Vegan Pear Ginger Scones

Name: Vegan Pear Ginger Scones
Prep time: 36 min
Cook time: 22 min
Total time: 58 min
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: British
Ingredients: 2½ cups (300 g) all-purpose flour, spooned into the cup and leveled, plus extra for dusting; ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar; 1 tbsp (12 g) baking powder, fresh (less than 6 months open); ½ tsp (1 g) ground ginger; ½ tsp (3 g) fine sea salt; ½ cup (1 stick) (113 g) firm vegan butter block, very cold, cut into ½-inch (1 cm) cubes; 1 medium (about 6 oz) (170 g) firm ripe pear, peeled, cored, cut into ¼-inch (6 mm) dice (about 1 cup), then patted dry with a paper towel; ¼ cup (40 g) crystallized ginger, finely chopped, any sugar coating left on; ½ cup (120 ml) unsweetened oat milk, cold; 1 tbsp (15 ml) fresh lemon juice, stirred into the oat milk; 1 tbsp (15 ml) unsweetened oat milk, for brushing; 1 tbsp (12 g) coarse sugar or turbinado sugar

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

Tall, tender, flaky vegan scones studded with juicy diced pear and spicy-sweet crystallized ginger, finished with a crunchy sugar top. Lovely warm with vegan butter and a pot of tea.

Prep: 36 min
Cook: 22 min
Wait: 30 min
Total: 1 hr 28 min
Makes: 8 scones

Save to My Kitchen Jump to recipe

Ingredients

8 servings

For the scones
2½ cups (300 g) all-purpose flour, spooned into the cup and leveled, plus extra for dusting
¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
1 tbsp (12 g) baking powder, fresh (less than 6 months open)
½ tsp (1 g) ground ginger
½ tsp (3 g) fine sea salt
½ cup (1 stick) (113 g) firm vegan butter block, very cold, cut into ½-inch (1 cm) cubes
1 medium (about 6 oz) (170 g) firm ripe pear, peeled, cored, cut into ¼-inch (6 mm) dice (about 1 cup), then patted dry with a paper towel
¼ cup (40 g) crystallized ginger, finely chopped, any sugar coating left on
½ cup (120 ml) unsweetened oat milk, cold
1 tbsp (15 ml) fresh lemon juice, stirred into the oat milk
For the topping
1 tbsp (15 ml) unsweetened oat milk, for brushing
1 tbsp (12 g) coarse sugar or turbinado sugar

Equipment (8)

Large rimmed baking sheet, about 13×18 inches (33×46 cm)
Parchment paper
Large mixing bowl
Box grater or pastry cutter
Sharp chef's knife and cutting board
Dry and liquid measuring cups, or a kitchen scale
Pastry brush
Wire cooling rack

Steps

Before you start

Put the vegan butter in the freezer for 20 minutes, or the fridge for at least 1 hour, so it is very cold and firm. Use a firm block-style vegan butter (not a soft tub spread).
Chill the oat milk in the fridge until you need it.
Choose a pear that is ripe but still firm (Bosc, Anjou or Bartlett) so the pieces hold their shape and don't turn to mush in the dough.
Plan on about 90 minutes from start to warm scones, including 15 minutes of chilling and 15 minutes of cooling.

