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Learn how to make the best classic almond scones from scratch! You only need one bowl and 30 minutes to whip up a batch. These bakery-style scones are really moist and tender, even with no eggs or cream, thanks to a special ingredient and baking trick. They’re perfect for lazy weekend brunches — and even quick weekday breakfast treats!
Last month, a solid week of cool and drizzly days interrupted our typically mild Southern California weather. As the rain fell outside, gently tapping against the window next to my desk, I grabbed a fleece blanket and brewed a big mug of herbal tea to keep me warm while I worked.
Weather like that always reminds me of our family vacation to England and Scotland. Although we visited during the summer, we still experienced overcast skies and regular rain showers most days during our trip… And we even started joking about rolling down the car windows as we drove through the Scottish countryside, just to stick our arms out and soak up a few brief moments of sunshine and Vitamin D before the clouds returned!
As those childhood memories started floating back through my mind, I decided to play the Harry Potter movies in the background while I baked and edited recipe photos, just to hear those same British accents that I remembered from our vacation. But because the rain continued to fall for another six straight days, I finished watching the entire series before the showers stopped…
So I turned to the Great British Bake Off on Netflix next! I started with the early seasons, smiling as the contestants prepared their best and incredibly creative recipes for Mary and Paul to taste, ranging from simple cookies and bars to more extravagant made-from-scratch puff pastries and multi-tiered cakes with intricately piped chocolate decorations.
Towards the end of each hour, Mary and Paul retreated to a little table in the judges’ tent to discuss the three challenges, select a winner, and decide which baker to send home. Nearly every single time, mugs of tea and plates of sweets sat in front of them, and after watching a few too many episodes in a row…
I started to crave afternoon tea — and pastries to go with it too! But instead of making any of the recipes that the contestants, Mary, or Paul shared on the show…
I baked these Healthy Almond Scones! With no eggs, cream, refined flour or refined sugar, these are much healthier than any of the ones from the Great British Bake Off, but they’re still incredibly moist and tender on the inside. No dry scones here — I promise!
This easy recipe also requires very little time to prepare (just half an hour!), making it perfect for lazy, slow-paced weekend brunches — and even quick weekday breakfast treats!
HOW TO MAKE THE BEST HEALTHY ALMOND SCONES
Let’s go over how to make the best almond scones! To make this recipe as easy as possible, you just need one mixing bowl to make them. It seems like you’ve really been enjoying my one-bowl recipe series, and I do too… Partially because those kinds of recipes usually result in fewer dishes to wash!
To start, you’ll whisk together white whole wheat flour, baking powder, and salt. I know it sounds a little strange or contradictory, but white whole wheat flour actually exists — and it’s not just a combination of white (aka all-purpose) flour and regular whole wheat flour!
Instead, white whole wheat flour is made by finely grinding a special type of soft white wheat (hence the name!), whereas regular whole wheat flour comes from a heartier variety of red wheat. They both have the same health benefits (like extra fiber!), but white whole wheat flour has a lighter taste and texture… Which lets the moist and tender texture of your healthy almond scones truly shine!
Tip: If you’d like to make your almond scones gluten free, then see the Notes section of the recipe. I’ve included how to do so there!
Next, you’ll work in a small amount of very cold butter. Yes, the butter must be cold — not softened or at room temperature! There’s a nerdy reason for this…
When you put your scones in the oven, the butter melts and creates tender little pockets in the dough. If your butter starts to soften or melt ahead of time while you’re making the dough, then you miss out on those luscious little pockets that create the best tender texture in these healthy almond scones!
Therefore, I highly recommend against using coconut oil. Coconut oil has a much lower melting point, around 76°F (just a little above room temperature!), which means that it will definitely start to soften and melt as you prepare the scone dough… And your scones won’t have that same irresistibly moist and tender texture!
Tip: Just grab your butter straight from the fridge! Freezing your butter isn’t necessary for these healthy almond scones.
Hint: For a vegan alternative to the butter in these healthy almond scones, stick-style vegan butter works best. This one and this one are two of my favorites!
Instead of the cream that many traditional scone recipes use, you’ll use one of my favorite healthy baking ingredients instead… Greek yogurt! Greek yogurt adds the same moisture as cream (and even extra butter!) but for a fraction of the calories, and it also gives your healthy almond scones a protein boost.
Hint: Because of the Greek yogurt, you only need 1 ½ tablespoons of butter in these scones… Compared to the ¼ to ½ cup typically found in traditional recipes. That really helps keep your healthy almond scones low calorie and low fat!
Tip: To make these healthy almond scones dairy-free and vegan, you can easily substitute your favorite non-dairy yogurt. I’ve had great success with soy-based and almond-based yogurts, and coconut-based and even oat-based ones should also work!
Just like the scones I saw contestants make on the Great British Bake Off, I didn’t add very much sweetener to the dough. Traditional scones aren’t very sweet at all, and that’s exactly how I like mine! (However, if you’re the opposite, I included how you can achieve sweeter scones in the Notes section of the recipe!)
