Vegan apple cinnamon scones bring together tender crumb, warm spice, and fresh fruit in a baked good that feels both cozy and refined. This vegan breakfast recipe features chunks of real apple folded into a lightly sweetened dough, finished with a simple cinnamon glaze that sets into a delicate shell. Made without eggs or butter, this vegan dessert recipe relies on coconut oil and coconut cream to achieve a soft, bakery-style texture with crisp edges.
Apple cinnamon scones are a classic pairing, but this vegan version maintains the same familiar comfort while remaining entirely plant-based. The balance of warm cinnamon, lightly caramelized apples, and flaky crumb makes these vegan cinnamon scones well suited for breakfast, brunch, or an afternoon treat alongside coffee or tea.
Why Vegan Apple Cinnamon Scones Work Without Eggs or Butter
Traditional scones depend on cold butter and cream to create flaky layers. In this vegan apple cinnamon scone recipe, chilled coconut oil replaces butter, while full-fat coconut cream provides richness and moisture. When kept cold, coconut oil behaves similarly to butter, creating pockets of fat that melt during baking and leave behind a tender crumb.
Apple cider vinegar plays a subtle but important role. Combined with coconut cream, it mimics the acidity of buttermilk, helping activate the baking soda and encouraging a light rise. The result is a vegan scone that feels indulgent without the need for egg replacers or specialty ingredients.
Ingredients for Vegan Apple Cinnamon Scones
This vegan dessert recipe uses straightforward pantry staples paired with fresh apples. Each ingredient contributes to structure, flavor, or texture.
Ingredients
- Cold, solid coconut oil
- Unsweetened coconut cream
- Apple cider or white vinegar
- Vanilla extract
- All-purpose flour
- Light brown sugar
- Baking powder and baking soda
- Ground cinnamon
- Salt
- Fresh apples, peeled and diced
The glaze adds a finishing touch, made from powdered sugar, cinnamon, and oat milk. It hardens as it sets, creating a lightly crisp contrast to the soft interior of the scones.
How to Make Vegan Apple Cinnamon Scones
This vegan scones recipe makes 8 tender vegan apple cinnamon scones with just 10 minutes of prep time. After a 15-minute chill, bake the scones for 25 minutes until lightly golden. From start to finish, the total time is 50 minutes.
1. Preparation begins by lining a baking sheet with parchment paper or using a non-stick baking sheet. Apples are peeled and diced into small, even chunks. Cutting apples into thin slices before dicing helps maintain distinct apple pieces during baking, preventing them from melting into the dough.
2. In a small bowl, coconut cream, vanilla extract, and vinegar are whisked together and set aside. In a larger bowl, flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt are thoroughly combined.
3. Cold coconut oil is finely chopped and worked into the dry ingredients using fingertips. This step is essential for creating a crumbly texture, with small pieces of fat evenly distributed throughout the flour mixture.
4. The coconut cream mixture is added and gently stirred until a shaggy dough forms. The dough should appear slightly rough and just moist enough to hold together. A small drizzle of coconut milk can be added if the mixture seems too dry. Diced apples are folded in carefully to avoid overmixing.
5. The dough is turned out onto a lightly floured surface and gently brought together. It is flattened into a rough circle about one inch thick, then cut into eight equal wedges. The shaped scones are transferred to the baking sheet and chilled for at least 15 minutes before baking.
6. Chilling the dough helps firm the coconut oil, encouraging better rise and flakier texture once baked.
Baking and Glazing the Scones
1. Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Scones should bake for 23 to 25 minutes, until lightly golden on the edges and set in the center. After baking, let them rest briefly on the baking sheet before being moved to a cooling rack.
2. While the scones cool, combine powdered sugar and cinnamon, and add in oat milk gradually until the glaze reaches a pourable consistency. Once the scones are mostly cool, drizzle the glaze over the tops and allow to harden.
3. These vegan apple cinnamon scones can be served slightly warm or at room temperature and are best enjoyed the same day they are made.
Texture and Flavor Notes for Vegan Cinnamon Scones
The finished scones are tender and crumbly with crisp, lightly golden edges. Fresh apple chunks add moisture and bursts of natural sweetness, while cinnamon provides warmth without overpowering the fruit. The coconut flavor is subtle and well balanced, allowing the apple cinnamon combination to remain the star.
