Healthy Lemon Poppy Seed Scones (Gluten Free)

These healthy lemon poppy seed scones are made with almond flour, filled with poppy seeds and flavored with lemon and maple syrup. They are moist and tender but have a nice crumb texture. In addition, this lemon scone recipe is gluten free, dairy free and paleo friendly.

Nothing says spring quite like lemon! And I need all the spring vibes right about now, as it's been more winter-like here than anything.

These gluten free lemon poppy seed scones are my way of welcoming in the warmer months. They would be perfect for Easter brunch or a healthier dessert. They are made with almond flour, loaded with poppy seeds, sweetened with maple syrup and flavored with fresh lemon.

Healthy Lemon Poppy Seed Scones

There's so many reasons to love these healthy lemon scones, as they're:

• gluten free and grain free - made with a combination of almond flour, tapioca starch and coconut flour
• paleo friendly - contain real, whole food ingredients
• dairy free - made without milk, cream or butter
• refined sugar free - sweetened with maple syrup
• easy to make - the dough is easy to make and work with
• kid approved - all of my kids loved this recipe

Ingredients

Here's a list of what you need to make this recipe for lemon poppy seed scones:

• almond flour
• tapioca starch
• coconut flour
• poppy seeds
• baking soda
• salt
• palm shortening (or butter)
• egg
• maple syrup
• lemon juice and zest
• vanilla extract

I also topped the scones with a simple glaze made with maple syrup and tapioca starch. The starch thickens the syrup, making it like a maple icing.

How To Make Lemon Poppy Seed Scones

These scones are easy to make, but do require a decent amount of prep time only because the dough needs to be chilled for at least 2 hours.

Here's the step by step process for making these almond flour lemon poppy seed scones:

Make the Dough

First, make the dough by combining the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Mix in the shortening, first with a fork or spatula then use your hands. Mix until the shortening is in small chunks (see photo below).

Next, combine the wet ingredients in a small mixing bowl.

Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture and mix until just combined. It's important not to over-mix the dough as that will greatly affect the texture of the scones.

The dough will be wet and sticky, which is why the next step is a must!

Chill the Dough

Next, chill the dough in the fridge for at least 2 hours. Cover the mixing bowl with plastic wrap or bees wax wrap and place the bowl in the fridge.

Shape and Bake the Scones

After chilling, preheat your oven to 375 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Grab the scone dough from the fridge and shape it into a ball. Flatten the ball of dough onto the sheet of parchment paper and shape it into a disc, approximately 6.5 inches in diameter. Using a sharp knife, cut the dough into 8 equal pieces, making triangular shapes. Spread each scone out so that they aren't touching.

Place the lemon scones in the oven and bake at 375 degrees for 15-18 minutes. When done, the scones will be slightly brown on the bottom and edges.

Remove the scones from the oven and let them cool at least 5 minutes before removing them from the baking pan.

Glaze the Scones

You can eat these gluten free lemon scones as-is or top them with your favorite glaze or frosting. I topped mine with a simple maple icing.

For the maple icing, combine maple syrup and tapioca starch. Drizzle the icing over the cooled scones and top with more poppy seeds.

Storage

These paleo lemon scones are best stored in an air-tight container in the fridge and eaten within one week. After storing, you can eat them as-is or warm them slightly in the microwave or toaster oven.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make these scones with just almond flour?

No, this particular scone recipe requires a combination of almond flour, coconut flour and tapioca starch in order to get the proper scone texture.

Do you have to chill the dough?

Yes, chilling the dough is a must! The dough will be sticky and hard to shape if you don't chill it.

Can this recipe be made nut free?

Tigernut flour should work in place of the almond flour for a nut free version. However, please note that I have not tested this substitution myself.

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