These Vegan Blackberry Lime Scones are so soft, flaky, & can easily be made in one bowl! Making homemade berry scones without eggs or butter is easier than you think and this recipe has all the best flavors of summer.
Making fruit-flavored scones was one of the first things I tackled when I started SGTO with my Vegan Lemon Scones. Since then, I've made made quite a few vegan scone recipes including my popular Vegan Blueberry Scones!
However, these blackberry lime scones may just be my best flavor yet! I got the flavor inspiration from my favorite Blackberry Lemonade Mojito and at the last minute decided to swap out the lemon for limes. Wow- it did NOT disappoint.
Scone ingredients:
Steps to make blackberry scones
When I first started baking scones, they sounded incredibly intimidating. However, I'm here to equip you with all the tips, tricks, & the process to make easy scones from the comfort of your home!
First, make the vegan scone batter
Freeze the coconut oil
I prefer making scones with coconut oil because of the soft texture it gives them, though it can be replaced 1:1 with cold vegan butter. Simply scoop ½ cup of room temperature coconut oil into a small bowl and then add to the freezer for around 15 minutes.
Mix the dry ingredients first
Unlike homemade cookies where the wet ingredients get mixed first and then the dry ingredients get added, scones are the complete opposite. First, mix together all the dry ingredients in one bowl.
This includes flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and lime zest.
Cut the coconut oil into the dry ingredients
Once the dry ingredients are mixed together, remove the coconut oil from the freezer and grate it into the bowl. I use a hand grater, but even a knife to chop up the coconut oil works.
By the way, it's totally okay if large chunks of coconut oil fall into the bowl. After all the coconut oil has been added, use a pastry cutter to "cut" the coconut oil into the dough. If you don't have a pastry cutter, a fork also works for this step, but I HIGHLY recommend investing in a pastry cutter if you plan on making scones or biscuits often!
Then, add in the wet ingredients & blackberries
Now that the coconut oil has been cut into the dough, add in the wet ingredients including the almond milk and vanilla. Then, use the pastry cutter to mix until a shaggy dough forms and no dry spots remain.
Tips for the best scone dough:
- Do not overwork the dough. Mix it JUST until it comes together.
- Don't knead the dough. It should be shaggy and will not be anything like bread dough.
- Use cold ingredients like refrigerated milk and frozen coconut oil/ refrigerated butter
Finally, add in whole blackberries and use the pastry cutter to slice them into the dough or add in sliced berries. The berries will add in a decent amount of moisture so don't mix them in too much or the scone dough will be hard to shape.
Shape the scone dough
After forming the shaggy scone dough, turn it out onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. This is the same baking sheet you will bake the scones on and it creates less mess to shape the scones on this surface as well!
How to shape scone dough:
- Flatten the dough with your hand into a circle that is 2-3 inches in height (it doesn't have to be perfect either!)
- Don't use a rolling pin to shape the dough, patting the dough with your hands works best
- Try to handle the dough as little as possible to keep it cold
- Before cutting into slices, add the dough to the freezer
After shaping the scone dough into a circle I ALWAYS add it to the freezer for 10 minutes before slicing. While the dough is in the freezer, preheat the oven to 400F. Cooking scones at a high heat helps them become super flaky and crusty on the outside with soft centers.
After about 10 minutes in the freezer, remove the tray with the scone dough and cut diagonally into 8 even pieces. Next, separate the scones on the baking tray so they are no longer touching and there is at least 1 inch between them.
Bake the blackberry scones
Luckily, this part is pretty simple. Just bake the scones for 15-20 minutes at 400F! Baking time will vary on how thick you made your scones, so check at the 15-minute mark and cook until the scones are cooked through and beginning to brown on top.
After the scones are baked I let them cool on the tray before removing them. They will be softer right out of the oven but harden as they cool!
How to make an easy lime glaze
Did you know that making homemade citrus glaze is incredibly easy and only requires three ingredients?! I can guarantee after making this recipe you're going to want to add lime glaze to everything you bake!
Here's all you need:
- Powdered sugar
- Lime zest
- Fresh lime juice
Once you have those three ingredients just add 1 cup of sifted powdered sugar & the lime zest to a bowl. It should be noted, it is SUPER important to sift powdered sugar, or else lumps will form in the glaze. Here's one of my favorite flour sifters that I use to sift powdered sugar for a smooth glaze.
After that, just add in 1 tablespoon of fresh lime juice and use a whisk or fork to combine. I like a super thick glaze for my scones, but if you want a thinner glaze just add more lime juice or even add 1-2 teaspoon of almond milk!
Once you're done making this easy lime glaze, try making my grapefruit glaze on my Grapefruit Olive Oil Cake or cranberry glaze on my Gingerbread Scones next!
FAQ & substitutions:
Can I use a different berry in these scones?
Yes! swap blackberries with any berry 1:1 to make vegan berry scones. That includes blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, or even cranberries.
Can I make blackberry scones gluten-free?
While I have not personally tried making these scones gluten-free, I have heard great things about Bob's Red Mill 1:1 Gluten-Free mix working in my recipes calling for all-purpose flour.
flour as the amount you need in this recipe would differ from the whole wheat flour I used.
Will frozen blackberries work in this recipe?
Yep! Simply use the same amount of frozen berries as fresh berries in this recipe. The scones may need an additional 2-3 minutes of baking time, but otherwise, the instructions remain the same.
