Tender keto cinnamon scones made to look and taste like cinnamon rolls! It’s a delicious and easy way to satisfy that craving. They make a wonderful low carb and sugar-free breakfast, brunch, or snack.
I originally made these keto cinnamon roll scones way back in 2011, and I decided that they deserved a little bit of an update. The basic recipe was always good and stands the test of time, with a few small tweaks. And some shiny new photos and a how-to video too!
I am fairly certain that cinnamon may be the spice equivalent of love. Think about it. When a room smells of warm cinnamon, you feel cozy and content. It evokes a sense of well-being. And eating a homemade cinnamon roll, with all its soft dough and sweet frosting, is like receiving a comforting hug from your mother.
The problem is that as a diabetic, these edible hugs are off-limits. At least the conventional, refined-flour-and-sugar-that-send-your-glucose-levels-soaring is off limits. But we keto dieters are nothing if not resourceful and we find ways and means to get our share of sweet cinnamon love.
If cinnamon rolls and scones had a baby…
This keto cinnamon scone recipe is like the perfect marriage of two of my favorite breakfast treats. I’ve always had a love for scones of any kind, and who doesn’t love a chewy, warm sweet cinnamon roll? It’s an ideal combination.
Really, when you think about it, cinnamon rolls lend themselves to any number of wonderful variations.
There are so many great ways to enjoy those same flavors in a keto-friendly package. Such as my Cinnamon Roll Cheesecakes, or my famous keto Cinnamon Roll Coffee Cake. I even have a recipe for keto Cinnamon Roll Biscotti! And if you’re looking for a true cinnamon roll, you need to check out my Fathead Cinnamon Rolls with cranberries and pecans. Or skip the berries and pecans, if you’d rather.
Creating Keto Cinnamon Roll Scones
This was actually my first truly successful attempt at keto scones, way back when (almost 8 years ago!). Since then, I have created countless low carb scone recipes, all with some delicious flavor combinations. I also like to play with the flour variations and many of them contain both almond and coconut flour.
But way back when, I made these with just almond flour and I find it still works really well. So for those of you that are allergic to, or simply don’t like, coconut flour, you will love these!
I decided to re-visit this recipe because I wanted to include it in my new book, The Ultimate Guide to Keto Baking. I really kept the recipe the same, with some small changes. I used butter instead of coconut oil.
I made the “cinnamon sugar” just as I have always done, with granular Swerve and ground cinnamon. I sprinkled some of it into the scone dough as I was forming them, as well as sprinkling plenty overtop of the scones.
And I simplified the cream cheese frosting a bit, for a basic cream cheese drizzle instead of a combination of cream cheese and butter.
But as you might expect, the flavor was spot on and these scones were just as delicious as they always were. And well worth a spot in my new cookbook!
Love to bake? Check out my new book!
Keto Cinnamon Roll Scones
Ingredients
Scones:
- 2 cups almond flour
- 6 tablespoon Swerve Sweetener divided
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg lightly beaten
- ¼ cup unsalted butter melted
- 2 tablespoon heavy whipping cream
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Icing:
- 1 oz cream cheese softened
- 1 tablespoon cream
- 1 tablespoon powdered Swerve Sweetener
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Scones:
- Preheat the oven to 325F and line a baking sheet with parchment or a silicone liner.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the almond flour, ¼ cup of the sweetener, the baking powder, and the salt. Stir in the egg, melted butter, cream, and vanilla extract until the dough comes together.
- In a small bowl, whisk the remaining 2 tablespoons of sweetener with the cinnamon. Sprinkle half of this mixture into the dough, and mix in a little but do not fully incorporate, so that it remains a bit streaky.
- Turn the dough out onto the prepared baking sheet and pat out into an 8 inch circle. Sprinkle with the remaining cinnamon mixture and cut into 8 even wedges. Carefully separate the wedges.
- Space the wedges evenly around the baking sheet and bake 20 to 25 minutes, until lightly browned and firm to the touch. Remove and let cool 5 minutes on the pan, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Icing:
- In a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese with the sweetener until well combined. Beat in the cream and vanilla extract until smooth.
- Place the drizzle in a plastic Ziploc bag and snip of the very tip of one corner. Pipe decoratively over the cooled scones.
Karen says
Making these again. Love them. Can’t wait to eat them again. Love you Carolyn! Best recipies ever and I am not diabetic, thank God. Just want to live a healthy lifestyle!
Carolyn says
Thanks, Karen!
Donna Brown says
These are amazing! Thank you!
Karen says
Carolyn, I made these yesterday and cannot believe how delicious they are! You are brilliant!!!
karen says
THOSE WHERE AMAZING! I’ve been dabbling/moving into less carbs for nearly 3 years. I’ve never tried any of these kinds of recipes until now. These were fabulous and give me hope to try other recipes. THANK YOU!
Michelle says
I have low-carbed off and on for many years. I have tried many many recipes for bread like items (ie. low carb cookies, cakes, scones, muffins, bread etc) I am very picky about texture and taste. I absolutely loved this recipe! It worked out very well. My husband who does not low-carb also loved them as did my two-year-old.
I did not have to add extra almond meal as some people, but I sift my almond flour before I use it so maybe that made a difference? The only tweek I made was with my sweetener. I used a combo of erythritol, nectresse and liquid Splenda (ez sweetz). The only other change was that I used coconut sugar in replace of the brown sugar substitute recommended. It is not low carb and adds 12 carbs to the count ( much lower glycemic than regular brown or white sugar).
