Throughout my childhood, my family and I visited our favorite brunch restaurant nearly once a month. The closest location was two towns over, a short 20-minute trip, but when that place closed its doors, we started driving to the next best location nearly an hour away… Yet the food was always worth it!
My brother and I gravitated towards the sweeter side of the menu, items like pancakes (with fresh fruit and whipped cream “faces” for little kids!), French toast, and towering slices of blueberry coffee cake. As adults, our parents tried to be a bit more sensible and ordered omelets or scrambled eggs… But always with a side of that same blueberry coffee cake!
Right around college, my brother developed a severe egg allergy, and although he never complained, I knew it made going out to eat difficult—especially for breakfast! No omelets or scrambles, which weren’t exactly at the top of his list anyway…
But also no pancakes, French toast, or blueberry coffee cake. He started ordering the restaurant’s famous hash browns, the thick “home fries” kind (not thin and shredded!), with bacon. He couldn’t eat anything else on the menu!
Because it’s hard to give up all breakfast pastries, especially since I know his sweet tooth is just as big as mine, I created this Healthy Lemon Scones recipe just for him! They’re soft and tender on the inside and full of sunshiny citrus flavor (he’s obsessed with all things lemon!), but they contain no eggs, refined flour or sugar… And just 130 calories!
Love you bud! ?
These healthy lemon scones are really easy to make! You just need one bowl for the scones and one bowl for the drizzle. Super simple!
To start, you’ll whisk together white whole wheat flour (like this!), baking powder, salt, and fresh lemon zest. The zest actually provides the majority of the bright lemon flavor, so don’t skip it! If you can find Meyer lemons, I highly recommend those. They’re sweeter than regular lemons—and the only kind I use in my baking!
As for the white whole wheat flour, such a thing actually exists—and it’s not a combination of regular whole wheat flour and white (aka all-purpose) flour! White whole wheat flour is made by finely grinding a special type of soft white wheat (hence the name!), 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 is perfect in this healthy scone recipe because it lets the tender texture and lemon flavor really shine!
Next, you’ll work in a small amount of very cold butter. Yes, it must be butter. Yes, it must be cold and straight from the fridge. (Freezing isn’t necessary in this recipe!) Ready for the nerd alert baking science explanation?
When the butter in the scone dough melts in the oven, it creates tender little pockets in the dough, thus giving the scones their iconic texture. If the butter starts to soften or melt before the dough goes into the oven, you don’t get those tender little pockets.
This is also why coconut oil doesn’t work as well in this recipe… It has a much lower melting point than butter, right around room temperature, so it won’t stay solid once you start working it into the dough.
Tip: I recommend using a pastry cutter (like this!) to mix in the butter! They’re inexpensive and do a much better job than two knives or the back of a fork!
To finish the scone dough, you’ll mix in pure maple syrup (like this!) for sweetness, freshly squeezed lemon juice for more lemon flavor (remember, I highly recommend Meyer lemons!), and a splash of vanilla extract. Then your dough is almost ready for the oven!
You’ll shape the dough into a circle on a silicone baking mat using a spatula. These are the cute little ones I use! Then you’ll brush the tops and sides of the dough with milk, which creates a hint of a crust on the outside. Just before baking, slice the dough into 8 triangles. No need to separate them!
Now it’s time to make the drizzle! You just need confectioners’ style erythritol (like this!) and a bit more lemon juice. Erythritol is a natural no-calorie sweetener, and the confectioners’ style works just like powdered sugar! It’s a bit more absorbent than traditional powdered sugar, so you do need to add a touch more lemon juice to get the right consistency.
Then drizzle away and…
Enjoy your healthy lemon scones! 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!
| Healthy Lemon Scones | | Print |
- for the scones
- 1 ½ cups (180g) white whole wheat flour or gluten-free* flour (measured like this)
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp (5g) lemon zest (about 1 medium)
- 2 tbsp (28g) unsalted butter, cold and cubed
- ½ cup (120g) plain nonfat Greek yogurt
- 3 tbsp (45mL) pure maple syrup
- 3 tbsp (45mL) freshly squeezed lemon juice (see Notes!)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tsp nonfat milk
- for the drizzle
- 5 tsp confectioners’ style erythritol
- 1 – 1 ½ tsp lemon juice
- Preheat the oven to 425°F, and line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
- To prepare the scones, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Whisk in the lemon zest. Cut in the butter with a pastry cutter (highly recommended!) or the back of a fork until the mixture resembles fine crumbs. Make a well in the center. Add in the Greek yogurt, maple syrup, lemon juice, and vanilla extract. Stir until just incorporated.
- Transfer the dough to the prepared baking sheet. Using a spatula, shape the dough into a ¾” tall circle, and brush with the milk. Slice into 8 triangular segments with a sharp knife. (No need to separate them!) Bake at 425°F for 17-19 minutes, or until the tops are lightly golden. Cool on the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
- Just before serving, prepare the drizzle by stirring together the confectioners’ style erythritol and lemon juice in a small bowl. Transfer the mixture to a zip-topped bag, cut off a tiny piece of one corner, and drizzle on top of the cooled scones.
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 (like this one!) will work as well, if they’re measured like this.
I highly recommend using Meyer lemons! They’re sweeter than regular lemons and have a fuller flavor. They’re the only kind of lemons I use in my baking and always produce the best results!
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 for the nonfat milk.
As written, these scones aren’t overly sweet. If you prefer sweeter scones, substitute an additional 1-2 tablespoons of pure maple syrup for an equal amount of lemon juice. (They won’t have as strong of a lemon flavor though!)
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.