The glaze adds a touch of sweetness and visual appeal, making these scones a bakery-style treat without excessive sugar.
Storage and Freezing Tips
Vegan apple cinnamon scones can be frozen for up to one month. Once fully cooled, they should be stored in an airtight container or freezer bag. Thawing at room temperature restores their texture, though the glaze may be slightly sticky after defrosting.
For best results, glazing after thawing is recommended if freezing ahead of time.
Easy Vegan Apple Cinnamon Scones Worth Baking Again
These vegan apple cinnamon scones offer a bakery-style treat made with simple, plant-based ingredients and warm, comforting flavors. Tender crumb, fresh apple pieces, and a lightly spiced cinnamon glaze come together in a vegan scones recipe that feels special without being complicated. Perfect for breakfast, brunch, or a cozy afternoon snack, this vegan apple cinnamon scone recipe is one that earns a repeat spot in any home baking rotation.
PrintVegan Apple Cinnamon Scones
Categories: vegan, soy free, breakfast, dessert
Makes: 8 scones
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Chill Time: 15 minutes
Bake Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 8 scones 1x
- Category: Breakfast, Dessert
Ingredients
- 6 tbsp/90ml coconut oil (cold and solid)
- 10 tbsp/150ml coconut cream (unsweetened, cold)
- 2 tsp/10ml apple cider or white vinegar
- 1 tsp/5ml vanilla extract
- 2 1/4 cup/270g all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup/78g light brown sugar
- 1 tbsp/12g baking powder
- ½ tsp/2g baking soda
- 1 tsp/2g ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp/3g salt
- 1–2 medium apples (peeled and diced (140g/1 ½ cups))
- 1 cup/120g powdered sugar
- ¼ tsp/ ½ g ground cinnamon
- 1–2 tbsp/15-30ml oat milk
Instructions
- Line a baking sheet with parchment or a non-stick baking sheet.
- Peel and dice the apples into 1/2”/12mm chunks or smaller. Cutting the apples in 8 or 12 slices and then cutting across into thin pieces will produce a good size to incorporate without the apple melting into the dough during baking.
- In a small bowl or mixing glass, whisk together the coconut cream, vanilla extract, and vinegar. Mix together.
- Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl.
- Finely chop the chilled coconut oil into crumbles. Work into dry ingredients with fingertips until thoroughly distributed and broken into small pieces.
- Add in the coconut cream mix. Stir gently to incorporate until dough forms a shaggy mass. If too dry, add a small drizzle of coconut milk. The dough should not be sticky, only just wet enough to hold together when worked.
- Fold in the apples.
- Turn out onto a lightly floured work surface/board, work just enough for it to hold together, and flatten into a circle ~1”/2.5cm thick on a lightly floured surface. The edges do not need to be perfectly shaped. Overworking will lead to tough scones.
- Cut into 8 equal segments.
- Place on lined baking sheet and chill for at least 15 minutes before baking.
- Preheat oven to 400°F/200 C.
- Bake for 23-25 minutes until lightly golden brown. Allow to cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before moving to cooling rack.
- Combine the powdered sugar and cinnamon in a mixing bowl or cup.
- Add oat milk a bit at a time until just pourable.
- When the scones are mostly cool, pour the glaze over them. Allow to harden.
- Can be served slightly warm or at room temperature. Best the same day.
- Can be frozen for up to 1 month. Bring to room temperature before serving. Glaze will get sticky when defrosted.
Notes
Texture/taste Notes: Vegan scones with fresh apple chunks and a cinnamon glaze. Tender, crumbly scones that are easy to make using coconut oil and coconut cream – no need for vegan butter or egg replacers. Bakery style soft, rustic scones with crunchy edges are loaded with fragrant fall flavors of cinnamon and apple and covered with an easy powdered sugar glaze.
Coconut cream: Use a full fat coconut cream (not regular coconut milk) chilled. You can recover the coconut cream from coconut milk if your coconut milk does not have emulsifiers (separates). Let a can of coconut milk sit overnight (or longer) in the fridge for the coconut cream to solidify at the top of the can and measure out 10 tbsp/150ml without mixing.
Coconut oil: Cold, solidified coconut oil is important for creating a tender crumb in the dough. For easier measuring, scoop coconut oil while melted or soft (at room temperature) and freeze before using.
Chilling the dough helps create lighter, better risen scones with a more tender crumb.
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