Healthy Chai Spice Chocolate Chip Scones
These just might be my all-time favorite scones! That’s definitely saying something… I’ve shared 50+ different scone recipes (and counting!) on my blog! They’re moist and tender with plenty of rich and cozy spice flavors, which pair perfectly with the chocolate morsels. Somehow, that combination of spices and chocolate makes these scones taste so fancy and decadent! Leftovers will keep for at least four days if stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups (180g) white whole wheat flour or gluten-free* flour (measured like this)
- 2 ¾ tsp homemade chai spice (see Notes!)
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 ½ tbsp (21g) unsalted butter, very cold and cubed
- ½ cup (120g) plain nonfat Greek yogurt
- 3 tbsp (45mL) pure maple syrup
- 3 tbsp + 2 tsp (55mL) nonfat milk, divided
- 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 2 ½ tbsp (35g) miniature chocolate chips, divided
Instructions
- 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, chai spice, 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. Stir in the Greek yogurt, maple syrup, 3 tablespoons of milk, and vanilla. Gently fold in 2 tablespoons of miniature chocolate chips.
- 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. Press the remaining miniature chocolate chips into the tops. (Don't separate the scones!) Bake at 425°F for 19-24 minutes, or until the tops are deep golden and the center feels firm to the touch. Cool on the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
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!) Too much will dry out your scones and make the dough crumbly.
IMPORTANT BUTTER NOTE – READ BEFORE BEGINNING: 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.
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. If you can't consume butter and/or dairy, then I recommend the vegan alternative below. (You can also see my blog post above for more information!)
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 FLAVOR NOTE – READ BEFORE BEGINNING: As written, these scones aren’t overly sweet. If you prefer sweeter scones, substitute an additional pure maple syrup for an equal amount of milk. (For example, use 4 tablespoons of pure maple syrup, and decrease the milk in the dough to 2 tablespoons.)
FLOUR ALTERNATIVES: Whole wheat pastry flour, regular whole wheat flour, or all-purpose flour may be substituted for the white whole wheat flour.
HOMEMADE CHAI SPICE: For the homemade chai spice, use as follows: 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon ground ginger, ½ teaspoon ground cardamom, ¼ teaspoon ground allspice, ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg, and ¼ teaspoon ground cloves. (Yes, I know that’s a long list of spices, but I promise it’s worth using all of them! They create such a rich flavor that pairs so well with the chocolate. You can use them in these recipes of mine too!)
SWEETENER ALTERNATIVES: Honey or agave may be substituted for the pure maple syrup.
I do not recommend substituting sugar-free maple syrup. Those products are often water-based, which affects the scones’ texture. The scones usually turn out denser and collapse some while cooling.
MILK ALTERNATIVES: Any milk may be substituted for the nonfat milk.
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. 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.
DAIRY-FREE + VEGAN VERSION: Use stick-style vegan butter in place of the butter (I like this one and this one), your preferred dairy-free yogurt in place of the Greek yogurt, dairy-free milk in place of the nonfat milk, and vegan-friendly miniature chocolate chips.
HOW TO STORE: Store your scones in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They’ll keep for at least four or five days, if not longer.
I highly recommend reheating leftover scones in the microwave before eating them! It really improves their texture and makes them soft and fluffy again! I heat them on 30% power until they’re warmed all the way through.
These scones also freeze really well!
{gluten-free, egg-free, clean eating, low fat, vegan option, dairy-free option}
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.