These Paleo Orange Dark Chocolate Chip Scones are perfect with a side of eggs for a healthy breakfast. Better yet? With only 6 ingredients, this easy scone recipe is a cinch to make. All you’ll need is almond flour, an egg, dark chocolate, orange zest, honey, and baking soda.
I went gluten-free in 1998 when I was diagnosed with celiac disease. I then went totally grain-free in 2001 to improve my digestion further. Ever since then I’ve been creating easy paleo recipes using as few ingredients as possible. I love cooking, but I love playing outside even more. So creating easy recipes for you is quite a passion of mine. Well, here’s another one!
This healthy gluten-free scone recipe is a favorite of my wonderful mother-in-law. She makes it all year round, and has a batch ready for us whenever we visit her. I hope you all enjoy these paleo scones as much as we do!
- 2 cups blanched almond flour (not almond meal)
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ cup chocolate chips
- 1 tablespoon orange zest
- 1 large eggs
- 3 tablespoons honey
- In a large bowl, combine almond flour, baking soda, dark chocolate, and zest
- In a smaller bowl, combine egg and honey
- Mix wet ingredients into dry, thoroughly
- Form dough into a circle that is about ½-inch in thick
- Cut dough like a pizza, into 8 slices
- Using a spatula, transfer to a parchment paper lined baking sheet
- Bake at 350° for 10-15 minutes
- Serve
The idea for this gluten-free scones recipe comes from Joy the Baker. When I saw her Orange and Dark Chocolate Buttermilk Scones using regular flour, I was inspired to make my own paleo scone recipe out of it!
Here are some other easy paleo scones recipes for you:
Sue says
So delicious & easy! Thanks, Elana! I had given up baking after finding gluten made me ill. Now I can enjoy baking again. My husband enjoys my baking, too.
Elana says
Sue, I’m so happy to hear these scones were delicious and easy!
Darcel says
These were great and so easy to make. Thank you!!!
Elana says
Hi Darcel, so glad you enjoyed the scones!
LJ says
These are awesome!! Thank you so much for the recipe. It was so simple, I know these will be made and enjoyed often.
Martina says
I have made these at least a dozen times. My kids love them and if we are running late in the morning Im ok about them having a scone as they are nutritious. I use rice syrup and it works fine.
Joylene says
Thanks for the recipe! Beautiful and delicious. I subbed vegetable glycerin and olive oil for the honey and used stevia sweetened chocolate with good results to make these sugar free due to a dietary restriction. :)
D says
Thank you so so much for this incredible recipe. It tastes divine and makeshift apartment smell like heaven!
Heather L Hoynes says
Elana, I made these scones without the chocolate and used lemon zest instead. THEY WERE FABULOUS Lemon Scones!I drizzled a little honey on top after I took them out of the oven! I brought b-fast to a friend healing from surgery….I also made her your quiche with savory crust, fresh fruit and homemade almond milk. What a treat to have pulled all these together and share such a feast with a dear friend. Pure health = friends and healthy feast !thank you for all you do!
MamaCassi says
I have sent this recipe to SO many people lately!!! It has become my social go-to for day time entertaining (mom’s groups, clients, friends). And it’s so easy and delicious that I’ve taken to making it as a snack for myself for those times I am on the go.
This is a great go-to recipe for newly pregnant moms who are trying to eat paleo/gluten-free and keep relapsing (which makes them sicker) on gluten or sugar filled stuffs.
i have been making it w/ just vanilla extract and coarse chopped 85% chocolate. but today mixed it up w/ almond chunks and pumpkin pie spices. i love how forgiving the recipe is and that it takes so well to my experimentation!!
Margaret says
These are terrific. My kids ask me to make them! They are simple and delicious.
Jean Costello says
I have been trying so hard to go gluten free and love your site! these scones are a keeper for sure and will be in the weekly rotation for my family! thank you so much and keep up the great job.
Dawn says
Amazing recipe! So quick, easy and delicious. I love scones but even when not paleo/gf, finding a good scone was difficult at best. This recipe is a keeper. I hope my kids don’t find where I’ve hidden them ;) Thank you!
