Healthy Raspberry Almond Scones

 

 
Shortly after his passing, my family and I loaded up our car to drive to San Diego for Grandpa’s memorial service. We managed to fit in four people, our duffel bags and backpacks, two dogs, their dog beds, a flute, a trumpet, and our sanity. (And we even brought back a fifth person when we drove home!)

We eased out of the driveway shortly after 7 am, heading the opposite direction of typical morning rush hour traffic until we merged onto I-5 for the 8+ hour trip. By taking the scenic route when we reached Southern California, partially to avoid LA traffic, we extended the trip a little longer — but our sanity remained intact!
 

 
With our two dogs, we stopped a few more times than usual to give them bathroom breaks, along with our typical lunch stop — In ’N Out Burgers for everyone else, a fresh salad for me! — and pit stops to refill the gas tank. We also hopped off the freeway for a bit to drive past my parents’ undergraduate university and their old apartment building. Quite a fun trip down memory lane for Mom!

But with two almost constantly hungry boys in the backseat, we packed plenty of snacks to tide everyone over in between rest stops. They brought crackers, Fig Newton cookies, kettle-cooked potato chips, chocolate bars…
 

 
And I tucked in my carrot cake granola bar bites and these healthy raspberry almond scones for two slightly more wholesome options! Despite the tempting allure of those store-bought cookies and chips, these scones still disappeared first… And with no refined flour or sugar and extra protein, we all felt pretty good about that!

With a few more road trips and vacations on the horizon… Maybe I should plan on baking a double batch of scones before each one of them too??
 

 

QUICK OVERVIEW – HEALTHY RASPBERRY ALMOND SCONES

Difficulty: Mainly easy, including for many beginner bakers.

Taste: Bright bits of fresh fruit set against a backdrop of lightly sweetened dough.

Texture: Moist and really soft inside with juicy berries throughout.
 

 

INGREDIENTS TO MAKE HEALTHY RASPBERRY ALMOND SCONES

Let’s talk about what you’ll need to make your own batch of these healthy raspberry almond scones! Many of these ingredients are common baking staples, so there’s a very good chance you already have almost everything in your kitchen.

Flour. To make these healthy breakfast scones, you’ll start with white whole wheat flour. That sounds a little strange, almost like a paradox, doesn’t it? However, such a thing does exist — and it’s not just a combination of white (aka all-purpose) flour and regular whole wheat flour!

Here in the US, white whole wheat flour is made by finely grinding a special type of soft white wheat, whereas regular whole wheat flour comes from a heartier variety of red wheat. This gives white whole wheat flour a lighter taste and texture, closer to that of all-purpose flour, which lets these scones’ tender texture really shine. Even better, it has the same health benefits (like extra fiber!) as regular whole wheat flour.

Hint: It’s similar to the difference between red and green grapes. Noticeably different appearance, slightly different flavor, but the same health benefits!

Tip: If you’d like to make your healthy raspberry almond scones gluten-free, then see the Notes section of the recipe. I’ve included how to do so there!

Baking powder. A common baking ingredient! Baking powder is what makes these scones rise nice and tall when you pop them in the oven.

Salt. Just a bit! Salt balances the scones’ flavors and brings out the sweetness in the dough along with the berries’ bright fruity taste.
 

 
Unsalted butter. Unlike many traditional scone recipes that call for a full stick or two of butter, you only need 2 tablespoons to make these. That really helps keep your healthy raspberry scones low calorie and low fat! Yet they’re still perfectly soft inside, even with so little butter and no heavy cream, because of…

Greek yogurt. This is one of my favorite healthy baking ingredients! I’ve used it to make everything from muffins and scones to pancakes and waffles to cakes and cupcakes to brownies and cheesecakes… Even donuts, pies, frosting, and whipped cream! In this recipe, Greek yogurt adds the same moisture as extra butter — but for a fraction of the calories. It also gives your healthy raspberry scones a protein boost!

Sweetener. To sweeten these raspberry almond scones, you’ll skip refined sugar and use pure maple syrup instead. Make sure you buy the real kind! Skip the pancake and sugar-free syrups because they behave differently in baking recipes and often change the texture of these scones. The only ingredient on the label should be “maple syrup,” and it generally comes in thin glass bottles or squat plastic jugs (like this!).

Tip: I don’t recommend substituting sugar-free maple syrup. It’s often water-based, and that affects the texture of your scones. It often makes them collapse while cooling and turn out much denser.
 

 
Milk. Almost any type will work, so feel free to reach for whatever currently sits in your fridge! I use nonfat milk and unsweetened vanilla almond milk the most, and both yield deliciously moist scones.

Almond extract. Almond extract is my all-time favorite baking extract. It gives these healthy homemade scones a slightly sweeter flavor and makes them taste like bakery-style ones!

Raspberries. Of course, we can’t forget the most important ingredient… Fresh raspberries! Make sure to cut them to be no larger than the size of chocolate chips to ensure your scones bake evenly.
 

 

HOW TO MAKE HEALTHY RASPBERRY ALMOND SCONES

Now that you’ve gathered your ingredients, let’s quickly cover how to make the best healthy raspberry almond scones. Like I promised earlier, this recipe is easy and straightforward. I also have some tips to ensure your batch turns out perfectly moist and flavorful!

Measure correctly. If you’ve browsed through my recipes before, then you’ve probably heard me say this already… But it’s absolutely worth repeating. It’s incredibly important to measure everything correctly because the way you measure ingredients can make or break your baked goods’ flavors and textures!

