In my college town, a combination pizzeria and bakery sat on the very edge of downtown, right next to the railroad tracks in a tiny faded yellow storefront no larger than an airport coffee stand. While tourists and incoming freshmen generally overlooked it due to its quaint size and location, all of the locals considered it one of the best pizza places in town.
With their main bakery production facility on the other side of the city, the owners opted to drive over a fresh batch of pastries every morning and install a few brick ovens in the back of the storefront, which took up much less space than traditional bakery ovens, to prepare just the pizzas on site. They offered all of the classic flavors, like Margherita and meat lovers’, to more interesting ones, like eggplant with feta and roasted bell peppers with goat cheese, all on a thin crispy crust with barely a hint of char from those brick ovens.
Throughout the day, they baked fresh pizzas to cut into jumbo slices (bigger than my face!) and placed those in a glass display case next to the cash register. Rotating between four classic styles—cheese, pepperoni, Hawaiian, and vegetarian—they quickly sold those individual slices because the majority of college patrons loved stopping by for an easy lunch or dinner after class.
While most of my friends stood in line for a slice or two, I occasionally opted for a fresh salad from their refrigerated display along with a leftover pastry. They discounted their breakfast treats to $1 or less after 4 pm, and I always looked forward to those tender muffins or buttery scones! While I loved the flavors of their blueberry scones the most, those treats sometimes turned a little dry and crumbly as they sat, so I swore that when I finally baked my own at home, I’d make them the exact opposite and incredibly tender.
So that’s what I did with these Ultimate Healthy Blueberry Scones! They’re perfectly tender, with just a hint of sweetness, and positively bursting with juicy berries. Unlike those bakery’s scones, these are much healthier with no refined flour or sugar and nearly 5g of protein!
To start, you’ll use 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 a heartier strain of red wheat. This gives white whole wheat flour a lighter taste and texture, similar to that of all-purpose flour (and perfect for these scones!), but it still has the same health benefits as regular whole wheat flour.
Note: Whole wheat pastry flour would be a great substitute, and I’ve included my preferred gluten-free option in the Notes section as well.
Unlike traditional scones that depend on a full stick or two of butter and heavy cream for a tender texture, this healthier recipe requires just 2 tablespoons of butter. Yes, that’s it! It’s extremely important that the butter is cold, straight from the fridge. With very cold butter, it won’t heat up until you put the scones in the extremely hot oven, and it will create little air pockets and a very tender crumb when it melts.
Note: This is why I recommend against using coconut oil, if at all possible, because coconut oil has a much lower melting point than butter and will quickly turn to liquid once you begin mixing it into the dough.
With just 2 tablespoons of butter, the rest of these scones’ tender texture comes from my favorite ingredient in healthier baking. Do you know what it is? I’m sure you do… It’s Greek yogurt! Greek yogurt provides the same moisture as extra butter for a fraction of the calories, and it gives your scones a protein boost too!
And now for the best part… Fresh blueberries! Sweet, juicy, fruity pockets of bliss folded into that buttery, tender scone dough. Seriously, does life get any better than biting into one of those purpley gems?? Especially warm and fresh from the oven… Mmmmmmmmmm.
Pure perfection! 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 that I’ll see the notification from you! 😊) I’d love to see your scones and feature them in my Sunday Spotlight series!
| The Ultimate Healthy Blueberry 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
- 3 tbsp + 2 tsp (55mL) nonfat milk, divided
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ cup (80g) fresh blueberries
- 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. Make a well in the center, and add in the Greek yogurt, maple syrup, 3 tablespoons of milk, and vanilla. Stir until just incorporated. Gently fold in the blueberries.
- Using a spatula, shape the dough into a ¾” tall circle on the prepared baking sheet. Brush with the remaining milk. Slice the circle into 8 triangular segments with a sharp knife. Bake at 425°F for 18-22 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 pure maple syrup.
Any milk may be substituted in place of the nonfat milk.
In a pinch, 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.
Frozen and thawed blueberries may be substituted for the fresh. They may stain the dough a slightly gray color, but the flavor will remain the same.
{gluten-free, clean eating, low fat, low calorie}
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♥ Clean Cinnamon Roll Scones
may i use something other than wheat flour…. such as almond coconut or spelt flour?
thanks
I already included the best substitutes in the Notes section underneath the Instructions. Do not substitute coconut flour. 🙂 I’m excited to hear what you think of the scones Dave!
Hi There,
I made these and I ended up having to form them with my hands to ge the flour incorporated. Seems like they were very dry. I couldn’t get the blueberries “mixed” in the dough because it didn’t seem as though there was enough liquid. They taste ok, but we’re difficult to make. I know they need to be “formable”, but is the recipe correct or did I do something wrong. I measured the flour as you suggest. Just curious.
