AIP Master Scones Recipe (Any Flavor!, Paleo)

Updated Mar 5, 2023 · 53 Comments

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Use this AIP Master Scones Recipe to make the best Paleo, egg-free, nut-free scones in a variety of flavors: lemon, blueberry, strawberry, chocolate chip, cinnamon-sugar, bacon-herb and more. These crispy crumbly-edged on the outside, tender in the middle sweet biscuits are as flavorful or plain as you wish them to be — like classic cream scones but without the dairy or grains.

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The basics about scones — what are they

Scones are a sweet or savory biscuit. American scones are typically sweeter than their British predecessors; so sometimes American scones need no toppings or condiments. Whereas, English scones are usually topped with butter, cream, jam or curd. We Americans love to stud our scones with berries, chips, nuts, bacon etc.

All scones go great with tea or coffee, so be sure to check out some of my favorite AIP-friendly creamy hot beverages:

Bulletproof Tea
Chicory Coffee (with several creamy blended variations)
Strawberry White Hot Chocolate (see the AIP variation)

Some scones can be dry or lack interest, so it’s important 🙂 to have a recipe that promises the right textures: crispy, crumbly, “buttery” edges and a soft, flaky middle.

We like to eat scones for special occasions but also to make the common days more special with them. You’ll see: this recipe is so easy and fun, that it’s suitable 7 days a week, whenever you need a cheering treat.

Ingredients in AIP Master Scones Recipe

I can’t help coming back to tiger nut flour, because it makes such great egg-free baked goods — no gooey middle and a wonderful crumb. So the main ingredient in AIP Master Scones is tiger nut flour.

Additional ingredients are:

arrowroot — This AIP-friendly white flour gives AIP Scones their crispy crumbly-edged exterior and also helps the scones to keep their traditional shape. Once you cut those handsome triangles, AIP Scones will rise nicely, burst a little, but won’t wilt and spread all over your cookie sheet.
tapioca flour/starch — The starch derived from cassava root helps to hold together egg-free baked goods. Just a little tapioca works great in place of gluten, too, like baker’s glue (but yummier).
coconut cream — These scones are cream scones, after all, so rich coconut cream gives AIP Scones the high fat texture we all love in a good scone, partially revealed by the tender-crumbly middle.
coconut oil — A universally helpful AIP solid fat, coconut oil works great in this recipe. But you could also sub it with lard or palm oil (so happy this is back in stock again!) if preferred.
maple syrup — A liquid sweetener is needed in this recipe. You could also use honey, if preferred.
gelatin — The best gelatin is Perfect Supplement’s because it’s 3rd party tested for pesticide residue and derived from grass-finished cows! Not all gelatins are made the same, sadly (one of the main companies now being owned by Nestle, yikes!). Gelatin is used in this recipe in place of eggs and does a great job; you’d never know these scones are egg-free.
baking soda and sea salt — For leavening and balance of flavor, these two buddies appear in just about all of my recipes.

How to make AIP Master Scones Recipe

As luck would have it, this AIP Scones recipe is easier than most scones recipes! Amazingly, this dough is not one that’s prepared with grated fat or solid fat that needs to be pulsed or cut into the flour — like classic scones.

No, more like a muffin recipe, melted fat and liquid sweetener are simply stirred into the dry ingredients! I know: great, right? 🙂 So you can make sophisticated scones with just one big mixing bowl and the most basic baking methods.

What makes AIP Master Scones turn out is the right ingredients in the right ratio to one another. Here’s how to mix those great ingredients to create perfect AIP Scones:

Stir together all of the dry ingredients in one big mixing bowl.
Add in the melted (slightly cooled) fat, coconut cream, liquid sweetener and any add-ins, like berries.
Mix the dough with hand held beaters on low speed (or use an upright mixer if you prefer). (You can also mix the dough by hand, but it’ll be a bit more of a workout.)
Turn the dough out onto a surface dusted with arrowroot powder. Press and form it into a nice disc shape, about 1″ tall and 8 or so inches in diameter. Cut into 6 equal wedges. Optional: Sprinkle with a little maple sugar, depending on the flavor of scone.
Transfer to a parchment lined baking sheet, and bake for 20 to 25 minutes.
Allow to cool completely if you plan to garnish with a glaze.

