“Oh no, I'm one of them!”
Admittedly, this is what ran through my head the day I realized (months ago now) that I could no longer eat nuts.
I know that nut allergies are a big struggle for many of you, so rest assured that I now know how you feel. It stinks. And, truthfully, I don't even care much anymore about baking treats very often, so it's not that. It's more the sprinkling of the crunchy, fatty, flavor-filled bits that I miss incorporating into recipes. You see, when you develop an allergy to something that you have eaten all your life, you know what you're missing.
I miss walnuts. And strawberries…
I've had an oral allergy to both walnuts and pecans for many years now (along with strawberries and kiwi – sigh…), but after the stress of writing two books in less than a year (you've all read Practical Paleo, so you are well aware of how much stress can affect immunity, right?), the allergy expanded. And, no, this isn't the type of allergy that will likely improve or go away if I work on gut-healing or an AI protocol. So, please be aware that this is not a food intolerance – it's an allergy – and it could potentially be dangerous for me to eat these foods. It's not surprising to me to have this allergy develop as I'm already allergic to bee stings, penicillin, and prone to sinus infections (which I rarely get anymore since changing my diet).
I can no longer eat almonds or hazelnuts either. So, as you may imagine (or know first-hand if you share this allergy), this can make the idea of enjoying a grain-free treat quite daunting.
While lots of folks out there may think that it makes more sense to just enjoy “the real thing” once in a while, referring to gluten-filled goodies that are everywhere, that's just not going to happen. I don't eat gluten. There comes a point in time when you just would rather make something from scratch, from high quality ingredients, than eat some junky donut or cupcake just because it looks good or it's easier, or you think it's “real” versus a grain-free one that isn't?! I don't understand that logic, to be honest. And I know a lot of you are with me on this, because you've eaten them after not eating them for a long time – and they're not as good as they look.
All that said, sometimes it's nice to enjoy the texture of a baked good on a cold day with your cup of #coffeewithben or tea. And understand that, for all you with nut allergies while eating a grain-free Paleo type of diet, I feel you.
Give these grain-free, nut-free scones a shot.
These are a bit more dense than traditional scones, but their mildly sweet taste is just right. If you tolerate dairy, a bit of butter as a topper on these would be perfect!
Lemon-Blueberry Scones [grain-free, nut-free, dairy-free]
grain-free • gluten-free • dairy-free • nut-free
PREP TIME: 15 min
COOKING TIME: 25 min
YIELD: 10 scones (10 servings)
NUTRITION INFO: click here (PDF)
ingredients:
- 3 eggs
- zest from 2 lemons
- 1/4 cup lemon juice (from ~ 1 -1/2 lemons)
- 1/4 cup coconut milk
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1/2 cup coconut flour
- 1/2 cup arrowroot flour
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 6 ounces fresh blueberries
preparation:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a food processor or a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer, thoroughly combine the eggs, lemon zest, lemon juice, vanilla extract, and honey.
- Sift in the remaining ingredients, except the blueberries, and mix for about 2 minutes or until the batter is well combined and forms a loose, very wet dough. If the batter is still too loose to somewhat hold its shape, let it sit for 5 more minutes.
- Gently fold in the blueberries until they are evenly dispersed through the mixture.
- Using 1/4 cup of batter for each scone, gently roll each scone into a loose ball and put on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Press down the top of each scone to flatten slightly.
- Bake for about 30 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown.
Note: I earn a small commission if you use the links in this post to purchase the products mentioned. I only recommend products I would use myself or that I recommend for clients in my practice or at workshops. Your purchase helps support my work in bringing you real information about nutrition and health.
Comments 93
I’m sorry to hear about the allergy, but excited at the prospect of more nut free recipes; almonds really give me issues (intolerance, I think it’s a FODMAPS thing) so I’ve basically quit using almond flour for the rare occasions I bake. These look delicious, I will give them a shot soon!
I’m doing Paleo with no eggs, which has been difficult for me. Do you think I could use some egg replacer in these? They sound so good!
I’ve tried the egg replacer stuff and not had any luck; I think it needs the gluten of grain-based flours to work. What I ended up with has very flat, but that may be OK if that is your only choice; I guess you could try it and see.
