Tender low carb scones made with coconut flour and almond flour and packed with juicy cranberries. All topped off with a delicious orange-scented glaze!
People often look at me aghast when they hear that I don’t eat wheat or sugar and avoid the vast majority of carbohydrates. You can see the little wheels turning in their heads, wondering what I could possibly find to eat. Or at least what I could find to eat that could possibly taste any good. But while they are often questioning the list of things I don’t eat, they rarely focus on the amazing variety of things I actually do eat. I daresay that my diet is far more diversified than most of the population and includes a large number of ingredients I never even knew existed in my past life. Going gluten-free and low carb has actually expanded the foods available to me rather than limiting them, because I approach new and heretofore unheard-of ingredients with an open mind. As long as it won’t send my blood glucose soaring, I am willing to give it a try.
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I was delighted when Bob’s Red Mill, a brand that has brought many alternative ingredients into the mainstream, asked me to write about the difficulties of figuring out what to eat on a restricted diet. Because I’ve been there and it was only a few year ago. I remember it vividly, coming to the conclusion that I needed to go low carb for my health (gluten-free came a little later) and being devastated. What on earth, besides bacon and eggs, was I going to be able to eat? And what on earth would happen to my beloved past time of baking extravagant desserts?
Well, if you follow this blog, you know that it didn’t take me long to figure out that low carb, gluten-free ingredients were amazingly varied. I just had to be willing to adapt my cooking and baking skills to these strange and wonderful new foods. And because I was absolutely determined to still be able to have scones for breakfast, I worked very hard on adapting those skills!
So the next time someone looks at me aghast and says “No sugar? No wheat? What on earth do you eat?”, I will just smile and breezily say “Oh well, you know…scones, muffins, cookies, cake. It’s a tough life”.
Please check out my Cranberry Orange Drop Scones and my tip on how to embrace the low carb, gluten-free lifestyle on Bob’s Red Mill blog!
Serves 12. Each serving has 9 g of carbs and 4 g of fiber. Total NET CARBS = 5 g.
108 Calories; 5g Fat (44.2% calories from fat); 6g Protein; 9g Carbohydrate; 4g Dietary Fiber; 71mg Cholesterol; 176mg Sodium.
Jan says
These turned out quite nicely and are very tasty! At the last minute I discovered I only had three eggs, and although packaged as large, they weren’t very large at all. I thought due to the coconut flour I would probably need to add extra liquid, but once it was mixed up it was quite wet so I decided to go with what I had. They were very moist, more like a muffin texture than a scone. For my taste (not much of a fan of eggy things) I think three eggs was plenty. Thanks for all your efforts and experimentation Carolyn. This is my go to site for when I’m in the mood to try a new recipe.
Carolyn says
Sounds good! Good to know about less eggs, I may try that next.
Pam says
Carolyn, I know that in most of your recipes, you used a finer texture almond flour (like Honeyville). I know from experience that some recipes will not turn out the same when using a coarser grind of almond flour, like Bob’s Red Mill. Can we assume that this recipe works with any brand of almond flour? These look amazing, BTW!
Carolyn says
This recipe will be fine with Bob’s almond flour, because it’s really the coconut flour that forms the base consistency of the scones.
Pam says
Good to know…thanks Carolyn!
Jill says
Wow, these look AMAZING! what a wonderful breakfast treat for the holidays. (I know we’re a LONG way off, but they just seem so festive!) I can’t wait to make these!!
Carolyn says
They do seem festive, don’t they?
Tess @ Tips on Healthy Living says
Wow, these look delicious! That’s impressive that you go without sugar, and wheat. I try to keep my foods in moderation, but it’s definitely not easy. Sometimes, you just have to give up things completely. Anyway, thanks for sharing!
MIss @ Miss in the Kitchen says
I love scones and cranberry orange is my favorite flavor combo!
Gail says
The texture is light and wonderful on these and the flavors go together so well. I couldn’t find any fresh or frozen cranberries at the store, so I bought unsweetened “freeze dried” cranberries (at Trader Joes), and let them sit in a bowl of warm water for a little while. They plumped up and worked perfectly in this recipe. Thanks, Carolyn, for another keeper!
