These crumbly, flaky vegan date oatmeal scones are perfectly tender with a crisp, golden exterior, moist inside, and bursts of naturally sweet, caramel-like dates. Made with wholesome oats and plant-based ingredients, they’re rich, hearty, and just the right amount of sweet. Enjoy them warm with a smear of vegan butter or your favorite jam for a cozy, satisfying treat!
Jump to:
Recipe backstory.
It all started with a craving. You know the kind—the one that won’t let you rest until you’ve satisfied it. I wanted something hearty yet tender, subtly sweet yet rich with depth. And most importantly, I wanted it to pair perfectly with my morning coffee (because let’s be real, that’s a non-negotiable).
I thought back to the oatmeal scones my husband and I had in Scotland last year at a sweet B&B in Inverness, crumbly yet soft, speckled with fruit and always served warm with a generous dollop of homemade clotted cream. But I wanted something entirely plant-based, a little bit healthier, subtly sweet, and packed with comforting flavors. That’s when dates entered the picture—chewy, caramel-like, and just the right amount of sweet without overpowering.
xoxo Kori
A must-make.
You're gonna want to make these oatmeal date scones, and here's why:
- Deliciously Textured – These scones are perfectly crumbly and flaky, with a crisp golden crust and a soft, tender inside. Every bite is packed with naturally sweet, caramel-like dates - so delicious!
- Wholesome & Nourishing – Made with fiber-rich oats and plant-based ingredients (no dairy and no eggs), these scones offer a healthier twist on this classic baked good.
- Make-Ahead Bake From Frozen – One of the best things about this scone recipe is that you bake them straight from frozen, so you can bake just what you need—no need to make the whole batch at once!
What you'll need.
Here's what you'll need to make these delicious oatmeal date vegan scones:
- Old Fashioned Oatmeal. Also called rolled-oats.
- Pitted Dates.
- Flours. Use both all-purpose flour and whole wheat flour. For the AP four I used unbleached but if bleached is all you have that works just as well.
- Leaveners. Baking soda and baking powder.
- Salt
- Sugar. Regular or raw cane sugar is fine.
- Plant-Based Butter. Unsalted butter is preferable; if you want to use regular butter that is totally fine! I suggest you try making my vegan butter recipe - it is wonderful and a lot less expensive than purchasing it. You can control the salt level, and freeze it too!
- Flax Meal. The vinegar, flax meal, and the milk from the soaked oats are used as a binder and egg substitute.
- Apple Cider Vinegar.
For exact ingredient quantities, please see the recipe card below!
Make them yours.
Want to customize this scone recipe? Try:
- Sweeter dried fruits may be substituted for the dates - raisins, apricots, blueberries, sweet cherries, sweetened dried cranberries, etc.
- 1 teaspoon of lemon or orange zest can be added.
- In place of the apple cider you can substitute lemon juice or orange juice.
- Maple syrup can be used in place of the agave syrup for the wash.
- If you want to try something fun, mix semi sweet chocolate chips with dried cherries, or even using orange zest and orange juice with the chocolate chips. Chocolate and cherries and chocolate and orange are classic combinations!
- A maple glaze can be mixed and drizzled over the top of the cooled scones. Just mix powdered sugar, a little maple syrup, and a tiny amount of water until you get the right consistency.
Baking date oat scones.
💡Tip: These oatmeal scones have a few more steps than my usual recipes (it's worth it, though!)- I like to tackle them on the weekend, make a double batch, and stash some in the freezer for when those cravings hit!
For full instructions, see the printable recipe card below.
Sift & cut in butter
Sift the flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, sugar, and cinnamon into a large bowl then cut in the butter. Refrigerate.
Soak the oats
Soak the oats in water about 15 minutes then strain them. Reserve the liquid oat milk that is left over.
Flax egg
Make the flax egg with reserved oat milk, vinegar, and flax meal. Whisk well and set aside until the flax gels.
Add the rest
Stir everything together without overworking the dough. It will be very crumbly and lose. Refrigerate.
Shape & cut
Place the dough on a lightly floured surface. Fold a couple of times then shape into a disc. Cut into 8 pieces, place on prepared baking sheet then freeze until frozen or overnight.
Wash & bake
Make the wash and brush over the top of the scones, sprinkle with sugar. Bake until done.
How to serve oatmeal scones.
There isn't a whole lot you need to do to enjoy these oatmeal scones. Honestly, I usually just start eating them warm right off the baking tray with nothing nothing else. In the below image I used a passionfruit jam - it was pretty tasty!
- Fresh out of the oven with a steaming mug of coffee or chai
- With a smear of plant butter for extra richness
- Crumbling them over yogurt for a scone-inspired parfait
- Spread on some favorite jam
- Packed up for a road trip or afternoon snack (because they travel beautifully!)
Kori's tips.
- Chill the Dough. Cold dough = flaky scones! Let the dough rest in the fridge for a bit before baking.
- Don’t Overmix. Scones like a gentle touch. Mix just until combined to keep them tender.
