Low Carb & Sugar Free Devonshire Scones. An EGG-FREE recipe that delivers the identical texture and taste of high-carb classic English scones. But only 1g net carbs.
They may not look exactly like scones, but that’s because gluten is absent. Without it, you simply cannot obtain the same, stretched fibres ‘look’ that normal scones have. And the same goes for the shape. But you know what? These taste so very similar that appearance doesn’t really matter.
Nothing screams quintessential British tea-time than scones with clotted cream and jam. So now, my keto and low-carb friends, you will rejoice in the knowledge that you can once again taste this lovely treat in all its glory.
For my non-British friends, please note that the recipe you’re about to read is not for the American cookie-like version of English scones. Traditional Devonshire scones are quite different.
How to Make Low Carb & Sugar Free Devonshire Scones
Both ingredients and method are pretty basic. However, for scones to rise properly and have the correct texture, you must be careful to work the dough minimally. That’s the golden rule, keto or not. The dough is soft, quite sticky and ‘loose’. Best handled whilst wearing food-safe disposable gloves. Ignore my advice at your peril 😉
When I baked my scones directly on an oven tray, the soft dough expanded, and they ended up looking more like little bread rolls. Great flavour. Wrong shape. So how could I rectify that? Searching for a scones mould was fruitless. Which was to be expected. Because traditional scones dough isn’t meant to go into moulds. But I needed something to create the right shape, with the classic upward rise, despite the absence of gluten. I eventually found something that helps. Not perfect, but hey, it’s the best I could come up with.
If you don’t care about making scones that look like small bread rolls, then go right ahead and bake them on a tray. But for those of you who want a more classic shape, there’s a link to the mould in the recipe.
Devonshire Cream. Cornish Cream. Clotted Cream. What’s the difference?
They are the same product. The name changes according to the British region where they’re produced. But ultimately, there’s very little – if any – distinguishable difference. True Cornish cream is recognised by European PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) and is more yellow because of the abundant carotene in the pastures that the cows graze in. Clotted cream is basically unpasteurised, full-fat milk that’s been gently heated for a long time, then cooled for several more hours. As the cream separates from the liquid, it turns to ‘clots’ – hence the somewhat inelegant name.
Serving Low Carb & Sugar Free Devonshire Scones
To fully enjoy the British tea-time experience, you should slice your scones horizontally and pile a dollop of clotted cream and some jam on top of each half. De-li-cious!
Whipped cream works fine too, so don’t worry if you can’t buy clotted cream where you are, or if you simply don’t want to buy it, or don’t like it.
Easy-Peasy Keto Jam
Put some berries in a small saucepan with a bit of allulose or erythritol, a squeeze of lemon juice and a few drops of vanilla extract (or liquid vanilla stevia). Simmer until the liquid is reduced. Let cool and you’re done. If you don’t like seeds in your teeth, pass the jam through a fine sieve. If it seems too liquid, reduce it for longer, or add a sprinkle of ground chia or flax seeds. Voilá.
Here comes the recipe.
Enjoy!
Low Carb & Sugar Free Devonshire Scones
Ingredients
- 40 g lupin flour
- 55 g fine almond flour
- 40 g whey protein isolate
- 1 tsp xanthan gum
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 50 g allulose or erythritol
- fine Himalayan pink salt
- 40 g unsalted butter - cubed
- 65 g double cream
- 65 g water
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- fine coconut flour
Optional
- a little milk of your choice (or cream+water) for glazing
Instructions
- mix dry ingredients in a large bowl, then add cubed butter and rub it between your fingers to create fine crumbs.40 g lupin flour, 55 g fine almond flour, 40 g whey protein isolate, 1 tsp xanthan gum, 2 tsp baking powder, 50 g allulose, fine Himalayan pink salt, 40 g unsalted butter
- combine double cream, water and vanilla extract together, and warm it all up a little (must be lukewarm, not hot).65 g double cream, 65 g water, ½ tsp vanilla extract
- create a well in the middle of the dry ingredients and pour in the liquid; mix using a fork first, then a spoon.
- pre-heat oven to
160 °C static. - wearing food-safe disposable gloves, scoop the dough onto a silicone pastry mat dusted with a little coconut flour.fine coconut flour
- fold the dough 2-3 times, adding a sprinkle of coconut flour to your hands and dough as needed to stop it sticking, and shape into a sausage 4-5cm in diameter.
- dip a sharp knife into the coconut flour and cut the sausage dough in half, then each half into 2 sections and each section into half, to obtain 8 equal slices.
- place the sliced dough over a baking tray lined with non-stick parchment paper, or insert into the 60mm cylinders silicone mould I use, without pressing down.
- (optional) brush milk (or cream+water) over the top of each scone.a little milk of your choice (or cream+water) for glazing
- bake for 15 minutes, until golden on top.
- remove from oven, cool, slice, and serve with a dollop of keto-friendly jam (see post ˆ) and clotted cream/whipped cream.
Notes
Nutrition
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I tried the scone recipe to your exact specifications and purchased the recommended ingredients. All I can say is WOW! smell like scones, taste like scones. Especially with some cream and keto jam. Thanks so much!! Just waiting for the fibreflour to try the bread!