Add-ins and flavor variations

As mentioned, AIP Master Scones Recipe can be used as-is or as a template for other flavors. AIP Scones are a simple-tasting recipe on their own. If you plan to top them with coconut oil and jam, great. But if you want them to have more pizzazz on their own, you may like to add various spices or add-ins.

Here are some great ideas for how to make a variety of scone flavors with different add-ins:

Lemon or Lemon Blueberry or just Blueberry: Add 1 Tablespoon lemon zest with the wet ingredients below. For Blueberry, add 2/3 cup fresh berries with the wet ingredients and 1 extra Tablespoon arrowroot. But you can find my actual AIP Blueberry Scones recipe HERE. 🙂
Orange or Orange Cranberry or just Cranberry: Add 1 Tablespoon orange zest with the wet ingredients below. For Cranberry, add 2/3 cup fresh or frozen rough-chopped berries with the wet ingredients. (If you use frozen berries, the scone dough will be a little harder to form and will spread more, but we still love them.)
Chocolate Chip: For AIP, use homemade carob chips. Stir 2/3 cup chips into the batter with the wet ingredients.
Pumpkin Scones: Sub 2 Tablespoons of the coconut cream for canned pumpkin. Add the following AIP-approved spices to the dry ingredients: 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon dried ginger, 1/8 teaspoon cloves.
Bacon and Herb: Add 1/2 chopped cooked bacon with the wet ingredients. Choose between fresh and dried herbs to stir in at the same time: 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, sage, rosemary, parsley or basil OR 2 to 4 Tablespoons fresh chopped thyme, sage, rosemary or parsley, according to preference. Optionally, add in 1 clove minced or crushed garlic and/or 1/4 cup diced green onions. For savory scones, reduce sweetener by half, to just 2 tablespoons total.

Using the master recipe, you may also stir in any other favorites: dried coconut, fresh or dried cherries or diced apples. If you use a wet fruit, like peaches, be sure to blot it first, so the scones don’t get too runny, or make drop scones instead of cut scones to allow for a little overflow of the batter as it bakes.

How to garnish AIP Scones

AIP Scones are becoming and alluring all on their own, without any embellishment. But it can be fun with an afternoon tea type treat to sometimes add a garnish. If this interests you, there are several options, depending on your add-ins or lack of them:

For plain scones, nothing beats a garnish of maple sugar. Sprinkle on top of the dough before baking.
A little added flavor comes from mixing coconut sugar or maple sugar with cinnamon — and sprinkle it on top before baking. The ratio is 1 part cinnamon to 4 parts coconut or maple sugar.
To create a glaze, place your baked scones in the freezer for 10 minutes. Then coat with melted and slightly cooled coconut butter glaze: 1/4 cup coconut butter mixed with 1 Tablespoon maple syrup.
You can also make an icing glaze by mixing powdered coconut sugar with a little water or compliant milk.
Before baking, top with chocolate chips, gently pressing them into the dough (use homemade carob chips for AIP).
Use dehydrated minced onion on top of savory scones dough. Wet scone tops with a little water first, so the onions pieces stick, then sprinkle on before baking.

I’m sure you can think of more ideas, too.

How to store and freeze scones

Like many baked goods, AIP Master Scones freeze beautifully. Simply seal in a plastic bag or other airtight storage container. Refrigerate for up to 3 days. Freeze for up to 3 months.

To defrost, leave out at room temperature for 4 hours or overnight. To reheat, place in preheated 325 degree Fahrenheit oven for 10 minutes.

If you plan to freeze your scones, wait to garnish them until after they’re fully defrosted. You may need to blot any moisture from them with a dry paper towel before adorning them.

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