Healthy Copycat Petite Vanilla Bean Scones
Yields: 16 petite scones
 
Tired of the price tag of Starbucks’ petite vanilla bean scones? Make this healthier version at home for a fraction of the cost—and only half the calories! They’re soft, tender, and full of rich vanilla flavor. The scones will keep for at least four days if stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
  1. Preheat the oven to 425°F, and line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
  2. To prepare the scones, whisk together the flour, baking powder, 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, maple syrup, 3 tablespoons of milk, and vanilla bean paste. Stir until just incorporated.
  3. Divide the dough in half, and transfer each half to the prepared baking sheet. Using a spatula, shape the dough into two ¾” tall circles, and brush with the remaining milk. Slice each circle into 8 triangular segments with a sharp knife. (No need to separate them!) Bake at 425°F for 15-18 minutes, or until the tops are lightly golden. Cool on the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
  4. Just before serving, prepare the drizzle by stirring together the confectioners’ style erythritol, milk, and vanilla bean paste 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 (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.

Any milk may be substituted for the nonfat milk.

This is the vanilla bean paste that I used! It’s much more affordable than buying regular vanilla beans, and it’s completely shelf-stable. Each teaspoon is the equivalent of one full vanilla bean! I bought it online here. You may substitute regular vanilla extract, but the vanilla flavor won’t be quite as prominent.

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 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 milk and add more as necessary to achieve the desired consistency.

If you’d like to fully coat your scones with the drizzle instead, like a true Starbucks petite vanilla bean scone, 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}
Recipe by Amy's Healthy Baking at https://amyshealthybaking.com/blog/2018/01/17/healthy-copycat-petite-vanilla-bean-scones/