Last week, right after I posted this banana bread brownie recipe on my Instagram account, a friend of mine sent me a message. She explained how had tried to adapt a banana bread recipe she found on the internet to fit her family’s dietary needs (no gluten, dairy, eggs, or nuts!) the day before and… It ended in a total disaster. Her banana bread crumbled into a million pieces!
However, after reading over my recipe, she realized she could easily switch just one ingredient in my banana bread brownies so her entire family could enjoy the dessert! The only issue? She self-consciously mentioned that she’s not the greatest at baking… So she called me from the grocery store the next day to make sure she bought the correct ingredients!
That evening, she shared a little video of sampling the dessert bars on her own Instagram stories. She revealed the banana bread brownies turned out perfectly, and everyone loved them!
I felt so excited… It’s the best feeling in the world when I’m able to show people how to make the treats they’ve been missing because of different dietary constraints!
But of course… I started craving the banana bread brownies after seeing her video clips! But because I only had one teeny banana, not nearly enough to make the dessert recipe…
I turned my little banana into these Healthy Banana Buttermilk Scones instead! They’re really moist and tender on the inside with just a hint of a crust on the outside, and the sweet banana flavor absolutely shines. Plus these healthy scones have no eggs, refined flour or sugar, and they’re ready in just 30 minutes!
That’s definitely my kind of easy breakfast!
So let’s go over how to make these healthy banana buttermilk scones!
You’ll start with white whole wheat flour (like this!). Yes, such a thing actually exists… And it’s not a combination of white (aka all-purpose) flour and whole wheat 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. They both have the same health benefits, but white whole wheat flour has a lighter taste and texture—and that lets the moist and tender texture of these scones truly shine!
Hint: I’ve also included my favorite gluten-free option in the Notes section of the recipe!
Next comes butter! Whereas traditional scone recipes use ½ cup or more, these healthy banana buttermilk scones only require 2 tablespoons of butter. That really helps keep them low-calorie! ?
However, it’s extremely important that your butter is straight from the fridge and very cold. (Freezing isn’t necessary!) When you put the baking sheet in the oven, the butter melts and creates tender little pockets in the scones. So you definitely don’t want the butter to soften or melt ahead of time!
This is why I highly recommend against using coconut oil. Coconut oil melts right around room temperature, so it’s nearly impossible to keep it from melting while you mix up the dough.
Hint: I’ve included a non-dairy vegan option in the Notes section, too!
Then these healthy banana buttermilk scones get the rest of their tender texture from two ingredients: Greek yogurt and mashed banana. If you’ve been around my blog before, then you already know how much I love baking with Greek yogurt! It adds the same moisture to your scones as extra butter but for a fraction of the calories. (And it gives your scones a protein boost, too!)
As for the banana, make sure you use the spottiest, ripest banana you can find! More brown than yellow is ideal. See those bananas in that picture? That’s the minimum amount of brown spots I recommend. More is even better! The riper bananas have a much stronger flavor and moister texture than the pure yellow ones.
Of course, we can’t forget another key ingredient… Buttermilk! I’ve made these healthy banana buttermilk scones with regular low-fat buttermilk, as well as this powdered buttermilk. I couldn’t tell the difference! I love keeping that powdered buttermilk on hand because it’s shelf-stable, keeps for ages, and tastes just like the regular kind in my baking recipes.
Once you’ve transferred your dough onto the baking sheet, you’ll flatten it with a spatula (I use these—aren’t they cute??) and slice it into 8 wedges with a sharp knife. No need to separate them! Then brush the tops and sides of the scones with milk. This seals moisture into the dough to keep the insides soft and tender, and it also creates a hint of a crust on the outside.
One last thing! I made an optional (but highly recommended!) glaze for my healthy banana buttermilk scones with confectioners’ style erythritol (like this!), almond extract (like this!), and milk. YUM! Almond extract is my favorite baking extract, so I’ve been using it a lot lately!
How tempting do these scones look?? ? 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 healthy banana buttermilk scones!
| Healthy Banana Buttermilk 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
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2 tbsp (28g) unsalted butter, cold and cubed
- ¼ cup (60g) plain nonfat Greek yogurt
- ¼ cup (65g) mashed banana (see Notes!)