That sounds frustrating Dee. I’ve tested and made the recipe many times, so the measurements are correct. The blueberries should be gently folded into the dough, not really mixed or stirred. When you measured the flour, did you use the spoon and level method or a kitchen scale? Also, I’ve published a step-by-step video tutorial here for a similar recipe; did your dough have a similar consistency to my dough in the video? We’ll figure out what happened so your next batch turns out much better! 🙂
This is great when you’re craving a buttery, crispy scone but don’t want to break your healthy diet as much. Thanks for sharing =)
My pleasure Marianela! I’d love to hear what you think of the scones if you try them!
Just made these! It’s been a little over a year now since I committed fully to eating (and getting) healthy. I’ve gone from 368 pounds a year ago to 262 (weighed today, which, after my grievous dietary debauchery over the holidays, is a miracle in itself…) thanks to great recipes like this one. They turned out awesome, and I fully intend to add them to my baking arsenal to prove to people that you can eat healthy for you (even treats!) food that still tastes wonderful ^_^
Oh my goodness Margi, I’m truly touched! That means the world to me that you’ve been enjoying my recipes during your weight loss journey. Thank you so much for sharing that with me! 🙂 And I’m SO proud of you for losing 100+ pounds in a year! That’s absolutely incredible — and so inspiring! That takes so much dedication and determination. The world needs more wonderful people like you as role models!
Thank you!!! I’ve been trying for weeks to figure out how to get scones down to this calorie count and I should have just stopped trying to be a hero and looked up this recipe first 😀 These are so perfect.
I’m so glad you loved these scones Julie! That really means a lot to me! 🙂
I just bought a cast iron pan at an antique market this weekend. It has deep intricate shapes/designs and I think it would make some beautiful scones! Can I use this recipe in a preformed-shape pan?
How fun! My mom loves antiques, and she has started to pass that along to me. 🙂 I haven’t personally tried making these in a cast iron pan, but other readers have and reported the scones turned out great! I can’t wait to hear what you think of them Emily!
Hi, Amy!. This is a great recipe!. I usually check your blog when deciding how to combine ingredients to make my recipe lighter. I have a question for you, can you please tell me if I can substitute the maple sugar for granulated sugar or brown sugar? My question is because I want to know if a liquid sweetener (as you are doing ) makes the recipe result moister. is that the reason why you use maple sugar/honey/agave?, thanks in advance!
I really appreciate your interest in my recipes Lilie! That means a lot to me. 🙂 I use maple syrup, honey, and agave because they’re “clean eating friendly,” which means they aren’t overly processed or refined like granulated sugar or brown sugar. (I share a little more info on my FAQ Page!) If you’d like to substitute granulated or brown sugar (I recommend brown sugar over granulated sugar!), then use 3 tablespoons of either of those plus an additional 1 ½ tablespoons of milk to compensate for the missing liquid. 🙂 I can’t wait to hear what you think of these scones!
Since we started our cleaner eating journey the thing I missed the most was baking ttears for my family,your recipes have given that back to me,thank you! The Blueberry scones were delicious and delicate and perfect for a Sunday morning!
I’m so glad you and your family enjoyed these scones Melanie! That really means a lot to me that you’re using my recipes while on your clean eating journey. 🙂 I can’t wait to hear what you try next!
These are awesome! I used King Arthur All Purpose Gluten-Free Flour, Good Karma Unsweetened Flax Milk, Forager Unsweetened Plain Cashewgurt, and really cold Melt Organic (Coconut Spread) and these turned out WONDERFULLY! Best “free” scone recipe I’ve found so far and so easy I had to post a thank you and let you know how well it worked even with my substitutions! I doubled it, too! Shared the big batch as a 4th of July treat with clients at the athletic club I train at and everyone really enjoyed them! Thank you! Can’t wait to try more of your recipes!
I’m so glad you enjoyed these scones Sarah! That means the world to me that you doubled the batch AND shared them with your clients — I’m truly honored!! 🙂 I can’t wait to hear what you try next!
Just wondering if i can substitute the greek yogurt with whole milk yogurt? Also, the non fat milk, is it in liquid or powder form? Is skim milk ok? Can’t wait to try out this recipe!
Whole milk yogurt is fine! Non-fat milk = skim milk = the liquid form. (I have no idea why they have two names for the same thing!) 🙂 I can’t wait to hear what you think of these scones Yi!
Hi Amy,
I tried your blueberry scones recipe, the scone came out wonderful.it was slightly burnt on the edges, I think I’ll leave them in the oven for 16 minutes next time, but the taste was great! Plus it won’t ruin my weight loss plan. Thanks for sharing this great recipe.
I want to try your strawberry and chocolate scones recipe tomorrow, but I am thinking of making them into scone shapes, what do you think? Anything I should be aware of?
I’m so glad you enjoyed these scones Sally! That means a lot to me that you want to try another one of my scone recipes so soon after your previous batch. 🙂 I’m not quite sure what you mean by “scone shapes”… Do you mean drop-style scones that are circular, as opposed to wedges?
Hi Amy
Apologies, yes that’s what I meant. Is there anything I should be aware of please?
The baking time may be slightly shorter, but that’s all! 🙂 I can’t wait to hear what you think of them Sally!