I admit that I’ve been a bit of a chicken about trying gluten-free (GF) baking. Though I’m a relatively accomplished baker, the list of ingredients for many GF recipes left me quaking in my boots and I’ve studiously avoided it. Cooking GF for my sister has not been a problem because most things I cook are naturally GF, but I usually just ask her about what kinds of bread or whatever else she might need when she visits and just go out and buy it. Leave it to Shauna to get me out of my GF baking rut. She threw down a Thanksgiving GF baking challenge and how could I possibly say no?
But I was still a wee bit nervous.
So I decided to start simple and adapt our pumpkin scones recipe, which would make a delicious addition to the Thanksgiving breakfast table. I like to make Thanksgiving breakfast the night before so the morning gets off to an easy start, and it’s so refreshing to wake up with breakfast ready to go, especially since the rest of the day will be spent in and around the kitchen.
I found GF ingredients at Target. How easy was that?
For the scones, I used 2 cups of the GF baking flour and 1/2 teaspoon of xanthan gum, which is the replacement for gluten. The Bob’s Red Mill flour mix has garbanzo flour, potato starch, tapioca flour, sorghum flour, and fava flour, and is easy for a beginning GF baker to start with.
Mixing was a snap, no different from our regular recipe, though I did add a tablespoon of milk toward the end of mixing to pick up the loose bits of flour laying in the bottom of the bowl. The dough shaped nicely and baked up beautifully. From the exterior we couldn’t see any difference. The real test was in the tasting, and Michael gamely cut into one and took a bite, then another, and gave me a big look of surprise and said he couldn’t taste a difference. We could have done a blind taste test with the regular and GF scones and would have been challenged to tell which was which. Now I call that a successful first GF baking experience.
There’s a bunch of us participating in Shauna’s GF Thanksgiving challenge, so make sure you check out Gluten-Free Girl and the Chef for links to the other blogs. And thank you, Shauna, for the challenge! Between you and my fabulous sister I might actually get this gluten-free baking thing down.
And while you are over at Shauna’s blog, make sure you check out the incredible giveaway they are offering to get you started on gluten-free baking! Prizes include:
- 3 copies of their fabulous cookbook,
- a collection of all the gluten-free flours necessary to bake from their cookbook,
- a grab bag of spices and oils that might be necessary to bake from their cookbook,
- a baking package, including jelly roll pans, a Silpat, tart pans, etc., and
- a Kitchen Aid Mixer!
[Updated January 15, 2011.]
- 2 cups (240 g) Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free All-Purpose Baking Flour, plus extra for dusting
- 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
- 1/3 cup (58 g) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon gluten-free baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 stick (8 tablespoons/113 g) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
- 1/2 cup (120 mil) pumpkin puree
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup (50 g) raisins or golden raisins
- milk
- cinnamon & sugar mix
- Move the oven rack to the lower-middle part of the oven. Preheat oven to 400° F/200° C.
- In food processor bowl, mix the flour, xanthan gum, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves. Add the pieces of butter and pulse about 10 to 12 times. The mixture should resemble coarse cornmeal.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, egg, and vanilla extract until smooth.
- Pour the flour mixture into the large mixing bowl and add the raisins. Stir in the pumpkin mixture until large dough clumps form. Press it all together with a spatula, making sure you don’t have any loose bits of flour.
- Flour your hands well. Place the dough on a lightly floured surface and pat into an 8-inch circle about 3/4-inch thick. Brush milk on the top and sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar mix.
- Cut into 8 triangles and place them on the prepared baking sheet about 1 inch apart. Bake until golden, about 15 to 17 minutes. Cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes and serve warm or at room temperature.
food processor with blade attachment
small bowl
large mixing bowl
baking sheet, greased or lined with parchment paper
More Gluten-Free Recipes for Thanksgiving
The Complete Gluten-Free Thanksgiving 2010
Gluten-Free Girl and the Chef | Gluten-Free Thanksgiving Dishes
Andrea’s Recipes | gluten-free pumpkin scones
Not Without Salt | gluten-free chocolate biscotti
Zest Bakery | warm pumpkin polenta with goat cheese
The Mommy Bowl | gluten-free bread
Smith Bites | gluten-free celery root soup with cashew cream
White on Rice Couple | Turkey Sloppy Joes on Rosemary Rolls
What’s Gaby Cooking | gluten-free molasses cookies
Food for My Family | Gluten-Free Apple Pie Cheesecake
Kitchen Gadget Girl | gluten-free pumpkin strata
Rookie Moms | chocolate peanut butter brownies
Tiffin Tales | gluten-free Thanksgiving torte
Adventures of a Gluten-Free Mom | gluten, dairy and egg free crescent rolls and cinnamon rolls
Eat the Love | Gluten Free Maple Sweet Potato Cheesecake with Gingerbread Bottom
Gluten-Free Doctor Recipes | gluten-free sourdough rosemary rolls and gluten-free mincemeat cookies
The Art of Gluten-Free Baking | gluten-free pumpkin pie
Sophisticated Gourmet | cranberry-almond-coconut macaroons topped with chocolate
Cook 4 Seasons | gluten-free pumpkin mousse
Cook It Allergy Free | Cornbread and (Shauna’s) Crusty Bread Stuffing
Lexie’s Kitchen | dairy-free, egg-free, gluten-free, no-bake pumpkin pie filling
Recipe Girl | an entire Thanksgiving menu, gluten-free
Two Peas and Their Pod | gluten-free apple cranberry crisp
Gluten-Free for Good | gluten-free cherry cobbler
My Madeleine | butternut squash soup.
