Gluten-Free Carrot Cake Scones with Cream Cheese Frosting
By Aran GoyoagaPublished on October 20, 2025
Time
1 hour
Yield
Makes 8 scones
Ingredients
Frosting
4 ounces cream cheese, softened¼ cup whole-milk Greek yogurt 2 tablespoons maple syrupBefore You Begin
The moisture of freshly grated carrots is important here; don’t use bagged shredded carrots as they tend to be dry. To shape the sticky dough, create a rough disk with your hands, immediately wash them, and then smooth the dough into a more symmetrical round with your moistened hands. The frosting is optional.
Instructions
- For the Scones: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Whisk 1¾ cups (5⅓ ounces) oat flour; 1 cup (4 ounces) blanched, finely ground almond flour; ½ cup pecans (chopped fine); 2 teaspoons golden ground flaxseed; 1½ teaspoons baking powder; ¼ teaspoon baking soda; 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon; ½ teaspoon ground ginger; and ½ teaspoon table salt together in large bowl. Add 1¼ cups shredded carrots and stir until coated in flour.
- Whisk ½ cup whole milk Greek yogurt, ½ cup packed (3½ ounces) light brown sugar, ¼ cup creamy almond butter; and 1 large egg together in bowl. Add yogurt mixture to oat flour mixture and stir until no dry streaks of flour remain.
- Lightly dust counter with oat flour. Transfer dough to floured counter. Knead mixture briefly to form cohesive dough. Flatten into 7-inch disk (about 1 inch thick). Using sharp, floured knife, cut circle into 8 wedges. Transfer scones to prepared sheet, spacing at least 2 inches apart. Sprinkle tops of scones with 2 tablespoons turbinado sugar.
- Bake scones until golden brown and lightly cracked, 15 to 17 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through baking. Let cool on pan for 10 minutes. (Scones can be stored at room temperature for up to 2 days.)
- For the Frosting: Whisk 4 ounces softened cream cheese, ¼ cup whole milk Greek yogurt, and 2 tablespoons maple syrup together until no lumps of cream cheese remain. Dollop scones with frosting. Serve.
Time
1 hourYield
Makes 8 sconesIngredients
Frosting
Ingredients
Frosting
Ingredients
Frosting
Why This Recipe Works
In this recipe, we took two classics—carrot cake and scones—and turned them into a hearty and nutritious treat that’s as appealing for breakfast as it is as a snack. Shredded carrots and warm spices conjured carrot cake. The addition of chopped pecans, almond flour, flaxseeds, and almond butter made the scones nutty-tasting and full of texture, and they provided so much richness that we didn’t need to add butter. Oat flour, with its abundance of soluble fiber that holds onto water, contributed softness and tenderness. For an optional frosting that was creamy yet light, we combined cream cheese with Greek yogurt and sweetened it with maple syrup.
Before You Begin
The moisture of freshly grated carrots is important here; don’t use bagged shredded carrots as they tend to be dry. To shape the sticky dough, create a rough disk with your hands, immediately wash them, and then smooth the dough into a more symmetrical round with your moistened hands. The frosting is optional.
Instructions
- For the Scones: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Whisk 1¾ cups (5⅓ ounces) oat flour; 1 cup (4 ounces) blanched, finely ground almond flour; ½ cup pecans (chopped fine); 2 teaspoons golden ground flaxseed; 1½ teaspoons baking powder; ¼ teaspoon baking soda; 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon; ½ teaspoon ground ginger; and ½ teaspoon table salt together in large bowl. Add 1¼ cups shredded carrots and stir until coated in flour.
- Whisk ½ cup whole milk Greek yogurt, ½ cup packed (3½ ounces) light brown sugar, ¼ cup creamy almond butter; and 1 large egg together in bowl. Add yogurt mixture to oat flour mixture and stir until no dry streaks of flour remain.
- Lightly dust counter with oat flour. Transfer dough to floured counter. Knead mixture briefly to form cohesive dough. Flatten into 7-inch disk (about 1 inch thick). Using sharp, floured knife, cut circle into 8 wedges. Transfer scones to prepared sheet, spacing at least 2 inches apart. Sprinkle tops of scones with 2 tablespoons turbinado sugar.
- Bake scones until golden brown and lightly cracked, 15 to 17 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through baking. Let cool on pan for 10 minutes. (Scones can be stored at room temperature for up to 2 days.)
- For the Frosting: Whisk 4 ounces softened cream cheese, ¼ cup whole milk Greek yogurt, and 2 tablespoons maple syrup together until no lumps of cream cheese remain. Dollop scones with frosting. Serve.
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