This past Sunday evening, I drove over to visit my best friend. We wandered into the backyard, weaving around their sweetly energetic dog, to settle back into cushioned lawn chairs and soak up the last few rays of spring sunshine before it disappeared behind the treetops.
She talked about her new job at an upscale bakery in town and how they mix up everything from scratch: cupcakes, cookies, scones, muffins, bread, wedding cakes, and even donuts! I must admit, I’m slightly jealous… Baking all morning, then watching as customers walk through the door and point at the case at something I helped create and seeing their eyes light up with delight? My heart would melt all day long!
However… I just don’t know that I could set my alarm for 3 am every morning and collapse into bed at 7 pm when the sunlight still peeked through my curtains. Waking up to the stars and falling asleep with blue skies? My brain would take a long time to get used to that!
My sweet friend figured out a system that works for her, which includes a big mug of coffee on the drive to work (practically a necessity for anyone waking up before the birds start chirping!) along with a healthier portable breakfast to nibble on. She usually sticks with muffins (these and these are two of her favorites!), but…
Because we’re basically two peas in a pod and chocoholics for life, I thought I’d change her muffin monotony by dropping off these Healthy Chocolate Chip Scones! Soft, tender, and packed full of rich chocolate chips… That’s definitely a perfect way for the two of us to start the day!
For step-by-step photos, look beneath the recipe!
Traditionally, scones are one of the least healthy breakfast pastries out there. Chock full of butter and heavy cream, they’re certainly moist… And a calorie bomb to boot! But I have one simple trick up my sleeve that keeps these healthier scones just as tender with just 2 tablespoons of butter in the entire batch. Yes, 2 measly tablespoons! Can you guess my trick?
It’s Greek yogurt! (Did you guess correctly??) Greek yogurt is my favorite ingredient in healthier baking. It’s a true powerhouse: it provides the same moisture and texture as excess butter or oil, and it adds a protein boost too! We’ll use ½ cup of plain nonfat Greek yogurt in these, and countless readers have agreed that it makes the scones much better than those dry, crumbly ones offered in grocery store bakeries!
To keep these scones clean-eating friendly, we’ll stick with white whole wheat flour (regular or whole wheat pastry work too!) and sweeten them with maple syrup. Just a touch though! The scones I grew up eating were never overly sweet, so that’s the way I make mine. If you prefer a little more sweetness, add another tablespoon of maple syrup and decrease the milk by the same amount.
And of course… The chocolate chips! I love mini’s because they ensure you get a little chocolate in every bite. (What can I say—I’m a chocoholic!) I save some to press into the tops too for a pretty presentation. All of those polka dot chocolate chips are just begging you to take a scone!
And I completely agree with them. You definitely deserve one! ?? And when you make your own, remember to snap a picture and share it on Instagram using #amyshealthybaking and tagging @amyshealthybaking IN the photo itself! (That guarantees I’ll see your picture! ?) I’d love to see your scones and feature them in my Sunday Spotlight series!
| Healthy Chocolate Chip Scones | | Print |
- 1 ½ cups (180g) white whole wheat flour or gluten-free* flour (measured like this)
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 tbsp (28g) unsalted butter, very cold and cubed
- ½ cup (120g) plain nonfat Greek yogurt
- 3 tbsp (45mL) pure maple syrup
- 3 tbsp + 2 tsp (55mL) nonfat milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 ½ tbsp (35g) miniature chocolate chips, divided
- Preheat the oven to 425°F, and line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Cut in the butter with a pastry cutter or the back of a fork until the mixture resembles fine crumbs. Stir in the Greek yogurt, maple syrup, 3 tablespoons of milk, and vanilla. Fold in 2 tablespoons of chocolate chips.
- Shape the dough into a ¾” tall circle on the prepared baking sheet, and brush with the remaining milk. Slice the circle into 8 triangular segments with a sharp knife. Gently press the remaining chocolate chips into the tops. Bake at 425°F for 17-20 minutes, or until the tops are lightly golden. Cool on the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
For a gluten-free version, I recommend the following blend: 1 cup (120g) millet flour, ¼ cup (30g) tapioca flour, ¼ cup (30g) brown rice flour, and 1 teaspoon xanthan gum. Many store-bought gluten-free flour blends may be substituted as well, if measured like this.
Honey or agave may be substituted in place of the maple syrup.
Any milk may be substituted for the nonfat milk.
{clean eating, gluten-free, low fat, low calorie}
Start by combining the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Unlike cookies and muffins, scones only require one bowl—fewer dishes to wash!
Make sure your butter is very cold. The colder it is, the more tender your scones will be. I usually cut my butter into cubes before measuring any of the dry ingredients and place the cubes back into the fridge to chill until I’m ready to mix them in.
Cut in the butter until the mixture resembles fine crumbs. Since we only use 2 tablespoons of butter, the crumbs won’t be as large as with traditional recipes that use anywhere from 8-16 tablespoons. Then mix in the rest of the ingredients to form the dough.
