Keto Vanilla Bean Scones are buttery, tender, and packed with rich vanilla flavor. These sugar-free, gluten-free scones rival the famous Starbucks treat with a fraction of the carbs. Grab your coffee and let’s dig in!
In case you haven’t noticed, I love making keto Starbucks copycat recipes. I hardly ever go to the famous coffeeshop chain anymore, but I look back fondly on all the high carb, sugary treats I used to love. They have given me so much inspiration for low carb makeovers, like Keto Frappuccinos and Keto Cranberry Bliss Bars.
These easy almond flour scones are a copycat of the petite vanilla bean scones from Starbucks. My kids loved them but they were off limits for me, so I created my own keto version back in 2015. And they’ve been a favorite ever since!
★★★★★
Toni says: “One of my first Keto desserts I made when I started eating keto back in 2018. Initially, I thought baking was behind me then I found alldayidreamaboutfood. I do shape them as cookies, flatten them a little before I bake and then drizzle the icing on top. These don’t disappoint.“
Ingredient Notes
- Almond flour: I find that almond flour makes the best keto scones. Coconut flour will not work in this recipe.
- Sweetener: I typically recommend erythritol based sweeteners for a recipe like this, as it gives them the right texture. You will need a powdered sweetener for the glaze. Please see the sweetener options for more information.
- Vanilla powder: Made from ground vanilla pods, vanilla bean powder is an easy substitute for vanilla beans. You don’t have to work to scrape out the little vanilla seeds and a little goes a long way. So it ends up being less expensive too!
- Vanilla extract: Because we want strong vanilla flavor, a good vanilla extract is imperative.
- Eggs: Traditional scones don’t take eggs, but we need them in keto baking to help bind the mixture and keep it from falling apart.
- Heavy cream: This adds richness to the scones. You also need it to make the luscious vanilla glaze.
- Baking staples: Butter, baking powder, salt.
How to Make Keto Vanilla Scones
- Combine the dry ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the almond flour, sweetener, baking powder, vanilla powder, and salt.
- Add the wet ingredients: Stir in the eggs butter, cream, and vanilla extract until the dough comes together.
- Form the scones: Split dough into 3 equal portions and form into disks. Cut each disk into 8 equal pieces to make 24 small scones.
- Bake the scones: Place on a prepared baking sheet and bake 15 to 18 minutes. Let cool completely.
- Prepare the glaze: In a medium bowl, whisk together the powdered sweetener, vanilla powder, and heavy cream. Add water to thin, if needed.
- Glaze the scones: Dip the top of each scone into glaze and place on a baking rack until set.
Carolyn’s Tips for Success
Almond flour provides the best texture for scones. Coconut flour is too absorbent and requires too many eggs, so they turn out overly moist and rather spongy. Scones should be on the dry side and a little bit crumbly but still very tender.
If you can’t access vanilla bean powder, you can use the seeds from 1 vanilla bean, or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. The extract obviously won’t give the flecked appearance of vanilla seeds, but it will taste delicious!
The consistency of the glaze can differ depending on what sweetener you use, so you may or may not have to add water to thin it out. Add the water a tiny bit at a time (half a teaspoon is good), as it can thin out quickly.
You can skip the glaze if you prefer, but I recommend adding a little more sweetener to the scones themselves, to make up for it.
Sweetener Options
As noted above, I prefer erythritol sweeteners for scones. While you can use whatever sweetener you like best, you should be aware that allulose may make them very soft and cakey, rather than firm and tender.
For the glaze, any powdered sweetener should do the trick. However, powdered allulose thins out faster than powdered erythritol, so add the liquids slowly. Glazes made with allulose also take a long time to set, so leave the scones out overnight to help dry it out.
Keto Vanilla Bean Scones
Ingredients
Scones:
- 3 cups (336 g) almond flour
- 1/4 cup (47.5 g) sweetener, (erythritol recommended)
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1 tsp vanilla powder, ground vanilla beans OR seeds scraped out of 1 vanilla bean OR 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1/4 cup (56.75 g) melted butter
- 2 tbsp heavy cream
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Glaze:
- 1/3 cup (63.33 g) powdered sweetener
- 1/2 tsp vanilla powder OR seeds of 1/2 a vanilla bean OR 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 tbsp (45.65 g) heavy cream
- Water , if your glaze is too thick
Instructions
Scones:
- Preheat the oven to 325ºF and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone liner.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the almond flour, sweetener, baking powder, vanilla powder, and salt.
- Stir in the eggs, melted butter, cream and vanilla extract until the dough comes together.
