Two weeks ago, I scheduled an early afternoon meeting in San Francisco. Knowing how quickly freeway traffic picks up after lunchtime (it’s not quite the same as Los Angeles’s gridlocked bumper-to-bumper highways, but it can get close!), I opted to take public transportation instead: a combination of Northern California’s “subway trains” to get into the city, plus a bus ride across the hilly streets to the company’s building.
I somehow managed to arrive 40 minutes early, so I nibbled on some snacks I had tucked into my purse in the lobby while waiting. (I hate being late!) Our meeting finished a little sooner than I expected too, so when I hopped off of the bus and walked towards the subway station…
I made a split-second decision, skipped the downward staircase, and kept strolling straight for a few more blocks until I reached the Ferry Building. Located directly on the water of the San Francisco Bay, it’s one of my favorite places to visit in the city—and not just for the picturesque view!
Whenever I stop by, I always wander slowly up and down the inside of entire building so I can stare and soak in everything that each shop puts out on display. Some stalls sell fancy dishes and kitchenware, others offer big bouquets of colorful flowers, and plenty of them sell gourmet goodies—from bread and cheese to coffee and wine to ice cream and macarons!
(If you follow my @AmyBakesHealthy Snapchat, then you already saw all of those tempting treats!)
At the very far end of the building sat two burly guys, working at a little stall selling vegan donuts. I stopped to look at their pastries, knowing that my brother planned to stop by over the weekend (he’s allergic to eggs, so vegan recipes are perfect for him!), but by 3:30 in the afternoon, their display case only housed a few stale-looking donuts.
Besides…
I already had a batch of these Clean Strawberry Chocolate Chip Scones waiting for my brother at home! They’re supremely tender, completely egg-free, and packed full of juicy fruit and melty chocolate. Even better, these scones contain only healthy, wholesome ingredients—and nearly 5g of protein, too!
Breakfast pastry bliss. ♥
This healthy scone recipe starts with white whole wheat flour. White whole wheat flour is made by finely grinding a special type of white wheat, whereas regular whole wheat flour comes from red wheat. This gives white whole wheat flour a lighter taste and texture, similar to that of all-purpose flour, but it still has the same health benefits as regular whole wheat flour. That’s definitely a win-win in my book!
Note: I included my favorite gluten-free flour blend in the Notes section beneath the recipe, if you prefer that!
Many traditional scone recipes contain a full stick of butter plus lots of heavy cream to keep them moist (umm… I really don’t want to think about all of those calories!), but this lighter recipe of mine uses just 2 tablespoons of butter. Yes, that’s right! The rest of their tender texture comes from my favorite ingredient in healthier baking. Can you guess what that is?
Greek yogurt! It provides the same moisture as extra butter or oil for a fraction of the calories, and it gives your baked goodies a little protein boost, too. A cup of Greek yogurt contains 20g+ of protein, compared to the 8-10g in regular yogurt. I always buy the big tubs of it since that costs a lot less than the individual serving cups. (And you’ll use Greek yogurt in nearly all of my muffin, cupcake, brownie, and other scone recipes, too!)
To keep these scones clean eating friendly, you’ll sweeten them with pure maple syrup instead of refined sugar. Make sure to use the good stuff! Avoid pancake syrups or sugar-free syrups; both of those contain corn syrup or artificial ingredients, which we’re avoiding in our healthier scones. The only ingredient on the label should be “maple syrup.”
Now for the best parts… The strawberries and chocolate chips! I opted for frozen strawberries so you can bake these scones all year round, and you’ll want to finely dice the strawberries to ensure that the scones bake evenly. You’ll also use mini chocolate chips because their smaller size guarantees that every bite of scone contains a morsel of chocolate!
Just before baking, you’ll brush the tops and sides of the scones with milk. Since they bake at a fairly high temperature, this trick both seals in moisture to keep the scones tender on the inside and creates a slightly crisp exterior that contrasts beautifully with those soft insides.
Breakfast just got a whole lot sweeter—and healthier!
| Clean Strawberry 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, cold and cubed
- ½ cup (120g) plain nonfat Greek yogurt
- 3 tbsp (45mL) pure maple syrup
- 2 tbsp + 2 tsp (40mL) nonfat milk, divided
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup (47g) frozen unsweetened strawberries, barely thawed and diced (about 4 large)
- 1 ½ tbsp (21g) 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, 2 tablespoons of milk, and vanilla. Fold in the strawberries and 1 tablespoon 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 16-19 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, use the following blend: 1 cup (120g) millet flour, ¼ cup (30g) tapioca flour, ¼ cup (30g) brown rice flour, and 1 teaspoon xanthan gum. Most store-bought gluten-free flour blends will work as well, if they’re measured like this.
