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Healthy Chocolate Chip Gingerbread Scones -- say good-bye to dry, crumbly scones forever! These are SO easy to make, supremely tender & packed with nearly 5g of protein!

Healthy Chocolate Chip Gingerbread Scones

© Amy's Healthy Baking
Yields: 8 scones
These tender scones are perfect for chilly winter mornings! With their warm cozy spices and lots of melty chocolate, they always disappear quickly. If you have any leftovers, they’ll stay fresh for at least 5 days if stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
5 from 5 votes
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Ingredients 

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, baking powder, ginger, 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. Stir in the Greek yogurt, maple syrup, 2 tablespoons of milk, molasses, and vanilla extract. Fold in 1 ½ tablespoons of 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. Gently press the remaining chocolate chips on top. 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 1 tablespoon.)
 
FLOUR ALTERNATIVES: White whole wheat flour, whole wheat pastry flour, or all-purpose flour may be substituted for the white 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 this one and this one) in place of the unsalted butter for the best results.
 
MAPLE SYRUP 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.
 
MOLASSES NOTES + ALTERNATIVES: Use regular unsulphured molasses, not blackstrap! The latter is more bitter. I use Grandma’s molasses the most.
 
If at all possible, I do not recommend substituting anything for the molasses. It’s what creates that deep, rich, comforting, almost earthy undertone in gingerbread cookies. Without it, your scones won’t taste quite like gingerbread.
 
However, I understand not everyone has access to molasses! In a pinch, pure maple syrup, honey, or agave may be substituted to achieve the same scone texture.
 
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 this one and this one) 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.
 
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. 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!
 
VIDEO: See here for my video on how to make the perfect scones. The scones' flavor is different in that video, but the process and techniques are still the same!
 
{gluten free, egg free, clean eating, low fat, low calorie, dairy free option, vegan 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.