1
Preheat and line panOven 400°F / 205°C
- Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 400°F (200°C).
- Line the baking sheet with parchment paper.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: Oven reaches 400°F (200°C) by the time the scones are chilled and ready to bake.
Tip: If your oven runs cool, check it with an oven thermometer; scones need a hot start to rise.
2
Whisk dry ingredients
- In the large bowl, whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, ground ginger and salt for about 30 seconds, until evenly combined with no lumps of baking powder.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: The mixture looks uniform in color.
3
Cut in the butter
- Add the cold vegan butter cubes.
- Using a pastry cutter or your fingertips, press and rub the butter into the flour, working quickly, until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs with some pea-sized and some almond-sized pieces of butter remaining.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: Visible flecks of butter remain; the mixture holds together slightly when squeezed but is not paste-like.
Tip: If the butter feels soft or greasy, put the bowl in the freezer for 10 minutes before continuing.
4
Prepare pear and ginger
- Pat the diced pear thoroughly dry with paper towels so it adds less moisture to the dough.
- Add the pear and chopped crystallized ginger to the bowl and toss gently with a spatula so every piece is coated with flour and separated.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: The fruit and ginger pieces are coated in flour and not clumped together.
Tip: Keep the pear dice small (¼ inch / 6 mm); big chunks make the scones crumble when cut.
5
Mix the dough
- Stir the lemon juice into the cold oat milk (it will thicken slightly).
- Make a well in the center of the flour mixture, pour in the oat milk mixture, and fold with a spatula about 10 to 12 strokes, just until the flour is mostly moistened and a shaggy dough forms.
- If there are dry patches at the bottom of the bowl, sprinkle over 1 more tablespoon of oat milk, but no more.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: The dough is shaggy and sticky in spots but holds together when pressed.
Tip: Overmixing develops gluten and makes tough scones; stop while a few dry streaks remain.
6
Shape and cut
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured counter.
- Gently knead 3 or 4 times just to bring it together, then pat into a round about 7 inches (18 cm) across and 1¼ inches (3 cm) thick.
- Use a floured sharp knife to cut the round into 8 equal wedges, pressing straight down rather than dragging.
- Transfer the wedges to the lined baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches (5 cm) apart.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: Eight even wedges with clean, straight sides.
Tip: Do not twist a cutter or drag the knife; sealed edges rise less.
7
Chill the scones
- Place the baking sheet in the fridge (or freezer) for 15 minutes so the butter firms up again.
- Meanwhile, nothing else is needed; the oven keeps preheating.
- When chilled, brush the tops (not the cut sides) with the 1 tablespoon oat milk and sprinkle with the coarse sugar.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: The dough feels firm and cold to the touch.
Tip: Brush gently and keep oat milk from dripping down the sides, which can glue the scones and limit the rise.
8
Bake the sconesOven 400°F / 205°C
- Bake at 400°F (200°C) for 20 to 24 minutes, rotating the pan front to back after 12 minutes, until the scones are risen and deep golden brown on top and bottom.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: Tops and bottoms are deep golden brown, and a skewer in the center comes out clean (a little pear moisture is fine).
Tip: If the bottoms brown too fast, slide a second baking sheet underneath.
9
Cool and serve
- Move the scones to a wire rack and let them cool for at least 15 minutes.
- They are best warm, not hot, when the crumb has set.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: Scones are warm, not steaming, and feel firm when gently squeezed at the sides.
Tip: Pockets of pear are very hot straight from the oven; let them cool before biting in.

Good to know

Tips

Keep everything cold: cold butter and cold oat milk create steam pockets that make the scones flaky.
Use a floured knife and press straight down when cutting; twisting or dragging seals the edges and reduces the rise.
Patting the diced pear dry prevents a gummy dough and soggy centers.
For a glaze, whisk 1/2 cup (60 g) powdered sugar with 2 to 3 teaspoons of oat milk and drizzle over the completely cooled scones.

Make ahead

"Shape and cut the scones, then freeze them unbaked on the baking sheet until solid (about 1 hour) and transfer to a freezer bag for up to 1 month. Brush with oat milk and sugar, then bake straight from frozen at 400°F (200°C) for 25 to 28 minutes. You can also chill the cut, unbaked scones, covered, in the fridge for up to 12 hours."

Storage & reheating

"Room temperature: store in an airtight container for up to 1 day. Fridge: up to 4 days in an airtight container. Freezer: wrap individually and freeze for up to 2 months. Reheat at 350°F (175°C) for 8 to 10 minutes (12 to 15 from frozen) until warm and the edges are crisp."

Substitutions

unsweetened oat milk → unsweetened soy milk or almond milk. Use the same amount; soy gives the closest texture. Avoid sweetened or vanilla versions.
firm ripe pear → firm apple. Peel and dice the same way, ¼-inch pieces, and pat dry.
crystallized ginger → chopped dried apricots or dried cranberries. Use the same weight; increase ground ginger to ¾ tsp to keep a gingery flavor.
firm vegan butter block → refined coconut oil, chilled until solid. Use 100 g and cut in as small chunks; scones will be a little less rich.