While running errands and finishing my Christmas shopping last month, I stopped by Cost Plus World Market for my dad’s gift. Since he loves fun and unique things, I knew something there would be the perfect fit.
As I browsed their food section (not too surprising, I’m sure!), I spotted a shelf full of interesting spice blends. With how much Dad enjoys grilling, I paused and began reading the labels, smiling a little bigger after each one.
I grabbed five, including chipotle BBQ and coffee chili rub, and I as picked out the last few jars, I overheard someone talking behind me.
“I can’t just give her scone mix!” a woman exclaimed. “That would look strange if I just gave her that for Christmas. ‘Here, here’s some scone mix…’”
She took a few steps down the aisle, almost directly behind where I stood, so I politely turned around and mentioned, “What if you also gave her some jam, to spread on the scones? Or maybe coffee or tea that pairs well with the mix?”
As she looked at me, her eyes lit up. “That’s such a great idea! I’ll do that! Thank you so much!” And a few moments later, she returned to that aisle, holding a variety pack of fancy flavored black teas, just to thank me again.
Little did she know that I run this food blog and think about baked treats nearly 24/7!
When Dad tucked his new blends into the spice cabinet shortly after Christmas, I remembered that little interaction at World Market, which left me craving scones… So I baked these Clean Mocha Chocolate Chip Scones for my family to enjoy! They’re really easy—just one bowl and ready in 30 minutes!—and they contain absolutely no refined flour or sugar. And with nearly 5g of protein…
Chocolate for a healthy breakfast should always taste this good! ??
To make these scones healthier than traditional recipes (or that store-bought mix!), you’ll start with white whole wheat flour. That sounds like an oxymoron, doesn’t it? However, white whole wheat flour is actually made by finely grinding a special type of white wheat, whereas regular whole wheat flour comes from a heartier variety of red wheat. They have the exact same health benefits (like extra fiber!), but white whole wheat flour has a lighter taste and texture, similar to that of all-purpose flour… Which makes is perfect for these tender scones!
Next, you’ll whisk in unsweetened cocoa powder. Just regular ol’ cocoa powder! You’ll add a full ½ cup, so the scones already taste extra rich without Dutched or special dark cocoa powder. Be sure you measure the cocoa powder correctly, using this method or a kitchen scale! (This is the inexpensive scale that I own, and I use it every single day and to test every recipe I share with you. It’s amazing!) Too much cocoa powder will dry out your scones and make them taste bitter.
Whereas traditional scone recipes call for a full stick of butter and lots of heavy cream to keep them tender, these only require 2 tablespoons of butter. Yes, that’s it! The rest of their tender texture comes from one of my favorite ingredients in healthier baking: Greek yogurt! Greek yogurt adds the same moisture as extra butter for a fraction of the calories, and it gives your scones a protein boost, too. You’ll mix it with a little instant coffee (the small crystals, not regular grounds… those don’t dissolve the way the instant variety does!) for that classic mocha flavor.
Rather than granulated sugar, you’ll sweeten these scones with pure maple syrup. Make sure you buy the good stuff! Avoid pancake syrups or sugar-free syrups because those contain corn syrup or artificial ingredients, which we’re avoiding in this healthier recipe. The only ingredient on the label should be “maple syrup.” It generally comes in thin glass bottles or squat plastic jugs, and you can also buy it online here at a slightly discounted price.
And of course, don’t forget my favorite part… The chocolate chips! You’ll use mini chocolate chips because their smaller size ensures every bite contains a morsel of chocolate. Ghirardelli’s mini chips are my favorite. They taste so rich and melt really well!
