These bakery-style scones really do taste like the classic American dessert! They’re perfectly tender, and they’re full of fresh apple and plenty of cozy cinnamon. The scones will keep for at least a week if stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Cut in the butter with a pastry cutter or the back of a fork until the mixture resembles fine crumbs. Stir in the Greek yogurt, maple syrup, 3 tablespoons of milk, and vanilla. Fold in the diced apple.
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. Bake at 425°F for 16-19 minutes, or until the tops are lightly golden. Cool on the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
Notes
IMPORTANT MEASURING NOTE – READ BEFORE BEGINNING: It's very 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 BAKING NOTE – READ BEFORE BEGINNING: Do not separate the 8 dough wedges before baking in Step 3. Instead, leave them touching on the baking sheet! This helps make the insides really moist, soft, and fluffy.IMPORTANT TASTE 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. (For example, use 4 tablespoons of pure maple syrup, and reduce the milk in the dough to 2 tablespoons.)FLOUR ALTERNATIVES: White whole wheat flour, whole wheat pastry flour, or all-purpose flour may be substituted for the whole wheat flour.BUTTER NOTES + ALTERNATIVE: 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.For this reason, I don’t recommend substituting coconut oil. It melts at a lower temperature, which affects the texture of your scones. If you do decide to substitute coconut oil, just keep that in mind!For a dairy free or vegan version, use stick-style vegan butter (I like Earth Balance) in place of the unsalted butter for the best results.SWEETENER ALTERNATIVES: Honey or agave may be substituted in place of the pure maple syrup. I don’t recommend substituting sugar free maple syrup. It's often water-based, which affects the scones’ texture. They usually turn out denser and collapse some while cooling.MILK ALTERNATIVES: Any milk may be substituted in place of the nonfat milk.APPLE NOTES: It’s important to dice the apple finely, no larger than the size of chocolate chips, to ensure that the scones bake evenly. I generally use Fuji apples, but other firm red apples should work. I leave the skin on my apples, but you're welcome to peel yours first, if you prefer.EGG FREE OPTION: No modifications necessary!GLUTEN FREE OPTION: For the gluten free flour, I recommend the following: 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 really like this one from Bob's Red Mill) will work as well, if they’re measured like this.DAIRY FREE + VEGAN OPTION: Use stick-style vegan butter (I like Earth Balance) in place of the butter, your preferred non-dairy yogurt in place of the Greek yogurt (ie soy- or almond-based), and non-dairy milk in place of the nonfat milk.{gluten free, egg free, dairy free option, vegan option, clean eating, low fat, low calorie}
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.