Grateful for your feedback, Steve.
Have a smashing Christmas! P.S. You might want to check out the Yorkshire Puddings…They’re incredibly like the ‘real’ thing.
Well I was not disappointed at all. This is the second of your recipes I have tried and they were delicious. No discernible difference from traditional wheat variety. Thank you so much! What’s next I wonder?
Lovely to hear, Libby, thank you for the kind comments.
Wonderful recipe. Thank you! I made them exactly according to the instructions for UK Mother’s Day for my wife and daughter, as we all follow keto. We were amazed at the great texture and they both said they were indistinguishable from normal high-carb scones.
Lovely to hear, Stephen, and thank you for your feedback!
Hi I love your recipes however I was wondering if you can subscribe coconut flour for almond? Cheers
Hi Sibel, yes, they will be fine with almond flour, as long as it’s extra fine and de-fatted. You will need to adjust the quantity given for coconut flour in the recipe.
Antya! You must publish a book of recipes! All of it in its full glory! Of all of the keto recipes developers out there I think you are the QUEEN!
Wow!
You’re too kind. I need a bit of ego boost from time to time to keep me going, and you’ve just made my day. I’m off to test a super luxury celebration cake, and I’ll dedicate it to you.
This recipe is fantastic! I’m so glad I took a chance on buying the lupin flour – it makes an enormous difference in the taste and texture of the final product (more similar to a wheat flour product than the dozens of almond/coconut flour recipes I’ve tried). Thanks so much for posting this – I’m new to keto and this is a recipe I *truly* enjoy. I can’t wait to try your other recipes!
Hey Luna, thank you for the lovely comment. Glad you enjoy lupin as much as I do. May you low carb baking adventures continue ad infinitum!
If I don’t have lupin flour, could I use almond flour in its place or is that a bad idea? Thanks so much, these look lovely.
Hi Jennifer, you can use almond flour (ultra fine and defatted, not ground almonds). The flavour will be totally different, though, more like cake than scones.
I’m sitting here in Cornwall thinking, “I really fancy a cream tea” and what appears but your recipe! My excitement was short-lived when I saw I needed whey protein isolate as I don’t have that. I read what it was and don’t understand it. I’m loathe to buy ingredients I’ll only use once in a blue moon. What is it generally used for? Shame because I’m about to go food shopping and clotted cream was on my list. BTW, you’d be lynched in Devon – they insist it’s cream first. Your photo is definitely Cornish. Wars have been fought over this you know 🤣
Hi again Sally,
whey protein isolate is a godsend in the keto/low carb baking world. It magically turns breads and cakes from stodgy to light and airy, helping them to rise. Like you, I too resisted it at first, thinking it was going to be just another expensive ingredient that would sit in the back of the cupboard for eons. But I was wrong. I’ve been using it for years now, and I literally have a panic attack when I see I’m about to run out. My main use for it is in breads (see THIS). If you type ‘whey protein isolate’ in the search box, you’ll see what else you can use it for. As an ex bread addict, I bake a keto bread loaf once a week, so my whey protein isolate is constantly in use. It is expensive, but worth it. You only need a small amount in each bake, so a pack lasts a long time. Don’t bother with getting it in shops: even more expensive and likely to be of inferior quality. And don’t bother with anything other than the ‘isolate’ type, either. The one I use is THIS, grass-fed, non GMO, no soy, no hormones and as good as it can get – I tried many brands before sticking with this one.
My apologies for the Devon/Cornwall mix up. I did have cream first – initially – but the photos weren’t as good, so I reversed the order and I preferred the look. Purely a cosmetic decision – no dissing intended 😀
Hi Antya, these were a huge fail using the collagen hydrolysate……😢😢😢 they just didn’t cook through (after being in oven for nearly 40 minutes). So now going shopping for whey protein powder to give them another go. 😁
Oh, what a shame! Kudos to you for trying, though. And grateful that you reported back.
Well at least now we know that baking with collagen hydrolysate is a no-no. My whey protein ISOLATE is by a company called Pink Sun. They have different types, but for years now I’ve been using the one provided by the link, which is of superb, grass-fed, non GMO quality, and produces very light results in baking. Plus it costs a fraction of what you’d spend in the shops for an inferior quality product.
Could I use hydrolysed collagen instead of whey protein?? I have this in my pantry, would have to go out and buy the whey protein 😁
Hey Jude! I’ve never used hydrolysed collagen, but you know what? I’d try and see how it goes. If it fails and it’s inedible (doubt it), do what I do in those rare instances: break it up into small pieces, dry it up in the oven, then blitz it and you have a great ‘flour’ you can store for cheesecake base or whatever you fancy.
But please let me know how it turns out…
Have a great day!
Yum yum. Tried these within minutes of receiving the email. They were absolutely amazing. Hubby agrees too. Meant to take pictures but forgot, sorry. Will just have to make them again. Thanks.
Hello Susan! You were super-quick! Thank you for the feedback. 🙂