Then pop your baking sheet in the oven; mix up a simple drizzle with more cocoa powder, maple syrup, and milk; and…
Your healthy chocolate breakfast is served! ??? 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!
| Clean Mocha Chocolate Chip Scones | | Print |
- for the scones
- ½ cup (120g) plain nonfat Greek yogurt
- 2 tsp instant coffee
- 1 cup (120g) white whole wheat flour or gluten-free* flour (measured like this)
- ½ cup (40g) unsweetened cocoa powder (measured like this)
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 tbsp (28g) unsalted butter, very cold and cubed
- 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
- for the drizzle
- 1 tbsp (5g) unsweetened cocoa powder (measured like this)
- 1 tsp pure maple syrup
- 1 tsp nonfat milk
- Preheat the oven to 425°F, and line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
- To make the scones, stir together the Greek yogurt and instant coffee in a small bowl until the instant coffee has fully dissolved. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, 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 prepared Greek yogurt, maple syrup, 3 tablespoons of milk, and vanilla. Gently 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. Brush with the remaining milk. Slice the circle into 8 triangular segments with a sharp knife. Gently press the remaining chocolate chips on top. Bake at 425°F for 15-18 minutes, or until the tips of each scone triangle in the center of the pan feel firm to the touch. Cool on the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- To make the drizzle, stir together the cocoa powder, maple syrup, and milk in a small bowl. Transfer the mixture to a zip-topped bag, and cut off a tiny piece of one corner. Just before serving, drizzle on top of the scones.
For the gluten-free flour, I recommend the following: ½ cup (60g) millet flour, ¼ cup (30g) tapioca flour, ¼ cup (30g) brown rice flour, and ¾ teaspoon xanthan gum. Most store-bought gluten-free flour blends will work as well, if they’re measured like this.
Whole wheat pastry flour, regular whole wheat flour, or all-purpose flour may be substituted for the white whole wheat flour.
It’s very important to measure both the flour and cocoa powder correctly, using this method or a kitchen scale. I highly recommend the latter! This is the one I own (it’s the best $20 I’ve ever spent!), and I use it every day. A kitchen scale ensures that the recipes you make will turn out with the perfect taste and texture every time.
Earth Balance buttery sticks are the best substitute for the butter. In a pinch, solid-state coconut oil may be substituted for the butter, but I warn against doing this, if at all possible, because the scones’ texture won’t be quite the same.
Honey or agave may be substituted for the maple syrup.
Any milk may be substituted for the nonfat milk.
These scones are meant to taste similar to 72% dark chocolate. For sweeter scones, substitute additional pure maple syrup for some of the milk in either the scone dough, the drizzle, or both.
{gluten-free, clean eating, low fat, low calorie}
View Nutrition Information
You may also like Amy’s other recipes…
♥ Healthy Triple Chocolate Scones
♥ Healthy Chocolate Chip Scones
♥ Healthy Almond Joy Scones
♥ Healthy Samoa Cookie Scones
♥ Healthy Strawberry Chocolate Chip Scones
♥ Healthy Cinnamon Roll Scones
I made these today and they weren’t yummy at all. They looked pretty, like the picture, and the texture was good, they were soft. But they were bitter and not sweet enough. Not sweet at all. It made me sad, because chocolate should always taste good. I love chocolate so much, but these scones made me want to scrape my tongue off to get rid of the taste. For anyone trying this recipe for the first time, maybe try adding a couple tablespoons of honey to fix it? I won’t be making them again.
That sounds frustrating Jessica — and not at all how the scones are supposed to turn out! They’re supposed to be similar to the flavor of 72% dark chocolate, so if you aren’t a fan of that percentage (or if you’re used to something like Hershey’s special dark chocolate, which is actually closer to 55%!), I could see how their darkness would be a big turn-off. How did you measure the cocoa powder? Did you measure with a kitchen scale or scoop it directly from the container with the measuring cup/spoon? Also, did you see in the Notes section about how to make the scones sweeter? If you change your mind and decide to try them again, I’d recommend reviewing that and making sure the cocoa powder is measured correctly (too much will make the scones taste bitter!). 🙂
I was forward-thinking enough to taste a little bit of the dough before I popped them in the oven. Bitter and salty as heck! (And I do use a kitchen scale when baking.) I actually think the recipe calls for too much salt. If they aren’t sweetened very much, a little salt goes a long way. I think 1/8 to 1/4 tsp would be plenty. These are definitely not for everyone. My husband and I love dark and bittersweet chocolate, but these were just bitter. I broke the rules a little bit and added some granulated sugar before cutting and baking to make them more palatable. Just a tablespoon or so. They bake up beautifully, with the perfect texture. Just be warned that they are not sweet at all!