Kim says
These have become a favourite in my home. I only wish they would last longer when I make them. The only thing I do differently from Elana is add more orange zest because my kids love the orangy flavour. Thanks so much for this great recipe.
Celeste says
I didn’t have oranges, so I used grapefruit. ABSOLUTELY delicious!
Abbi*tarian says
Hello, Elena! I’ve been admiring your recipes for a long time & have bookmarked many, but tonight is the first time I’ve made one of your delightful recipes! These orange dark chocolate chip scones are scrumptious! Thank you so much!!
Patricia says
I’m allergic to almond, a long with many other things, is there another flour I can use for recipe?
Maxine Quinton says
My husband and I love these scones. I’ve made them with almond meal and with half-almond, half-hazelnut flour…both delicious. I’m trying all hazelnut tomorrow; they should be a lighter version.
They’re a decadent yet healthy breakfast.
Thanks so much.
Carol says
Oh my God, I made it and it was soooo, sooooo good!
I made it with simple syrup. 3 tablespoon of sucralose in 3 tablespoon of hot water.
Thanks for sharing this recipe!!
Riva says
Hi. I just wanted to say that I’m new to your blog and this was the first recipe I tried. They were just fabulous! My husband loved them (and his grandma came over from England and brought her traditional scone recipe with her!). The only change I made was the agave. I really try to avoid sugar in any form, including agave and honey. I mixed a packet of stevia (Truvia) with a bit of coconut milk creamer. Well, it turned out fine! Really delicious treat, thanks so much, Elana, and thanks for letting me comment!
Patricia says
I love your recipes. I appreciate simple. I’ve made these lovely scones several times. Now I press the out on the parchment paper and cut them apart with a big knife, pressing more than cutting. I wiggle the knife to separate just a bit. Then bake. They separate very nicely. Easy and time saving. I also bake in my convection toast oven. Energy and time saving.
Traci says
OMG. These are the best gluten-free goodie I’ve tried! Hopeing that the children love them as much as I do. Great treat for them on this delayed, minus degree, morning. Thank you, love your site!
May says
This is the third recipe of yours that I have tried (tried the chocolate cupcakes and icing, along with the bread 2.0) and have been delighted with. I am relatively new to eating and baking GF so I have made sure to get the exact ingredients, and have found that whenever I forgot something, it was rather unforgiving. These were my first scones EVER and I.love.them.
Thank you!
Helen Jones says
I made these today as we were all craving a little something sweet for this cold, windy autumn day in the tundra of Wisconsin. Well, they more than hit the spot….they are AMAZING!! Usually I’m in the mood for pumpkin and cinnamon when the leaves begin to change and the temps begin to drop, but this may become my go-to “we need a sweet treat” recipe. Thanks for sharing!!
Brigitte says
Has anyone tried these using an egg substitute? I’m vegan and hoping to make these with a flax or chia egg!
Alexa says
I made these this weekend with great anticipation. However I was not overwhelmed with the result.
The only substitution I made was honey for agave nectar. They were still kind of “doughy” inside but I don’t know if this is how they are supposed to be. If I had left them in the oven any longer they’d have burnt. I’d prefer the interior to be more dry so maybe I’ll roll them out more thinly.
Kristina says
Thank u for the recipe! I used this recipe and made a Justin’s chocolate hazelnut butter version with chocolate chips a dash of cinnamon and bourbon vanilla, then sweetened with a little raw sugar and maple syrup. I also chopped up about 1/3 stick of butter and kneaded that in. Decadent and delicious!
heather says
These are seriously, ridiculously CHOW! And sooo easy to make! Thanks Elana, for gracing this world with your culinary expertise. We have always been healthy eaters at our house, but you make healthy eating delicious, EASY, and SO MUCH FUN! Happy Hanukkah!
Monica says
Hi… I made these this afternoon and found them really dry and crumbly. I even added a tiny touch of milk to try to keep them together but they were really dry to eat. Is this the way they’re supposed to be or is there something else I can add to keep them more moist?
Thanks.. Monica :-)
Baffled says
I just made this and it is wonderful. I did make one substitution; I used one cup of hazelnut flour and 1 cup of almond flour since I didn’t have enough almond flour left. I’ll definitely be making this again. Yum!
