Healthy Cranberry Bliss Scones

Yields: 8 scones

These festive scones are perfect for the holidays! They have the same iconic flavors as Starbucks’ cranberry bliss bars: warm ginger, bright cranberries, rich white chocolate, and a sweet cream cheese drizzle. Plus they’re supremely moist and tender, just the way I love my scones! They’re best if eaten the same day that they’re drizzled, but leftovers will keep for at least 3 days (if not longer!) if stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

5 from 5 votes

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Ingredients

FOR THE SCONES

1 ½ cups (180g) whole wheat pastry flour or gluten free* flour (measured like this)
1 ½ tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground ginger
¼ tsp salt
1 tbsp (14g) unsalted butter, cold and cubed
½ cup (120g) plain nonfat Greek yogurt
3 tbsp (45mL) pure maple syrup
¼ cup + 2 tsp (70mL) nonfat milk, divided
1 tsp vanilla extract
½ cup (55g) fresh whole cranberries, diced
2 tbsp (28g) diced white chocolate

FOR THE DRIZZLE

1 tbsp (14g) neufchâtel (⅓-less fat) cream cheese, softened to room temperature
1 ½ tsp nonfat milk
8-12 drops liquid stevia (or adjusted to taste)

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 425°F, and line a baking sheet with silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
To prepare the scones, whisk together the flour, baking powder, ginger, and salt in a medium bowl. 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, ¼ cup of milk, and vanilla. Stir until just incorporated. Gently fold in the cranberries and white chocolate with a spatula.
Transfer the dough to the prepared baking sheet. Using a spatula, shape the dough into a ¾” tall circle, and brush with the remaining milk. Slice the dough into 8 triangular segments with a sharp knife. (No need to separate them!) Bake at 425°F for 26-29 minutes, or until the tops and sides are lightly golden. Cool on the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
To make the drizzle, stir together the Greek yogurt cream cheese, milk, and stevia in a small bowl. Transfer the mixture to a zip-topped bag, and cut off a tiny piece of one corner. Just before serving, drizzle on top of the scones.

Notes

IMPORTANT MEASURING NOTE – READ BEFORE BEGINNING: It’s really 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 FLAVOR 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 (ie use 4 tablespoons of pure maple syrup + 3 tablespoons of milk).

FLOUR ALTERNATIVES: White whole wheat flour, regular whole wheat flour, or all-purpose flour may be substituted for the whole wheat pastry flour.

GINGER NOTE: I prefer a stronger ginger flavor, so I increase it by an additional ½ teaspoon (for a total of 1 ½ teaspoons).

COLD BUTTER NOTE: 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. This is why I recommend using stick-style vegan butter (I like this one and this one – see the vegan option below!) for the best results.

PURE MAPLE SYRUP ALTERNATIVES: Honey or agave may be substituted in place of the pure maple syrup.

MILK ALTERNATIVES: Any milk may be substituted for the nonfat milk.

FRESH CRANBERRY ALTERNATIVE: If you prefer to use dried cranberries, substitute ¼ cup (40g) – but hydrate them first! Add the dried cranberries to a microwave-safe bowl, and add enough water to completely cover them. Cover with a lid or plastic wrap. Microwave on HIGH for 1 minute. Let the dried cranberries sit for at least 10 minutes before draining and folding into the scone dough.

WHITE CHOCOLATE NOTE: If using white chocolate chips, I recommend chopping them a bit so the white chocolate is more evenly dispersed throughout the scones.

CREAM CHEESE ALTERNATIVES: Regular cream cheese or Greek yogurt cream cheese may be substituted for the neufchâtel cream cheese. Regardless of what kind of cream cheese you use, make sure it's well softened first!

STEVIA ALTERNATIVE: In the drizzle, 1 teaspoon of pure maple syrup, honey, or agave may be substituted for the liquid stevia. Decrease the milk to ½ teaspoon (for a thin drizzle) or omit the milk altogether (for a thicker drizzle).

CLEAN EATING OPTION: For a truly “clean eating” version, substitute chopped dark chocolate in place of the white chocolate.

GLUTEN FREE OPTION: 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 (I like this one from Bob's Red Mill) will work as well, if they’re measured like this.

EGG FREE, DAIRY FREE + VEGAN OPTION: For a vegan version, I recommend stick-style vegan butter in place of the butter (I like this one and this one), your preferred non-dairy yogurt in place of the Greek yogurt, non-dairy milk in place of the nonfat milk, and vegan-friendly white chocolate (such as this).

{gluten free, egg free, low fat, clean eating option, 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.