Healthy Pumpkin Spice Latte Scones

Yields: 8 scones

These easy scones are perfect for anyone who loves the iconic fall-flavored Starbucks drink! They’re supremely tender and full of cozy spices. The scones will keep for at least one week if stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

for the scones
6 tbsp (92g) pumpkin purée (not pumpkin pie mix!)
2 tbsp (30g) plain nonfat Greek yogurt
2 tsp instant coffee granules
1 ½ cups (180g) white whole wheat flour or gluten-free* flour (measured like this)
2 tsp homemade pumpkin spice (see Notes)
1 ½ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
2 tbsp (28g) unsalted butter, cold and cubed
3 tbsp (45mL) pure maple syrup
3 tbsp + 2 tsp (55mL) nonfat milk, divided
1 tsp vanilla extract
for the drizzle (optional)
5 tsp confectioners’ style stevia
1 tsp brewed coffee

Preheat the oven to 425°F, and line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
To prepare the scones, stir together the pumpkin, Greek yogurt, and instant coffee in a small bowl until the instant coffee has fully dissolved. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, pumpkin spice, baking powder, and salt. Cut in the butter with a pastry cutter or the back of a fork until the mixture resembles fine crumbs. Make a well in the center. Add in the pumpkin mixture, maple syrup, 3 tablespoons of milk, and vanilla extract. Stir until just incorporated.
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. (No need to separate them!) Bake at 425°F for 19-22 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 stevia and brewed coffee 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.

Notes: Whole wheat pastry flour, regular whole wheat flour, or all-purpose flour may be substituted for the white whole wheat flour.

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.

Do not substitute regular coffee grounds or brewed coffee! The former will make your cinnamon rolls gritty, while the latter isn’t strong enough to taste. This is the instant coffee that I use (or this for a decaf version). For a stronger coffee flavor, increase the instant coffee granules by an additional ½ to 1 teaspoon.

For the homemade pumpkin spice, use as follows: 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon ground ginger, ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg, and ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves. Store-bought pumpkin spice will also work.

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.

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.

In the drizzle, regular confectioners’ (powdered) sugar may be substituted for the confectioners’ style stevia. However, it is more absorbent, so start with ½ teaspoon of brewed coffee and add more as necessary to achieve the desired consistency.

{gluten-free, clean eating, low fat}

Recipe by Amy's Healthy Baking at https://amyshealthybaking.com/blog/2017/09/14/healthy-pumpkin-spice-latte-scones/