Hypnotherapy London says
Yummy! WOW, these look SO good
nora says
I made these scones and they were great! I can’t wait to try the orange cranberry scones!
Reema says
Hi Elana,
I have struggled and struggled with eating gluten free. I have tried and been disappointed with so many products out there which make me feel deprived. I tried this recipe and the date balls which are both amazing!!! I’m so excited to try your other recipes. Thank you so much for posting your recipes on-line! I’m so grateful!
Reema
Roz says
I just wanted to thank you for this recipe. One batch sustained me through several days of hospital waiting room (a relative had surgery and a 2 night stay of recovery), where the only thing I could find safe to eat was a dressing-free salad of iceberg lettuce. The scones traveled VERY well, didn’t suffer for hours of room temperature, didn’t turn into crumbs, and stayed moist and flavorful. I will undoubtedly be revisiting this recipe the next time I have to fly anywhere!
Kerri says
hi there! these look delicious and i want to try them on my family, however my son is allergic to nuts and i do most of my baking with coconut flour. wondering if there are any suggestions to subbing the flour with coconut flour? it tends to be denser, so not sure if other additions would be necesary?? thanks for such a wonderful blog!!
Lorri says
I have been playing with this recipe and made many different adaptations, all have which have been delicious. From this experience, I conclude this is a wonderfully adaptable recipe. Here are a few things I’ve tried:
1] substituted 1/2 cup oat flour or oat bran for 1/2 cup of the almond flour. Excellent!
2] added 1/2 cup nuts [walnut, pistachio] and 1/2 cup raisins. Yummy!
3] eliminated the orange zest, added 1 tsp. cinnamon
I can imagine endless variations. Want to try a savory version possibly with chopped kalamata olives.
Roni says
I love these scones! Made them with the chocolate as well as with cinnamon, rainsins and chopped walnuts (elimanated the chocolate). Too good.
Kristin says
My 4-year old and I made these. We added a drop of orange extract. They are amazing! Love them! (While I can eat gluten, I love these recipes and like using almond flour for the taste, texture and protein). Thanks!
bob says
Thanks for putting me on to Joy the Baker, Elana.
I tried these scones with only two adjustments, however they didn’t meet my expectations.
Firstly I omitted the chocolate from the recipe and put melted chocolate on top instead. Second I replaced the agave nectar with rice malt syrup.
They didn’t rise like normal scones (naturally, they have no gluten) but they were just so different from my thought of scones that I was surprised with the end result. Is it my naivety of gluten-free products (only GF one year) that I expect things to turn out like the name or is there something wrong with my technique?
Any help would be appreciated = )
elana says
Hi Bob,
Thanks for your comment and I don’t think anything is wrong with your technique :-)
It’s likely the changes and substitutions that you made vis a vis the chocolate and utilization of rice malt syrup changed the recipe, making it more of an experiment, which resulted in a less scone like result.
Thanks,
Elana
bob says
Thanks Elana, I’ll have to try again!
P Roland says
These are wonderful and easy. They are also great with currants. Thank you!
Charmaine says
I hesitated to make this version of Elana’s scones since I love the regular chocolate chip scone recipe in her book so much (though I do use butter and palm sugar syrup as a substitute), but these were highly addictive–I think because of the fresh orange peel. Yummy.
I do still prefer the original recipe better (lighter consistency… plus, what is a scone without butter? ;-), but may just add the orange peel to that recipe instead.
Vee says
Elana,
Thanks – These are perfect amount of “not too sweet”. Thanks for introducing me to joy the baker!
Rachael says
I just wanted to share that I just wrote about these scones for my dessert blog! here is the link. http://the-confectionist.blogspot.com/2011/01/orange-chocolate-scones.html
Amy says
I love your recipe. I think the wedge cuts make them. Thanks.