Honey or agave may be substituted in place of the maple syrup.
Any milk may be substituted in place of the nonfat milk.
Fresh strawberries may be substituted for the frozen, but the baking time may change.
Coconut oil may be substituted for the butter, but the texture of the scones will be affected. Very cold butter is required to achieve their tender texture, and since coconut oil melts at a much lower temperature, the results will not be the same.
Be sure to finely dice the strawberries. Smaller pieces ensure that the scones bake more evenly (and that every bite contains a bit of fruit, too!).
{clean eating, gluten-free, low fat, low calorie}
Hi Amy, I noticed that a number of your recipes call for White whole wheat flour, but I live in Ontario Canada & have searched everywhere for it & can’t find it. For most things I use a 1/2 & 1/2 mixture of unbleached flour & whole wheat flour. I also have some whole wheat pasty flour. What would you suggest to get the best scones?
Whole wheat pastry flour is the best substitute for white whole wheat flour. 🙂 I hope you enjoy the scones Candee!
Thanks! That is the way I was leaning but thought I would ask.
My pleasure Candee! I’m excited to hear what you think of the scones!
I love your recipes and make them frequently. I just wanted to say thank you for making the videos to go along with the recipes!
You’re so sweet Nicole — thank you!! Hearing that made my day! 🙂
Pasty bliss is right! These look so delicate and light, perfect for a morning coffee pairing.
Thanks Brittany! I’m FINALLY able to drink coffee again — hooray!! I think of you just about every time I sip on a cup… And wonder about all of the flavor undertones I probably can’t detect. 😉 I can’t wait to hang out and learn more from you!
I noticed a lot of your recipes call for maple syrup and greek yogurt, so I decided to stock up even if I didn’t like this recipe… NO WORRIES, IT IS DELICIOUS! Followed it exactly and it is excellent. Thank you! Can’t wait to use up the rest of my stock 🙂
I’m so glad you enjoyed the scones Rennie! 🙂 I can’t wait to hear what you try next!
Totally ear-marking these for a Valentine’s Day treat! And I had absolutely no idea you could cram 5g of protein into a scone!!
I hope you like the scones Nicola! It’s amazing what Greek yogurt can do. 😉
hey ami,
is it possible to change the greek yoghurt for soy yoghurt?
Yes! That will work just fine. I hope you enjoy the scones!
Amy, these look amazing, could I make them into hearts?
That sounds like fun! They dough is fairly sticky, so I’d recommend using a spatula to do so. I’d love to hear how that turns out Alison!
definitely will! I’ll be making them on Valentine’s Day… I have one more question, should I make them just the same way you do and then cut them with heart cutters?
The dough will be really sticky and may be frustrating to cut with cookie cutters, so I’d actually recommend trying to freeform them into heart shapes with a spatula and spoon as the best option. If you do use cookie cutters, be sure to flour them really well!
Amy these were SOO DELICIOUS… I WAS going to try and shape them into hearts but it seemed to like it was going to be a little hard… you’re right it was a bit sticky and mine dough was a little wet from the berries. I made one very small change, I used honey in place of the syrup. Simply amazing… I’m going to try your carrot cake scones next!!
I’m so glad you enjoyed the scones Alison! I’m touched by your kind words. 🙂 I hope you enjoy the carrot cake scones just as much!
Hi Amy,
Will brushing almond milk on the outside have the same effect? Thanks!
Yes, it will! I can’t wait to hear what you think of the scones Diana!
Great recipe? I tried your apple scones last week and now those. Hard to decide which ones I like better, I loved both!
I used mixed frozen berries instead of the strawberries as I hate the texture of frozen strawberries once they start thawing, don’t know why. Thanks again for the great recipes, yours are always the best!!!
I’m so glad you enjoyed these scones as well Katja! I’m absolutely honored that you’ve been trying so many of my recipes over the past few months. It’s always a joy when a comment from you appears — you’re such a sweetheart!! ♡
Do you think adding a scoop of vanilla protein powder would hurt the integrity of the recipe? I’m on the zone diet, would love to make these for an occasional treat. If I could amp up the protein, it would be a pretty wholesome snack.
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe Marci! I don’t recommend adding protein powder to the dough because it will change the consistency and texture. I do have multiple protein muffin and protein cookie recipes that may suit your diet better! 🙂 I’d love to hear what you think if you try any of those recipes!