Long time reader, first time writing. What would you figure the success rate for veganizing these little gems? I imagine soy milk could substitue the cream, but could I get away with using coconut oil instead of butter (or Earth Balance)? One of my roommate's is vegan and I've found that baked goods (especially the ones I get from your blog) taste that much better when you can share them :) Thanks for any advice!

HS: Hi Sam, I just did some tasty maple-sweetened cookies and used coconut oil as the fat. It worked out great. I think If I were going to make these vegan, I'd go that route, and use full fat coconut milk in place of the cream. I've never used Earth Balance, so I'm not sure about that.

These look delicious!

These look amazing! Maple syrup, quinoa flakes and turbinado – sweet and healthy at the same time. I always try to make my baked goods a little less sweet, but these seem perfect the way they are. Thanks for the recipe!

These look delicious! You wouldn't happen to have any opinions about making these gluten-free, would you? Pastry flour (even the whole wheat kind) usually has less gluten in it, so maybe this would work with quinoa flour + sweet rice flour?

These look delicious! You wouldn't happen to have any opinions about making these gluten-free, would you? Pasty flour usually has less gluten in it, so maybe this would work with quinoa flour + sweet rice flour?

Fantastic! I confess that your desserts are my favorite and this recipe will probably be no exception.

Mmmm...I might try the vegan suggestions too as I am a coconut convert.

They look delicious! I now know what I'm gonna have for breakfast tomorrow! :)
Thanks for the recipe.

I think I'm in Love.....
Love your recipes.
Love reading your stories.
Visually gorgeous site!
I just discovered this site after a trip to a local park with an old grist mill and maple trees tapped for syrup.
I was looking for a recipe to use the stoneground cornmeal I got there and your Cornmeal Crunch came up on Google
(God Bless Google)
These scones will be next as a way to use the made-that-day syrup I brought home too.
You have been bookmarked : - )

I love that many people have posted about scones lately; nice to see a resurgence. These look wonderful, and - as a dietitian - nutritious and easy to fit into a healthy lifestyle.

Cheers,

*Heather*

Oh, maple syrup and scones. What a lovely spring treat! These look just perfect for a brunch or lunch spread with other spring-like foods. Thanks for posting.

These sound incredibly rich and delicious! Maple syrup is the perfect flavor enhancement for scones. I use it often (or agave nectar) to sweeten my own scone recipes. Thanks for this version! :)

Thanks--can't wait to try them!

I am having a tea party for a girlfriend on Sunday- I wonder if I could make these dairy, wheat and sugar free somehow.

Great recipe, I'll try to veganize it and see what happens, also following Sam's ideas and your suggestions.

again, thank you so much heidi for providing a whole grain and non-cane sugar recipe...looking forward to baking this up! :)

These sound so simple and so delicious! To Sam, who had the vegan question - I have successfully used coconut oil (at a temperature where it resembles cold butter) and hazelnut milk in my vegan scones. Also, Becks, I too am gluten free and will most likely try some combination of sorghum, millet, and coconut flours. I have yet to experiment with quinoa flour, but I'm guessing that will work well too!

Thanks for sharing another delicious recipe to try! I've been enjoying your website for a little while now and it never disappoints :) Wonderful photos, words and recipes--thanks!

These look wonderful. I haven't had a good scone in ages but longinf ro one now. Love how you've cut them into little squares rather than stamp out rounds. So dainty.

I've been looking at different recipes for scones to bake while I'm home on Spring Break, and this creation sounds wonderful. I love your use of maple syrup. I have a lot of spelt flour and a big bag of bran flakes, and I bet that would be wonderful in here. Thanks Heidi!

Heidi,
Is there any way we could get your original proportions for making a batch of 12? Thanks so much-the neighbors have started tapping-can't wait till Saturday to try these.

I've been looking at different recipes for scones to bake while I'm home on Spring Break, and this creation sounds wonderful. I love your use of maple syrup. I have a lot of spelt flour and a big bag of bran flakes, and I bet that would be wonderful in here. Thanks Heidi!

Are these multiple batches? Some look undercooked and some look nicely browned.