I was going to ask the same thing. What about gelatin? I’ve heard it can substitute for eggs. I actually used it as a replacement in meatloaf and was SO good, but I don’t know about baked goods. Thoughts?
Author
To replace one egg or sometimes two that works okay, but for 3 it may be tricky – you can try it, though!
Is Arrowroot flour the same as arrowroot powder???
Yes
Is Arrowroot flour the same as arrowroot powder???
Yes
This pretty much made my day..thank you not enough….
Thanks for sharing this! I’ve started avoiding nuts and your recipe came at the right time. Hope to try it this weekend.
Thanks for sharing this! I’ve started avoiding nuts and your recipe came at the right time. Hope to try it this weekend.
This is awesome, I love the flavor combination of lemon and blueberry!
This is awesome, I love the flavor combination of lemon and blueberry!
I’m working to shed some pounds so nuts are temporarily out of the picture. Will definitely try these!
I’m working to shed some pounds so nuts are temporarily out of the picture. Will definitely try these!
I really appreciate your perspective 🙂 And this looks like a great recipe. YUM
I really appreciate your perspective 🙂 And this looks like a great recipe. YUM
Could I use Tapioca flour instead of Arrowroot?
It should work! Best thing to do is give it a shot 🙂
It should work! Best thing to do is give it a shot 🙂
I’ve cut way back on Almond flour and these look deeeeelicious. I cannot wait to try them.
I’ve cut way back on Almond flour and these look deeeeelicious. I cannot wait to try them.
Awesome recipe – can’t wait to try it! My son has a life threatening peanut allergy but is OK with tree nuts. However, it took me 3 mos of research before I decided to “go Paleo” last year to ensure I was able to source ingredients not cross-contaminated (as you know, some of the silliest ingredients can be “made/processed in a facility”). My point: Thank you!! Thank you for using your knowledge, skills & talents to come up with some great recipes that are safe for ALL nut allergic people (and those who choose to eliminate for whatever reason). Keep them coming, Diane!!
Awesome recipe – can’t wait to try it! My son has a life threatening peanut allergy but is OK with tree nuts. However, it took me 3 mos of research before I decided to “go Paleo” last year to ensure I was able to source ingredients not cross-contaminated (as you know, some of the silliest ingredients can be “made/processed in a facility”). My point: Thank you!! Thank you for using your knowledge, skills & talents to come up with some great recipes that are safe for ALL nut allergic people (and those who choose to eliminate for whatever reason). Keep them coming, Diane!!
I made these last night, sooo delicious! Just wondering how you stored yours to avoid them getting soggy?
Store them? This doesn’t compute… that implies leftover 😉
Truthfully, I’d store any coconut flour or nut-flour baked goods in the fridge and re-heat in the toaster oven before eating.
I made these last night, sooo delicious! Just wondering how you stored yours to avoid them getting soggy?
Store them? This doesn’t compute… that implies leftover 😉
Truthfully, I’d store any coconut flour or nut-flour baked goods in the fridge and re-heat in the toaster oven before eating.
I know…right!? These didn’t last more than an hour in my house. I served them with a side of bacon for some protein goodness.
Thank you! I am grain free, by necessity, and my son is nut allergic too! So as you can imagine, baking has been rare. Anything I can make that we can all eat, is wonderful.
I’m so sorry about your nut allergies, but secretly I’m thrilled that they’re prompting you to post more grain-free, nut-free recipes. My kids have severe peanut allergies and so we also avoid all tree nuts. I get so excited to see new treat ideas, but usually my hopes are dashed when I view the recipe and the first ingredient is almond flour. I’ll be making these for Sunday breakfast. Thank you!
I’m so sorry about your nut allergies, but secretly I’m thrilled that they’re prompting you to post more grain-free, nut-free recipes. My kids have severe peanut allergies and so we also avoid all tree nuts. I get so excited to see new treat ideas, but usually my hopes are dashed when I view the recipe and the first ingredient is almond flour. I’ll be making these for Sunday breakfast. Thank you!
These made my house smell amazing and were absolutely delicious!! I had one problem though…my batter was very runny and they came out like pancakes instead of scones. Any idea what I could cause this? Could it be because I used light coconut milk instead of full-fat? They were fantastic though even as pancakes!
Mine were very runny too, and I used light coconut milk. I put the batter in muffin tins, and they turned out great!