Renee says
I was reading a cookbook by Ina Garten today and wanted to make her maple oatmeal scones but we try to avoid wheat here (not an allergy, just mild sensitivity to wheat so we limit exposure). I used your recipe and replaced 1 cup of almond flour with 1 cup of ground oats and then swapped the agave for maple syrup. Left out the chocolate and orange. Added a pinch of salt. They came out very good. This was the first time I baked with blanched almond flour. I used the one from Trader Joe’s and ground it more finely in the vitamix. Thanks for the great recipes.
Rachael says
This was my first time using almond flour. These scones were absolutely delicious!!!! Next time, I’m going to try them with blueberries!
Tia @Glugle Gluten-Free says
Thank you for an amazing recipe. Just made the second batch because Max (2.5 y.o.) ate (or at least wanted to eat) them all form the first batch. He is really not into sweets at all, but he loves these scones. I think it is the orange. He wanted the last one for breakfast this morning. ;) He’s getting it for lunch instead.
xoxo,
Tia
Krista says
I just subscribed to this blog
Krista says
I like glugle gluten free on fb
Krista says
I like Elana’s Pantry on fb
Karen says
I just started cooking gluten free and found your site from gluten and sugar free! I still like sweets and can’t wait to try these scones! Thanks for the recipe… anxious to find your new book!!
Stefanie says
These look delicious! I was wondering if I could substitute the almond flour for bob mill’s gluten free flour.. i think it is fava bean flour? Will they still taste ok or do I have to use almond flour??
Lisa M says
Mmm… These look so good! I’m going to have to make those tomorrow. Thank you for all the work you do with this. I greatly appreciate it.
alex says
just tried these – delicious! and so easy to make
perfect for a late morning snack with a cup of tea, and the dark chocolate sweetens it just enough
i added a little bit cinnamon to the recipe, perfect for these cold wintery days in ontario!
lovely recipe
Samantha Angela @ Bikini Birthday says
What, no butter?
Madeleine says
Do you use dried or fresh zest?
Madeleine says
Never mind! Just made them with fresh orange zest and they’re delicious! The dough was softer and stickier than I expected, so I was scared for a minute, but they came out perfect.
Annette Defino says
I recently made these scones and they were delicious. I will pass this recipe on make them again today.
Danielle says
I just made these tonight after seeing the recipe earlier. I didn’t have any oranges so I just skipped the orange zest altogether. We’re not big fans of the orange flavor in baked goods anyway. They were delicious!
Marinka says
These look great Elana! And so delicious.. Can’t wait to try them sometime!
Karen@Cook4Seasons says
I do have a dog – two, actually – but I just know you would make an exception if they were gluten free also? Besides, the ADORE scones – one of their favorite treats. Me, I adore them anytime…and like you, have been on a serious ‘scone kick’ for the past few weeks. Pity those who are cleansing right now. LOL.
Laura says
I was wondering if you had a gluten-free scone recipe or not! My little 5-year old princess adores raspberry scones. Must try these, too!
Amanda @ andcinnamon says
I just love Joy’s blog. This post made me chuckle because I’ve already read Joy’s post about her timid neighbor.
Her scones do indeed look delish and I’m so excited you posted a gluten-free version. And here I am, with almond flour and chocolate chips in my pantry. Mmmm… something’s comin’!
Sarah F says
This looks SO GOOD. I can’t wait to try it! I love oranges and I love chocolate… and the recipe looks so easy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Just one question: Any suggestions for a sweetener replacement that’s not agave or honey? I don’t handle either very well.
Sea says
Thank you for the link to my humble little scone. *blush*
Pleeeeeease can I have one of these? They look awesome! I MUST GET MORE ALMOND FLOUR.
-Sea
justcooknyc says
i too have blamed some baking sprees on Joy the Baker. and by “blamed” i mean “thanked”
Shirley @ gfe says
Oh, what a cute post! Thinking of Mr. Rogers … he probably would have benefited from being gluten free, too. ;-) I made a variation of your chocolate chip cookies today, Elana. They didn’t last long and actually the ingredients and amounts weren’t too far off from these gorgeous scones. Hmmm, next time!
xo,
Shirley
Barbara says
I notice that many of your recipes call for agave. I understand that agave is not as healthy as once thought. I am trying to be conservative on all products that raise your blood sugar. Have you ever substituted things like applesauce or other fruits in your recipes
Sarah Smith says
I also avoid agave. However, I have substituted honey in several of Elana’s recipes and it has worked just fine every time.