I look forearm to trying more recipes. Thanks
Carolyn says
So glad you liked it, Michelle. I am currently testing coconut sugar on my blood sugar levels to see how it does. I need to try it out a bit more before I know what I really think of it. But it’s not a bad replacement when you need it!
Barbara says
I made these last night. Have made them before and everyone loved them. This is the first time I made the icing. Had a little problem. The directions for the icing says “For the icing, beat cream cheese, butter and cream together until smooth.” However, the ingredients for the icing do not list creme. I faked it but the texture was not what I wanted. How much creme was I supposed to use? Thanks
Carolyn says
I am so sorry about that! It’s been a long time since I made these but I imagine 1 tbsp would be sufficient.
KetoCooker says
I made these today and was not that impressed. I baked them 20 minutes but they were already starting to burn on the bottom and they came out on the dry side. Bummer!
Carolyn says
Sounds to me like your oven runs quite hot, because no one else had this problem. Sorry they didn’t turn out!
Ellen @ The Baking Bluenoser says
Can’t wait to try these out! All your recipes look divine!
Jennifer says
Gaaaa! These are amazing! They taste perfectly like a cinnamon roll, and the icing makes them perfection. I added a little toasted chopped pecans and a Tbs. of minced raisins, and the extra carbs were worth it. Thank you for all your recipes, they have kept me on track for almost a year now 🙂
Carolyn says
Wonderful! Glad they worked out.
Emily says
I just wanted to thank you for this recipe. I’m about to make the third batch this week for my family – we love them! I have yet to make the icing, as I was out of cream cheese, but I honestly can’t imagine liking them more than I do plain! They’re perfect with coffee in the morning, or a snack later. Gave one to my friend last night and she immediately asked for the recipe.
Ashley says
Made these tonight! They’re AMAZING! But mine spread WAY more than yours did. They taste amazing, look hideous. LOL Any ideas why?? I followed the recipe to a “t”! Thank you for your goodies!!!
Carolyn says
Hmmmm, not sure. What kind of almond flour did you use? I find that the almond meal, less finely ground, can change the consistency.
Ashley says
Bob’s Red Mill is what I typically use. I didn’t realize there was a difference between brands. Still relatively new to the low carb baking 🙂
Carolyn says
Bob’s Red Mill is more like almond meal…it’s not as finely ground, has bigger particles and doesn’t quite bake the same way. I love Bob’s, and it’s great for muffins and such, but I find for finer textured things like cake, it’s can lead to a different consistency. So I am guessing that was the problem here! I use Honeyville for most of my baked goods. I order it directly from their website, and if you sign up for their email list, they send discount codes every month or so.
Ashley G says
Awesome! Thank you so much, Carolyn! I’ll have to try it again with Honeyville. 🙂 Because they ARE soooooo good!!
Susan Pelter says
As a cinnamon roll addict, I love these scones and have made them several times. I’ve also tweaked the recipe to yield something approximating Welsh tea cakes (a fave!) by adding other spices and orange zest and leaving off the topping. But the sine qua non was my inspiration this week to combine this base with the topping from your cinnamon pecan streusel bread. It yielded a result that I would proudly serve to any pecan-sticky-bun lover, low-carbing or not! I simply put some of the streusel in the batter, mounded the rest on top of the dough before slicing, and drizzled with the cream cheese frosting when done. Fantastic! Thanks so much for your wonderful recipes 😉
Carolyn says
I'm so glad you find it helpful! You know, it seems like low carb/GF is really better for everyone…it just hasn't fully caught on with every one yet!
Wendy says
Just made these today….all I can say is Yummmmm!!! And the house smells amazing now 🙂
jbug says
I love this blog! so excited i came across it! I have an autistic daughter who i keep gluten free sugar free and I do much better on the lo carb /gluten free/ sugar free as well. This is such a great resource for us! Thank you so much!!!keep up the great work!!!!
Roanokemary says
Just made these and had one with a cup of freshly-brewed coffee. Wow! So very good. I adore baked goods and have been baking since I was 10, but I, too, have become glucose intolerant, and that limits my choices to some extent. It is heartening, though, to know that I can still make and eat something this excellent without sending my blood sugar where I don't want it to go! Thanks for a great recipe, Carolyn.
Carolyn says
Well, that was a major step to have left out! Thanks for catching that. Yes, sprinkle the remaining topping on top, before cutting into scones.
DonnaRae says
Ok, I'm confused about the filling/topping. Its says to mix 1/2 the filling into the dough gently. What do you do with the other half of the filling/topping? since it says topping to you add it to the dough after it you make it round before slicing?
Linday Coleman says
I made these today and LOVE them. I was quite surprised by the texture- so similar to traditional scones [at least what I remember of them, anyway]. Very tasty, great texture, and the icing was delish!
Thank you so much for a great recipe. 🙂
[I've been grain-free & sugar-free for 4.5 months.]
Megan's Cookin' says
These look wonderful, I love any kind of scone! I have a question about the sweeteners you use. I notice you always use the erythritol but also Stevia drops. Why not just the erythitol alone??
Megan's Cookin' says
These look wonderful, I love any kind of scone! I have a question about the sweeteners you use. I notice you always use the erythritol but also Stevia drops. Why not just the erythitol alone??