I think I have all these ingredients on hand! I totally agree about scones being "worth it"

(actually all I have is nonfat milk. would that work? I wonder sometimes about using nonfat when a recipe just says "milk.")

What pretty little scones!

I'm will Hallie, I've got it all but only nonfat milk. I'm no baking expert but I seem to think that the fat in milk plays much less of an important role than the fat from the shortening in most baking recipes but I could be way off. I would probably just use skim.

What a great idea to use maple syrup in scones! Looks gorgeous!

@ FoodMedic - I think those are the "in process" photos. How the dough looks in the food processor; patted into the 1" thick cake and cut; spaced out on the sheet with egg wash/sugar; done.

These do look lovely!

HS: Thanks Arian, and thanks for clarifying - those are indeed process shots.

Those look fantastic!

It's still March, so we have plenty of time to keep appreciating maple flavor. These would be a perfect breakfast now.

Scones and a really good biscotti...my nemesis. I began sneaking wheat flour(s) into my cooking/baking a few years ago, and have found that it alone adds a certain sweetness to a recipe. I haven't been able to find quinoa flakes around here - yet. The nearest Whole Foods isn't near...lol.

Instead of the turbinado sugar, do you think a glaze of agave nectar would make for a nice crunch? What butter would you recommend? I've struggled with butter the last couple of years. I've purchased only Cabots (I've tried EVERYTHING out there) for a while now because, it seems as though the dairy companies aren't making really good butter anymore...ratio seems to be off...more...margerine-ish. Even Cabots has changed... Celeste

Do you think that Agave nectar could be used in place of the maple syrup?

HS: I think agave should work, but haven't tested this recipe w/ it yet. Let me know if you do.

Oh Heidi, these look delicious! Scones are definately one of my favorite baked goods -- but I think that if I were to try this, I'd opt for a little more oats; my personal fave kind. Thanks for all of your delicious-looking and -tasting recipes!

Tegan

Wow- great minds think alike! Look at our questions and the time they were sent!

Growing up we had a sap house and my dad made virtually everything we ate with at least a touch of maple syrup (sometimes much more than a touch)! These scones sound fantastic and bring back memories. Can't wait to try them this weekend. Thanks so much!

HS: I can't even imagine having main line into a maple syrup supply. Oh my.

Heidi - these sound great. Do you think wheatgerm could replace the quinoa flakes? Or would it be too dense?

HS: This one I'm not sure about. It might work, but I'm not 100% sure - I'd start by trying 1/2 oats or quinoa flakes and 1/2 wheatgerm.

These look so good! And they look easy to make too. :)

Heidi,
These sound lovely and I love that you made them little squares (scone pillows) instead of triangles. What a great way to work in some quinoa! I'm looking forward to making these with coconut oil and milk. FYI to all veganizers: you can put your measured out coconut oil in the fridge for a while to firm it up more and chill it before you cut it into the flour etc.
Nancy

Heidi,
If you are ever in Manhattan, try the scone at Souen, on 13th and University Place. They are delicious...maybe you could try to duplicate their recipe:)

Hi heidi, just wanted to know if I can use spelt flakes or would they be too crisp for this dish ?

HS: I think they should work. Give them a go, and let me know if I'm wrong ;) Hopefully not.

DIVINE!!!

Cool, scones! Last weekend I thought about making scones this week, as I finally found out where ot get clotted cream in Munich! Thanks.

I love scones, and these look very tasty. We JUST got some fresh, real maple syrup too...it could be fate!

I was just thinking about currant scones this weekend and wondering when I'd have the time to make scones next. Somehow, spring evokes the idea of scones...and one day, I will, I will make lemon curd! Delicious. How do you top your scones, in this case? Thank you for the reminder that I need scones soon!

Trying to get through my 2008 syrup before the 2009 batches are coming out and I can stock up on the good amber stuff. Stuck with just light at the moment but that should work in these! Going to try making them with spelt sometime this week.

Yum yum. Thanks for sharing!

Someone mentioned above wanting to convert this recipe to a gluten free version. I too would like to know what you would suggest. I am new to the necessity of being on a gluten free diet and would love to convert many of your recipes into a GF version but I am not sure on how to accomplish this and still turn out some great tasting recipes.