Carolyn says
That’s a great idea on the berries!
Joan says
Made these yesterday and they are wonderful! They are almost a cookie, but lighter and more fragile.
Kate Brandeis says
I am a recently-diagnoed Type 1 diabetic who (in hopes of warding off the T1D-celiac connection) does not eat gluten. Since finding ADIDAF, I look forward each day to reading (and trying) your recipes and your blog. Thank you! My daughter entered her school science fair with an experiment that measured the rise of different types of gluten-ful and gluten-free flours, so I decided that the Cran-Orange scones would be a good snack to make as my science fair food contribution. I was lucky to have any left to take to school! My tasters (kids) like to keep it real when it comes to whether or not a recipe has “worked”, and they raved like mad about these scones! I labeled them as GF and had two post-fair e-mails thanking me for making a GF goodie and asking for the recipe. I happily provided the link to ADIDAF. The scones went together in a flash and they are a beautiful golden color when baked. Thank you again for sharing your creativity and your scientific expertise. Keep dreaming!
Carolyn says
I am so sorry for your diagnosis but so glad you have discovered that good food is still an option! 🙂
Ruthie says
I have no dietary restrictions that cause me to eat GF, but I just might have to try this because it looks so yummy!
Vicki says
I didn’t have any oranges so I used fresh lemon and home frozen blueberries instead. The blueberries were a bit old but they perked right up in the scones. Also, I used 3 eggs and skipped the glaze.
These were my first low carb scones and the texture was quite different than other scones. They were light and very tasty though. The lemon taste came through clearly which is great if you are a lemon lover like me! Thanks Carolyn for a tasty recipe.
Carolyn says
Sounds wonderful!
Shannon says
Carolyn, if I only have frozen cranberries, would I thaw them first or put them in frozen? Thank you!
Carolyn says
Put them in frozen. Cranberries don’t change much in texture or consistency from being frozen so they will be fine.
Shannon says
Thanks so much!
Brenda says
I’ve made these three times – once with lemons instead of oranges – all were outstanding! My husband and sister, who can both eat anything they want, love them. Thank you!
Carolyn says
Thanks, Brenda, glad you love them!
Becky Pearson says
Loved loved these! I just love your Blog and read whenever I can. You are helping make the Wheat Belly way of eating very easy,! Thank you!!
Carolyn says
Thanks, Becky!
Dena says
I can not find the recipe foe this scone. I am only getting pictures and comments. What am I doing wrong?
Carolyn says
The link to the recipe on Bob’s Red Mill is just above the nutritional counts (above the last photo). Highlighted in blue.
Julie B. says
My dd and I made these yesterday… both trying to get back on the low-carb-wagon. 🙂 They are WONDERFUL! Our’s were a little ‘flatter’ than how your’s are pictured. Is there a way we can get them to not ‘spread-out’ so much? Our’s were more like a nice ‘cookie’ look, though the texture *was* like a soft, moist scone. 🙂 I’m going to try the ginger scones tonite!
Carolyn says
I think it has to be the brand of coconut flour, that’s my guess. I use Bob’s Red Mill. Next time, add another tbsp or so of coconut flour, to get a thicker consistency.
Julie B. says
Thank you, Carolyn! I thought that’s what I should do (either the almond or coconut flour). It’s what I do for my “regular” cookies
Bonnie says
These were delicious, but I had the same problem with “flatness”. I use Bob’s Red Mill coconut flour and Honeyville almond flour. I have that problem with a few other recipes too (I think the coconut choc chip cookies and the cheddar drop biscuits). Not really a big deal, fantastic either way, but was curious. Maybe humidity? I live in the deep south…
Carolyn says
Hmm, I’ve never thought about that but I suppose humidity could be an issue. Maybe I would cut back on the liquid content by a few tbsp? that might help.
Karen says
Will this work with dried cranberries?
Carolyn says
I suppose, but they won’t be juicy as they are with fresh.
Emily says
Hey Carolyn! Made these and loved them! Even my texture sensitive kiddos liked them. Thanks for the recipe! Do you have any suggestions for preventing them from getting “soggy” during storing? I stored them in air tight plastic containers, but they just didn’t hold their texture. Still tasted good, but really soft. Thanks!
