Vegan Air Fryer Fruit Scones

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A small-batch recipe for vegan air fryer fruit scones (or oven-bake) made with raisins. Delicious for a teatime treat or to add to lunch boxes.

My new air fryer lives on my worktop, even though my kitchen is small and I'm short of space.

Now when I'm about to cook or bake something my first thought is can I do that in the air fryer.

This latest recipe is vegan air fryer fruit scones.

Also, try Vegan Air Fryer Cheese Toasties, Air Fryer Falafel, crunchy Air Fryer Chickpeas and Air Fryer Golden Flapjacks.

Jump to:

• 💭 What are scones?
• 🥘 What ingredients do you need to make vegan scones?
• 🍳 Do scones not contain eggs?
• 🍪 Should scones be cut in circles or triangles?
• 🔪 Why should never cut scones into triangles before baking
• 🔪 Scone cutting tips
• 🍯 What to serve with scones?
• 🍛 What is a Scottish High Tea?
• ☕ How did Scottish High Tea start?
• 🍰 Are scones served for afternoon tea?
• 🐇 Vegan Easter treats
• 🍪 Add Scones to lunch boxes
• 🥛 What you need to make fruit scones
• 📖 Variations
• ⏲️ How long will scones keep?
• 🌡️ Can scones be frozen?
• 🍯 Homemade jam to serve with scones
• 📋 Want new recipes delivered to your inbox?
• ⭐ Pin it for later
• 🥦 Living on the Veg
• 💭 How to make quick vegan scones in the air fryer
• 📖 Recipe
• Comments

💭 What are scones?

Scones are a British teatime treat, a bit like a sweet version of an American biscuit.

Actually, if you want to drill down into the history of scones, it's actually said they were created in Scotland.

They were meant to represent the Stone of Destiny which used to reside in the grounds of Scone Palace, outside of Perth in Scotland.

It was the ceremonial stone on which Scottish kings were crowned.

Oh, and it's pronounced scone-like gone. Scone Palace however is pronounced Scone like spoon.

🥘 What ingredients do you need to make vegan scones?

Scones are actually really easy to adapt to a vegan diet as they only contain flour, sugar, butter and milk.

So really you are just making swaps with a plant-based milk and vegan butter.

🍳 Do scones not contain eggs?

They should never contain eggs.

It's not a traditional Scottish recipe if they do.

Add eggs and you are making more of cake dough, not a scone dough.

The original recipe for scones was made with ground oats and buttermilk and cooked on a girdle (griddle) over an oven fire in one large scone, then cut into triangles.

Over the years the recipe was refined and sugar and butter were added.

🍪 Should scones be cut in circles or triangles?

Now there is a question up for debate.

As I said the original scones were cooked in homes over an open fire on a girdle which was a flat metal pan, with a circular handle and hook, so it could be hung over the fire.

It was baked in one big round cake and then cut into triangles and that's where I think the misinterpretation has come from over the years.

If a scone is baked in one large cake it will cook evenly all over and then when it is cut into triangles, it will still taste great.

🔪 Why should never cut scones into triangles before baking

Cut scones into triangles before baking and you get hard bits at each corner.

Just no.

Who wants hard scones?

I do shake my head when I see these recipes.

Today in Scotland we tend to cut them into individual round scones with a cookie cutter or a fluted scone cutter.

They are light and fluffy, but no hard corners.

🔪 Scone cutting tips

I wasted time taking photos of my scone mix, so it sat too long and got a bit too warm and soft for perfect scones, but I still got the height.

Your scones will be much better!

1. When you are making them work quickly.
2. Don't over-work the dough, just bring it together in one large ball, then pop it on a floured surface and press down slightly with the palm of your hand. There is no need to roll it.
3. Leave it thick. About an inch (2 ½ cm) thick. Maybe even a little thicker.
4. Flour your cookie cutter or scone cutter (or glass) and cut with one quick tap and be careful not to twist the cutter as you remove it or the scones will either rise at an angle or not rise well at all.
5. Bring together scraps to make another scone or two. Don't be tempted to over-work the dough though.

🍯 What to serve with scones?

Now there is a lot of debate about this.

Often I will serve fruit scones just with a generous slather of vegan butter, but sometimes I add jam too.

With a plain scone, I usually go for butter and jam.

There is a long-going argument about how to serve them down in the south of England between Devon and Cornwall, who both serve them for cream teas, usually with clotted cream and jam.

One says cream first, the other says jam first and so the argument has continued through the decades.

However, up here in Scotland we tend to serve them with just butter and jam unless it's something special like a Scottish High Tea.

