Healthy Cranberry Bliss Scones

 
Last year, about two days after Christmas, my parents and I loaded our suitcases, their two golden retrievers, and the dogs’ beds into their car to drive from their house in Northern California to visit my grandma in San Diego. To miss as much traffic as we could getting out of the Bay Area, we left dark and early before 7 am… We even saw the sun rise from the road!  

Since all of our alarms rang before 6 am, we decided to briefly stop for coffee and a restroom break about two hours into our drive. Mom navigated us off of the freeway and to the nearest Starbucks, but as we eased into the teeny parking lot, we gasped.
 

 
The line of people stretched out the door of Starbucks and wrapped halfway around the parking lot. And there were even more cars in drive-through line, which spilled out into the adjacent street. Apparently, we weren’t the only ones who needed coffee for our post-holiday road trip!

We quickly came up with a Plan B, and as my parents inched out of that parking lot, narrowly avoiding two near accidents, I watched as customers occasionally slipped out of the shop, big mugs of steaming coffee or tea in one hand and a little brown pastry bag in the other. I laughed as more than one person reached into their paper bag and pulled out festive holiday sweets like gingerbread cookies and cranberry bliss bars—definitely more desserts than breakfast foods!
 

 
But these Healthy Cranberry Bliss Scones combine the best of both worlds! You taste those same iconic holiday flavors as in Starbucks’ cranberry bliss bars: cozy ginger, bright cranberries, rich white chocolate, and a sweet cream cheese drizzle. Yet these contain no eggs, refined flour or sugar — and they’re healthy enough for breakfast!

Kind of like a holiday miracle, right? 😉
 

HOW TO MAKE HEALTHY CRANBERRY BLISS SCONES

So let’s go over how to make these healthy white chocolate cranberry scones!

You’ll start with whole wheat pastry flour (like this!) and ground ginger. Although Starbucks’ cranberry bliss bars don’t seem to contain too much ginger, just enough to taste, I love its cozy flavor, so I added a teeny bit more. It makes a big difference in the flavor department!

As for the whole wheat pastry flour, it has a lighter taste and texture than regular whole wheat flour, which makes it perfect for these healthy cranberry bliss scones! It lets their soft and tender texture truly shine, along with their classic holiday flavors. Yet it still has the same health benefits (like extra fiber!) as regular whole wheat flour. I call that a win-win!
 

 
Next, you’ll mix in a small amount of very cold butter. Although many traditional scone recipes call for a full stick or more (plus heavy cream!), you just need 1 tablespoon for these healthy cranberry bliss scones. That really helps keep them low calorie and low fat!

And yes, the temperature of your butter does matter! It should be cold and straight from the fridge. (Freezing isn’t necessary for this recipe!) When the butter melts after you put the scones in the oven, it creates tender little pockets in the dough. If it softened or melted ahead of time, you’d miss out on that supremely moist and tender texture!
 

 
Then instead of heavy cream, like in many traditional recipes, you’ll actually use Greek yogurt in these healthy cranberry bliss scones! If you’ve browsed through my recipes before, then you probably know how much I love baking with Greek yogurt. It adds the same moisture as extra butter to your dough but for a fraction of the calories, and it gives your scones a protein boost too!

You’ll skip the refined sugar and sweeten your healthy cranberry bliss scones with pure maple syrup instead. It should be the kind that comes directly from maple trees! The only ingredient on the label should be “pure maple syrup,” and it usually comes in thin glass bottles or squat plastic jugs (like this!).
 

 
Time for the mix-ins! You’ll gently fold fresh cranberries and white chocolate into your scone dough. Although Starbucks’ cranberry bliss bars use dried cranberries, those usually contain a lot of added sugar, and I actually prefer the tart taste of fresh cranberries. (But I’ve added an option in the Notes section, if you prefer to use dried!)

Once you’ve transferred the dough onto your baking sheet and shaped it into a circle with a spatula, you’ll brush the tops and the sides with milk. This seals moisture into the dough, and it also creates a hint of a crust on the outside. I love that subtle texture contrast!
 

 
Time for to decorate! Instead of cream cheese frosting, you’ll make a cream cheese drizzle for your healthy cranberry bliss scones out of neufchâtel cream cheese, milk, and a little liquid stevia. Stevia is a plant-based, no-calorie sweetener that contains nothing refined or artificial (aka it’s clean eating friendly!). I love this one because it doesn’t have a strange aftertaste like some other stevia products, and I buy it online here because that’s the best price I’ve found. (You’ll use it in all of these recipes of mine, too!)

Note: I went pretty minimalist with my drizzle because I wanted the cranberry and ginger flavors to shine. If you prefer more drizzle, you can easily double the ingredients to add more—or completely cover the tops of your scones in it instead!
 

 
Now how’s that for a festive holiday 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 healthy cranberry bliss scones!

