Lemon Poppy Seed Scones {paleo, grain-free, dairy-free, egg-free}

Lemon Poppy Seed Scones {paleo, grain-free, dairy-free, egg-free}

by | May 6, 2026 | Breakfast Recipes, Snack and Dessert Recipes

Looking for a lovely treat for Mother’s Day brunch or a springtime tea? These lemon poppy seed scones are delightful. 

I made this recipe thinking of my mom, as one of her favorite things is lemon poppy seed cake. I got to make them for my parents on a recent visit, and they loved them. My dad asked, “Does Mom have this recipe?” Well, now she will, as soon as we publish this post 😊  I hope you’ll enjoy these delightful lemon scones, too!

 

Let’s make lemon scones!

Gather your ingredients:

  • 2 Tablespoons chia seeds mixed with 4 Tablespoons warm water
  • 1/4 cup coconut flour
  • 1/2 cup almond flour
  • 3/4 cup light buckwheat flour*
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • zest of one lemon
  • 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
  • 2 Tablespoons maple syrup (or 3 Tablespoons coconut sugar)
  • 6 Tablespoons plant-based butter or coconut oil, melted
  • 1 Tablespoon poppy seeds (optional)
  • 1/4 cup coconut milk or almond milk

Gather your supplies:

  • large mixing bowl
  • 1/4 cup measuring cup
  • 1 Tablespoon
  • 1 teaspoon
  • 1/2 teaspoon
  • 2 microwave safe bowls or mugs
  • mixing spoon
  • table knife
  • paring knife
  • zester
  • juicer (optional)
  • baking sheet
  • parchment paper (optional to line the baking sheet, or use butter)

Step 1

Measure 2 Tablespoons chia seeds into a bowl or mug. Add 4 Tablespoons warm water to the chia seeds. (Water can be warmed in the microwave before adding it to the chia seeds.) Stir and let the chia seeds absorb the water as you work on the next steps.

Step 2

Measure 1/4 cup coconut flour, 1/2 cup almond flour, 3/4  cup light buckwheat flour, 2 tsp. baking powder, and 1/2 tsp. salt into a large mixing bowl.

Step 3

Stir the dry ingredients until well combined.

Step 4

Using a zester, zest the rind of one lemon.

Step 5

Slice the lemon in half and juice the lemon (either using a juicer or simply squeezing the juice into a dish).

Step 6

Add the lemon zest and 1 Tbsp lemon juice to the dry ingredients.

Step 7

Add 2 Tbsp maple syrup (or 3 Tbsp coconut sugar). For sweeter scones, add slightly more sweetener.

Step 8

Measure 6 Tbsp plant-based butter or coconut oil into a microwave safe bowl or dish.

Step 9

Melt the butter or coconut oil (30 seconds in the microwave should be enough time).

Step 10

Add the melted butter or oil to the mixture.

Step 11

Add the chia seed-water mixture to the mixing bowl. 

Step 12

Stir together all ingredients you have added to the mixing bowl. Mixture will be crumbly at this point.

Step 13

Sprinkle 1 Tbsp poppy seeds over the dough.

Step 14

Add 1/4 cup coconut or almond milk.

Step 15

Stir the mixture together until it begins to form a ball. Add a little extra milk if the mixture is too dry or a little extra light buckwheat if the mixture is too moist.

Step 16

Grease a baking sheet or line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Step 17

Kneed the dough and form it into a ball. Place the ball on the baking sheet.

Step 18

Pat down the ball of dough into a flat circle, about 1 inch thick.

Step 19

Use a table knife to cut the circle of dough into 8 pieces. Slide the pieces apart slightly on the pan.

Step 20

Bake in pre-heated 400 degree F oven for 12 minutes or until slightly golden brown.

Step 21

Let scones cool slightly and serve. Serve with some fresh fruit for a tea time, and perhaps some eggs, sausage, or yogurt for a brunch. Enjoy!

