These oat flour scones are light, tender on the inside, and way easier than traditional scones. No cutting in butter—just mix, shape, and bake. Keep them simple or add blueberries, chocolate chips, or your favorite fruit. They’re a better-for-you scone that still tastes like a treat, and easy enough to whip up on a lazy weekend morning.
So what makes these oat flour scones different from the usual bakery kind?
Traditional scones lean heavily on butter and cream, which is why they’re usually…well, heavy. These oat flour scones skip the butter and cream but stay moist thanks to a secret ingredient—ricotta cheese.
This simple swap makes them lighter, with fewer calories and nearly double the protein of a bakery scone. So you still get that cozy, tender bite, just without the post-scone crash.
You'll also love how easy they are to make with simple ingredients. Here's what you will need:
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Oat Flour Scone Ingredients
- Oat Flour: Use store-bought or homemade (just blend old-fashioned oats until fine). For all my best tips on measuring, texture, and storage, check out my Ultimate Guide to Baking with Oat Flour.
- Ricotta Cheese: The secret to keeping these scones soft and moist without butter or cream. Whole milk or part-skim ricotta both work perfectly.
- Olive Oil: Adds richness and moisture in place of butter. Avocado, canola, or vegetable oil also work.
- Coconut Sugar: Brings a warm, subtle sweetness. You can swap it with brown sugar or cane sugar. Any sugar-free granulated sweetener works too.
- Cornstarch: Helps create that tender, bakery-style crumb. Arrowroot starch makes a great substitute.
- Egg: Binds everything together and gives the scones structure. For a vegan version, use a flax egg (1 tablespoon ground flax + 3 tablespoons water).
- Mix-Ins: Use one cup of your favorite mix-ins. Here I used blueberries, but any berry, chopped fruit, chocolate chips, or nuts will work great. Feel free to mix and match.
Variation and Flavor Ideas for Oat Flour Scones
One of the best parts about these oat flour scones is how easy they are to customize. The base recipe is simple, so you can change up the flavor for any season or craving. Here are a few of my favorites:
- Blueberry Lemon: Fold in 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries and 2 teaspoons of lemon zest for a bright, classic combo.
- Chocolate Chip: Stir in 1 cup mini chocolate chips for a sweet, cookie-like twist.
- Cranberry Orange: Add 1 cup of fresh, dried, or frozen cranberries and 2 teaspoons of orange zest for a cozy holiday version.
- Maple Pecan: Mix in ½ cup of chopped pecans and drizzle with a little maple glaze.
- Savory Herb: Skip the sugar, add 1 cup of shredded cheddar, and mix in fresh herbs like chives or thyme for a brunch-worthy savory scone.
Optional Glaze or Toppings
If you like a little something on top, you've got options. For a simple glaze (my children's favorite), whisk together:
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons milk
- ⅛ teaspoon vanilla extract
Drizzle it over cooled scones for a lightly sweet finish. Or skip the glaze and dust with powdered sugar.
For a healthier option, spread your scones with Greek yogurt or ricotta cheese and honey, or serve them with jam — they’re delicious any way you choose to serve them!
Once your ingredients are ready, it’s time to make some magic happen.
How to make oat flour scones
Step 1: Whisk oat flour, sugar, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl.
Step 2: Add the ricotta cheese and use a spatula or large spoon to gently mix it in. Press the back of your spatula (or spoon) against any large lumps to break them up. You don’t need it perfectly smooth—just mix until the dough looks mostly uniform with a few small ricotta bits throughout.
Step 3: Pour the wet mixture into the dry mix and use a spatula to combine everything. The mixture will seem dry at first, but keep mixing, making sure to scrape the bottom of the bowl. Fold in your mix-ins.
Step 4: Using your hands, form the dough into a ball. If the mixture is too dry, add an extra tablespoon of olive oil, and if it's too wet, add a little extra oat flour.
Step 5: Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Shape into an 8-inch circle, then cut into 8 wedges using a sharp knife or bench scraper.