If you want to be fancy and serve your freshly made scones with cream and jam, Alpro do a good Plant Cream that whips really well.

They are also rather gorgeous with homemade maple butter.

Also, try these vegan choc chip scones.

🍛 What is a Scottish High Tea?

Scottish High Tea is a late afternoon or early evening meal.

Cups of tea are served with plentiful supplies of toast and butter, then a hearty main meal is served followed by a platter of cakes.

Yes, a high tea includes toast.

Sometimes the toast is served with the cakes at the end of the meal, depending on where you go for a high tea, but usually at the start of the meal.

Scones are generally on the tiered cake stand and High Tea scones are often served with cream and jam.

Many hotels in Scotland will offer a High Tea from about 4pm in the afternoon, well before their dinner service.

☕ How did Scottish High Tea start?

From what I remember being told as a child, the High Tea came about as farmers and other workers would be up and working before dawn, so their evening meal was taken earlier.

The toast was probably to keep them going until the hearty main meal arrived and cakes were always served as part of Afternoon Tea (which the ladies of the house might partake in), so the two obviously merged.

If you want to try a quick and easy Afternoon Tea recipe, try my Quick Vegan Iced Buns.

If you want to serve high tea at home, why not make a batch of my Scottish stovies, then follow that with tea, buttered toast and cakes including these scones, blueberry muffins, apple danish pastries and vegan chocolate tiffin.

🍰 Are scones served for afternoon tea?

Yes, scones are often served for afternoon tea.

They are the perfect afternoon treat to enjoy with a cup of coffee or tea to perk you up when you hit that afternoon slump.

🐇 Vegan Easter treats

These scones would be perfect to serve on Easter Sunday.

Everyone loves a freshly baked scone.

Also, try these Vegan Easter Brownies with Mini Eggs.

🍪 Add Scones to lunch boxes

I've talked about high tea and afternoon tea, but don't forget to add scones to lunch boxes.

You can pre-fill them with vegan butter and jam or pop them in pre-cut and ready to be spread at work or school.

Add some jam and butter to a couple of little tubs and don't forget a butter knife to spread the scones.

🥛 What you need to make fruit scones

Here are the simple ingredients you need to make these easy scones.

• Plain flour - also known as all-purpose flour
• Caster sugar
• Baking powder
• Salt - just a pinch
• Raisins
• Vegan butter
• Oat milk - or your regular milk

📖 Variations

Here are a few tweaks you can make to these scones.

• Cranberries - instead of raisins
• Sultanas - instead of raisins
• Chocolate chips - as well as or instead of raisins
• Dried apricots - chopped into small pieces instead of raisins

⏲️ How long will scones keep?

You can keep these scones in an airtight container for a couple of days, but they are best when freshly made.

This is true of all scones.

🌡️ Can scones be frozen?

Scones freeze really well.

Make sure the scones are fully cooled, then wrap each one in freezer-friendly baking paper and pop in a freezer bag.

They will keep for 2-3 months.

To defrost, remove from the freezer and pop in the fridge.

🍯 Homemade jam to serve with scones

You can't beat homemade jam when you are serving scones.

Here are some easy jam recipes for you to make and serve with your scones.

1. Blueberry Jam
2. Caramelised Neactarine & Apricot Jam
3. Easy Plum Jam
4. Fig Jam
5. Mango & Orange Peel Jam
6. Rhubarb & Orange Jam
7. Scottish Raspberry Jam
8. Strawberry & Peach Jam
9. Strawberry & Rhubarb Jam
10. Summer Fruit Jam

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💭 How to make quick vegan scones in the air fryer

Step-by-step photos. Keep scrolling for the full printable raisin scones recipe (with full ingredient list and nutritional info).

Step 1

1. Add the dry ingredients to a mixing bowl and mix well (full ingredients in printable recipe below).
2. Add the cold butter cut in chunks and cut it into the flour with a knife as much as you can. You want it to stay cold. Then use your fingertips to continure rubbing it in until you have a crumble like texture.

Step 2

1. Add the raisins and mix in, then add a bit of milk at a time and cut in with the knife you used to cut through the butter.
2. Keep adding the milk and mixing through until you have a thick dough. It shouldn't be sticky. You may not need all the milk.
3. Bring together into a ball.

Step 3

1. Place on a floured surface and press down gently, no need to roll. You want it to be about an inch (2 ½ cm) thick.
2. Cut the scones with a floured fluted scone cutter, large cookie cutter or glass.
3. Pull the scraps together, press and cut again.
4. You will get between 4-6 scones depending on the size of your cutter.
5. Line your air fryer shelf or drawer, then carefully add the scones and bake until golden. You can also bake in the oven.
6. Enjoy!