Some extra notes:

1. We get our light buckwheat flour from Bouchard Family Farms. It is certified gluten-free. This is not the same as the dark buckwheat flour that is typically found in the grocery store. Light buckwheat flour has a very mild flavor. There are many recipes on our blog that use light buckwheat flour, so once you order some, you can find plenty of recipe ideas here! Our family typically goes through about 20 bags of light buckwheat from Bouchard Family farms each year – it’s that good. Here are some links to some other recipes on our blog with light buckwheat flour: crepes, muffins/cupcakes, cookies, and pizza crust.

2. The scones are delightful fresh from the oven, but they also freeze well. Once you’ve made the recipe a few times it can be quick enough to make on a weekday morning, but if you double the batch and freeze some, they can be quickly heated in the microwave or oven for an especially quick breakfast.

Enjoy!

Note:  Some links on this page are Amazon Affiliate links.  Sparkles and Sprinkles is a participant in the Amazon Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

Other links may or may not be affiliate links.  We provide links because we have found these products or services beneficial, and we think you might too.

Chocolat à l’ancienne (with dairy-free option)

Chocolat à l’ancienne (with dairy-free option)

by | Oct 2, 2025 | Breakfast Recipes, Snack and Dessert Recipes

French hot chocolate. Amazingly decadent, surprisingly simple. French has the perfect word to describe this delicious treat: onctueux – a word that means rich, smooth, and creamy all at the same time.

Chocolat à l’ancienne, which could translate to “old-fashioned chocolate,” is served in famous Parisian cafés. It is a special treat, but it can be made at home quite easily, with a few simple ingredients.

Are you ready to enjoy it? Let’s make chocolat à l’ancienne.

Ingredients:

Ingredients (for 2 small cups of hot chocolate):

12 ounces (1.5 cups) whole milk*

3 ounces dark chocolate (60% – 90%) – broken into pieces

½ tsp vanilla extract or one cinnamon stick

*For dairy-free version, use 1 cup coconut milk from a carton and 1/2 cup canned coconut milk, in place of whole milk.

 

1 1/2 cups whole milk

Chocolat à l’ancienne is rich and creamy. You can use 1.5 cups whole milk, or for an even creamier version, consider using 1 1/4 cups whole milk and 1/4 cup heavy cream.

OR: For a dairy-free version, use 1 cup coconut milk from a carton, and 1/2 cup canned coconut milk

If you would like to make a dairy free version, use 1 cup coconut milk from a carton and 1/2 cup coconut milk from a can. Canned coconut milk has a higher fat content than coconut milk from a carton. This proportion of canned and carton coconut milk gives the right balance to be similar to whole milk.

3 oz. dark chocolate, broken into small pieces

Chocolat à l’ancienne is mean to be rich and not overly sweet. You can use dark chocolate from 60% to 90%. The lower the percent, the sweeter your drink will be. (You can always add extra sweetener to each cup to your taste.)

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract or a cinnamon stick

Add a flavor of your choice to your hot chocolat. 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, or a cinnamon stick. (Be sure to remove the cinnamon stick before serving.)

Instructions:

Pour milk into saucepan. Turn burner to medium heat. Add chocolate pieces and vanilla extract (or cinnamon stick). Wisk continually until a thick and creamy mixture forms. Pour into a small pitcher. Serve on a tray with two cups. Add sweetener as desired.

Watch our video to see how easy it is to make chocolat à l’ancienne. 

Enjoy!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins {gluten-free, low-sugar}

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins {gluten-free, low-sugar}

by | Sep 29, 2023 | Breakfast Recipes, Snack and Dessert Recipes

gluten free pumpkin muffins

Enjoy these healthy gluten-free pumpkin muffins with a cup of tea or coffee for a treat on a cozy fall day!

pumpkin muffins gluten-free
gluten-free pumpkin muffins

For this recipe, we simply modified our healthy gluten-free cupcake recipe.  If you would like the kid-friendly, visual instructions, follow our cupcake recipe, with these modifications:

  • reduce Greek yogurt from 2 to 1.5 cups
  • use 4 Tbsp. maple syrup
  • add 1 cup canned pumpkin puree
  • add 1 Tbsp. pumpkin pie spice
  • add 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
  • add 1 cup dark chocolate chips or mini chocolate chips

P.S. We love light buckwheat flour for gluten-free baking. Light buckwheat does not have the strong taste of regular buckwheat, and it has a nice light color. We order our light buckwheat directly through Bouchard Family Farms (with a quantity discount), but if you would like to try just one bag, it is also available on Amazon. 

