I'm not ready to give up on summer yet, mostly because the temps here in Central Texas are still hanging out in the triple digits most days. I can't bring myself to roll out the red carpet for all of the fall recipes when there's sweat running down my back the literal second I step foot outside. However, I have decided to start dipping my toes in the fall baking pool with these Gluten-Free Maple Walnut Scones.
The taste and smell of maple always make me think of fall. I found this Watkins Maple Extract and I am obsessed. I had no idea maple extract was a thing, but I want my whole house to smell like this stuff all of the time. It is also the perfect addition to these scones.
If you're not GF, don't want to bake GF, or just don't have GF flour on hand, have no fear! I have also included the ingredients and steps for regular scones because I don't want anyone to miss out on these. These might be a fall staple in my house.
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For in-depth “whys” and “howtos”, skip to the end of this post!
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Recipe
Gluten-Free Maple Walnut Scones
Ingredients
For Gluten-Free Scones
- 3 cups (516 grams) Bob's Red Mill GF 1-to-1 Baking Flour
- ⅓ cup (71 grams) light brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ sticks (170 grams) unsalted butter cold and cubed
- 1 cup walnuts chopped
- 1 teaspoon maple extract
- 1 ¼ cup buttermilk
For Non-Gluten-Free Scones:
- 3 cups (360 grams) all-purpose flour instead of GF flour
For Glaze:
- ¼ cup (53 grams) light brown sugar
- ½ cup (57 grams) powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- 2 teaspoons maple extract
Instructions
For Scones:
- For GF scones preheat oven to 350 degrees (F). For regular scones preheat oven to 450 degrees (F). Line a cookie sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Whisk to combine and ensure that no lumps of brown sugar remain.
- Using clean hands or two forks, work the cold butter into the flour mixture. The mixture should look like coarse meal with a few pea-sized chunks. Add the chopped walnuts.
- Make a well in the center of the ingredients and add the buttermilk and maple extract. Combine the ingredients until the dry mixture is wet. Do not knead the dough.
- Turn the dough out on a clean and floured (GF or all-purpose) surface. Gather the dough together into a circle about 1 ½ inches thick. Using a bench scraper or a sharp knife, cut the dough into 10-12 triangles.
- Place the scones on the prepared cookie sheet. For GF scones bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. For regular scones bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool while you prepare the glaze.
For Glaze:
- Add all of the ingredients in a small saucepan and place over medium heat. Whisk until smooth. Allow to come to a gentle boil and remove from heat.
- The glaze will start to thicken as it cools. If it is too thin add more powdered sugar. If it is too thick add more heavy cream.
- Drizzle the glaze over the scones or dip the tops of the scones into the glaze.
Nutrition
Gluten-Free Maple Walnut Scones
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees (F). Line a cookie sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Whisk the ingredients until they are well combined and there are no lumps of brown sugar.
- Using clean hands or two forks, work the butter into the dry ingredients. The mixture should end up looking like coarse meal with a few pea-sized chunks. Add the chopped walnuts and stir to combine.
- Make a well in the center of the ingredients and add the buttermilk and maple extract. Combine until the dry ingredients are wet, but do not knead. you want to work the dough as little as possible.
- Turn the dough out onto a clean and floured surface and gather into a circle about 1 ½ inch thick. Using a bench scraper (this is my favorite) or a sharp knife, cut the dough into 10-12 triangles.
- Place the scones on the prepared cookie sheet. Bake the scones for 15-20 minutes or until they are golden brown.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool while you prepare the glaze.
Maple Walnut Scones
There are a few variations needed to make them non-gluten-free, but for the most part, the recipe and steps are the same.
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees (F).
- Bake the scones for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown.
Maple Glaze
- Combine all of the ingredients in a small saucepan. Place the saucepan over medium heat and whisk until the mixture is smooth.
- Allow the mixture to come to a gentle boil and remove from heat. The glaze will thicken as it cools. If the glaze is too thin add more powdered sugar. If the glaze is too thick add more heavy cream.
- You need to use the glaze pretty soon after removing from heat or it will start to crystallize.
- Drizzle over the scones or dip the tops of the scones into the glaze.
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Carol says
Oh these were delicious. My husband really loved them. I made them for a bridal breakfast and I had to keep slapping his hands to keep them out of the box! My last experience with gluten-free baking was awful, but that was 10 years ago and things have certainly changed. I loved this flour, but it was pricey. I also made the turtle scones using the same flour and they turned out beautifully as well. I just baked them at the lower temperature, They tasted no differently then the last time I made them using regular flour. The flour is a game changer for gluten-free baking. Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe and I will be making these over and over again. Oh, PS, I could not find maple flavoring at the small Kroger on University. It did not exist. So I used pure maple syrup I already had at home. In the glaze, I just used less liquid and replaced it with a bit of syrup in addition to two tablespoons required. I'm sure the flavor was more subtle, but it was really still tasty. The addition of the extra sugar in the syrup made me have to cook the glaze a little longer that it turned out okay.
Ellie Haley says
Thank you for this sweet comment and for providing an alternative to maple extract! I found the extract at HEB. This GF flour is my favorite. I am so glad you liked it too!
Carol says
Oh, I'm sure they have maple extract at Walmart or even the larger Kroger on North Street. They only had about six or seven extract types at the small Kroger. There were a few spots that were empty so it may have just been out. Not to worry, I was at a wedding in Jefferson yesterday and picked up some in a small store downtown. Girl, you got me looking for ingredients all over the place now.