Thanks Sarah, that’s a great idea!
These made my house smell amazing and were absolutely delicious!! I had one problem though…my batter was very runny and they came out like pancakes instead of scones. Any idea what I could cause this? Could it be because I used light coconut milk instead of full-fat? They were fantastic though even as pancakes!
Mine were very runny too, and I used light coconut milk. I put the batter in muffin tins, and they turned out great!
Thanks Sarah, that’s a great idea!
Oh my gosh! I made these today, but didn’t have blueberries, so subbed blackberries and strawberries. They were fantastic! Thank you!
Oh my gosh! I made these today, but didn’t have blueberries, so subbed blackberries and strawberries. They were fantastic! Thank you!
I loved these so much I made them again last week with blueberries. They made me think of a pre-paleo scone recipe I loved with orange and cranberry. I gave it a try this week, cutting back on the honey a little, because oranges are sweeter than lemons. Delicious! Thanks again!
I loved these so much I made them again last week with blueberries. They made me think of a pre-paleo scone recipe I loved with orange and cranberry. I gave it a try this week, cutting back on the honey a little, because oranges are sweeter than lemons. Delicious! Thanks again!
I’m fairly new to all this, i already have almond flour on hand. Should this recipe work if i used a full cup of that? is there something that either the coconut or arrowroot flour do that would really be needed? thanks in advance to anyone who can offer advice 🙂
No, you can’t sub almond flour in for coconut flour as they work VERY differently in recipes. There are lots of other almond flour-based scone recipes out there that you can try though!! Try primalpalate.com 🙂
I’m fairly new to all this, i already have almond flour on hand. Should this recipe work if i used a full cup of that? is there something that either the coconut or arrowroot flour do that would really be needed? thanks in advance to anyone who can offer advice 🙂
No, you can’t sub almond flour in for coconut flour as they work VERY differently in recipes. There are lots of other almond flour-based scone recipes out there that you can try though!! Try primalpalate.com 🙂
These look wonderful – silly question, but as a Brit, is the baking soda baking powder or bicarb of soda, two different things over here! Thanks…
Baking powder is a different product- bicarb of soda would be it.
Baking powder is a different product- bicarb of soda would be it.
I need to avoid starches so can’t use arrowroot. Can I replace it with almond flour?
Author
Nope, it won’t work 1:1, but I’m sure there are plenty of scone recipes out there that are based on almond flour. Sorry about that!
I am trying to make this recipe, but the list of wet ingredients that are blended together does not include the coconut milk. I see people mentioning they had runny batter…I need to know if I should use the coconut milk and mix it in with the rest of the wet ingredients or omit it and have a thicker batter. Help!
Yeah I got nothing for you. I noticed the same, added full fat coconut milk and it was runny. Panicked. Let it sit for like 10 min, still nothing. Added a bit more coconut flour then just decided to go with the muffin tins. We’ll se how they turn out!
I had the same issue. I added another 1/8 cup of each of the flours, and while they were still a bit running, they turned out delicious. Here’s a link to an instagram of how they turned out: https://www.instagram.com/p/BZgrvXInrsh/?taken-by=chez.mosey
2 questions:
1) Is the nutrition info based on a single serving (1 scone)?
2) If I reduce the amount of honey because I’m avoiding sugars (even natural), should that impact the rest of the recipe? Other than the sweetness of course.
my batter is also very runny. I feel like I should not have added the coconut milk. Is this canned coconut milk or the kind you can buy as a regular milk in a quart or half gallon size that they sell?
It should be canned coconut milk.
Since I’m on the 21 Day Sugar Detox, if I omit the blueberries and honey and just made them lemon scones, would they be too sour?
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I am also allergic to tree nuts and peanuts. It’s difficult to find Paleo recipes that do not include nuts. Thank you!
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Thank you so much for these recipes, I can’t wait to make quite a few of them. I completely agree with you about the gluten thing – I consider so many things that people eat to be not food – just because you CAN eat it, doesn’t mean it SHOULD be eaten.
I tried to make these for a friend who is off:
– All Grains
– All Sugar
– All well basically everything that is not vegetable, fruit or meat.
I followed the instructions I think pretty straight on. I did leave out the honey (no sugars) thinking that the blueberries, vanilla and lemon would do the flavoring.
