Earl Grey Scones w/ Glaze, Vegan

These Earl Grey scones are a fun twist on traditional scones. They're made by infusing milk with Earl Grey tea to take on the tea's delicate, beautiful flavor. Even though these scones are vegan, they're still light and flaky!

I used to be really intimidated by making "infused" things. Earl Grey infused milk? Old me would be sweating right about now. I didn't understand that "infused" literally just meant heating the liquid up with the desired spice or tea. Little did I realize, I was "infusing" water with chai everytime I made tea. Last time I checked, making tea wasn't too difficult. And, neither is this recipe. If you're anything like "old me," don't get intimated by the addition of the Earl Grey.

While we're on the topic of infusions, you can also use another tea or spice if you're not a huge fan of Earl Grey. Something like chai, ginger, or chamomile would work too. You could also add fold-in's to the dough too. Fresh fruit, chocolate chips, citrus zest, or nuts would make for wonderful additions as well. I love having a great base recipe (this one is adapted from Nora Cooks) that I can adapt to whatever I have on-hand.

Ingredients you'll need for these vegan scones:

• Plant-based milk
• Earl Grey tea
• Plant-based butter
• All-purpose flour
• Ground flaxseed
• Baking powder
• Sea salt
• Powdered sugar

Tips for making scones

• Freeze the butter: the key to a perfectly flaky scone is cold butter. The colder the butter, the less likely it is going to soften while you're working with it.
• Grate the butter: grating the butter makes it so much easy to incorporate with the flour.
• Chill the infused milk: since we established the butter needs to stay cold, you must chill the infused milk before adding to the flour mixture. Pouring hot milk into the dough will melt the butter!
• Flour your hands and the dough: after you combine all of the ingredients, it will be a sticky dough. To prevent the dough from sticking to your hands and surface, liberally flour your hands and dust the surface and top of the dough.
• Use a bench scraper: when making scones, your bench scraper is your best friend. It's great for cutting the scones and trasnferring them to the baking sheet.
• When in doubt, chill the dough: if you think the dough was sitting out a little too long or got a little over-worked, throw it in the fridge. If you take anything away from this section, remember to keep the dough / butter cold.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does it matter if I use loose tea vs tea bags?

You can use either! Just make sure to measure accordingly.

Can I skip the steeping and just add the tea directly?

You'll really need to steep the tea to extract its flavor. Adding just the tea leaves won't be nearly as flavorful. You can, however, add some loose tea into the dough for a speckled appearance.

Can I use a different type of flour?

I have not tested this recipe with other flour types, so I cannot guarantee results. If you do end up trying with a different flour, please let me know how it goes!

How should I store the Earl Grey scones?

Store the scones in a tightly sealed container or plastic wrap at room temperature. I find that they are best enjoyed within 1-2 of baking.

Can I freeze the scones?

Yes! Scones freeze well and so does the dough. Place the uncooked, cut wedges on a sheet tray and transfer to the freezer. Once sufficiently frozen, you can add the unbaked scones to a freezer-friendly plastic bag. You can bake them frozen (adjusting the bake time) or you can thaw them overnight in the refrigerator. Never thaw them at room temperature because the butter needs to stay cold.

Some more deliciously vegan recipes to try:

Black Bean Brownies w/ Chocolate Ganache

Healthy Crepes, Strawberry + Cream

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes

Chai Lemon Almond Cookies