Enjoy!

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Note:  Some links on this page are Amazon Affiliate links.  Sparkles and Sprinkles is a participant in the Amazon Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

Other links may or may not be affiliate links.  We provide links because we have found these products or services beneficial, and we think you might too.

Paleo Donuts {baked, gluten-free}

Paleo Donuts {baked, gluten-free}

by | Sep 1, 2023 | Breakfast Recipes, Snack and Dessert Recipes

On a recent trip to Nashville, we had the opportunity to go to Five Daughters Bakery. What a treat! They have delicious paleo donuts that we all sat down to enjoy one sunny afternoon… and perhaps the best part is that everyone was happy afterward (rather than the cranky behavior effect of regular donuts). We love the sweet theme of love and family at Five Daughters Bakery, so we had to snap a picture of the donut box…

5 daughters bakery box

Nashville is way too far away for us to be able to get these delicious donuts again any time soon (though a 10 hour drive might almost be worth it!), so upon arriving home, we experimented with recreating these delicious donuts. Our daughters (who are quite the food critics) actually said they think our homemade donuts are even better… Mama thinks the Five Daughters Bakery donuts are the winner, but then again, for a mama, it’s quite a treat to be able to find a healthy gluten-free snack for everyone without having to make it.

In this post, we share with you our recipes for chocolate chip donuts with chocolate ganache, and fresh raspberry donuts with creamy frosting.

* Plus – scroll down for a fall favorite we just added – apple cinnamon donuts *

The donuts can be made strictly paleo, using coconut oil, or the version our children like best, with butter.

paleo donut recipe

Ingredients for 12 donuts (for complete instructions, please scroll down):

1 1/2 cups almond flour

1/3 cup coconut flour

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

3 Tablespoons tapioca flour

3 eggs

1 1/2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar

1/3 cup melted butter (or melted coconut oil)

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/3 cup maple syrup

1/3 cup milk of choice

1/3 cup mini chocolate chips or fresh raspberries

Frosting/topping of choice

If you are looking for a donut pan, we recommend this one from Nordic Ware:

Let’s make donuts!

Step 1: Measure dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl.

1 1/2 cups almond flour

1/3 cup coconut flour

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

3 Tablespoons tapioca flour

Step 2: Stir dry ingredients together well.

Step 3: Measure liquid ingredients into a separate large mixing bowl.

3 eggs

1 1/2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar

1/3 cup melted butter (or melted coconut oil)

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/3 cup maple syrup

1/3 cup milk of choice

Step 4: Whisk liquid ingredients together well.

Step 5: Pour liquid ingredients into dry ingredients and stir together well.

Step 6: Add mini chocolate chips or fresh raspberries.

1/3 cup mini chocolate chips

or

1/3 cup washed fresh raspberries

Step 7: Grease donut pan and generously pipe in donut batter.

Cut about a 1 inch opening at the tip of the piping bag prior to filling the bag with batter.

This recipe makes 12 donuts. 

Need a donut pan? We love this one from Nordic Ware.

Step 8: Bake in 350 degree oven for 13-15 minutes.

We have found 13 minutes is enough. Try not to overbake.

Step 9: Let cool slightly in pan, then transfer to cooling rack.

Step 10: Top with chocolate ganache or raspberry cream

Once donuts are completely cooled, top them with chocolate ganache or raspberry cream. This is optional, the donuts are great even without topping.  (See instructions below.)