Carolyn says
Honestly, the best bet is to simply store them uncovered on the counter, but you can’t do that for more than 2 days as they may get moody with their high moisture content. We tend to toast them after that.
Regina says
I really don’t think these goodies will last more than 2 days! They’re that good.
Jean B. says
Hi Carolyn.
I am thinking of making cranberry-orange muffins, using this as a basic template. Heeding comments and your responses, I am thinking that I will follow the advice for making less-moist scones. I am also contemplating using both almond flour and almond meal, maybe half and half. I do like a more-robust muffin as vs. a cakelike one. Any advice?
BTW, I find that your weekly posts just get put aside and wonder how many other people do this? I wonder whether doing it the current way has resulted in increased or decreased visits. I guess increasing readership would make that hard to tell, but I find that instead of visiting your site virtually every day, I go on binges. Even so, I am way behind now.
Thanks,
Jean B.
Carolyn says
Hi Jean,
Are you referring to my weekly email? It’s getting great open rates and engagement. But if you want the daily RSS feed, you can sign up for that instead.
Jean B. says
I’m glad it is working for you, Carolyn. Any comments on my proposed approach to make muffins, starting with this recipe?
Carolyn says
I would actually probably go with one of my muffin recipes and then add in the cranberries and orange. The consistency of scones is very different and I think this will make for heavy, dense muffins.
Jean B. says
I have to laugh (at myself)! It should have been obvious that it would work better if one started with a muffin recipe as a template. I can explain why I didn’t: I started thinking about muffin cups as a way to prevent the spreading that folks have commented on. But still… Thanks, Carolyn, for this and for all that you do.
P.S. You must be pretty happy you left the Boston area when you did. We are buried!
Sue says
I made these this morning and was so disappointed! They spread out and flattened like one large cookie. What did I d wrong? I used Trader Joe’s coconut flour and Bob’s Red Mill almond flour. I replaced 2 of the eggs with Egg Beaters.
Carolyn says
Coconut flour can vary from brand to brand so you really should use the Bob’s Red Mill. Also, could be the egg beaters because I don’t know that they bake the same as eggs.
Dena says
Sue try again with whole eggs. This is one of my favorites. I use Bob’s Red Mill or Krogers Simple organic coconut flour, whichever is the cheapest, and have not had a problem.
Sue says
Thanks for the suggestions ladies. Carolyn, I have to say – you are my favorite LC site by far! (or should I spell that favourite? I’m a fellow Canadian living in California and I smile every time I read your stories and see Canadian spellings) You have incredible recipes and wonderful tips. I am new to this LC lifestyle and couldn’t live without sites like yours. Thanks for all you do!
Sue says
Well, I made them this morning, using the Bob’s Red Mill coconut flour and Honeyville blanched almond flour and they came out fantastic! I actually used sour cream instead of Greek yogurt because I forgot to buy it, and I used 1 less egg because the batter seemed the right consistency. They were heavenly! What a fabulous birthday breakfast on a diet!!
Carolyn says
So glad and Happy Birthday!
Brend says
Can you send me the recipe or tell me how to access it. I am unable to. Thank you.
Martha says
Hi Carolyn,
These look amazing! Do you think I can substitute the almond flour for ground up oatmeal? I’m out of almond flour. Please let me know your thoughts. Thanks!
Carolyn says
No, I don’t think that would work at all. Oats have far less moisture and fat.
Obe says
Fresh cranberries are rare here in Australia – so I used dried un-sweetened. Also used sour cream because that was all I had and only used 3 eggs. For sweetener I used only 1/4 of a cup (this was a mix of half Natvia and half xylitol). These are ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS. In Oz we would probably call them ‘rock buns’, although they are a tad softer than the usual rock bun. I made them for a late breakfast today and we are now munching on them for after dinner treats. We didn’t need the glaze because they are sweet enough, although if you wanted to include them in a low carb high tea I would add it for the indulgence factor. Thank you very much for a great recipe.
Marcia says
Not doing yogurt (dairy) anymore, would coconut milk work(canned)? any other substitute that might work better? thx
Carolyn says
I am really not sure. I think you would need less of it, otherwise they will spread too much.