For a vegan version, I recommend Earth Balance sticks in place of the butter, your preferred non-dairy yogurt in place of the Greek yogurt, and non-dairy milk in place of the nonfat milk.
In the drizzle, this is the confectioners’ style erythritol that I used. In a pinch, regular confectioners’ (powdered) sugar may be substituted for the confectioners’ style stevia. However, regular powdered sugar is more absorbent, so start with ½ teaspoon of lemon juice and add more as necessary to achieve the desired consistency.
If you’d like to fully coat your scones with the drizzle instead, you definitely can! Just make 3-4 times the amount of drizzle, and dip the tops of your scones directly into the bowl instead of transferring the glaze to a plastic bag and snipping off the corner.
{gluten-free, clean eating, low fat, vegan option}
View Nutrition Information + Weight Watchers Points
You may also like Amy’s other recipes…
♡ The Ultimate Healthy Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins
♡ Healthy Small Batch Blueberry Lemon Muffins
♡ Healthy Lemon Poppy Seed Scones
♡ Healthy Lemon Blueberry Breakfast Loaf
♡ Healthy Lemon Poppy Seed Mini Muffins
Maybe I read this wrong or am missing something, but the directions mention “vanilla bean paste” while the ingredient list says “vanilla extract.”
Thanks for catching that little typo Maia! All fixed! 🙂 I can’t wait to hear what you think of these scones!
Lately I have been loving all things lemon (even choosing lemon baking over chocolate – which is not typical for me!). I will definitely try these.
You sound just like my brother! 😉 I can’t wait to hear what you think of these scones!
Swerve powdered sugar?!?! I’ve been missing out! I thought when I gave up cane sugar that I was doomed to a powdered sugar-less existence! Amazon is a wonderful place!! 😉 I totally feel for your brother. Not being able to eat eggs really makes going out for breakfast pointless. Cut out gluten and cane sugar, too, and the only things I can order when I go out for breakfast are fruit, hash browns, and oatmeal! Nowadays if I have family or friends that want to go out to breakfast, I always try to convince them to stay in so I can bake or cook them something yummy, instead… I’ll have to add these sunshiney scones to my repertoire!
Too funny — from that list of yours, I can only have the fruit and hash browns! ? What a silly pair we are! I’m right there with ya though… I’d rather stay in! No wonder we’re two peas! 😉 I hope you like the Swerve powdered sugar — it’s been a lifesaver!! 🙂
Bahaha we ARE quite the pair! Oh goodness!
But I wouldn’t want it any other way! You’re my pea! 😉
They sound lovely! But can I substitute the maple syrup for honey?
I’ve actually answered this already in the Notes section of the recipe, located directly underneath the Instructions. I know it can be easy to miss! 😉 I can’t wait to hear what you think of these scones Paz!
I tried making these beauties! A fantastic treat, thanks for sharing it with us! 🙂
I’m so glad you enjoyed these scones Amelia! Thanks for taking the time to let me know! 🙂
Hi Amy, I was wondering if there’s anything to replace Greek yoghurt with. Thanks
Su
Regular (non-Greek!) yogurt or non-dairy yogurt (ie soy-, almond-, or even oat-based!) would be the best alternatives. 🙂 I’d love to hear what you think of these scones if you try making them, Su!
The dough was way too crumbly, but they were still really good. Do you have any ideas why it was crumbly like that?
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe Nicholas! I’m happy to help you solve that crumbly issue. How did you measure the flour? Did you use a kitchen scale or measuring cups? If the latter, how did you use them to measure? Also, did you make any modifications to the recipe, including those listed in the Notes section? 🙂
Can I substitute the Greek yogurt with regular plain yogurt? If so, is there a specific conversion I should follow in order to get the same results?
Yes, that’s fine Emma! Just use the same amount of plain yogurt, and you shouldn’t need to make any modifications to the recipe. 🙂 I can’t wait to hear what you think of these scones!
I tried it and they tasted great! Thanks!
I’m so glad you enjoyed these scones, Emma! Thank you for taking the time to let me know — that truly means a lot! 🙂
Can I substitute some heavy cream for part of the yogurt? I have some I need to use up. And do you think spelt flour mixed with whole wheat or all purpose would work here? Don’t have white whole wheat. Thanks!!
These scones are a regular at my place. Great recipe, thanks Amy! I was going to say that I often add fresh or frozen blueberries just before the wet ingredients but just noticed that you have a separate recipe for that :). I’ve also used orange zest if no lemons and they become citrus scones, always delicious! I love your instructions on dumping the dough right onto the parchment lined sheet and shaping there. I do that now with any scone recipe…
One of the things I do is use a piece of saran wrap on top of dough after dumping to shape, to minimize handling. Could use parchment or wax paper if you’re avoiding plastic. Then I pop in fridge to chill while preheating oven, and cut and brush with milk just before going in.
A word on yogurt, I mostly have regular 6% plain yogurt in house and that is mostly what I use, and works fine. However I once had the nonfat greek yogurt on hand and used it and they did turn out even better than ever!!
Oh my goodness!! Beth — you’re a true GEM!! ♡ Thank you so much for your incredibly kind comment and review! I’m really glad you love these scones, and I’m honored that they’re a regular in your home. That’s the best kind of compliment there is, if you make them often. Hearing that just made my entire day!!
Thank you for sharing your tip about using plastic wrap while shaping too! I always use a spatula, but I hadn’t thought to try plastic wrap, parchment, or wax paper. I’ll have to remember to try that sometime. It sounds like it makes for even easier clean-up too, and knowing how many dishes I usually have to wash, I would definitely love that! 😉