- This recipe was originally created in grams and translated to cups. For the most successful and accurate baking, you should use a scale and measure quantities by weights in grams.
- Bake the scones in the top third of your oven.
- The scones are baked from frozen so you can pull out whatever quantity you want to bake - this is perfect if you want fresh scones over multiple days or to meal prep!
- The center of scones hold a lot of moisture and need to dry out. Check for doneness by carefully lifting the scones to verify that they hold together. If they don't separate they're done.
FAQs
IF you have leftovers (that's a big IF), place them in an airtight container and they will last about 4 days.
Yes, absolutely! Freeze these before or after baking. Either place in a sealable freezer bag or an airtight freezer safe storage container. Freeze up to 4 months.
I like to wrap mine in a paper towel then warm it slight on low heat in the microwave.
Be sure to save this pin to Pinterest for later!
Can I ask you a favor?
If you tried this recipe, let me know! I'd love for you to come back and give the recipe a 5 star rating and leave a review in the comments! 🙂 Let's stay connected, so please follow me on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest! Subscribe to my newsletter to get healthy fresh recipe ideas every week!
📖 The recipe.
Oatmeal Date Vegan Scones
Ingredients
- 125 grams all-purpose flour (¾ cup + 2 tablespoons; I used unbleached all purpose flour, but bleached is fine)
- 60 grams whole wheat flour (⅓ cup + 1 tablespoon)
- 10 grams baking powder (2½ teaspoons)
- 2 grams baking soda (¼ teaspoon)
- 2 grams salt (¼ teaspoon)
- 2 grams cinnamon (1 teaspoon)
- 54 grams granulated sugar (¼ cup; I used raw cane sugar but regular is fine)
- 130 grams very cold vegan butter (9½ tablespoons) use unsalted butter if possible; store-bought vegan butter or my recipe (see link) may be used)
- 100 grams chopped dates (¾ cup)
- 80 grams old fashioned rolled oats (before soaking) (¾ cup)
- 7 grams flax meal (1 tablespoon)
- 2 grams apple cider vinegar (½ teaspoon)
- 50 grams reserved oat milk (¼ cup)
Wash
- 20 grams milk of choice (1½ tablespoons)
- 10 grams agave or maple syrup (½ tablespoon)
- Granulated sugar for sprinkling
Instructions
- Sift the flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, sugar, and cinnamon into a large bowl.
- Cut the cold butter into the flour using clean dry hands, pinching the pieces of butter into the flour until about pea-sized (a pastry cutter could be used to achieve this as well). Stick the bowl into the fridge while you wait for the oats to soak (in the next step).
- Add the oats to a small bowl and cover with water. Let soak for about 15 minutes.
- In a strainer, push the oats with a rubber spatula to remove as much liquid as possible. Reserve the liquid oat milk that is left over.
- In a small bowl whisk together the reserved oat milk, flax meal, and apple cider vinegar. Stir well and set aside until the flax gels about 5 minutes.
- To the dry ingredients, toss in the chopped dates, the oat milk flax egg, and the soaked oats. Toss to combine without overworking the dough - it will be very crumbly and loose, and that is what you want. Chill, and let rest fo 15 minutes. The dough should hold together if you squeeze it with your hand, but should not be too wet.
- Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking mat.
- Put the very crumbly dough on the sheet pan. Start pressing the mixture together, then fold the dough two times using a little flour on your hands if it feels sticky. The trick is to not overwork the dough and keep it crumbly but have it hold together enough to shape it into a disc and cut it.
- Form the mixture into a ball then flatten into a 1½" disc, about 7 inches in diameter.
- Using a sharp knife, cut into eight wedges, place on a parchment lined baking sheet, and freeze until frozen (several hours) or overnight.
- When ready to bake, move the rack to the top third and preheat the oven to 375℉. In a small bowl mix together the milk of choice and agave.
- Brush the wash onto the top of the scones and sprinkle the top generously with sugar.
- Place the oatmeal scones in the preheated oven and bake for 30 to 40 minutes. You can tell when these are done when you can start to smell them and you can carefully lift a scone off of the pan without it separating. If it starts to separate it is not done. If it lifts off the pan and holds together it's done.
Video
Kori's Tips
- This recipe was created initially in grams, but I translated it to cups, tablespoons, and teaspoons in case you don't have a kitchen scale. This is why the measurements look funky. Measuring in grams will give you the most accuracy, but it's totally fine if you don't.
- It is important to use cold butter. Stick it in the fridge or freezer if you need to.
- Bake the scones in the top third of your oven, not in the middle.
- The scones are baked from frozen, so you can pull out whatever quantity you want to bake - this is perfect if you want fresh scones over multiple days or to meal prep! Store frozen scones in an airtight container or bag for up to 4 months.
- The center of scones hold a lot of moisture and need to dry out. Check for doneness by carefully lifting the scones off the baking sheet to verify that they hold together. If they feel like they are pulling apart, they need more time; if they don't separate, they're done.
Nutrition
© 2025 Seeking Good Eats™
Comments
No Comments