I really can't wait for you to try this delicious vegan blackberry recipe! Vegan Blackberry Lime Scones are on repeat in our house any time we can find fresh berries in season. Enjoy!
-TSG
More sweet vegan breakfast recipes you will love:
Vegan Blackberry Lime Scones
Ingredients
Blackberry Scones:
- ½ cup frozen coconut oil
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup sugar
- 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons lime zest
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ cup+ 2 Tablespoons almond milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
- ¾ cup fresh blackberries loosely packed- can be sliced in half
Lime Glaze:
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon lime zest
- 1 Tablespoon lime juice
Instructions
- Begin by scooping your coconut oil into a bowl and placing it into the freezer for at least 10 minutes to freeze. It’s okay if it’s not frozen entirely through, but the more frozen it is the flakier your scones will be.
- Next, add the dry ingredients to a large mixing bowl including the flour, sugar, baking powder, lime zest, and salt. Sift together until well mixed.
- Take your frozen coconut oil out of the freezer and use a cheese grater to grate it into the mixing bowl. If you have a few larger chunks, that's totally fine. Use a pastry cutter or fork to “cut” any large chunks of coconut oil into the dough.
- Next, add in your milk and vanilla. Use a pastry cutter or your hands to combine into a shaggy dough. The shaggy dough will be somewhat flaky, yet still hold together without any dry spots. If your dough is too wet add 1-2 tablespoon more flour and if it is too dry add in a 1-2 tablespoon more milk. As a final step, add in your blackberries and cut into the dough with a pastry cutter or slice in half and mix into the dough with your hands.
- Next, line a baking sheet with parchment paper and turn the dough out onto the baking sheet. Then, form the dough into a large circle that is 2-3 inches in height. Place the scones into the freezer & preheat your oven to 400F. Once the oven is preheated, remove the scones from the freezer and bake for 15-20 minutes until cooked through and slightly browned on top. (*Please note if your scones are not as thick as mine they will cook faster so check at 15 minutes*)
- Remove the scones from the oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool. While the scones are cooling, make your glaze by adding the powdered sugar and lime zest to a small bowl. Then, add in the lime juice and whisk until a smooth glaze has formed. Add in 1-2 teaspoon of almond milk if you want a thinner glaze.
- Pour the lime glaze over the cooled blackberry scones and enjoy!
Notes
- Scones will keep in the fridge for 3-5 days or the freezer for up to 3 weeks. Store in a closed container between sheets of parchment paper.
- Blackberries can be replaced 1:1 with any berry (fresh or frozen) and lime can be replaced with lemon 1:1
Carolyn says
Thank you for such a wonderful recipe! The blackberry bushes in my yard produce very tart blackberries—what to do? Well, I’ve made these scones twice in the last week!
Megan says
Sounds like the perfect solution 🙂 Glad you enjoyed the recipe!
LS says
Can the sugar be cut down in this recipe or does the amount lend to the dough in a way that isn't just for sweetness. I don't do well with sugar in any form and am trying to cut the amounts of sugar from anything normally sweet as I still wish to have scones in my life.
Megan says
I don't recommend cutting the sugar as it will change the texture of the scones. The sugar does help them "spread" a bit and affects the moisture of the dough. Replacing it with coconut sugar/maple sugar would definitely work, but still affect the texture slightly. If you're okay with denser/slightly drier scones then they should still rise and have a scone-like texture with reduced sugar. Let me know if you try!
Tami Lunsford says
My husband is allergic to butter and does not do well with dairy, so he has spent much of his life not being able to eat pastries of any kind. These were so easy to make, absolutely delicious, and the entire family loves them. NO one would guess they are vegan and the glaze is to die for. THANK YOU!
Andy says
Forgive me, but I don't do much baking: at what point between forming the dough into a large circle and putting the scones in the freezer do you form/cut them into individual scones? And how do you do that?
Megan says
After you form the dough into a circle, place it into the freezer for about 10 minutes while the oven is preheating. Then, remove the tray of dough and slice it- basically freezing it before slicing makes it much easier to cut even slices. If you read the blog post, there are actually pictures should how I sliced it from a circle into 8 slices. You want to cut it similar to how you would cut a pizza into slices. I used my a pastry cutter to cut the dough, but a sharp knife also works. I hope that answers your question and let me know if you have any more questions!
Cyndi says
Can I substitute gluten free flour for all purpose?
Megan says
If it is a 1:1 GF mix meant for baking, yes. Using a GF flour like almond, coconut, etc would not work.
Bob P says
Yoooo these blew my mind. I used frozen blackberries and it turned out great. Freezing the coconut oil was a good trick, next time I'll make sure it's more balled up before its frozen so it grates easily. But wow these were ridiculously good thanks
Daniela says
There are insanely good!!!
Angelina C says
I made these scones this morning, and they are absolutely delicious despite the fact that I totally screwed up their baking time. Excellent recipe thanks for sharing!
Holly says
Scones are so good anytime, morning,noon and night! These are vegan and you wouldn't know 😋 these melt in your mouth with the right amount of sweetness, so delicious 👌
Megan Horowitch says
So glad you liked them!!
Kayla says
I'm not much of a baker but we went blackberry picking and I decided to give this recipe a shot since I'm dairy free. These are so delicious! I couldn't recommend them more. Personally I left some scones without the icing, but I'd still recommend making it anyways since its only 2 ingredients.