For starters on my path down GF Lane, I appreciate your link to your GF recipes. Thank you.

Heidi, I have been reading your blog for almost a year now, thanks for making (less-mainstream) whole foods more approachable. I have been looking for more ways to integrate them into my diet,especially with our extensive Bay Area backyard garden, and through all my research, I inevitably find "recipes" that go something like: "saute or steam XXX until done, add a little olive oil or butter, add some chopped garlic or hot pepper flakes." This goes for veggies, grains, etc. Although helpful, it's not really a way to INTEGRATE these ingredients. Your blog has opened up my eyes to a new kind of experimentation with my food, so far with great results. This is even more important with a husband who is reluctant, nay, evasive, about eating healthy foods. No complaints from either of us so far! My latest success- Pumpkin bread with whole-wheat flour, evaporated cane juice sweetener, fresh-roasted pumpkin from our garden, and amaranth seeds as a nutritious subsitute for poppy seeds. Thanks again. Keep up the good work!

HS: Thanks for the encouragement and feedback Nicolette. I'm glad I'm able to help.

I'm w/ you! You basically have to force a scone in my mouth to get me to try it b/c I've had so many that are uninspired to say the least. This looks wonderful and I know if you're passing it on it must taste as good as it looks!

Looks interesting Heidi and I am curious to try them, but oh dear a scone recipe with 9 ingredients! Scones are meant to be quick,easy, and ready to eat within 15mins but thanks anyway

I had a question about "veganizing" this recipe as well. I think Earth Balance will work fine to replace the butter, but I wanted to know if you've every tried chia seeds & water in place of eggs? Maybe one of your readers has tried it?

HS: I haven't tried it in this particular recipe, I have used them in other recipes, though rarely as an egg-replacement. If any of you try this with success let me know and I'll mention it in the headnotes.

read this entry, tied on my apron and whipped these out in under 1/2 hour. i forewent the turbinado - didn't have any- and ate them hot from the oven with slices of extra sharp cheddar cheese. i used plugra butter and it did not disappoint. thank you for a lovely rainy afternoon interlude!

these looks amazing! they'd also be great with some crystallized ginger or even dried blueberries!

I agree...there's nothing worse than sitting down with a cup of tea/coffee and a bad scone. However: Nothing's more relaxing and comforting than sitting down with a cup of tea/coffee and a great scone--these look great!

A great recipe, but for some reason I can't help but add a helping of calories to the mix. Hmmm, maybe that explains why I'm so 'stocky?' Anyway, I made a maple glaze icing to drizzle over the scones, basically powdered sugar, cream and maple syrup. Oh and I added toasted walnuts to the dough. That was enough gilding of the lily for one recipe. thanks!

HS: No worries Tom, I'm a sucker for a good glaze as well ;)

These look and sound delicious! And so healthy, compared to other butter-laden scones. Beautful photos, Heidi, I love the way the sugar looks on top!!

Wow. I cannot even remember how it was that I happened across this blog - but I am so glad I did! I'm semi-new to the world of cooking, and admit I need to be cajoled into it a little bit with delicious-looking pictures. Your blog provides more than enough amazing, beautiful pictures and magnificent recipes. This is by far my favorite cooking blog I have come across. Keep up the excellent work :)

Just read the recipe and decided to whip them together immediately. Took about 15 minutes to make a half batch, then I had to wait for them to bake. I made mine extra small - 8 for a half batch. They're great - not too sweet. I'm not even tempted to "mess" with the recipe. Thanks.

HS: Glad you liked them Doc.

These look amazing---and remind me a little of a fantastic Oatmeal Raisin Scone I make all the time (by Nick Malgieri). I'm having a brunch this weekend and now I know what I'm making!!

Ooh thanks Heidi! I'm on a bit of a baking spree this week :-)

I love your recipes. The black bean brownie was GREAT. That green beans with leeks and dill is always a huge hit.