Healthy Cranberry Bliss Scones

© Amy's Healthy Baking

Yields: 8 scones

These festive scones are perfect for the holidays! They have the same iconic flavors as Starbucks’ cranberry bliss bars: warm ginger, bright cranberries, rich white chocolate, and a sweet cream cheese drizzle. Plus they’re supremely moist and tender, just the way I love my scones! They’re best if eaten the same day that they’re drizzled, but leftovers will keep for at least 3 days (if not longer!) if stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

5 from 5 votes

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Ingredients 

FOR THE SCONES

• 1 ½ cups (180g) whole wheat pastry flour or gluten free* flour (measured like this)
• 1 ½ tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• ¼ tsp salt
• 1 tbsp (14g) unsalted butter, cold and cubed
• ½ cup (120g) plain nonfat Greek yogurt
• 3 tbsp (45mL) pure maple syrup
• ¼ cup + 2 tsp (70mL) nonfat milk, divided
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ½ cup (55g) fresh whole cranberries, diced
• 2 tbsp (28g) diced white chocolate

FOR THE DRIZZLE

• 1 tbsp (14g) neufchâtel (⅓-less fat) cream cheese, softened to room temperature
• 1 ½ tsp nonfat milk
• 8-12 drops liquid stevia (or adjusted to taste)

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 425°F, and line a baking sheet with silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
• To prepare the scones, whisk together the flour, baking powder, ginger, and salt in a medium bowl. 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, ¼ cup of milk, and vanilla. Stir until just incorporated. Gently fold in the cranberries and white chocolate with a spatula.
• Transfer the dough to the prepared baking sheet. Using a spatula, shape the dough into a ¾” tall circle, and brush with the remaining milk. Slice the dough into 8 triangular segments with a sharp knife. (No need to separate them!) Bake at 425°F for 26-29 minutes, or until the tops and sides are lightly golden. Cool on the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
• To make the drizzle, stir together the Greek yogurt cream cheese, milk, and stevia 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.

Notes

IMPORTANT MEASURING NOTE – READ BEFORE BEGINNING: It’s really important to measure the flour correctly, using this method or a kitchen scale. (← That’s the one I own and love!) Too much will dry out your scones and make the dough crumbly.

 

IMPORTANT FLAVOR NOTE – READ BEFORE BEGINNING: 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 milk in the dough (ie use 4 tablespoons of pure maple syrup + 3 tablespoons of milk).

 

FLOUR ALTERNATIVES: White whole wheat flour, regular whole wheat flour, or all-purpose flour may be substituted for the whole wheat pastry flour.

 

GINGER NOTE: I prefer a stronger ginger flavor, so I increase it by an additional ½ teaspoon (for a total of 1 ½ teaspoons).

 

COLD BUTTER NOTE: 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.

 

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. This is why I recommend using stick-style vegan butter (I like this one and this one – see the vegan option below!) for the best results.

 

PURE MAPLE SYRUP ALTERNATIVES: Honey or agave may be substituted in place of the pure maple syrup.

 

MILK ALTERNATIVES: Any milk may be substituted for the nonfat milk.

 

FRESH CRANBERRY ALTERNATIVE: If you prefer to use dried cranberries, substitute ¼ cup (40g) – but hydrate them first! Add the dried cranberries to a microwave-safe bowl, and add enough water to completely cover them. Cover with a lid or plastic wrap. Microwave on HIGH for 1 minute. Let the dried cranberries sit for at least 10 minutes before draining and folding into the scone dough.

 

WHITE CHOCOLATE NOTE: If using white chocolate chips, I recommend chopping them a bit so the white chocolate is more evenly dispersed throughout the scones.

 

CREAM CHEESE ALTERNATIVES: Regular cream cheese or Greek yogurt cream cheese may be substituted for the neufchâtel cream cheese. Regardless of what kind of cream cheese you use, make sure it's well softened first!

 

STEVIA ALTERNATIVE: In the drizzle, 1 teaspoon of pure maple syrup, honey, or agave may be substituted for the liquid stevia. Decrease the milk to ½ teaspoon (for a thin drizzle) or omit the milk altogether (for a thicker drizzle).

 

CLEAN EATING OPTION: For a truly “clean eating” version, substitute chopped dark chocolate in place of the white chocolate.

 

GLUTEN FREE OPTION: 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 (I like this one from Bob's Red Mill) will work as well, if they’re measured like this.

 

EGG FREE, DAIRY FREE + VEGAN OPTION: For a vegan version, I recommend stick-style vegan butter in place of the butter (I like this one and this one), your preferred non-dairy yogurt in place of the Greek yogurt, non-dairy milk in place of the nonfat milk, and vegan-friendly white chocolate (such as this).

 

{gluten free, egg free, low fat, clean eating option, dairy free option, vegan option}

DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?I'd love to hear what you think of it in a comment below! If you take a picture, tag @amys.healthy.baking on Instagram or use the hashtag #amyshealthybaking.

View Nutrition Information + Weight Watchers Points
 
 
You may also like Amy’s other recipes…
♡  Healthy Copycat Cranberry Bliss Bars
♡  Healthy Cranberry Chocolate Chip Scones
♡  Healthy Dark Chocolate Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies
♡  Healthy Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Scones
♡  Healthy Cranberry Pecan Banana Bread
♡  …and the rest of Amy’s healthy cranberry recipes!