used blueberries, strawberries, and even just plain with poppy seeds for a delicious lemon poppy seed scone.
-Libby
ironwomandiaries.com
Comments are closed.