Anyway, do you mind giving me the quantity of butter in weight? It's difficult to measure butter by tablespoons when it's cold :-(

These look positively scrumptious. Yes...cut in squares rather than that HUGE chunk of semi-dry scone we are used to having...yes...then these look tempting to me too.! I don't know why I never thot of making them smaller and cutting them like that. Wondcerful.

I so agree with you! Croissant or scone has to have a lot of butter. I would rather not eat them if they are not made with sufficient amount of butter.
I like the idea of square scones - that's actually more efficient!

These look amazing! I love scones but have been hesitant to make any since I'm usually cooking for one. Do you know if the dough freezes well? Or would it be better to freeze the scone after they're baked?

And thank you for such a lovely and inspirational blog! I can't wait to try out more of your recipes!

Love the recipes as always!! healthy insipirational and simple to follow up. photos also great too.

Wondering if i can use all purpose gluten free flour to work on this scons ? and it'll be the same texture ? different amount of liquid?? ..

buckwheat, maize...etc?

as myself experiment with different GF recipets for GF diet foodies and cakes lovers...

Oh my goodness you are making me DROOL! It's getting to be autumn here in Australia and I have the incredible urge to bake. You've just scratched it! :D

Those scones look good!! You could easily start selling them here in the UK.

To Cristina-
I too have the same issue of having to cook or bake more than I can eat at once.

According to stilltasty.com, you can successfully freeze the scone dough for up to 3 months:

http://www.stilltasty.com/fooditems/index/18782

You can also make the scones ahead and freeze them for 2-3 months:
http://www.stilltasty.com/fooditems/index/18282

I’m going to give the latter a try!

Nunca he probado el jarabe de arce pero el aspecto de los scones que has preparado es francamente delicioso, gracias por una entrada tan apetecible...un beso

These are great! As a vegan,Im also tempted to veganise them,and funny enough I also thought of coconut oil to replace the butter! thanx! I cant wait to try them out! :)

I made these for breakfast this morning. I had to after I saw the post. They are great. The perfect amount of sweetness, and they are actually like scones and not unformed muffins. Next time a might add a pinch of almond extract or walnuts or something. Thanks for the recipe!

I just stumbled upon this page. I love scones, this one I'm definitely going to give a try. I'm diabetic, always looking for recipes that are acceptable for the condition.

Hi Heidi,
You are my favourite, and I am always looking through your recipies when I want something special!! I will definately try these scones too! Do you think that skipping the brush with egg will ruin it? What if they are brushed with milk? Best wishes from Athens-Greece!

A friend of mine from work brought these in today, and they were fabulous. So thanks for posting. I will definitely make these on occasion too!

Question -- is whole wheat pastry flour different from plain-old whole wheat flour? If so, is it better to substitute white flour (as suggested) or whole wheat?

These are delicious. Great texture and just the right sweetness. I made them vegan with 4 oz coconut oil (for butter) and 1/2 c. coconut milk (for milk/cream), turning the oven down to 375. I brushed them with more coconut milk, rather than eggwash. Yum!

Very Nice! Who in their right mind can resist maple right? Do you think some crushed pecans would fare well in this recipe .. I am always looking for interesting pecan and maple recipes to try!

These look heavenly!!

Hello

Great Blog I will definitely bookmark your blog. I am also having a blog related to food and drinks http://foodmarketnews.blogspot.com/ which gives latest analysis and trends in food and drinks industry in the present recession period. I would appreciate if you could kindly bookmark my blog too.

Thanks
Shobha

Love the recipe idea, but maple syrup is really, really expensive here in South Africa. Any ideas for a substitute? Thanks

Also, we don't get pastry flour, so it'll have to be wholewheat cake or bread flour.

Yes, maple syrup is hard to come by in Kenya too. Could I substitute it with molasses? Or would that make it too sweet/sticky?

I just finished sugaring my maples and making homemade syrup. This could be the perfect recipe for using it.

OMG I love scones, love maple syrup and have some really good syrup. But best of all is that you make them square! Why didn't I think of that? When I make them into triangles they come out like some amateur was doing it...all different thicknesses and sizes. Ooops, maybe I am an amateur! Thanks so much for all your great recipes!

