Delicious & Easy Vegan Cranberry Lemon Scones: Your New Favorite Dairy-Free Treat

Are you searching for a delightful, dairy-free scone recipe that’s bursting with flavor? Look no further! These Vegan Cranberry Lemon Scones are everything you’ve been dreaming of. Perfectly zesty, subtly sweet, and wonderfully tender, they are an absolute joy with a steaming cup of coffee or tea. Whether you’re gathering with family over the holidays, hosting a weekend brunch, or simply craving a special treat, these scones fit every occasion beautifully.

This recipe holds a special place in my heart, dedicated to my sister, an ardent scone enthusiast. Though we live miles apart and don’t get to share coffee as often as we’d like, I imagine her enjoying one of these with me. The second mug of coffee in the picture below is always for her, symbolizing those shared moments we cherish.

Why You Will Absolutely Love These Vegan Cranberry Lemon Scones

These scones aren’t just a recipe; they’re an experience waiting to happen. Here’s why they’re destined to become a staple in your kitchen:

• The Ultimate Coffee Companion: Whether it’s the quiet solace of a morning coffee or an afternoon pick-me-up, these delicious Vegan Cranberry Lemon Scones are the perfect accompaniment. Their bright citrus notes and subtle sweetness complement the richness of coffee beautifully, creating a moment of pure bliss.
• A Holiday Morning Tradition: Imagine the aroma of freshly baked scones filling your home on Christmas morning or any special holiday. These scones are perfect for creating cherished memories with family, adding a touch of homemade warmth and festive cheer to your celebrations. Their vibrant cranberry flecks and golden crust look as good as they taste!
• Remarkably Food Allergy-Friendly: Finding a scone recipe that caters to multiple dietary needs can be a challenge. These scones are a game-changer! They are proudly dairy-free, egg-free, soy-free, and nut-free, ensuring that almost everyone at your table can enjoy them without worry. No one has to miss out on this delightful treat.
• Packed with Unforgettable Flavor: Every bite of these scones is an explosion of complementary flavors. The tartness of cranberries perfectly balances the bright, aromatic lemon zest, all subtly enhanced by a hint of cardamom. They are so incredibly flavorful that they truly don’t need icing, saving you an extra step and letting their natural goodness shine. However, if you’re feeling indulgent, a dollop of homemade dairy-free lemon curd takes them to an even more divine level!
• Surprisingly Easy to Whip Up: Don’t be intimidated by homemade baking! This recipe is straightforward and designed for ease, allowing you to whip up a batch of these homemade scones any time a craving strikes. With simple steps and common ingredients, you’ll have warm, fresh scones ready in under an hour.

Essential Ingredients for Your Vegan Cranberry Lemon Scones

Crafting the perfect scone begins with quality ingredients. Here’s what you’ll need to create these fantastic cranberry lemon scones. For precise measurements, please refer to the complete recipe card at the bottom of this post.

A Note About Using Coconut Milk and Oil: Will They Taste Like Coconut?

It’s a common question when baking with coconut products: will my scones taste like a tropical cocktail? Rest assured, I’ve experimented with numerous dairy-free and vegan scone recipes, and using full-fat canned coconut milk and coconut oil has consistently yielded the best results for texture and richness. If you’re new to cooking or baking with these ingredients, you might be pleasantly surprised to learn that you absolutely cannot taste the coconut in these cranberry lemon scones.

The magic happens with heat. Once coconut oil is heated, its distinct coconut flavor largely disappears, leaving behind a neutral fat that contributes beautifully to the scone’s tender crumb. This makes it an ideal dairy-free substitute for butter in many baked goods where you don’t want a coconut flavor. Conversely, if you *do* desire that signature coconut taste in a recipe, such as in my Almond Joy Inspired Dairy-Free Cupcakes, you would typically use unheated coconut oil or coconut flakes to preserve that tropical essence. For these scones, however, the warmth of the oven transforms the coconut oil into a flavorless texture agent, allowing the vibrant cranberry and lemon to truly shine.

How to Make These Dairy-Free, Egg-Free Cranberry Lemon Scones: A Simple Guide

Making these vegan cranberry lemon scones is a straightforward process, even for novice bakers. Follow these steps for flaky, flavorful results.

• Combine Dry Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together your flour, sugar, baking powder, fine sea salt, and cardamom. Ensuring these are well combined prevents pockets of leavening or salt.
• Add Wet Ingredients: In a separate smaller bowl, mix the coconut milk, melted coconut oil (ensure it’s not hot), lemon zest, and lemon juice. Pour this wet mixture into the dry ingredients. Stir just until a shaggy dough forms. The key here is not to overmix! Overworking the dough develops gluten, leading to tough scones.
• Fold in Cranberries & Form Dough: Gently fold the fresh or frozen cranberries into the dough. Then, lightly flour a clean surface and turn out the dough. Bring it together to form a cohesive ball with your hands.
• Shape and Chill: Pat the dough ball into a disk about 1 inch thick. For the flakiest scones that hold their shape beautifully, refrigerate this disk for at least 20 minutes. This helps the fats firm up and prevents the scones from spreading too much in the oven.
• Preheat Oven: While the dough is chilling, preheat your oven to a steady 400 degrees F (200°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Prepare for Baking: Carefully transfer the chilled dough disk onto the parchment-lined cookie sheet. Using a sharp knife or a bench scraper, cut the disk into 6 wedges. Aim for roughly equal sizes to ensure even baking. Don’t worry if they’re not perfectly uniform – homemade charm is part of the appeal!
• Space Them Out: Gently separate the wedges a little on the baking sheet so they have room to expand and don’t touch each other during baking. This ensures all sides get golden and crisp.
• Sugar Topping: Slowly and generously sprinkle large sugar crystals over the top of each scone. I find it easiest to pour a small amount into my hand and sprinkle them evenly. This adds a fantastic sparkle and a lovely crunchy texture.
• Bake and Enjoy: Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes, or until the scones are golden brown on top and cooked through. Once baked, let them cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature, and savor every delicious bite!