Chocolate Ganache

For the chocolate ganache in the photo, we made a super simple microwave version using just dark chocolate, butter and stevia. Simply place a dark chocolate bar in a microwave safe bowl. Melt chocolate in microwave (about 1 minute and 30 seconds). Add a few Tablespoons butter (or coconut oil), and stir with warm chocolate until well combined. Stir in sweetener to taste. Dip the top of donut into the ganache, then lift up the donut and place on a plate. Beautiful and so fun!

Raspberry Cream frosting

For the raspberry cream frosting in the photos, we used coconut cream. Refrigerate a can of coconut cream over night (make sure it is cream, not milk). Pour off the liquid and discard it. Place the cream (should be solid) in the bowl of an electric mixer. Whip until fluffy.  Add sweetener to taste (such as stevia or honey). Add a small amount of fresh raspberries. Whip again until well incorporated. Use a piping bag to frost the donuts. You could also use whipped cream instead of coconut cream, or use our low sugar butter cream cheese frosting.

Try a fall favorite – Apple Cinnamon Donuts!

Add 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon and 1/3 cup applesauce to the plain donut batter. Once donuts are baked and cooled, dip the tops in a mixture of ground cinnamon and stevia powder. This makes a yummy apple donut, like you might find at an apple orchard or fall festival, but our version is gluten-free.

ENJOY!

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Note: Sparkles and Sprinkles is not affiliated with Five Daughters Bakery. Our four daughters are big fans of Five Daughters Bakery, though, so we tried to create some similar donuts at home.

Note:  Some links on this page are Amazon Affiliate links.  Sparkles and Sprinkles is a participant in the Amazon Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

Other links may or may not be affiliate links.  We provide links because we have found these products or services beneficial, and we think you might too.

Crêpes {gluten-free}

Crêpes {gluten-free}

by | Feb 2, 2023 | Breakfast Recipes, Lunch and Dinner Recipes, Main Dish Recipes, Snack and Dessert Recipes

These gluten-free light buckwheat crêpes are fun to make and can be enjoyed any time of day.  If you do not need to eat gluten-free, regular wheat flour can be substituted for the light buckwheat flour. Crêpes can be filled with a variety of tasty ingredients for a savory main meal or a sweet dessert.

gluten free crepe recipe buckwheat
crepe cooked
gluten free crepe recipe

We find inspiration for what to put in our crêpes at home by visiting crêperies. Here are some that we love…  Just click on their menus for fun inspiration, from kid-friendly pb&j, to traditional ham and cheese, to unique goat cheese and dates, to decadent ice cream and chocolate sauce…

Clifton Cafe

Fontaine Bistro

The Skinny Pancake

It was at The Skinny Pancake that we first learned of light buckwheat flour.  This amazing gluten-free flour is super healthy, and makes the crêpes look like they are made from white wheat flour. Light buckwheat has a mild, sweet flavor (not at all like the strong flavor of regular buckwheat).  We get our light buckwheat flour directly from Bouchard Family Farms (there is a significant discount for ordering in bulk).  If you just want to try one bag, it can also be ordered through Amazon.

 Crêpes can be made at home using a regular non-stick frying pan.  We love Greenlife pans.  You can also opt for a special crêpe pan with lower sides.  Another fun option is an electric crêpe pan that can be dipped into batter (I used to use this in the classroom setting for many years.  It works well and makes a very thin crepe.)

 

Let’s make crêpes!

Gather your ingredients:

6 eggs

3 cups milk of your choice

3/4 cups water

2 cups light buckwheat flour (or wheat flour for non-gluten-free option)

1/2 cup melted butter

(This recipe makes about 18 crêpes.)

 

crepe

Gather your kitchen supplies:

  • large mixing bowl
  • 1 cup dry measuring cup
  • 4 cup liquid measuring cup
  • whisk
  • frying pan or crêpe pan
  • ladle
  • spatuala

 

 

crepe

Measure, mix, pour, flip…

crepe

Step 1

Crack 6 eggs into large mixing bowl.

crepe

Step 2

Whisk eggs well.

crepe

Step 3

Measure 3 cups milk into large liquid measuring cup.

Step 4

Add 3/4 cup water to the milk.