Step 6: Arrange the scones a couple of inches apart on the prepared baking sheet. Brush the scones with your milk of choice and sprinkle with turbinado sugar (optional). Bake for 15-17 minutes or until lightly golden around the edges.
FAQs
Absolutely! It’s super easy — just blend old-fashioned oats in a high-speed blender until they turn into a fine, flour-like texture. For the best results (and tips on measuring and storage), check out my Ultimate Guide To Baking with Oat Flour.
Yes! To make them dairy-free, use a dairy-free ricotta cheese. For vegan scones, use dairy-free ricotta, plus swap the egg for a flax egg (1 tablespoon ground flax + 3 tablespoons water, let mixture rest for 10 minutes). Also, if you make the glaze, be sure to use dairy-free milk such as almond milk.
Yes! These freeze beautifully. Let them cool completely, then store them (unglazed) in a freezer-safe bag or container for up to two months. Thaw at room temperature or warm in a 300°F oven for 5–7 minutes. They taste freshly baked again in no time.
More Oat Flour Recipes to Try
Soft and Chewy Oat Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies
Healthy Peach Muffins with Oat Flour
If you make these oat flour scones, I’d love to hear how they turn out! Leave a comment and star rating below — it helps more people find the recipe (and gives me serious baking joy).
Lightly yours,
Crystal ✨
📖 Recipe
Oat Flour Scones (Customizable + Better-for-You)
Ingredients
- 2 and ¼ cups oat flour*
- ⅓ cup coconut sugar* or any granulated sweetener
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- 2 and ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅔ cup ricotta cheese whole or part skim
- 3 and ½ tablespoons olive oil*
- 1 large egg
- ½ tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup add-ins such as berries, chocolate chips, nuts, fruit, etc I used blueberries
Optional Glaze
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons milk of choice
- ⅛ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400ºF and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- Whisk oat flour, sugar, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl.
- Add the ricotta cheese and use a spatula or large spoon to gently mix it in. Press the back of your spatula (or spoon) against any large lumps to break them up. You don’t need it perfectly smooth—just mix until the dough looks mostly uniform with a few small ricotta bits throughout.
- In a small bowl, whisk the egg, olive oil, and vanilla extract together.
- Pour the wet mixture into the dry mix and use a spatula to combine everything. The mixture will seem dry at first, but keep mixing, making sure to scrape the bottom of the bowl. Fold in the blueberries or mix-in of choice.
- Using your hands, form the dough into a ball. If the mixture is too dry, add an extra tablespoon of olive oil, and if it's too wet, add a little extra oat flour.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Shape into an 8-inch circle, then cut into 8 wedges using a sharp knife or bench scraper.
- Arrange the scones a couple of inches apart on the prepared baking sheet. Brush the scones with your milk of choice and sprinkle with turbinado sugar (optional). Bake for 15-17 minutes or until lightly golden around the edges.
- Allow the scones to cool before proceeding with optional glaze. See the post above for variation and topping ideas.
For the optional glaze
- Whisk together the glaze ingredients and drizzle over cooled scones. Add more milk for a thinner glaze or more powdered sugar for a thicker one.
- Tried these oat flour scones? Please leave a star rating and comment — it helps others find the recipe and makes my day. 💛
Notes
- Oat Flour- Use store-bought or homemade (just blend old-fashioned oats until fine). For all my best tips on measuring, texture, and storage, check out my Ultimate Guide to Baking with Oat Flour.
- Coconut Sugar- You can swap it with brown sugar or cane sugar. Any sugar-free granulated sweetener works too.
- Olive Oil- Avocado, canola, or vegetable oil also work.
- Store your scones covered at room temperature for 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to five days.
- Nutrition facts are calculated without the optional glaze.
Janice says
I made these with chocolate chips and they came out amazing!
Crystal Yentzen says
I'm so happy to hear you like the recipe! I love chocolate chip scones too!
Beth Anne says
I love baking with oat flour even though it can be tricky, but this recipe made it so much easier!
Crystal Yentzen says
I'm so happy you like the recipe!