This is perfect timing! We are going for a Sugar Bush adventure this coming weekend to wrap up the March Spring Break and will be getting some First Run Maple Syrup straight from the farm. Will definitely try this out or some variation. Thanks for introducing us to the Vegan Soul Kitchen of Bryant Terry...I am now his fan on Facebook!

11 minutes and 32 seconds til scones
CAN" T WAIT!

I'm not sure if mine came out the right way. The dough didn't come together and the edges of the flattened dough broke apart. Also, they weren't as sweet as I would like them. I didn't have whole wheat pastry flour so I used a combination of 1 1/2 all purpose flour plus 1 cup whole wheat. I didn't have the coarse sugar so I used regular sugar. Did my substitutions ruin the recipe?

HS: Hi Jorge. Whole wheat flour tends to make a much drier dough. You would likely need to compensate by adding more liquid a bit at a time. That's what I do anytime a dough comes out on the dry side. If these scones weren't sweet enough for you, you might try adding a few tablespoons of sugar to the dough - it has more of a sweet edge than the syrup. Or add some maple sugar to the dough.

I love scones with my tea, so this will be one of the next recipes I try! Thanks for all the great recipes and suggestions.

They had a great texture and flakyness, but I was expecting more maple flavor to come through than did. They were very close to being a savory scone - I see why you would use thyme with them. Any suggestions on how to up the maple flavor without ruining the texture?

Oooh, I can't wait to make these. I think I'll try this today.

Oooh, I can't wait to make these. I think I'll try this today.

I too have found the maple flavour to be a little bit... lacking. So instead of using large-grain sugar, I have used maple sugar. It caramelized a little bit as it was baking... delicious!

I don't how easy it is for people to find maple sugar in other countries, but since I live in the heartland of the province of Québec (in Canada) finding maple syrup, maple sugar and other product is easy and cheap!

Scone-makers of the world unite!

This is only the second time I've posted, and its totally cheating, because it's the same recipe suggestion....I'm sure not one of you took my advice and tried this last one, but you’re going to have to trust me here. Australians are the worlds best scone makers (sorry NZ and UK readers, its' irrefutable) and this is really the answer.

3 cups self-raising flour (or normal +baking powder)
1 cup pouring cream
1 cup lemonade/other carbonated drink, though obviously nothing with piles of preservatives and disgusting colours - maybe natural ginger beer?

Mix. Spread out. Cut. Bake. Eat.

No joke, this is the very very best recipe for scones - and also a very traditional Australian recipe - which are a staple of country cooking here. I can't remember if I told this story last time - it used to be said that a good Australian countrywoman (always a woman in those unenlightened days) was someone who could get some scones into the oven before the kettle had time to boil - the idea being that if someone “dropped by” from “next door” (sometimes an hour’s drive or more, in the North) then you better be able to get them something tasty pretty quickly.

The science of it is quite simple - the carbonisation acts with the dairy product to "fizz", creating light airy dough (think about the effect of an icecream spider) and the fat in the cream replicates the butter, without the bother of rubbing/cutting it in (which also means the dough NEVER gets tough).

So please - I implore you - if you are a scone fan, just try this once. You’ll be worried by the soft dough, but ignore it and just chuck them in a very hot oven, in whatever shapes you chose, and the soft, billoughy, just a touch sweet texture will blow you away. I can’t help thinking of scones as a quintessially Anglo-Australian thing - I think yours are a little harder? but seriously, you’ll never look back.

And the variations are only limited by your imagination - don’t bother refining the mix, it can take any additions (the local bakers do an AMAZING white chocolate and berry) : chopped dates and a swirl of maple syrup? cinnamon and apple? apricot and almond? savoury, with cheese, paprika, and perhaps beer instead of lemonade?

Please, just try!

I just made these for my boyfriend's office staff... literally rode them over on my bike, fresh from the oven, just now, for an afternoon snack... I have never seen treats disappear so quickly! Thank you for the great recipe!!!

HS: That's awesome Shelley :) I'm glad they came out good enough to share. And the fact that you rode them over fresh out of the oven - bonus points.