Kiran says
I’ve got to try this simple scone recipe. So yummy!
Christine says
I love seeing two of my favorite bloggers sharing ideas and loving each other! I too would love to be neighbors with you ladies :)
Maggie says
Oooh, now I need to make scones. I’ve never made the kind that you cut into triangles. With only one egg, I definitely think I could do it. And I love the orange-chocolate combo! Just like a Terry’s Chocolate Orange, only MUCH healthier!
Linda says
Can anyone tell me if I substituted kamut or spelt flour would the results be the same?
Sarah Smith says
Wow, these look absolutely delicious! We try not to eat chocolate very often as it is high in phytic acid (which means it blocks mineral absorption of calcium and magnesium, among others). So I am really hoping you will post some more scone recipes for some others you have tried. I know you shared some links for other scone recipes, but honestly, your baked good recipes are the best and I’m wary to try a recipe by anyone else for fear of disappointment.
Noel says
She has one for Orange Apricot Scones in The Gluten-Free Almond Flour Cookbook.
And I’ll bet you could easily leave out the chocolate or sub some kind of nut or dried fruit that you like.
I need to get back to variety — and try these scones.
I’m back in a rut with the Pumpkin Pie muffins, to which I sometimes add choclate chips. I can make these with my eyes closed — thanks Elana!!!
: )
Noel
Sarah Smith says
Ah, yes, dried fruit! That makes perfect sense! My daughter loves raisins, and I bet they would even taste good with orange. Or dried cranberries would probably be superb! Thanks Noel!
Roberta Thomas says
Elana if I don’t use agave and I use a dry sweetner do you have any tips on converting it over?
Ali says
Roberta, I’ve tried using dry sweeteners before, and what I’ve found to work the best is to make “simple syrups” from them first–i.e. mixing them with hot water to equal the amount specified in the recipe (google for recipe). You can also control the sweetness that way–the reason behind making the simple syrups is because the liquid sweeteners are the liquid for the recipe and help bind and keep moist the flour and other ingredient. Hope this helps.
Holly says
Oh, thank you Elana! I must try these! Perhaps this coming weekend! With all this frigid deep freeze……..weather…….these will be a wonderful treat!I got your Almond cookbook and I am looking forward to receiving your new book on cupcakes! I am so thrilled that I found your website! Thank you!
Margaret says
I’m wondering about the “flax egg,” too. I can’t eat eggs OR corn (egg substitute).
Meredith Chamorro says
I’ve made these with “flax egg” – 1 T. ground flax seed, mixed with water to make 1/4 c. Let this mixture sit a minute before using. The scones came out great – very delicious! I also substituted coconut (palm) sugar + about 3 T. water instead of agave.
Melissa says
These look so good Elana. I’m wondering do you think if I used egg replacers instead of eggs they will still turn out good? Or has anyone tried using egg replacers when baking with almond flour. I have used egg replacers with other gluten free recipes and they usually turn out fine but sometimes there are recipes that it just doesn’t work with. I haven’t done much baking with almond flour yet.
Ali says
Hey Melissa,
I’ve tried using both flax egg and also enerG egg replacer when baking with almond flour. Depending on the recipe you’ll get different results. I say you should give it a shot though. It might not look like the photo, but it will still be edible. You can’t really go wrong. The main thing we make with AF is pancakes. When we use the flax substitute, they seem to need a tad more liquid but have an amazing nutty flavor! YUM. When we used enerG, they looked picture perfect and were golden and slighty hardened on the outside, but the inside did not cook as well. These of course were made in a skillet not baked in the oven, but thought I’d let you know how it worked. I’ve heard that you can substitute banana, applesauce, potato or squash in place of egg, but I’ve only tried with cookies (pumpkin raisin choco-chip) which came out amazing. Good luck with what ever you choose! And let us know your results!
Cassi Friz says
i don’t care for scones. or for baking, but man, i think i might be convinced to change my mind just for this recipe! always inspiring and delicious!!!