I really appreciate your interest in my recipes Hannah! Are you following a low-sodium diet, by chance? Other readers have reported that these scones taste fine — not salty at all! — and I’ve only had that “overly salty” response from readers used to a low-sodium diet. What kind of cocoa powder did you use? The same as what I called for? These scones aren’t meant to be overly sweet — similar to 72% dark chocolate. 🙂
I do tend to eat a pretty low sodium diet, so I may be overly sensitive. I just used the cocoa I had on hand, nothing too fancy. That may have been part of my bitterness problem, but they taste really nice after the addition of a little more sugar. I didn’t go overboard and they are definitely not sweet by regular standards. The extra sugar just helped to cut the saltiness a bit and bring out the chocolate flavor. Like I said, perfect texture. I think I will use this recipe as a base for other scone variations. I really like the inclusion of Greek Yogurt!
I appreciate you taking the time to respond, Hannah! 🙂 If you’re used to a low-sodium diet, then you can halve the amount of salt in just about all of my recipes without any issues. That should really help with the flavor! If you prefer your scones to be sweeter, you can also substitute a tablespoon or two of additional maple syrup/honey/agave for an equal amount of milk. If you like these scones’ texture, then you can find the rest of my scone recipes here! I can’t wait to hear what you think of the others that you try!
Would it be possible to substitute espresso power for the instant coffee or would it be too strong……if it could be what amount would I use? I tried the pineapple coconut scones, they were delicious. Thank you for all your healthy recipes.
I’m so glad you enjoyed the pineapple coconut scones Sue! That means so much to me! 🙂 As long as your espresso powder is the instant kind that dissolves in water, you can definitely substitute it for the instant coffee without making any other modifications. I can’t wait to hear what you think of these scones too!
Hi Amy, I am planning on making these tomorrow. I was wondering if I am supposed to cut them into 8 triangles before baking them (like, cut all the way through?) Or do I just make the marks with the knife?
Yes! Cut ALL the way through the dough so your knife hits the silicone baking mat or parchment paper when slicing them into 8 triangles. 🙂 I can’t wait to hear what you think of these scones Marie!
Awesome, thanks for your reply! Glad I asked because I would have guessed not to cut through.
It’s my pleasure Marie! “Score” is the term in instructions for just making marks in the top of dough with a knife. “Cut” means all the way through! 🙂
I made these yesterday and had one for breakfast this morning. Delicious 🙂 Not super sweet, but, like your comments indicated, I was expecting a dark chocolate/72% kind of taste (which is my thing!).
I’m so glad you loved these scones Marie! That means a lot to me! 🙂 And I’m even more excited that you love 72%-ish dark chocolate! Not everyone does, so I always appreciate when other people do too! 😉
5/18/20 I love these! I used pastry white whole wheat flour, soft tofu for yogurt when I don’t have yogurt, and instant espresso coffee. Sometimes I add walnuts as well. These aren’t overly sweet but I don’t believe scones are meant to be very sweet. These are a regular in our home! Thanks so much for the recipe! ❤️
I’m so happy that you love these scones Carol! That truly means a lot to me that they’re a regular in your house. Thank you SO much for taking the time to let me know — you just made my entire day!! 🙂 I love your creativity to use soft tofu for the yogurt too. That’s such a great idea!
I made these today and run into the following: dough did not rise. I was not able to cut through it to make the triangular portions. It was too wet for a blade to cut through without having too much dough stick to it. They are basically flat- 1/4”. I followed the recipe very carefully. They are cooling down, so can’t comment on the sweetness level, but not too worried as we LOVE dark chocolate in my house! Anyone had the same issue with flatness? How do you solve that?
I’m honored that you tried making these scones, Myrvet! That sounds really strange about how the dough was so wet and your scones didn’t rise, so I’d love to help figure out what happened. 🙂 Did you make any substitutions or modifications, including those listed in the Notes section? Did you use a kitchen scale or measuring cups to measure all of the ingredients? The instructions say to shape the dough into a ¾”-tall circle; did you flatten your dough more than that, so that it was ¼”-tall instead, or did it spread a lot while baking and end up flatter than when it started?
At the very least, I’m excited to hear you love dark chocolate in your house, so I really hope you enjoyed their flavor!!