I had the same problem as Jorge, my dough came out a little dry. But like him, I also used only regular whole wheat flour instead of pastry flour. I did love the flavor, though! I will be trying these again with more milk and maple syrup!

HS: Yes, Ashley, try adding a bit more milk. Or instead of whole wheat flour, if you come across spelt flour, give that a try. I've had luck with that being less drying in baked goods on occasion. But whole wheat pastry is my favorite for this particular recipe.

Yum, yum, yum! I think that maple syrup has to be one of my favourite "foods". I can literally drink the stuff straight from a bottle.

I am a bit disappointed because something in my office smells like maple syrup, or maybe I am making that up. And I am at work. And I do not have maple syrup scones to eat :-(

To aussie elizabeth - that is a VERY interesting concept/recipe you shared! I am assuming the lemonade needs to be the carbonated kind, judging from your explanation of the science behind the recipe?

Love scones and love maple syrup, this recipe can't loose. http://www.beaujolaisbistro.blogspot.com/

I'm with you on the "scones and croissants must be GOOD" front. And these sound so much better and easier than the last batch i tried to make. Thanks!

Maple syrup recipes are always amazing.

On a side note, if you are gonna freeze those, you better wrap them in waxed paper and place them in a metal or plastic box.

http://www.easycomfortfoods.com

Did you mean to put the egg in with the wet ingredients? Mine turned out tasty but crumbly and could have used a binder (egg or ground flax seed).

I had the same thought/trouble as Kathy. My husband made these (with oats, and cut into 8 wedges instead of 9 squares) and while they were *delicious* (I LOVE that they aren't too sweet!), they were so crumbly that we couldn't even pick them up (had to eat with a fork). Our usual go-to scone recipe calls for an egg and far less butter -- do you think that less butter and/or the addition of an egg would help with the crumbliness? Thanks - this was a fun one to try, which we will try again (with some tweaks).

HS: Hi Carrie, I don't think you need a binder here (i.e. egg), next time just add a bit more milk/cream to your dough until it holds together more. That should solve your crumble problem. I'll tweak the wording on the recipe a bit, to encourage people to add more moisture if needed depending on their flour. Thanks for the feedback - it's v. helpful.

Since I have a bag of lemons in the fridge and a cupboard full of grains that need to disappear between now and Passover, I couldn't resist attempting the lemon-thyme combination that you proposed. I shook a good bit of dried thyme (my guess is ~1 tbsp) into the flour and oat mixture, and being too lazy to make lemon syrup, I just added 1/4 cup of sugar, 1/4 cup of lemon juice, and the zest from one lemon to the milk, just before pouring it into the grain-thyme-butter mix. And the results? Subtly sweet and savory, all at once. Yum!

Wish I didn't cheap out and use my light syrup. Amber would have been much better for flavour. I'll also use pecans next time.

Made them with spelt flour, no-fat lactose free milk, 9 T of butter and no sugar on top. They were still delicious with my tea and can't wait to have them for breakfast!

The tall man loved them, too, which is a bonus!

Fantastic recipe! I can't wait to make these!!!

Ever since baking classes at school and the rock cake like scones I produced, I ruled them out as too tricky to make myself. Seeing this recipe, I rushed to make them immediately and.. Perfect! Moist and sweet and not at all like rock cakes. I can hardly believe it.

Thanks Heidi! Love the site!

HS: Glad you liked them Nina!

Thanks, Heidi -- we'll try them with a bit more moisture next time (if the dough's crumbly again) and will let you know how they come out!

Hi there Heidi........
I work at a spa and my girlfriend came in this weekend for treatments and passed on your delicious link!!! I just made your 'maple syrup scones'.....but substituted the maple syrup with a 1/4 cup honey and 2 tsp almond extract to make a honey almond syrup........then threw in 2 handfuls semi sweet chocolate chips!!! Didn't have wholewheat pastry flour so I sifted my wholewheat flour several times then added a 1/4 cup oats........would love to make it with quinoa.........i would assume you cook this first??? they were light and lovely and will make a great snack at work today to tide me over between services;)))) Kristin

HS: Kristin, I bake cookies all the time with cooked quinoa in them. You can also look for quinoa flour and play around with that as well.