Healthy Banana Buttermilk Scones

Yields: 8 scones

These banana scones are really soft and tender on the inside, have a hint of a crust on the outside, and the drizzle is the perfect finishing touch! Since they’re ready in 30 minutes, they’re perfect for mid-week breakfasts or lazy weekend brunches. Leftover scones will keep for at least five days if stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

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.

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.

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}

Recipe by Amy's Healthy Baking at https://amyshealthybaking.com/blog/2018/07/12/healthy-banana-buttermilk-scones/