If you’ve been hesitant to bake with almond flour, give these gluten free cherry almond scones a try. They have great flavor and texture.
Almonds have long been part of the human diet
Almonds are headlining the news lately. The drought in California has brought focus on the incredible amounts of water used by industrial agriculture (see this post). But while almonds are enjoying a resurgence in usage, they’ve been a part of the human diet for millennia. Almond flour is a staple in traditional baked goods of the Mediterranean. Almond milk, produced by soaking the ground nuts in water, was common in medieval kitchens since it could be stored for long periods without spoiling. It also was used as a dairy substitute during times of fasting.
Nowadays, people have many reasons for using almond products. They’re great for those with certain food allergies and intolerances. As a plant based source of protein, almonds are popular across of broad spectrum of eating styles, from low carb to vegan. It’s hard to deny the ability of a mere handful of almonds to stave off hunger until mealtime.
Using almond flour in baking
Baking with almond flour can be problematic. It’s not as simple as a 1:1 swap with wheat flour. There’s a little testing involved and a ratio that works for cookies might not be the best to use for cakes. For this reason, it’s probably a good idea to follow tested recipes until you’re comfortable using almond flour– especially if, like me, you’re not a frequent baker. Thanks to Pinterest I found this awesome but easy to follow basic recipe from Gluten Free Homemaker. All I had to do was change the goodies added to the basic mix.
Ingredients
- 2½ cups almond flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 - 1 cup chocolate chips a generous handful
- 1 cup dried cherries soaked
- 2 large eggs lightly beaten
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
- 1 tablespoon milk
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/2 cup sliced almonds a handful
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Soak the cherries in enough water to cover for 10 - 15 minutes. Drain the cherries, discard the soaking liquid (or use in a smoothie).
- In a large bowl, mix together the almond flour, salt, baking soda, drained cherries, and chocolate chips.
- Add the beaten eggs and honey. Stir until thoroughly combined.
- Place the dough the prepared baking sheet and pat it out into an oblong.
- Cut into eight pieces as shown.
- Bake for approximately 12 - 15 minutes until golden brown. Turn the tray about halfway through the cooking time.
- Cool on the baking sheet while you make the glaze.
- Combine the confectioner's sugar, milk and vanilla until smooth. Add more sugar or milk to adjust the consistency.
- Drizzle the glaze over the scones and sprinkle with sliced almonds.
Looks great but needs no oil or other fat?
The almond flour and the eggs provide all the fat needed. I hope you give it a try, Marla!
I’ve never used almond flour in baking before, but this recipe was simple and the scones came out great! Thanks 🙂
I’m glad it worked out for you! I really appreciate that you took the time to let me know. Have a great week!
I’ve made these three times now and my family loves them. Total winner recipe, thanks Lydiasf
Thanks for letting me know, Sandy! We enjoy them, too 🙂
Great scone recipe. Thanks!
I am GF and this recipe just made my day! It looks amazing,
I was really pleased with how they turned out. See Nancy’s suggestion above for an alternate honey and butter glaze. I will definitely be giving that a try next time!
I love making scones, but have never tried using almond flour before, these sound delicious!
These look absolutely delicious! I wish I could come through the screen and try!
I best these are good! I’ve never attempted scones before. They always seem a little scary, lol.
They’re less complicated than some other types of bread, but like biscuits, they can be tricky.
These look amazing! Love that they are Gluten Free!
These look delicious.
These look SO good, I love the combination of cherry and almond!
Wow, these look amazing! Gorgeous pictures!
I’ve only tried my hand at scones a few times – I thnk I need to change that soon! This recipe sounds delicious and easy! 🙂
Mmmm these scones look marvelous–I should try and make them for this weekend. Thanks for the recipe!
What a great combination! I am going to have to try this!!
Your delicious treats are making me hungry. I love nuts and they are one of my favorite additions to healthy recipes.
These look so yummy, and could easily be adapted and made vegan! Thanks for sharing 🙂
This is a perfect recipe to make a vegan adaptation. Don’t forget to compensate for the liquid lost when you substitute for the honey. Please come back and share a link if you decide to make a post about it 🙂
I absolutely love the flavor of almond so I’m always up for trying anything almond. Or baked goods. Always up for trying those as well! 😉
That looks amazing! I feel like blogland is single-handedly destroying my every attempt to stay away from sweets. But this is gluten free, so it’s healthy right? lol Pinning for later!
Absolutely!
Love the sound of these; and my husband loves scones, so I know I’ll be making these soon!
Hello Nancy! Please let me know how they turn out for you and if you had to make any changes. You have a lot more experience than I do working with almond flour. 🙂
I just ordered some unsulphured cherries, so I’ll be making these as soon as the fruit arrives, and I’ll be sure to let you know how they turn out.
Lydia, Just wanted to follow-up. I made the recipe following the exact recipe with the exception of the topping. For the topping I used a grassfed butter/honey glaze to make it more Paleo friendly. but we thought it was just as good without a glaze. The scones turned out great, but for our tastes, next time I’ll reduce the cherries and chocolate by half. Thanks for another great recipe!
Nancy, thanks so much for following up! I like the butter/honey glaze idea and will try it next time.
I love that these scones are gluten free. They look absolutely delicious and I love cherries. Can’t wait to try them out and eat them with my family. They will love them.
These look and sound delicious! Pinning so that I can definitely try them. =0)