Melanie says
I have never made scones. This recipe seems so simple, I really have to try it!
Lexie says
Love this post! I think we should all move to Gluten-freeville and be eachothers’ neighbors. Glad I am not the only one who becomes obsessed with something … say perfecting a scone recipe. Snicker.
xoLexie
Jen Duncan says
Wonderful! Thanks so much for changing it for us!
Ruslan says
I love your recipes, they’re so simple!
Elena, I’m not a big fan of agave, since i’m not great in the kitchen, would honey or maple syrup work as an alternative with this recipe?
Melanie says
I’ve subbed honey for all of Elana’s recipes and they have all turned out wonderful! -Melanie
Ruslan says
Thanks Melanie!
I’ll try this out with honey!
Anita says
FYI, honey becomes toxic when heated at high temps :( Try Brown Rice Syrup instead.
Rhea Miller says
Anita-
Regarding your comment about honey being toxic at high temps–do you have any links to information on this? I imagine it destroys the enzymes and isn’t health-giving but I’ve never heard of it being toxic and I’d like to learn more!
Thanks,
Rhea
Diana Lesire Brandmeyer says
I have to make these. I’ve been on an orange and chocolate fixation for a week. Nutella and orange marmalade. :)
Nana Rogers says
Oh our family loves orange and chocolate together… Mmmm
And I adore your rooster tea towel. Too cute!
Thanks again for such wonderful healthy and helpful recipes.
Ashley @ Taste for Healthy says
Those look so tempting! Do you think a “flax egg” would work as a substitute for the egg to make it vegan? :)
Kris | iheartwellness.com says
oh my goodness, these look so simple and so delicious!
I love big chocolate chips like this and when you take that bite you get a creamy bit of chocolate :)
have a great day!
xxoo
Gluten Free Diva says
Elana,
What time is tea? And when will your next batch be finished and out of the oven? These look simple, and simply delicious.
~Ellen
Jac says
nice! and minimal ingredients. I just made my own almond flour by soaking almonds overnight, making almond milk, dehydrating the pulp and grinding it once dried. A lengthy process but I’m left with the fluffiest, tastiest almond flour ever.
bob says
Thanks for the tip! I was just wondering what to do with the leftover pulp = )
demi says
is it ok to mke first almond milk and then flour or is the oil and nutricions go away with milk first??is it really working in recipes if making milk first???
Heather says
Just what I needed ANOTHER one of your amazing scone recipes to tempt and taunt me! I love them all!
Kristen says
I couldn’t agree more :)
Tia says
Thanks for the link love, Elana.
These look and sound great. My MIL and fiance are visiting in a couple of days, as well as, we have a new nephew in our family. So, it looks like I will be making a bunch of these for everyone. The new parents need some noshing food while the little one sleeps. Another fabulous recipe!
xoxo,
Tia
Sarah says
I am allergic to oranges (clementines, mineolas, etc. but not lemons or limes), does anyone have a suggestion for a substitute? Is the function in the recipe simply a liquid or is it important that it be acidic?
Karen says
Sarah,
It looks like the only ingredient containing orange is the orange zest and only a tablespoon, so I’d guess it would be easy to replace with a different flavoring you like that would go with chocolate, such as an extract of some sort, e.g., vanilla. Or you could go without – you can never go wrong with just almonds and chocolate :-)
Helen Harnage Blount says
Sarah, how do you blanch Almond flour?
Lorri says
Sarah,
I suggest you try the scone recipe using lemon zest, it looks to me that the purpose of the orange zest in the recipe is flavor without adding any liquid.
Let us all know how you make this recipe work for you.
Lorri
Denise Biencourt says
how about cherry extract? even some chopped bits of dried cherries. Cherries and chocolate are yummy together!
Shannon says
Sarah,
I have been making a recipe very similar to this using lemon zest and dried cranberries (instead of chocolate chips). I also add pecans. It is YUMMY.
Dori says
I made the recipe and my dough is so sticky that I couldn’t cut it or use a spatula. What am I doing wrong? I followed the recipe. I use honey because that’s what I had. They are baking now. I can cut them when they are done. I was hoping someone can guide me.