Easy Coffee Scones Recipe

These 30 minute vegan coffee scones combine my two favorite things into one: coffee and scones! Plus, they’re paired with a cream cheese frosting that balances the coffee flavor perfectly.

Scones are hands down one of my favorite things to bake! They’re ridiculously easy, require simple ingredients, and can be eaten for breakfast. Not to mention they’re tender, flaky, and perfect for just about any occassion.

My Sunday ritual includes whipping up a batch of these sweet scones on the weekend and enjoying with a cup of coffee (because let’s be real you can never have too much coffee). And, hopefully after making this recipe, it becomes a weekly occurrence for you to look forward to as well!

P.S. This post may contain affiliate links. Read more about my affiliate policy here.

WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS RECIPE

Simple Ingredients – This scone recipe requires less than 10 ingredients, while the frosting requires just 4 ingredients. And, they’re most likely ingredients you already have laying around.

Easy to Make – Personally I think scones are one of the easiest things to make, taking just 5-10 minutes to prep. While they can be a bit finicky, as long as you follow my tip guide below, they’ll turn out deliciously.

Ready in Under 30 Minutes – One of the reasons I love scones is that you can easily whip this baked good up on a whim. Because they only take a few minutes to prep and 20 minutes to bake, no need to prepare that far ahead.

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INGREDIENTS NEEDED (WITH SUBSTITUTIONS)

To make these cream cheese frosted scones you will need the following ingredients.

SCONE INGREDIENTS

All-Purpose Flour – All-purpose flour is used in these scones for ease and flavor. However, if you want to make them gluten free I have seen multiple successful reviews from those using 1:1 Gluten Free flour mix.

Sugar – Granulated white sugar is my personal favorite in these scones, but you can also use coconut sugar or brown sugar. If you decide to omit the frosting, I highly recommend increasing the sugar amount to 1/2 cup.

Cold Vegan Butter -Vegan butter is what is used to get deliciously flaky scones. I highly recommend Earth Balance butter sticks! They’re my favorite for baking recipes.

Non-Dairy Milk – Using plant milk adds a bit of creaminess. Any plant milk is fine…oat milk, almond milk, soy milk, etc!

Apple Cider Vinegar – Apple cider vinegar is mixed with the milk to create a vegan buttermilk. You can sub lemon juice, fresh or bottled.

Coffee – Of course coffee scones need…coffee! For a more intense coffee flavor use espresso, for a more subtle coffee flavor use freshly brewed coffee. If you want to add an extra coffee flavor, you can also add a teaspoon of instant coffee and/or espresso powder to the dry ingredients.

Sea Salt, Baking Powder, Vanilla Extract – Essential scone ingredients for flavor and rise.

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING INGREDIENTS

Softened Vegan Butter – Similar to above, I recommend Earth Balance butter sticks, especially for frosting. The taste and texture is ideal for frosting.

Vegan Cream Cheese – For cream cheese frosting it’s super important to get good quality vegan cream cheese. Vegan cream cheese can have a WIDE variety of flavors and textures. For frosting, you want one that is not overly tangy and is thick (i.e. not easily spreadable). My go-to brand for frosting is Trader Joe’s plain vegan cream cheese. Tofutti is also a great brand.

Powdered Sugar – Powdered sugar brings this frosting together, any brand is fine.

Vanilla Extract – A bit of vanilla extract adds a subtle, vanilla flavoring to this frosting.

HOW TO MAKE SCONES

Follow the below instructions to make sure your scones turn out tender and flaky. For full ingredients make sure to read the recipe card below.

Step 1: Preheat your oven to 400F. While the oven is preheating, take out a sheet pan and parchment paper. 

Step 2: Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. In a small bowl, mix together the plant milk and apple cider vinegar. Whisk, then set in the fridge and let sit for 5 minutes.

Step 3: Grate the cold vegan butter and add it into the bowl with flour mixture. While I prefer to grate it in, you can also just cut it into small pieces.

P.S. For the flakiest scones it’s important to use cold butter. Remove it from the fridge right before you use it!

Step 4: Then, cut the butter into the flour using a pastry cutter. Don’t have a pastry cutter? You can also use a fork. The goal is to work the small chunks of butter into the flour mixture until the butter is roughly combined (it should look like coarse crumbs). Avoid using your hands (too much) as the heat from them will start to melt the butter.

Step 5: Add the coffee and vanilla to the buttermilk and whisk.

Then, pour the wet ingredients into the dough and work the two together using a wooden spoon or spatula. Once roughly combined, pour out onto a lightly floured work surface. Use your hands to form the dough into a non-sticky ball.

Step 6: Flatten the scone dough down until it’s about a 6 to 7-inch circle that is around 1 inch thick. Using a bench scraper or knife cut into 8 pieces.

Step 7: Add the scones to the prepared baking sheet and bake for 18-23 minutes or until golden brown on the bottom. Once baked, remove and let cool on a wire rack.

HOW TO MAKE THE FROSTING

Step 1: To a large mixing bow, add in the softened butter and cream cheese. Whisk together until smooth and creamy, about 1-2 minutes.

Step 2: Next, add in the vanilla extract and whisk again briefly.

Step 3: Slowly incorporate a cup of powdered sugar at a time and whip. I used roughly 2 to 2 1/2 cups of powdered sugar, but you may need more or less depending on your desired flavor, consistency, and brands used.

Step 4: Once the scones have cooled, pipe the frosting on and serve immediately!

SECRET TO MAKING GOOD SCONES

To get tender scones that are perfectly flaky, follow the two tips below.

1. Don’t Over Mix – It’s important not to over mix the dough as that will result in a dense scone. Mix until the ingredients just come together and then shape. It’s okay if there’s still a few specks of flour here and there.

2. Use Cold Ingredients – Any ingredient that is kept in the fridge (non-dairy milk, apple cider vinegar, and butter) should be kept as cold as possible prior to baking. If you are worried that any of your ingredients are too warm, you can make the dough, cover with plastic wrap, and place in the fridge for 20 – 30 minutes before baking.

STORAGE & REHEATING

Scones are best served fresh because they dry out quickly. But, if you do happen to have leftover scones you can store unfrosted scones at room temperature in an airtight container for 1-2 days. Then, transfer to the fridge for an additional 2-3 days.

If already frosted, store them in the fridge after 2-3 hours. You can keep them in the fridge for 3-4 days.

Know you’ll have leftover scones? Skip the frosting and freeze them. To freeze scones, let cool to room temperature and then place in the freezer on a plate for 30 minutes. Once, the scones are frozen, place in an airtight container or freezer-safe bag for up to 2-3 months. To reheat the scones, let thaw at room temperature or reheat in the microwave.

Store the frosting separately in the fridge for up to 3-4 days, or in the freezer for up to a month. Once the scone has thawed, add the frosting on top and enjoy!

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If you decide to try this recipe out, let me know! I love seeing your recreations tagged on Instagram @nourishedwithnatalie.