Expert Tips for Perfectly Baked Vegan Scones

Achieving bakery-quality scones at home is easier than you think, especially with a few insider tips:

• Cold Ingredients are Your Friend: Just like with traditional scones, using cold coconut milk and ensuring your coconut oil is solid and cold (or melted and then cooled slightly if it starts liquid) helps create pockets of steam during baking, leading to a flakier texture.
• Don’t Overmix the Dough: This is perhaps the most crucial rule for scones. Mix the wet and dry ingredients only until just combined. A shaggy, slightly crumbly dough is ideal. Overmixing develops gluten, making scones tough and less tender.
• Chill the Dough: The 20-minute refrigeration step is not just a suggestion; it’s a secret weapon! Chilling the dough before baking helps the coconut oil solidify again, which contributes to flakiness. It also prevents the scones from spreading too much in the hot oven, ensuring they maintain their shape and rise beautifully.
• Sharp Knife for Cutting: Use a sharp knife or a bench scraper to cut the dough into wedges. A clean cut allows the scones to rise evenly. Twisting or dull cuts can seal the edges and inhibit rise.
• Don’t Skimp on the Sugar Crystals: While optional, the large sugar crystals add a fantastic textural contrast and a beautiful, glistening finish. They melt slightly into a sweet, crispy crust that truly elevates the scone experience.

Serving Suggestions & Delightful Variations

These Vegan Cranberry Lemon Scones are incredibly versatile and delicious on their own, but here are some ideas to make them even more special:

• Classic Pairings: Serve warm with a dollop of dairy-free lemon curd, your favorite fruit jam, or a spoonful of vegan whipped cream.
• Fruit Swaps: Not a fan of cranberries? Feel free to experiment with other fruits! Blueberries, raspberries, or chopped dried apricots would be wonderful alternatives. Adjust sweetness slightly if using very sweet fruits.
• Spice it Up: While cardamom is fantastic, you could also try adding a pinch of cinnamon or nutmeg for a different flavor profile, especially if you opt for apple or pear variations.
• Zest Appeal: For an extra citrus kick, add more lemon zest to the dough or grate some fresh zest over the warm scones just before serving.

Storage and Reheating Tips

To enjoy your vegan cranberry lemon scones at their best, follow these storage and reheating recommendations:

• At Room Temperature: Freshly baked scones are best enjoyed on the day they are made. If you have leftovers, store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2-3 days.
• Freezing Baked Scones: For longer storage, allow the baked and cooled scones to freeze individually on a baking sheet before transferring them to a freezer-safe bag or container. They can be stored in the freezer for up to 2-3 months.
• Reheating: To reheat, simply place scones on a baking sheet and warm them in a preheated oven at 300°F (150°C) for about 5-10 minutes, or until heated through. If reheating from frozen, you may need an extra 5-10 minutes. A quick zap in the microwave also works, but might make them slightly softer.

If you tried these Dairy Free and Egg Free Cranberry Lemon Scones or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below! Your feedback is incredibly valuable. 🙂

Vegan Cranberry Lemon Scones

By Kelly Kirkendoll

Perfect for any morning or afternoon, these delicious Vegan Cranberry Lemon Scones are packed with flavor and easy to make. They’re also dairy-free, egg-free, soy-free and nut-free.

★★★★★
5 from 1 vote

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Time & Details

• Prep Time: 10 mins
• Cook Time: 25 mins
• Total Time: 55 mins (includes chilling time)
• Course: Breakfast, Dessert
• Cuisine: Dairy-Free, Soy-Free, Vegan
• Servings: 6 scones
• Calories: 413 kcal

Equipment

• 1 Baking sheet
• Parchment paper

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 Tbsp baking powder
• 3/4 tsp fine sea salt
• 1 cup coconut milk (unsweetened, full-fat – shake the can well before opening and pour out 1 cup)
• 1/4 cup coconut oil
• 1/2 tsp cardamom
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries
• Sugar sprinkles (optional, for topping)

Instructions

1. Mix all the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, cardamom) in a large bowl.
2. In a separate bowl, add the coconut milk, coconut oil, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Pour these wet ingredients into the dry mixture and blend until just combined into a shaggy dough. Do not overwork the dough.
3. Gently fold in the cranberries. Then, form the dough into a ball.
4. Pat the dough ball into a disk about 1 inch thick. Refrigerate for 20 minutes.
5. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
6. Transfer the chilled dough disk onto the prepared baking sheet. Cut the dough into 6 wedges (aim for roughly the same size).
7. Separate the wedges a little on the baking sheet so they don’t touch.
8. Slowly sprinkle large sugar crystals generously on top of each scone wedge.
9. Bake at 400 degrees F for 25 minutes, or until golden brown. Let cool slightly before serving. Enjoy!

Notes

Cranberries are seasonally available. If you love this recipe, I suggest buying some extra during the holiday season and freezing the cranberries so you can make these scones anytime throughout the year. Use them directly from frozen.

Nutrition Information (per scone)

• Calories: 413 kcal
• Carbohydrates: 60g
• Protein: 6g
• Fat: 18g
• Saturated Fat: 15g
• Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.5g
• Monounsaturated Fat: 1g
• Sodium: 509mg
• Potassium: 157mg
• Fiber: 2g
• Sugar: 18g
• Vitamin A: 10 IU
• Vitamin C: 4mg
• Calcium: 135mg
• Iron: 4mg