And I did not end up with a runny batter. I had a very scoopable dough. In fact used my trusty cupcake ice cream scooper.
But the resulting scone was very rubbery in texture. Bites that had blueberry were flavorful, but only a hint of lemon to be found.
Any ideas where I went wrong, or is the coconut/arrowroot flour bake with that kind of doughy texture?
Really hoping to find a baked good that can meet his dietary needs.
– Katherine
Not sure exactly but coconut flour will have a different texture than regular flour.
Author
Leaving out the honey will significantly alter the texture and flavor of these. I wouldn’t make them that way and expect the result to be at all the same as the recipe. The honey will also amplify the lemon flavor- the same way salt works in savory dishes to amplify flavor, sweeteners do in sweet dishes. You may find the recipes in The 21-Day Sugar Detox book and cookbook will suit your needs better since no sweeteners are added, only fruits in the program sweeten the baked items.
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Have you ever tried to use a mashed banana to replace the maple sugar in these? I know some recipes this works with, others not so much. Just wanted to see if you have tried this. We LOVE your cookbook, it’s the only one that stays on the kitchen counter, we use it so much 🙂
So excited to see this! My husband and I were told to try paleo, but my daughter is allergic to nuts, so a lot of the recipes I find are a no go. Can’t wait to try this!
Awesome!
Has anyone used frozen blueberries for this? Wondering if they will make the batter too runny? I may defrost them and drain them of water before I put them in.
You can use frozen, but you’re right, they may “bleed” a bunch. You can defrost and rinse them first!
I’m allergic to bee stings too, and I suspect I’m sensitive to nightshades and FODMAPs. I have to be EVEN MORE careful than the average person who has an allergy however, because (This is the truth) I’m also allergic to Epinephrine! so an EpiPen could cause an additional reaction on top of (And instead of fixing) the first one!
Does this recipe or any of the ingredients in it contain yeast? Thanks!
The recipe instructions do not mention when to add the coconut milk, I assume it goes in with the other west ingredients to the food processor?
Author
Yes, we will review the recipe to edit that! Thanks! Funny, so many people have made these and no one has asked until now!!
Full fat coconut milk in the can or refrigerated coconut milk?
Author
When recipes call for it, it’s always from a can unless otherwise specified. Most recipe developers don’t use the cartoned refrigerated types.
This recipe looks amazing. Can I sub almond milk for coconut milk? Thank you!
I didn’t have arrowroot flour but look up replacements. I found tapioca should work fine so waiting patiently to see.
Author
You can usually sub those 2 in recipes, but I can’t say 100% for sure in this one!
Finally I found a nut-free paleo recipe. I have IBS and follow the Low FODMAP Diet, as well as paleo (lots of overlap by the way, which I find interesting).
Anyway, I can only eat small amounts of nuts, and sometimes I crave a baked good, and there is nut flour in every.single paleo baking recipe.
Thank you for this recipe. I will try it out and start following you.
(And I feel you about the allergy. I am allergic to all plants of the onion family. So annoying and troublesome).
Author
Glad you found it! 🙂
Yay!! It seems ALL paleo treats are made with almond flour, so from another nut allergy sufferer, thank you – thank you – thank you!!!
Author
Yay!
Have you tried OIT (oral Immuno therapy)? We did it for my son was allergic to all nuts. He’s been anaphylactic twice! It’s been a life saver and he can eat anywhere and any baked food now. Oit101.org. Trying this recipe tomorrow!!!
Author
I haven’t- but thanks!
I made this recipe tonight. I am a budding baker so I might make some mistakes that others would not make. I used 1 tsp of maple syrup instead of honey. I used 6 oz blueberries…. maybe a little more. I think I made the scones a little bigger because I got 8 scones instead of 10. I baked them 10 – 15 minutes longer to account for the size. I didn’t have a problem with runny batter. The batter was fine. However the scones didn’t really brown. Some of the pointy edges browned but the scone itself didn’t brown. Also, the texture is somewhat doughy. It’s not flakey like a wheat scone. Is this because of the coconut or arrowroot flour? Is it supposed to be a little gummy? Maybe it’s because the blueberries burst during the baking giving it too much moisture…? The flavor is good. Please comment on the lack of browning and texture. Thank you!