Healthier Eggnog Scones

Yields: 8 scones

These scones are always a huge hit with my family, especially my mom… She’s the biggest eggnog fan I’ve ever met! The scones are supremely tender, full of spices, and bursting with eggnog flavor. They’ll keep for at least 5 days if stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator (if not longer!).

for the scones
1 ½ cups (180g) white whole wheat flour or gluten-free* flour (measured like this)
1 ½ tsp baking powder
¾ tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
¼ tsp salt
1 ½ tbsp (21g) unsalted butter, cold and cubed
⅓ cup (80g) plain nonfat Greek yogurt
¼ cup + 2 tsp (70mL) vegan “eggnog” or light eggnog, divided
3 tbsp (45mL) pure maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
for the drizzle (optional)
5 tsp confectioners’ style erythritol
1 tsp vegan “eggnog” or light eggnog

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, cinnamon, nutmeg, 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, ¼ cup of eggnog, maple syrup, 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 eggnog. Slice the circle into 8 triangular segments with a sharp knife. (No need to separate them!) Bake at 425°F for 18-21 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 eggnog 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. Many 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.

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.

This is the vegan “eggnog” that I use. If you can’t find it, this is another good option! (And you can use either in all of these recipes of mine, too!)

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 and your preferred non-dairy yogurt in place of the Greek yogurt.

In the drizzle, regular confectioners’ (powdered) sugar may be substituted for the confectioners’ style erythritol. However, it is more absorbent, so start with ½ teaspoon of vegan “eggnog” or light eggnog and add more as necessary to achieve the desired consistency.

To see how to make scones, watch my video here located directly above the recipe. (The recipe is slightly different, but the techniques are the same!)

{gluten-free, vegan option, low fat}

Recipe by Amy's Healthy Baking at https://amyshealthybaking.com/blog/2017/12/05/healthier-eggnog-scones/