- Split the dough into 3 equal portions and form into disks, each about 1 inch thick and 5 to 6 inches in diameter. Cut each disk into 8 equal pieces.
- Separate the scones and place on prepared baking sheet. Bake 15 to 18 minutes, or until just golden and firm to the touch.
- Remove and let cool completely.
Glaze:
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the sweetener, vanilla powder, and cream until well combined. If your glaze is very thick, add water 1 teaspoon at a time until a dippable consistency is achieved.
- Dip the top of each scone into glaze and place on a baking rack until set.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
Please note that I am not a medical or nutritional professional. I am simply recounting and sharing my own experiences on this blog. Nothing I express here should be taken as medical advice and you should consult with your doctor before starting any diet or exercise program. I provide nutritional information for my recipes simply as a courtesy to my readers. It is calculated using MacGourmet software and I remove erythritol from the final carb count and net carb count, as it does not affect my own blood glucose levels. I do my best to be as accurate as possible but you should independently calculate nutritional information on your own before relying on them. I expressly disclaim any and all liability of any kind with respect to any act or omission wholly or in part in reliance on anything contained in this website.
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Perfect with a cup of tea or coffee!
Can the heavy cream be substituted with vanilla Greek yoghurt?
No, it’s too thick.
One of my first Keto desserts I made when I started eating keto back in 2018. Initially, I thought baking was behind me then I found alldayidreamaboutfood. I do shape them as cookies, flatten them a little before I bake and then drizzle the icing on top. These don’t disappoint.
I made this recipe this morning and it was a relatively easy recipe to follow. I used the same ingredients, including a vanilla bean and swerve. While I enjoyed this tremendously, I do not like the cooling effect the swerve powdered sweetener gave off. The scone itself was fantastic. Although I never had a Starbuck$ scone before, this one was simply delicious if you can get around the “cooling effect” of the Swerve. I was hoping someone knows a different brand that is equally Keto aka sugar-free without that cool feeling. Thank you for a simple yet delicious scone.
Wonderful! Our favorite!
Can I use maple syrup to substitute the sweetener?
I am sorry, I have no idea. I don’t use maple syrup.
Could you substitute coconut flour for the almond flour?
Absolutely not. Please read this: https://alldayidreamaboutfood.com/low-carb-basics-baking-with-almond-flour/ and this: https://alldayidreamaboutfood.com/low-carb-basics-baking-with-coconut-flour/
I have been wanting to make these with a vanilla pod I have been hoarding. But when I went to make them I was out of cream. I decided to just use a whole stick of butter and due to the consistency I made them as drop cookies rather than scones for shaping. They are the most delicious, tender, and vanilla essenced soft sugar cookie thing I have ever made. I am not sure I can make them the correct way now….
These are so good and so easy! Tastes very similar to Starbucks scones. Can these be made into larger scones instead of mini ones? If so, any idea how much longer to bake? Thanks.
Yes! Check out my other scone recipes for a sense of how long to bake them.
Question, I think that mine are undercooked. They felt nice and firm so I took them out, iced them and then had a sample. They seem too moist in the middle. I left them in the oven for almost 20 minutes. Could it just be because they aren’t completely cool yet? I guess there’s no way to cook them further now that the icing has been added is there? They taste INCREDIBLE though.
It does sound like they are under-baked. Remember, every oven is different! They are cooked, but just not as done as they should be. Put them in your fridge, that will help firm them up.
Carolyn, you are my Keto Queen of dependably awesome recipes! Question, since you use a dairy cream for the glaze, (which I’m sure tastes best) do they need to be kept refrigerated or frozen? When I glaze using dairy it concerns me, so I usually compromise on nut milk, (I like Macadamia) or just vanilla extract and maybe a touch of good water? Maybe heating the cream would keep it from souring? Or that it has our safe sugar? In my canning, I’ve noticed it seems erythritol preserves? My cranberry sauce that doesn’t seal is good after months in my panty! (I use xylitol or allulose since it doesn’t crystallize. Thanks for your thoughts! Cheers! Cecily
Unless you live in a very hot environment, it should be fine for 2 to 3 days, easily.
I’m very picky and it’s rare that I find something keto/low carb that I like, especially sweets. Thank you for posting this 5-star recipe and all the hard work you put into it!
That’s wonderful!
Made these on the weekend to have with a cup of tea. Used a cookie scoop and flattened them slightly to make small rounds. I called them “scone babies”, as in Australia scones are round and large. Served with butter and sugar free jam – fabulous.
Love the idea!
These are great. How should these be stored and for how long?
They are fine on the counter for a few days in a covered container. In the fridge if they will be around longer.