Step 5

Pour milk and water into the whisked eggs.  Whisk again.

buckwheat crepe

Step 6

Measure 2 cups light buckwheat flour.

buckwheat crepe

Step 7

Gently pour flour into the milk and egg mixture.

Step 8

Whisk the flour into the egg and milk mixture.  Whisk well until there are no clumps of flour.

Step 9

Melt a stick of butter (1/2 cup) in a frying pan over medium heat. (Be sure to turn off the burner once the butter is melted.)

crepe batter recipe

Step 10

Pour the melted butter into the batter.

crepe batter

Step 11

Whisk the batter well.

Step 12

Heat frying pan (or crepe pan) over medium heat.  (If needed, add more butter, but the coating from the melted butter should be enough.)

crepe batter pour

Step 13

Lift the pan above the burner. Pour a ladel full of batter into the pan.  Swirl the pan so that the batter fills a complete circle. Place the pan back on the burner.

crepe

Step 14

Let the crêpe cook over medium heat for a few minutes, until it looks mostly cooked.

crepe flip

Step 15

Flip the crêpe, using a spatula.  (Or by flipping in the air!)

crepe cooked

Step 16

Let the crêpe cook for a short time on the second side.  (It will not need to cook very long, as it has mostly been cooked on the first side.)

light buckwheat crepe

Step 17

Slide the crêpes off the pan and onto a plate as they finish cooking.  Then fill them with ingredients of your choice.

Bon Appétit!

Read below for more fun with crêpes…

Did you know that on February 2nd, the Feast of the Presentation of our Lord, people in France love to get together with friends and family to make crêpes?  The French call this special day La Chandeleur.  With its round shape and golden color, the crêpe is said to symbolize the sunshine… and reminds us that Jesus is the light of the world.

A Fun French song for la Chandeleur

On fait des crêpes à la Chandeleur
Moi, je les aime au sucre et au beurre
On fait des crêpes à la Chandeleur
Quand on fait des crêpes, c’est un bonheur

This can be traslated to:

We make crêpes for la Chandeleur

Me, I love them with sugar and butter

We make crêpes for la Chandeleur

When we make crêpes, it’s a joy

A Cute Video in French – Petit Ours Brun (a sweet French cartoon character) makes crêpes with his papa.  They encounter some difficulties at first, but with practice, they make many wonderful crêpes.  Don’t lose heart if it is hard to make a crêpe on your first try!  

Note:  Some links on this page are Amazon Affiliate links.  Sparkles and Sprinkles is a participant in the Amazon Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

Other links may or may not be affiliate links.  We provide links because we have found these products or services beneficial, and we think you might too.

Beautiful Sunday Waffles {gluten-free, high protein, low-carb}

Beautiful Sunday Waffles {gluten-free, high protein, low-carb}

by | Sep 21, 2022 | Breakfast Recipes, Snack and Dessert Recipes

When we first started making these waffles, we named them “beautiful Sunday waffles” because the whole family loved them… and they were so delicioulsy filling that no one complained of being hungry all through Sunday Mass.  We were even able to come home after Mass and not feel rushed to get lunch on the table.  Hooray!

Only 3 simple ingredients are needed for these protein-packed waffles:

  • natural salted peanut butter
  • eggs
  • vanilla extract

 

Of course these waffles can be made any day of the week!  We find they are great on school days too.  I like to make a large batch on the weekends, and reheat them in the microwave for quick and nourishing weekday breakfasts.  Waffles can be stored in the refrigerator for a few days on a plate, covered in plastic wrap.  Waffles can also be placed in a Ziplock bag and kept in the freezer for a number of weeks.  We use 15 eggs in this recipe simply because that is the largest quantity our blender can hold.  However, the recipe could be scaled down to use 10 eggs and 1 cup of peanut butter, or 5 eggs and 1/2 cup of peanut butter.

We use peanut butter in our waffles, but salted almond butter can also work.  Be sure that the nut butter you use is natural and very drippy.  Our favorite drippy natural peanut butter is Welsley Farms Organic Peanut Butter from BJ’s.  We have not tried sunbutter, but we would love to hear in the comments below if that is something that works for those with nut allergies.