So to make these healthy almond scones, you just need a few tablespoons of pure maple syrup. That’s the kind that comes directly from maple trees, and the only ingredient on the label should be “maple syrup.” (It generally comes in thin glass bottles or squat plastic jugs like this!)
After adding a little milk to your bowl (any kind will work — both dairy and non-dairy!), you’ll also stir in another one of my favorite ingredients… Almond extract! It’s my all-time favorite baking extract. I love its sweet and sophisticated flavor, and I think it makes these healthy almond scones taste like they came from a fancy, gourmet bakery!
For even more almond flavor, you’ll fold sliced almonds into the dough too. I broke mine up into smaller pieces in my palm before sprinkling them into the bowl. I found that made it much easier to fold them in, and it also helped these healthy almond scones bake more evenly.
Hint: I only added the sliced almonds for this batch that I photographed… I actually hate nuts in my scones, so I’ve omitted them in every other batch I’ve baked. (And I picked out all of the almonds when I ate this batch in these photos!) If you’re not a fan of nuts in your baked goods too, feel free to do the same — the almond extract alone still adds plenty of yummy almond flavor to these healthy almond scones! 😉
It’s almost time to bake! First, shape the dough into a flat circle using a spatula. (I use this mini spatula! Isn’t it cute??) The dough is too sticky to use your hands, so don’t bother to try!
Next, brush the tops and sides of the dough with a bit more milk. This seals moisture into the dough, so the centers of your healthy eggless almond scones stay moist and tender. It also creates a hint of a crust on the outside. I love that texture contrast!
Finally, slice the dough into 8 wedges, and press a few more sliced almonds into the top of each wedge for a pretty finishing touch. (Unless you’re like me and hate nuts in your scones!) I leave my dough just like that, sliced into wedges but not separated, because I love how that ensures the sides of my healthy almond scones still stay really moist and tender.
Then slide your baking sheet into the oven, set a timer, and…
Enjoy your healthy breakfast pastries! And when you make your own, remember to snap a picture and share it on Instagram using #amyshealthybaking and tagging @amyshealthybaking IN the photo itself! (That guarantees I’ll see your picture! 🙂 ) I’d love to see your healthy almond scones!
Healthy Almond Scones
© Amy's Healthy Baking
Yields: 8 scones
These scones are quick and simple to bake, making them perfect for lazy weekend brunches or even quick weekday breakfast treats! They’re really moist and tender on the inside with a hint of a crust on the outside, and they’re full of delicious almond flavor from both the extract and the sliced nuts. Leftovers will keep for at least 5 days (if not longer!) if stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, and they freeze really well too!
5 from 4 votes
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Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups (180g) white whole wheat flour or gluten-free* flour (measured like this)
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 ½ tbsp (21g) unsalted butter, very cold and cubed (see Notes!)
- ½ cup (120g) plain nonfat Greek yogurt
- 3 tbsp (45mL) pure maple syrup
- 3 tbsp + 2 tsp (55mL) nonfat milk, divided
- 2 tsp almond extract
- 2 ½ tbsp (19g) sliced almonds, slightly crushed or broken (see Notes!)
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 425°F, and line a baking sheet with asilicone baking matorparchment paper.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Cut in the butter with apastry 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 almond extract. Gently fold in 2 tablespoons of the sliced almonds.
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 sliced almonds into the tops. Bake at 425°F for 21-24 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 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: Whole wheat pastry flour, regular whole wheat 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 do not recommend substituting coconut oil. It melts at a much 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.
SWEETENER ALTERNATIVES: Honey or agave may be substituted in place of the pure maple syrup. I do not 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 for the nonfat milk.
ALMOND EXTRACT ALTERNATIVE: Almond extract makes these scones taste a bit sweeter, and it also gives them their “bakery-style” flavor. If you're not a fan or don’t have any, vanilla extract may be substituted for the almond extract.
SLICED ALMONDS NOTES: These are the sliced almonds that I used, and I broke them into smaller pieces in my palm before adding them to the dough. This makes it easier to incorporate the almonds into the dough, and it also ensures your scones bake evenly.
If you love almonds, you can definitely add more! However, I strongly dislike nuts in my scones, so… I almost always skip the sliced almonds! If you’re not a fan of nuts in your baked goods too, you’re welcome to omit them. There’s still plenty of sweet almond flavor from the almond extract in these scones without the sliced almonds!
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 like this onefrom Bob's Red Mill) will work as well, if they’re measured like this.
EGG-FREE, DAIRY-FREE + VEGAN OPTION: Substitute 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, 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 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, dairy-free option, vegan option, clean eating, low fat}
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.
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You may also like Amy’s other recipes…
♡Healthy Pecan Scones
♡Healthy Cinnamon Scones
♡Healthy Blueberry Almond Scones
♡Healthy Spiced Chocolate Chip Scones
♡Healthy Almond Joy Scones
♡Healthy Raspberry Almond Scones
♡Healthy Copycat Petite Vanilla Bean Scones
♡…and the rest of Amy’s healthy scone recipes!
