Gluten-Free Pumpkin-Cranberry-Pecan Scones

24 Posted on October 24, 2012 - by Jules Shepard

Categories: All, Breakfast Treats, Holiday, Muffins, Recipes, Thanksgiving

Tags: , Breakfast, Dairy Free, GFCF, Gluten Free Kids, Muffins, Pumpkin, Thanksgiving, Vegan

One of my all-time favorite recipes is for scones. Not the dry, hard kind with no flavor (you know what I’m talking about!), but the moist, tender kind bursting with berries and crispy-topped with a light coating of cinnamon and sugar. This is also the kind of recipe that takes about 5 minutes to make, and only 10 minutes to bake, so it’s ready before the bus pulls up in the morning! Nothing not to love about this recipe, and now it’s tailored to the season!

I was teaching how to make yummy gluten-free scones in Utah a couple weeks ago, and learned that in Utah, scones don’t mean the same thing as the Southern scones I grew up with. However, there were absolutely no complaints from the audience when they tasted my version of a scone! I promised to share some variations on the theme with everyone on my blog, and here is one of my favorites!

In honor of the season, I used pumpkin purée in place of some of the yogurt, and the result is divine! Feel free to use a different berry, leave the nuts out — whatever suits you! Drizzle some cranberry sauce on top, and this could be a terrific Thanksgiving “morning after” breakfast treat too! Yum yum!

Pumpkin-Cranberry-Pecan Scones

2 cups Jules Gluten Free™ All-Purpose Flour
2 Tbs. flaxseed meal (optional, but recommended)
1/4 cup granulated cane sugar
2 tsp. gluten-free baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice (or cinnamon)
4 Tbs. butter or shortening (Earth Balance® Shortening Sticks)
2 large eggs (or egg substitute like 2 Tbs. flaxseed meal steeped in 6 Tbs. warm water)
1/2 cup yogurt, dairy or non-dairy (So Delicious® Vanilla coconut yogurt)
1/4 cup pumpkin purée
1/2 cup fresh cranberries
1/4 cup chopped pecans (optional)
cinnamon-sugar to sprinkle on the tops before baking

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Whisk together all dry ingredients in a large bottom bowl. Cut shortening into the dry ingredients using a pastry cutter or two knives. Stir in the eggs, yogurt and pumpkin. Gently fold in berries and nuts.

Spoon dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet “drop biscuit” style, and sprinkle with a pre-made cinnamon and sugar mixture. Bake for 8-11 minutes, just until the tops are lightly browned. Do not overcook!

Makes approximately 15 scones.

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24 Comments

We'd love to hear yours!

Jen said: on November 9, 2011

These look delicious! I love cranberries, pecans, scones, and So Delicious vanilla coconut milk Greek yogurt, and I’m so excited to make this!
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- Jules said: on November 9, 2011
  
  They are delicious Jen! I hope you get to try the recipe soon!
  Reply
Amber said: on November 9, 2011

These look super yummy! Scones are traditionally made with lots of heavy cream and butter. These must be a power house for breakfast. I love cranberries and pecans AND pumpkin lol!
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- Jules said: on November 13, 2011
  
  Amber – I love this recipe because it’s so moist and delicious, AND that it’s not full of heavy cream and butter. It’s right up there as one of the most perfect breakfast recipes!
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Rose said: on November 11, 2011

These do look scrumptious! I was wondering if I could substitute canned 100% pure pumpkin for the puree. Also how do you think dried cranberries would work?
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- Jules said: on November 13, 2011
  
  Rose – 100% pure pumpkin is the same as pumpkin puree, so you’re set! Dried cranberries will work, but they are less moist, so they will not taste exactly the same.
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Stephanie said: on November 11, 2011

Fabulous! I’m going to make these this weekend so I can bring them on a little family trip to the mountains!
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- Jules said: on November 13, 2011
  
  Stephanie – these are perfect for travel. I brought my bag of scones along on my flight to Seattle this weekend! YUM!
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Christina said: on November 11, 2011

These look great! Most of my muffin recipes call for 1 1/2 cups pumpkin and the can usually has 1 3/4 cup in it. I never knew what to do with the extra 1/4 cup! This looks like a perfect solution. Thanks!
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- Jules said: on November 13, 2011
  
  Christina – that’s exactly what happened to me too! I had extra pumpkin and needed a place to put it! So glad it was such a delicious solution!
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- Elaine said: on October 27, 2012
  
  You can always stir leftover pumpkin into your oatmeal or other cooked cereal. It’s delicious!
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  - Jules said: on October 27, 2012
    
    Fantastic idea, Elaine!!
    Reply
Nancy said: on November 15, 2011

Mine are in the oven now. Can’t wait to sink my teeth into them.
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Grace Good said: on November 15, 2011

Hi Jules, I’ve nominated you for the “Tell Me About Yourself” Blog Award over at http://gracefullyglutenfree.blogspot.com/ Congratulations on you reward I think you deserve it!
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Karen said: on November 17, 2011

Hi Jules! Thank you so much for your amazing flour and recipes! I was diagnosed in May at age 57 with Celiac. Talk about a change in my life! I made these scones and took them to work to share. Everyone loved them!! They are absolutely delicious. Thank you so much for helping me adapt to a whole new lifestyle.
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- Jules said: on November 20, 2011
  
  Karen, I’m so glad you are making the transition happily and so happy that I could help! I love this recipe and it’s always a crowd-pleaser! The more yummy gluten-free food you take to the office and impress folks with, the more the old myths about gluten-free food being bad will fade away! Consider yourself an ambassador of great gluten-free food!
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Robin said: on November 21, 2011

Jules, would another non-dairy yogurt work? I have everything else I need to bake these tomorrow morning (so excited!) but only have soy yogurt and almond yogurt in the house. These look sooooo yummy, and pretty, too–can’t wait to make them!
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- Jules said: on November 21, 2011
  
  Robin, absolutely! Use any non-dairy yogurt you prefer, I just find that the rice yogurt tends to be a bit runny. I like the soy yogurt in this recipe, though, and almond yogurt would work too, I’m sure. Enjoy!!!
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Laura said: on December 7, 2011

Jules,
I am hosting a brunch for my FIL’s 80th birthday. I have a developed a menu that is 100% gluten free. My MIL insists on some sort of “bread” so I am trying to decide if your southern biscuits or some variation of your scones would be best. I’ll need to make them a day or so ahead of time and will need enough to feed ~50. Advice?? Thanks so much!
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Susan said: on January 12, 2012

I don’t live in the U.S. and don’t have access to a lot of the dairy-substitutes that you seem to have. In this recipe do you think using more pumpkin puree and omitting the yogurt would work?
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- Jules said: on January 12, 2012
  
  Susan – it absolutely works! The last time I made this recipe, I used no yogurt and all pumpkin puree in the same proportions given for yogurt and it was delicious! Enjoy!
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Mary Farrugia said: on October 28, 2012

I would be very pleased if you would tell me how to buy this all purpose flour! I don’t know if it is available here in Malta. Please help me! The bread I bought (gluten free) was like a rock! My daughter has just been diagnosed gluten sensitive and this has made her very sad! Thank you.
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Noelle Donlon said: on November 10, 2012

What can I use to replace the butter?
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- Jules said: on November 10, 2012
  
  Noelle – I use Earth Balance Buttery Sticks – they are dairyfree/vegan and are a great butter replacement!
  Reply