Because these waffles are naturally full of protein and low-carb, they can be topped to your delight with toppings you love!  Yogurt and berries?  Maple syrup or honey?  Whipped cream, chocolate and bananas?  What toppings do you love?  Our children love to have waffle decorating contests… stay tuned… we might just have a Sparkles and Sprinkles waffle decorating contest in the coming months!

We typically use a Belgian waffle maker or our Cuisinart griddle fitted with waffle irons.  However, we recently tried out a little waffle maker by Dash.  Our daughters think it is just too cute!  It also comes in a fun variety of colors.  If you like thinner, smaller waffles, the little Dash waffle maker is great.  A little warning if children are helping in the kitchen, though:  the handle is very small and can get hot, so use a hot pad when lifting the handle.  We also found it was helpful to use silicone tongs to remove the waffles from the maker.  If you are making waffles for a crowd, you may want to have a few of these small waffle makers to make more than one waffle at a time.

While most of our recipes on Sparkles and Sprinkles are great for children to help in the kitchen, this waffle recipe is probably best for adults and older children (due to the many eggs to crack and the hot waffle iron).  If your little ones need a fun activity for while you are making this delicious breakfast, we recommend the Learning Rescources Waffle Time play kitchen set.  Our children continue to play with this delightful set year after year.

One final note before we get started.  Though it may not be necessary, we usually butter our waffle iron before pouring the batter.  However, if the waffles do happen to stick, we find that the handle of a silicone spoon can help to remove any stuck bits of waffle.  

Let’s make waffles!

Gather your ingredients:

15 eggs

1 1/2 cups natural salted creamy peanut butter (if your nut butter is unsalted, add a dash or salt to your batter)

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Butter (optional – to grease the waffle iron if needed)

 

Gather your kitchen supplies:

Waffle maker

Blender

Silicone spatula

1 cup measuring cup

1/2 cup measuring cup

1 teaspoon

large (4 cup) glass liquid measuring cup

plates (for finished waffles and for serving)

forks (for removing waffles from the maker, and for serving)

silicone baby spoon (optional – helpful for removing any bits of waffle that might stick to the waffle maker)

silicone tongs (optional – for removing waffles from the maker without the risk of scratching the maker)

Measure, blend, cook, and enjoy!

Step 1

Crack 15 eggs into a large glass liquid measuring cup.

Step 2

Carefully pour the eggs into the blender.  (Hold the blender jar at an angle over the sink while pouring in the eggs from the measuring cup to reduce the risk of spilling the eggs.  Then place the blender jar on the blender.)

Step 3

Measure 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.

Step 4

Pour vanilla extract into the blender jar.

Step 5

Measure 1 1/2 cups peanut butter.

Step 6

Add the peanut butter to the blender jar.

Step 7

Place cover on the blender.

Step 8

Plug in the blender.  (Wait until the cover is on to plug in the blender, to avoid any accidents.)

Step 9

Blend until all ingredients are thoroughly mixed.

Step 10

Butter the pre-heated waffle iron. (Be sure to use a long stick of butter so that your hands do not get too close to the heat.)

Step 11

Pour the batter into pre-heated waffle iron.  Be careful not to overfill the waffle space.

Step 12

Use a silicone spatula to spread the batter evenly.  Add more batter if needed.

Step 13

Close the waffle iron.  Let the waffles cook, according to your waffle iron instructions.  We find about 4 minutes works for our Belgian waffles.

Step 14

Open the waffle iron.  Waffles are cooked when lightly golden brown.

Step 15

Remove the waffles from waffle iron.  Use a fork (without touching the waffle iron) or silicone tongs.

Step 16

Place waffles on a plate.  Repeat waffle cooking steps until all batter is used.

 

BON APPETIT!

Note:  Some links on this page are Amazon Affiliate links.  Sparkles and Sprinkles is a participant in the Amazon Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

Other links may or may not be affiliate links.  We provide links because we have found these products or services beneficial, and we think you might too.