For the flour, use this method or a kitchen scale. (← That’s the one I own!) Do NOT scoop it directly from the container with your measuring cups! This can result in adding up to 1 ½ times as much flour, which will both dry out the dough and yield crumbly and bland scones.

For the milk and pure maple syrup, use measuring spoons — not a scale! Many scales offer a fluid ounces or mL option, but that only works for liquid ingredients with a density of precisely 1.0g/mL (like water). Milk and maple syrup have different densities, so unless you want to look up the exact densities of the ones you’re using and do the math to convert them to grams… Measuring spoons are much faster — and easier too!

No warm ingredients. Have you ever started making a recipe, only to realize partway through that you completely forgot to set out the eggs far enough in advance for them to reach room temperature? Or the butter long enough for it to fully soften? Yup, me too. Happens all the time.

But there’s no danger of that here! For this recipe, cold ingredients yield much better scones. It’s fine if your pantry ingredients are at room temperature — like the flour, baking powder, salt, and almond extract — but everything else should come straight from the refrigerator.

This is particularly true for the butter. Freezing isn’t necessary for this recipe — just wait to pull it out of the fridge until you’re ready to add it to your mixing bowl! You want the butter to stay cold for as long as possible because it creates little air pockets and a very tender crumb in the dough when it melts in the oven… And if it starts to soften before then, you’ll lose some of that exceptionally soft and moist texture!

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. This means it’ll quickly turn to liquid once you begin mixing it into the dough, and you’ll miss out on those little air pockets and really tender texture.

Cut in the butter. And while we’re on the subject of butter… I highly recommend using a pastry cutter to work it into the flour mixture! The back of a fork also works, but a pastry cutter is much faster and more efficient, which means there’s less of a chance of the butter starting to soften.
 

 
Shape. Once you’ve formed the dough and transferred it to your baking sheet, use a spatula to shape it into a round disc. I use these mini spatulas! (Aren’t they cute??) The disc should be ¾” tall to ensure the scones bake properly.

Note: Promise me that you will not use your hands. The heat from your palms will make the butter soften!

Brush + slice. Just before popping the scones in the oven, you’ll brush the tops and sides with milk. This helps seal moisture into the dough so their insides stay extremely tender, and it also gives the outsides a hint of a crust while baking.

Then you’ll slice them into 8 triangular segments — but do not separate them! By leaving them touching, their sides turn out really soft and moist too.

Bake. These healthy raspberry scones bake at a higher temperature of 425°F. This helps them rise and also helps create that hint of a crust on the outside. They’re ready to come out of the oven when they’re a lovely golden color and the center where all 8 triangles are touching feels relatively firm to the touch.
 

 

FAQS ABOUT HEALTHY RASPBERRY ALMOND SCONES

Are these healthy raspberry almond scones low fat, low calorie, gluten-free, egg-free, or clean eating?
Yes — to everything! When made as written, these raspberry scones are naturally clean eating, egg-free, low fat, and low calorie (compared to many traditional recipes!). They’re nut-free with no refined sugar too. I’ve also included how to make them gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegan in the Notes section of the recipe!

Can I use a different flour?
Absolutely! Whole wheat pastry flour and all-purpose flour both work perfectly. You can substitute regular whole wheat flour in a pinch, but keep in mind that your scones will turn out slightly denser and have a subtle wheat-y flour in the background.

Can I substitute coconut oil?
Please don’t! It has a much lower melting point, which changes the texture of your scones. (See the “No warm ingredients” header in the “How to Make Healthy Raspberry Almond Scones” section above for more info!)

If you need to make them dairy-free, vegan butter performs much better! I love this one and this one. Both yield lovely moist and soft scones!
 

 
What about a different kind of yogurt?
Absolutely! Flavored Greek yogurt, non-Greek yogurt, and dairy-free yogurt alternatives (such as soy- or almond-based) all work really well.

Or a different sweetener?
You bet! Honey and agave are the two best substitutes.

Can I use another type of milk?
Sure thing! Almost any kind will work, so feel free to try whatever you already have stashed in your fridge.
 

 
What can I substitute for the almond extract?
If you’re not a fan of almond extract, replace it with vanilla extract instead. Keep in mind that it’ll change the flavor of your scones — but they’ll still taste delicious!

Can I use frozen raspberries?
They’ll work in a pinch! Thaw them first, and thoroughly pat them dry to remove any excess thawing liquid. They may dye the dough, but your scones should still have a lovely fruity flavor!

What’s the best way to store these healthy raspberry almond scones? How long will they keep?
Store any leftover scones in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They should keep for at least a few days, if not closer to a week. They also freeze really well!

Whether frozen or simply stored in the fridge, I highly recommend reheating leftover scones in the microwave before eating them! I pop them in and use 30% power until they’re warmed all the way through. This turns their insides amazingly soft and moist again, and they almost taste freshly baked as a result!
 

 
Time to eat! ♡ And when you make your own, remember to snap a picture and share it on Instagram using #amyshealthybaking and tagging @amys.healthy.baking IN the photo itself! (That guarantees I’ll see your picture! 🙂 ) I’d love to see your healthy raspberry almond scones!

View Nutrition Information + Weight Watchers Points
 
 
You may also like Amy’s other recipes…
♡   Healthy Raspberry Almond Mini Muffins
♡   Healthy Raspberry Almond Cheesecake Bars
♡   Healthy Raspberry Almond Pound Cake
♡   Healthy Raspberry Dark Chocolate Bark
♡   Healthy Single-Serving Raspberry Mug Cake
♡   Healthy Raspberry Oatmeal Cookies
♡   Healthy Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies
♡   …and the rest of Amy’s healthy scone recipes!