Kelly says
I have been sugar-free, gluten -free for 5 months. The only thing I miss are scones. I’m so excited to try this recipe.
Rachel says
Why both flours? Can u just use coconut flour? What will new measurements be?
Thank you
Carolyn says
Because it gives a much better texture. This is not a good cake for all coconut flour.
Brooke says
Just pulling these out of the oven, They are flat 🙁 followed recipe to a tee 🙁 well lets hope they taste good at least!!
Brooke says
They taste great, even flat I’ll male these again lol
Carolyn says
Different brands of coconut flour are more or less absorbent. Next time, add another 2 to 3 tbsp of coconut flour.
Terry S says
Put them in a muffin top pan, then there’s nowhere for them to
go.
Katie says
Does coconut flour have to be used or can I just use almond flour? The coconut flour really bothers my throats! When unmake my low carb English muffins I use very little for the absorbsion of the liquid! Do you think a full cup in this recipe will work! These look good thank you for sharing!
Carolyn says
You can try subbing more almond flour but you will need to increase the amount by 2 to 3 times.
Don R. Long says
Love this page, but i’m dissapointed. . no recipe for the orange scones. can you send it to me. .
LonganAssociates@aol.com
Carolyn says
http://www.bobsredmill.com/recipes/how-to-make/cranberry-orange-drop-scones/
Robin says
Fantastic! I substituted a mix of water, powdered Swerve, stevia, and a few drops of orange oil as a sub for the orange juice in the scones and glaze. Thank you! I so appreciate all the recipes you bring us and all the work you put into your great blog. You rock!
Joy says
I really want to make this delicious looking recipe, but I have repeatedly tried to access it on the Bob’s Red Mill site (using your link), but it keeps saying that the site took too long to respond. It won’t load. I tried it on my phone yesterday, and my computer today. Any thoughts?
Carolyn says
I am having trouble too. I will try to find the time to add the recipe to my site but that may take me some time.
Mary says
Carolyn, I tried accessing the recipe at the link you put on your Aug 30, 2017 response. It works perfectly. It is just the link in your original post that doesn’t work.
Geneva Miller says
Hi Carolyn, I have tried to get to the bob’s red mill blog and cannot get through. Would there be any way I could get this recipe? I love your recipes and all the delicious gluten/sugar free options! Thanks for all your hard work!
Geneva
Geneva Miller says
So sorry! I hadn’t read the most recent post.
Pat says
I have these in the oven now and they have spread into each other like pancakes instead of drop biscuits??? Should I have let the batter “sit” for a while after beating so the coconut flour could better absorb the liquids? Hope they will still be edible and I am so ready for an iced scone with butter and tea in the morning. Perplexed as I re-checked my ingredients and did as instructed. Thank you.
Carolyn says
Some coconut flours are not as absorbent…what brand did you use? They will definitely still be edible though!
Pat says
Yes, they are indeed editble. I think my coconut flour may be too old. I have it stored in a container in the fridge and honestly don’t remember where I sourced it, very likely online and months ago. My almond flour I always keep frozen with only what I need in the fridge. Have not been so careful with the coconut flour. I can tell these will be good next time I attempt to make them with fresh coconut flour. What brand do you recommend? Cranberry and orange is a grear flavor combination. Thank you.
Carolyn says
I always use Bob’s Red Mill because it’s consistent for my recipes.
Patricia says
Carolyn,
I’ve been going nuts this evening trying to get the Bob’s Red Mill blog to open with no success! Is there another way to retrieve this recipe? I absolutely LOVE CRANBERRIES! Every Thanksgiving I start stocking up for the year. I think I have almost four of the really big bags in my freezer. I eat cranberries all year and one of my favorite smoothies is cranberry orange. I really want to try these scones!
Carolyn says
https://www.bobsredmill.com/recipes/how-to-make/cranberry-orange-drop-scones/
Robin says
Hi! Delicious, but mine came out flat as well. I will cut back on liquid next time. I live in the Pacific Northwest and humidity could have been a factor. Yet, they are yummy! Next in the oven is drying cranberries from your recipe. 😊
Carolyn says
I live here too and haven’t had that issue. What brand of coconut flour are you using?