The Sensitive Pantry | gluten-free brown sugar hand pies
Art and Lemons | gluten-free rustic squash tarts
Bellalimento | Gluten Free Pumpkin Roll with Mascarpone and Nutella Filling
Mom Food Project | an entire Thanksgiving, gluten-free
Gluten-Free Easily | candy carrot coins
Dish Towel Diaries | kale Caesar slaw
A Baking Life | gluten-free gingerbread cake
Glugle Gluten-Free | gluten-free pumpkin muffins
Wenderly | sweet and savory prosciutto cups
Cannelle Et Vanille | sweet potato and crabapple clafoutis
Who Ate My Tomato? | gluten-free squash tart
What’s Cooking with Kids | gluten-free apple crisp
CakeSpy | Gluten-Free Turkey Meatloaf Cupcakes
Blue Bonnets and Brownies | apple and pear cobbler
Wasabimon! | gluten-free butternut squash pie
Chez Us | gluten-free apple crisp
Oh man, pumpkin and scones together! No my stomach’s grumbling. I can’t believe you four gf ingredients at Target. I drove all over the place looking for mine. Next time I’ll know better.
I love pumpkin scones and gluten free. Brilliant! These look a lot better than the ones I came up with.
I was disappointed to see that this recipe used the Bob Mill’s Gluten-Free flour mix instead of something from scratch because I do not like this mix. My mom bought it and I have tossed everything she tried to make with it. She still won’t let me toss the rest of the flour. Even my three year old niece who is celiac turns her nose up at anything that has fava bean flour in it. I do not like anything with fava bean flour in it because it has such a bitter, metallic taste. I can smell the bean flour in baked goods before I even look at the ingredients. I can hardly believe that people can’t tell the difference between GF with fava bean and non-GF. It makes me wonder what was in the non-GF recipe!
Hi anessavay. I always welcome helpful suggestions from my readers; however, diatribes aren’t generally considered helpful. Feel free to use whatever mix of flours you like.
I too, dislike the taste of bean flour in the UNCOOKED batters (no licking the bowl!)–however, it seems to totally or almost totally disappear in the cooked product. I would think it would be totally hidden by the spices in this recipe.
Also, I noticed that the picture of ingredients for this recipe shows Bob’s RM All Purpose Baking Flour but the recipe lists Bob’s All Purpose Baking MIX. Are these the same products or different ones?
I sometimes use Arrowhead Mills GF All Purpose baking MIX which in addition to the flours includes baking powder, baking soda, and 350 mg. of sodium per 1/4 c. serving (which is more sodium than I think is necessary). Since the scone recipe also includes baking powder, soda, I’m assuming you are not using a baking mix. Please clarify. Thanks.
BTW, Arrowhead mix does not use bean flours.
Hi Joan, thanks for catching my typo. It is All Purpose Baking Flour as shown in the photo.
I find that some people notice the fava bean/garbanzo bean in the Bob’s Red Mill flour immediately, and others don’t notice it all. I personally don’t like the mix, but I’ve used it before and others who tasted my baked goods didn’t notice it at all.
I think everyone reacts differently to different ingredients…
Thank you! Yes, we didn’t notice an off taste at all.
I was looking at that recipe too! They look lovely. I just shared it on Twitter!
So great that you participated in the GF event Andrea! Those scones look wonderful. Can’t get too much pumpkin lately.
We love scones! The best part about this Gluten Free baking challenge is how flexible it can be. I also used Bob’s Red Mill gf flour mix in my recipe – mostly because this whole experience is new to me and I wanted to start with something easy. But for other people, Shauna has some great GF flour suggestions, most of which you can make yourself. Cooking is a great way to find what works for each of us personally. Thanks for sharing this great recipe (and the links to all of the participants!)
I’m so glad that you got over the hump of baking gluten free! You’ll find, as you start exploring different flours that it TOTALLY opens up your palette of flavors.