- 3 tbsp (45mL) pure maple syrup
- 3 tbsp (45mL) low-fat buttermilk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tsp nonfat milk
- for the glaze (optional)
- 2 tbsp (20g) confectioners’ style erythritol
- ¼ tsp almond extract
- 2 – 2 ½ tsp nonfat milk
- 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 (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, banana, maple syrup, buttermilk, and vanilla. 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 nonfat milk. Slice the dough into 8 triangular segments with a sharp knife. (No need to separate them!) Bake at 425°F for 19-22 minutes, or until the tops and sides 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 (like this one!) will work as well, if they’re measured like this.
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.
If you don’t have fresh buttermilk, then I highly recommend this powdered buttermilk! It’s shelf-stable and keeps for ages, and it tastes exactly the same in basically all recipes that call for buttermilk. (It has the substitution instructions on the side of the container!)
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 buttermilk.
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, additional mashed banana in place of the Greek yogurt, and non-dairy milk in place of the buttermilk and nonfat milk.
In the glaze, this is the confectioners’ style erythritol that I used. You can substitute regular confectioners’ style (powdered) sugar, but start with just 1 teaspoon of milk because regular powdered sugar is much more absorbent!
To see how these scones are made, watch my video here (it's for a very similar recipe!).
{gluten-free, clean eating, low fat, vegan option}
View Nutrition Information + Weight Watchers Points
You may also like Amy’s other recipes…
♡ Healthy Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Scones
♡ Healthy Banana Buttermilk Pancake Bites
♡ Healthy Honey Peach Scones
♡ Healthy Blueberry Buttermilk Banana Bread
♡ Healthy Chocolate Chip Banana Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies
♡ The Ultimate Healthy Banana Buttermilk Waffles
I always use buttermilk too! Makes for a delicious and tender crumb. These scones need to happen in my kitchen!
I need to remember to try using buttermilk more often like you, Anna! I usually just use it to make pancakes or waffles. 😉 I’d love to hear what you think if you decide to try these scones!
Hi, Amy, I had to make these today as I had a banana getting very, very ripe plus buttermilk to use after making your baked buttermilk waffles.. I love them ! I had to make some tea and try one as soon as they cooled. Mostly! This is a perfect recipe. I plan to make more of the waffles tomorrow, too. Was just thinking, how do you think buttermilk in an oatmeal scone would be? Thank you for all your hard work developing such great delicious and nutritious recipes so as you say on your YouTube videos, we don’t “have to choose.”
susan
I’m so glad you loved these banana scones, Susan! That means a lot to me that you’d call this a perfect recipe. That’s the best kind of compliment — thank you!! 🙂 I think buttermilk would be perfect in oatmeal scones! I haven’t forgotten about you and those oatmeal scones either, I promise! I should have that recipe posted on my blog by the end of July. 😉 Thank you for watching my YouTube videos too; I’m truly honored you’d do that as well!
That is so exciting, Amy! With your reply to a previous comment about using buttermilk more often it hit me that might be a good ingredient in another type of scone. Like oatmeal! I can’t wait to read the recipe and try it. Thank you again so much!!
It’s my pleasure, Susan! You definitely have a baker’s intuition if you thought of using buttermilk in scone recipes! 🙂
Hi Amy
Thanks for the awesome recipes. I just wanted to know if there is a substitute for greek yoghurt found in most of your recipes as Im unable to find it in our grocery stores in south africa.
Thanks
I truly appreciate your interest in my recipes, Avashnee! If you can find regular (non-Greek) yogurt, then that’s usually the best substitute. 🙂 I’d love to hear what you think of these scones if you try them!
Thanks for your response Amy. Will definitely try the scone recipe and let you know.?
It’s my pleasure, Avashnee! I can’t wait to hear! 🙂
I always want to make this but all the bananas are eaten by my family before they ever get ripe enough! Time to hide the bananas…
I hate it when that happens! 😉 I’ve been known to hide them in the tallest cupboard or on top of the refrigerator… I’d love to hear what you think of these scones if you’re able to try them Cindy! 🙂
Dear Amy,
I’ve tried your blueberry scone recipe and they’re super delicious, thank you so much. Then I spotted this banana version, and I immediately wanted to give it a go! I’m just wondering, is it possible to substitute buttermilk for regular milk, or you’d recommend a better substitute for that?
I’m so glad you loved the blueberry scones, and I really appreciate your interest in this recipe of mine too Vivian! Yes, you can substitute regular milk in place of the buttermilk. 🙂 I can’t wait to hear what you think of these scones!