My 7th grade honors math class was rather small, considering that the middle school consisted of over 1,000 students. Whereas other classes contained at least 30 kids, our group was only about half of that size, and since many of us shared other honors classes, we had all become fairly good friends by the end of the first month.
The teacher recognized that we were all hardworking overachievers, so while we spent the first half hour reviewing the homework answers from the night before, he allowed us to talk amongst ourselves. He occasionally joined in the conversations because they usually revolved around interesting random facts.
One day when a girl pulled out a banana to snack on (he was also lenient and let us eat in class—always a plus in my book!), the teacher looked over as she peeled back the skin and told her that she was doing it wrong. We stared at him. She had pulled the stem down one side and separated the skin into two or three other pieces to reveal the fruit inside.
Wasn’t that normal?
He went on to explain that the proper way to eat the banana was from what we considered the bottom! That’s how the monkeys did it out in the wild because that method allowed them to grasp the stem in their feet while peeling back the skin. He also pointed out that it ensured that the top part of the banana wouldn’t get mushy if you couldn’t get the stem to rip open, as sometimes happens with not-quite-ripe ones.
To this day, I still think about that nearly every time I eat a banana!
However, sometimes I forget to peel back the skin at all, which means that the bananas turn extra brown and speckly while sitting on the counter. That happened last week, which meant that they were the perfect ripeness to bake into these Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Scones!
Although I must admit, I peeled them the normal way for humans but the wrong way for monkeys…
To keep these scones healthier and clean eating friendly, you’ll start with whole wheat flour. I used regular whole wheat because it’s usually the cheapest and easiest to find, but white whole wheat and whole wheat pastry flours would both work too. (For a gluten-free version, see the Notes section beneath the recipe!) You’ll also add a sprinkle of cinnamon to the dry ingredients to give the scones a warmer, cozier taste.
Although most scone recipes contain loads of butter and heavy cream, these are the exact opposite! This recipe uses just 2 tablespoons of butter, and the rest of the scones’ tender texture comes from mashed banana and Greek yogurt. The latter is one of my favorite ingredients in healthier baking because it provides the same moisture as extra butter or oil for a fraction of the calories—and it adds a little protein boost too!
And of course, don’t forget those chocolate chips! Remember to set some aside to save for pressing into the tops of the scones right before popping the tray in the oven for a prettier look. I think that makes them look even more inviting!
Which is probably a dangerous thing… Because then we finish off the entire batch much too quickly!
Guess it’s time to buy more bananas! ? 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 healthy chocolate chip banana scones!
| Healthy Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Scones | | Print |
- 1 ½ cups (180g) whole wheat or gluten-free* flour (measured correctly)
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 tbsp (28g) unsalted butter, cold and cubed
- ¼ cup (60g) plain nonfat Greek yogurt
- ¼ cup (65g) mashed banana (about 1 small)
- 3 tbsp (45mL) pure maple syrup
- 3 tbsp + 2 tsp (55mL) nonfat milk, divided
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp (28g) 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 large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Cut in the butter using a pastry cutter or the back of a fork until the mixture resembles fine crumbs. Make a well in the center. Add the Greek yogurt, mashed banana, maple syrup, 3 tablespoons of milk, and vanilla extract. Stir until all of the flour is just incorporated. Fold in 1 ½ tablespoons of chocolate chips.
- Transfer the dough to the prepared baking sheet, and shape into a ¾”-tall circle using a spatula. Using a sharp knife, slice the dough circle into 8 wedges. Press the remaining chocolate chips into the tops, and brush the tops and sides with the remaining milk. Bake at 425°F for 17-20 minutes or until light golden around the edges and the center feels firm. Cool on the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
White whole wheat flour, whole wheat pastry flour, or all-purpose flour may be substituted for the whole wheat flour.
Honey or agave may be substituted for the maple syrup.
Any milk may be substituted for the nonfat milk.
For a vegan version, substitute Earth Balance buttery sticks for the butter and additional mashed banana for the Greek yogurt.
{gluten-free, clean eating, vegan option, low fat}
View Nutrition Information + Weight Watchers Points
Recipie for clean banana choc chip bread. Missing 3tblsp of what ?
Would like to name this recipie. Please let me know the missing ingredient.
Thank you
Regards
Carole.
I’m not entirely sure what you mean Carole; all of the ingredients and their measurements are listed in the recipe box. 🙂 I hope you enjoy the scones!