I’m not gluten free, but I bake gluten free a lot for friends of mine. That said, I have an enormous array of flours to use at my disposable. I buy them in bulk, and I find myself adding some buckwheat here or some mesquite flour there. Almond flour has worked it’s way into most of my baked goods as well, because it’s so flavorful and moist.
The more you bake, the more you’ll love all the different types of flours out there. And ALL your gluten free friends will love you for baking GF for them. Trust me. I have friends for life now because I can bake GF…
I am a scone addict and these look really wonderful…perfect for a Thanksgiving morning breakfast.
Congrats on your first foray into gluten-free baking! Your scones look delicious and I’m sure your sister will be very pleased.
What a perfect way to start off Thanksgiving morning!
I’m so happy to hear that these turned out good. Admittedly, I was afraid to make something that was really a baked-good type of thing. After seeing everyone’s creations today, I’m ready to try something else out!
So glad it went so well! I’m really having fun clicking around to everyone’s entries in the challenge.
This makes me so happy. I just love all of you non-gluten-free types trying out gluten-free baking. Shauna and Danny continue to get the message out and build community and your participation means so much. We have three celiacs in our house and three different opinions about gluten-free flours and baked goods. We all have varying levels of taste sensitivity regarding the bean flours and varying levels of ability to digest grains and flours. It can be a tricky business, this gluten-free baking and that makes your efforts even braver. Thanks.
This is so lovely! I’m so glad that Shauna could get you out of your GF baking rut, because these look gorgeous! It’s always wonderful when you can’t tell the difference :). The great thing about trying out gluten-free flours is that it opens up so much possibility, not just with standby recipes but with new ones too. These scones look perfect for breakfast as the snow begins to fly :).
Andrea, These are Amazing! I made them this morning with my daughter and I had to stop from eating the whole batch. I would love to re-post your recipe on my blog, with my changes to the flour, is that ok with you? I’m new to blogging and am still learning blog etiquette. Congratulations on your first GF baking experience, it was a beautiful success!
Andrea
Thank you! And yes, of course feel free to post your adaptations on your blog.
Thank you very much! I hope you continue to make more GF baked goods, I love the Bob’s GF AP flour, I just like to play with my own flours too, super fun and can give things a whole different flavor by changing things out. Have a wonderful holiday and I look forward to trying some more of your recipes!
Andrea
I simply adore scones! I cannot wait to try these~
I love love love scones! And I love the idea of Thanksgiving breakfast. We’re always too frantic that morning to do anything ‘real,’ but what a great idea to plan ahead & have a special breakfast ready for us! I think I’ll be starting a new tradition this year. 😉
Hi Andrea,
I know what you mean about being chicken – that is exactly what I was and then I bit off more then I could chew. I am not giving up through, going to try it again! May have to try these gorgeous scones.
Thanks for posting this recipe! I’ve been looking for a GF pumpkin scone recipe. I used to love the ones at Starbuck’s before my celiac diagnosis.
We Canadians have already had our Thanksgiving, but I’ll make these any time of the year. They’re the best gluten-free scones I’ve made yet. Thank you!
Yay! A gluten free scone recipe! I’ve been sensitive to gluten and dairy since I can remember…it’s always helpful when someone goes out of their way to post a recipe like this 🙂 thank you!
Would love to have a couple of these about now down here in Santiago, Chile.
Would love a couple of these scones now with a mug of Chilean coffee, while watching the surf in Valpariaso.
What a lovely recipe! I’m baking 1/2 a pumpkin from my CSA farmers, & was looking for GF cookie/scone … recipes for our Gluten free Friends cookie exchange this Saturday & found yours.
My favorite mix is a basic rice/tapioca/potato starch, that I keep mixed up, then usually add some sorghum & coconut flours. I’ve been GF about 18 months (& 20# lighter) & love it! We had a GF TG at my grown daughter’s, & the offerings were delightful. I made a pumpkin pudding that I loved – I tend to go lighter on sweetening, & it turned out great.
Shauna & Danny offer such inspiration for trying new foods, & experimenting! I have both her book & their cookbook – the pumpkin soup is another favorite.
I made these this morning and substituted the raisins for dark chocolate chips. I also added 1/4 cup brown sugar–DELICIOUS!!! 🙂
Yours is the third GF pumpkin scone recipe I have tried and want to tell you that these are my favorite.
Thanks for sharing it!
Hi Andrea, I just made these scones & they were lovely. More dense than regular ones but That is expected in gluten free baking. I found your site as I was searching for pumpkin scones using Bob’s GF flour & here they were! I don’t like this flour much for cookies and wanted to find a way to use it up. I have to say I couldn’t notice the bean taste in your scones & so I’m totally impressed by this recipe! Thank you so much for sharing your creation 🙂