Turn the dough out onto a baking sheet lined with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper. (Easier clean-up!) Shape it into a large circle, about ¾” tall. Brush the tops with milk to create that characteristic crisp outer crust; then slice the circle into 8 triangles. Press the remaining chocolate chips on top, slide the pan into the oven, and wait as patiently as you can for the scones to turn golden!
I made these scones for the two little boys that I babysit and they were amazing!! Not dry at all like I had the impression all scones were!! I actually thought I didn’t like scones because the ones I’ve had have been dry and crumbly but these are soooo good! Thanks for a great recipe amy! I might use blueberries next time! 🙂 oh also i added 2 packets of stevia for a little extra sweetness since, kids love sweet!
I’m so glad you and the little boys enjoyed the scones AnnaMarie — they’re so lucky to have you as their baby-sitter! My childhood baby-sitters never brought me homemade goodies. 😉 Blueberries sound like a wonderful idea! And if you’d like to try any of my other scone recipes (I promise they’re all just as tender as these!), you can find those recipes here. 🙂
This looks so very yummy! I will have to try this for sure. Question though, have you tried this dairy free? Any suggestions to at least sub the greek yogurt with anything else? (I will do the butter though so not truly dairy free 😉 – not ready to give that up! )
Yes, I have made these dairy-free! I used Silk’s non-dairy yogurt alternative (their soy-based one), and the scones turned out great. Most other dairy-free yogurts will work as well. I can’t wait to hear what you think of the scones Ali!
Hi Amy,
Can the shaped dough be refrigerated overnight and then baked the next day? Just curious to find a quicker, more convenient way to get something ready in the morning.
I’ve never tried that Evan, but it could work! Another option would be to bake the scones the evening before and simply reheat individual scones in the morning (or eat them cold — we love them like that too!). 🙂 I’m excited to hear what you think of the scones!
Hello I’m ready to make my first scones ! Just one question, can I use honey instead? I just used up a jar of maple syrup and have not brought home a new one yet. Thanks
I actually answered that in the Notes section beneath the Instructions already! 🙂 I’m honored that you chose my recipe as your first scones, and I can’t wait to hear what you think of them Katie!
Oh I see it now Sorry ?? Need new glasses ! ??
No worries Katie! It can be easy to miss. 🙂 I’m excited to hear how your scones turn out!
Hi Amy! I really want to make these but one of the exclusions of the diet I’m on is no dairy.
So I was wondering if there was a good non-dairy alternative to the greek yogurt?
Thanks!
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe Whitney! Any non-dairy yogurt alternative would be best. I’ve used Silk’s soy-based yogurt in my scone recipes with great success, and most almond- and coconut-based “yogurts” will work too. I can’t wait to hear what you think of the scones!
These look great! Instead of chocolate chips I was thinking of putting in strawberries or blueberries. It should work right? i was thinking of using sliced frozen strawberries but maybe I should defrost them first. Has anyone tried?
I’d recommend checking out this strawberry scone recipe of mine Erin! It’s very similar (it involves chocolate chips too!), and it uses frozen strawberries. 🙂 I’d love to hear what you think if you try the scones!
this is my second time making scones, but first time attempting chocolate scones. i’m eager to see how they come out as they’re baking now!! i was wondering however how dry is the dough supposed to be? the first time i made scones (with blueberries) it was like a sticky mess, but with your receipe the dough seemed pretty dry, almost crumbly, and so i added a bit more milk than the 2 tbsp. ( i admit i substituted the flour for 1/2 whole wheat and 1/2 splet flour). wonder will that make the scones dry?
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe Stacy! I don’t have much experience with spelt flour, so I’m unsure of whether it’s more absorbent than wheat flours. But if the dough was almost crumbly, then it does sound like there was too much flour in it. How did you measure the flour? Did you scoop it directly from the container with the measuring cups? I have a video of a different scone recipe of mine here, and because of the strawberries, it’s slightly moister than this recipe — but that should give you a general idea of what its texture should be like!
Hello Amy! What can I say that hasn’t already been said. This recipe is brilliant! I took these scones out of the oven half hour ago and they’re finished. Yes….finished! They are soooo delicious. I froze my butter and used a fine grater. They turned out perfect. They are also super fast and easy to make. Thank you!
YAY!!! I’m so glad you enjoyed these scones! You’ve been making so many of my favorites… And reminding me how it’s been much too long since I’ve made them. 😉 As always, I can’t wait to see what you and your boys try next!! 🙂
Hello!
Do you think using vanilla Greek yogurt would undo the need for the vanilla extract?
No, I’d still include the vanilla extract! It’s much stronger than the vanilla flavor from the yogurt. 🙂 I can’t wait to hear what you think of these scones Lana!
I love the simplicity of this recipe. A lot of scone recipes I found have LOTS of ingredients which can be a turn off. Thank you for sharing! I cannot wait to try this recipe. 🙂
Thank you! I’m really excited to hear what you think of these scones Rachel! 🙂
I tried the recipe this weekend and they turned out great! I used whole wheat flour so they are a bit dense and earthy tasting but they’re a great breakfast item or sweet treat. I also added Chia seeds for added nutritional value! ? Thank you again!!!
I’m so glad you loved these scones Rachel!! 🙂