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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These scones are soooo delicious!! We’re obsessed! Thanks for sharing!
If I was to go with the vanilla extract instead of the ground vanilla powder would I use both the 1 tsp substitute and the 1/2 tsp at the end of the recipe for a total of 1 1/2 tsp? Thanks for all you do. Love your blog and facebook page. Follow it daily!!
No, just the 1 tsp in the scones themselves. Thanks so much!
I am relatively new to Keto, about 2 months, and every recipe of yours I have tried has been spectacular! Yours is the only food blog I follow! Thanks for what you do!!
Thank you, Lisa. What a lovely compliment!
Hi! Thanks for sharing this recipe. Will these last in the mail if I do 2-3 day priority mail?
I think so. I’ve never tried to send them to anyone.
I just made these and hubby and I love them. Will these freeze well?
Vanilla scones were my favorite Starbucks confection, and these copycats are fantastic! It’s been years since I’ve had one from Starbucks, but I do think these are so close to the original: less biscuit-like and slightly more bready than standard scones, and perfectly simple in flavor. My husband and I really enjoyed them. Highly recommended. Thanks Carolyn!
I am wondering if I can use strained whole milk yogurt (IP recipe) instead of heavy cream? I am lactose intolerant so I want to avoid dairy. These look so good!!
Sure, I can’t see why not! Use coconut milk too, if you prefer.
These scones look amazing. Wish I could tolerate swerve or any sugar alcohols. The only sweeteners I can tolerate are stevia, coconut sugar, maple syrup and honey, all of the latter I realize are not Keto; sadly.
Maybe someday I’ll be healed enough to tolerate swerve and other alternate sweeteners. Thanks for the eye candy.
Elaine, I cannot do artificial sugars as most give me a migraine. I can, however,use monk fruit (erythritol). Try substituting that for the Swerve. However, I think Swerve is erythritol based also. I just prefer Monk Fruit. (If you are in the US, some Costco’s carry it.)
I am one of those weird people that would prefer vanilla over chocolate so this sounds like the perfect treat to go with my tea.
I wish I had these to go with the coffee I’m drinking right now.
No need to go to the coffee shop again! And that glaze on top is perfect!
These with a cup of tea would be perfection!
I just made these with Bob’s Red Mill Paleo flour. I adjusted the cream to 12 – 14 tablespoons because of the coconut flour that in the Paleo flour. I also used two tablespoons of baking powder. They came out great and my family topped them with homemade clotted cream! Yummy!.
I’m wondering if you could replace some of the almond flour for oat fiber to lower the carbs?
Possibly but it’s much drier so be prepared to add a little more oil or eggs.
absolutely fantastic! very tender but not too much crumbling and ultimately delicious!
Hi Carolyn,
I was trying to get to the maple pecan scone recipe but the link takes you to the pumpkin muffins ( they’re wonderful btw) tried it 4x. I’m going to search for it a different way but thought I’d let you know. Trying to get back on track, I lost 18 lbs which I would’ve never achieved without the help of your fabulous recipes. I fell off the wagon and I’m trying to get back on track with a little help from you !
Thanks for letting me know!