A few years ago, Dad and I flew to the East Coast to check off three Major League Baseball stadiums from our list. We started in Philadelphia for a Saturday evening Phillies game, followed by the Baltimore Orioles Sunday afternoon, and finishing with the Nationals in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday night.
During our trips, we always plan some fun sightseeing in between the baseball games—and lots of local food, of course! We walked to the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia, right after eating my first-ever authentic Philly cheesesteak, and we spent hours in DC wandering around the National Air and Space Museum, the White House, and the Lincoln Memorial.
But in cramming so many activities into such a short period of time, we often traveled at odd hours of the day… Like after the extra-innings Phillies’ game that ended well after midnight, our alarms rang at 6 am the next morning so we could drive to Baltimore and arrive at the stadium before the gates opened at 11 am!
Before we drove out of the city, its streets completely deserted at that early hour, we stopped by the Starbucks in our hotel’s lobby. Dad ordered a pastry to go along with his coffee, and although highly tempted to do the same, especially after staring bleary-eyed at the glass display case full of muffins and coffee cakes and scones, I opted for a simple fruit salad to go with my grande latte. (Always a necessity after 5 hours of sleep!)
Since we just scheduled this year’s baseball trips, I started thinking about our previous ones… Including Philly and those oh-so-tempting breakfast pastries! Yet instead of dashing out to Starbucks for something to pair with my {decaf} coffee while listening to Spring Training games, I baked these homemade Healthy Cinnamon Raisin Scones! They’re supremely tender, ready in just 30 minutes, and contain no refined flour or sugar!
To start, you’ll need whole wheat flour and a generous dose of cinnamon. You probably know how big of a chocoholic I am (that’s why I published my Healthier Chocolate Treats cookbook!), but… I actually love cinnamon just as much as chocolate! This variety is my current favorite because it has a much stronger and more robust flavor compared to the red-lidded jars of cinnamon I grew up with.
Next, you’ll cut in a small amount of very cold butter. Just a little bit! The rest of these scones’ tender texture comes from Greek yogurt, one of my favorite ingredients in healthier baking. It adds the same moisture as extra butter for a fraction of the calories, and it gives your scones a protein boost, too!
However, it’s very important that your butter is cold, straight from the fridge. (Freezing it isn’t necessary for this recipe!) 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.
To sweeten your scones, you’ll use pure maple syrup. Be sure you buy the real kind! Skip the pancake syrups and 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,” and it’s generally sold in thin glass bottles or squat plastic jugs. (I’ve also bought it online here for a discounted price!)
Just before popping the pan in your oven, you’ll brush the tops and sides of the dough with a little milk. This helps seal moisture into the dough, and it also creates a lightly crisp crust on the outside. It’s such an irresistible combination of textures—and flavors, with the cinnamon and raisins!
Ready for breakfast? 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 Cinnamon Raisin Scones | | Print |
- 1 ½ cups (180g) whole wheat flour or gluten-free* flour (measured like this)
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- 1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ 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
- ⅓ cup (53g) raisins
- 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, cinnamon, 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 the raisins with a spatula.
- Using a spatula, 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. Bake at 425°F for 18-21 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.
This cinnamon variety is my current favorite because it has a much stronger and more robust flavor compared to the red-lidded jars of cinnamon I grew up with.
It’s very important that your butter is cold, straight from the fridge. (Freezing it isn’t necessary for this recipe!) 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.
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.
{gluten-free, clean eating, low fat, low calorie}
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You may also like Amy’s other recipes…
♥ Healthy Cinnamon Roll Scones
♥ Healthy Carrot Cake Scones
♥ Healthy Zucchini Bread Scones
♥ Healthy Apple Pie Scones
♥ The Ultimate Healthy Blueberry Scones
♥ Healthy Cranberry Orange Scones
♥ Healthy Triple Chocolate Scones
♥ Healthy Almond Joy Scones
♥ Healthy Mocha Chocolate Chip Scones
♥ Healthy Peach Scones
Ohhh my. These are so gorgeous. I love your adventures in baseball with your dad! Wise choice skipping the Starbucks pastries. 😉
Thank you so much Brittany! 🙂 You’d totally be the expert in Starbucks pastries… Are there any that won’t give me a heart attack or clog my arteries?? ?
These scones looks like they belong in a bakery window! I LOVE cinnamon raisin anything, so I’m sure I’d love these beauties 🙂
Thank you SO much Bethany — that’s truly high praise! 🙂 I’d love to hear what you think if you try these scones!
I made these, but instead of raisins, l used dark chocolate. They came out so well, tasted delicious! Thank you for posting this recipe!
I’m so glad you enjoyed these scones Sara! As a chocoholic, I completely approve of that substitution! 😉
Hi Amy:
My husband who must limit his sugar, sodium and fat was craving a raisin danish pastry, but looking at recipes, the ingredients were way out of line for us. I made your raisin scones this morning, having some trouble incorporating all the wet ingredients into the dry (although I used regular not Greek yogurt) which left bits of flour on top of the scones. Even so, the scones, were not too sweet, were delicious, and even though less than 200 calories, were very satisfying. I look forward to getting more recipes from you.
Thanks,
Karen
I’m so glad you and your husband enjoyed these scones, Karen! That means a lot to me! How did you measure the flour? Did you use a kitchen scale or measuring cups? If the latter, can you describe in detail how you measured? The measuring method may have affected why it was so difficult to mix it all in. 🙂 I can’t wait to hear what other recipes of mine you try!
I used whole wheat pastry flour and a measuring cup leveled.
Thanks for the information, Karen! If you don’t own a kitchen scale, here’s what I recommend doing for measuring flour (and cocoa powder, oats, etc!): use a fork to “scoop” up flour from the container, and lightly shake the fork back and forth over the top of your measuring cup to transfer the flour into it. Once there’s a small mound of flour extending past the rim of the measuring cup, then place the flat back of a knife against the top of the measuring cup, and gently scrape it across the top to get rid of the excess flour. Never “pat” the flour down with the knife or fork. This fork method acts like a sifter (without dirtying another dish!) and guarantees you’ll add less flour to the batter, so you’ll end up with perfectly tender scones. Does that make sense? 🙂