It’s in green print. You might not be seeing it. =). Pure Maple Syrup
Hi Amy, I love to wake up every second morning to a new recipe in my inbox. I have all your recipes saved in my yummly account but I’m so excited to read about your cookbook. Please, please tell me it is coming to New Zealand or I can purchase a kindle version from Amazon???
You’re so kind Rexine — I really appreciate your support for my blog and cookbook! It will be available on Amazon, so you can definitely purchase your own copy!. I hope you enjoy the recipes inside! 🙂
Hi Amy,
I tried these today and they were a disaster! Despite measuring accurately, my dough was very wet. Plus, am I right in thinking your temperatures do not allow for fan assisted ovens? Cos after 17 mins at 220 (I’m in the UK) mine were cremated on the outside and almost raw in the middle. I’m usually a fairly accomplished baker, but this was humbling. Any suggestions to improve my efforts?
I’m sorry the scones didn’t turn out for you Kelly; that must have been disappointing. When I use a convection oven (i.e. one with a fan), I need to turn the temperature down by 25°F. It took me a while to learn that — I had to read the owner’s manual! So if your oven is a convection-style one, I’d suggest baking the scones at 200°C instead, and the middles should bake through while outsides shouldn’t burn. I hope that trick works for you!
Oh it happens 😉 I’m still getting used to my oven, and there’s been a few crispy dinners 😉
So the dough should be fairly wet then? That was correct? I’ll give it a try again tomorrow
I can relate — I’ve moved twice in the past year, which means two new ovens! 😉 I actually included a link to a video of how to make my scones in the Notes section below the recipe, so I recommend watching that because it’ll give you a much better idea than my words about how wet the dough should be. I hope this batch turns out better Kelly! 🙂
Success! I dug out my old cup measures, instead of weighing, and turned the oven to not quite 200. Thanks for your help Amy!
I’m so glad the next batch turned out for you Kelly!! 🙂
Would you happen to know how many calories per serving? Thank you!
The Nutrition Information for all of my recipes is included beneath the recipe. I hope you enjoy the scones Christina!
Ah I see it now! 🙂
Thank you Amy. I can’t wait to try them!!
My pleasure Christina!
Can you substitute organic yogurt for the Greek yogurt?
Yes! I hope you enjoy the scones Noel!
Hello ?
What could I use instead of Greek yogurt?
I live in Germany and unfortunately we don’t have this type of yogurt.
I hope you can help me because this recipe sounds amazing!
Love, Miri
Regular yogurt will work just fine! I hope you enjoy the scones Miri! 🙂
Hi Amy,
Do you think it would be possible to substitute honey for the maple syrup? If so, do you think unprocessed raw honey would be best, or processed honey, which has a more similar consistency to the syrup? Thanks for the lovely recipe!
-Kathryn
Yes! Either honey option would work just fine in place of the maple syrup. I hope you enjoy the scones Kathryn!
hi
i tried these twice. they seemed to have a lot of potential but very dry. Any suggestions aside from slathering clotted cream/ jam or butter?
THANKS!
I’m sorry the scones didn’t turn out for you Michelle; that must have been disappointing. They should be exactly the opposite of how you describe — incredibly tender and moist! Since they’re so dry, there was probably too much flour in the dough. Did you measure the flour as I described in the link in the Ingredients list? Also, be sure to add the full amount of Greek yogurt, mashed banana, and maple syrup. Not enough of any of those three ingredients would cause the same dryness issues. You can see the texture of the scone dough in my video here located just above the recipe as well, for comparison. (It’s a different recipe, but the dough will have the same consistency!)
Hi Amy. Looking forward to trying these. I was just wondering whether they would be suitable for freezing please? I’m very keen on finding healthy sweet treats that I can freeze in batches and just defrost when needed, otherwise I either end up overindulging to use them all up before the expire or they go off because I’m trying not to over indulge!! Thanks so much.
Yes, these scones freeze very well! I lived alone for a few years in college, so I can definitely relate to overindulging in homemade baked goodies. (Especially if there was any chocolate involved!) I hope you enjoy the scones Catt!
I am making these right now!!! I’m trying to cut dairy out and because there is yogourt in this recipee, I thought would try and eliminate the rest of the dairy. I substituted butter with coconut oil (solid) and milk with almond milk… I can’t wait to see how this will turn out. I will keep you posted
I hope you enjoy the scones Mariloup! 🙂