Vegetarian Scones Recipe (Gluten-Free!)

In a busy world, it’s can be tricky to eat your five servings of vegetables each day. A veggie-stuffed quiche for breakfast, a hearty salad for lunch, a warming soup or stuffed squash for dinner…throw in a side of cauliflower bites and you’re still a serving short! Sneak those extra veggies into tea time with this gluten-free vegetarian scones recipe. Have your vegetables and eat them, too!

Vegetarian Scones: A Delicious Redundancy

If you’re on the hunt for a good vegetarian scones recipe, rest assured: most scone recipes are vegetarian. The majority of scones are sweet—usually incorporating fresh or dried fruit or chocolate. Unless you’re putting bacon in your dough, it’s likely your scone recipe is vegetarian-friendly. (Although these maple bacon scones are a fun option for any meat-eaters out there…)

Even most savory scones are vegetarian, swapping out fruit and chocolate in favor of herbs and cheese.

Cheddar and scallion. Parmesan wheat with tomato goat cheese. You get the idea.

Delicious? Yes. Containing meat? No.

However, because they rely heavily on butter and milk for their dense, flakey texture, scones are not often vegan. For vegan scone recipes, check out these banana oat scones or these gluten and dairy-free almond scones and dried fruit scones!

With that in mind, when you’re looking for vegetarian scones recipes, you’ve got a huge range of options.

Feeling classic? Try a British strawberry scone!

Feeling simple? Try a cinnamon oat scone.

Feeling indulgent? Try a decadent red velvet scone with cream cheese topping.

For a fancy tea party, whip up a batch of hummingbird cake scones or lavender apricot scones.

For a zingy pick-me-up, try ruby red grapefruit scones or refreshing lemonade scones.

And if you’re ever short on ideas, the Plum Deluxe recipe index has dozens of scone recipes to choose from!

Sometimes we need a baked good with a little more nutritional value. And sometimes we crave savory instead of sweet. Enter: vegetable scones.

Choosing Your Vegetables: Peppers, Onions, Zucchini, Oh My!

Our vegetarian scones recipe today goes beyond the absence of meat to include an abundance of vegetables. I included sautéed peppers and onions because I love them. I also threw in some grated zucchini to pack an extra veggie punch.

(Bonus: they’re gluten-free! Flour blend compliments of my gluten-free baker-extraordinaire friend Jen)

If you’re partial to other veggies or spices, feel free to mix and match! This recipe gives you the foundation, and you can play around with it to your heart’s content.

If broccoli cheddar is more your style, swap out the peppers and onions for steamed or roasted broccoli and exchange the parmesan for cheddar.

Maybe puree a hefty bunch of spinach and mix it with your wet ingredients, then stir in a smattering of chopped artichokes and crumbled feta.

Perhaps you’d like a sweet potato scone with caramelized onions and sundried tomatoes.

You know what you like. Go nuts!

If your local farmer’s market is in season, wander the booths and see what speaks to you. Find inspiration in fresh, seasonal produce.

Or maybe head to your grocery store and stock up on your favorite year-round veggies. Maybe pick one of each color. Taste the rainbow!

Or simply stick with this recipe. I’m biased, of course, but I’m a fan.

They’ve got a great rise, nice color, an excellent crisp on the outside to contrast with the flakey crumb on the inside. They are moist, not too dense, and the bit of sweetness from the slow-cooked onions is augmented by a pop of flavor, texture, and color from the peppers. A wonderful choice for veggie and scone lovers alike!

Tea Pairings for Savory Scones

Any one of your favorite teas will probably be a nice accompaniment to these vegetable scones. There are tons of teas that pair well with savory foods!

For a straightforward black tea that pairs very nicely, try Highlands Breakfast tea. Simply flavored with orange peel and heather flowers, this low-frills blend gives the black tea a chance to shine. The slight sweetness from the onions compliments the sturdy flavors of the tea without contradicting them.

My personal favorite blend to drink with these scones is Crystal Clarity oolong. The burst of lemon compliments the sweet but savory notes in the onions and peppers, and the underlying basil leaf emphasizes the herbaceous flavors of the spices. The tea adds a brightness to the scones that harmonizes beautifully with the more grounded flavors. Definitely worth a try!

Check it out and let us know what you think! We always love to see what you’re sipping—tag us on social media @plumdeluxe. Cheers, and happy baking!