Healthy Lemon Cranberry Scones
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Nothing says fall and holiday like cranberry. Except maybe pumpkin, but today we are talking cranberry. These Healthy Scones featuring lemon and cranberry are exactly what your fall morning is missing. Have you ever had one of the orange cranberry scones at Starbucks? These homemade scones are lightly sweetened, made with all whole grains, and won’t leave you with a dreadful stomachache.
Ingredients to Make Healthy Scones with Whole Wheat Flour
- Greek yogurt – Making healthy scones with yogurt is a great way to lighten the recipe up from the heavy cream or half and half traditionally used.
- Egg
- Whole wheat flour – I like to use either white whole wheat flour or whole wheat pastry flour when I make scones with whole wheat flour.
- Butter
- Lemon
- Maple Syrup – Instead of white sugar, I chose to use only 1/2 cup maple syrup. They are lightly sweet, enough to be savored as a treat, but not overly sweet as many scones you may find at a bakery.
- Fresh cranberry – Definitely buy fresh! (In fact, I become a bit of a cranberry hoarder every November by stuffing my freezer full of fresh ones since they are harder to find the rest of the year.)
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Salt
Healthy Scone Baking Tips & Tricks
- Variations: Another fruit such as blueberries, can replace the cranberries if needed. You could also experiment with replacing the lemon with orange for a healthy orange cranberry scone variation.
- How to know when they are done baking: Your scones are done when they are lightly browned and a toothpick comes clean when pulled out of the center.
- Storage: Your cranberry lemon scones should be stored at room temperature in an airtight container.
- How to make a scone shape: Separate your dough into two balls. Roll the balls out to approx 3/4-1 inch thick. Using a pizza cutter, cut into
All About Healthy Scones FAQ
For any baked good, it entirely depends on the recipe; however, in general, muffins are lighter than scones. Scones are a denser dough generally made that way with butter, lard, and sugar. There are plenty of healthier scone recipes (like this one!) just like there are healthy muffin recipes.
Typically, I recommend starting your day with some protein whereas even these healthy cranberry lemon scones are higher in carbs than protein. However, if you want to enjoy them in a balanced breakfast, try pairing one alongside a bowl of greek yogurt.
Yes, scones do generally contain a lot of sugar, butter, and flour giving them their dense texture. However, it doesn’t have to be like that! These lighter scones are a great compromise to traditional scones served at bakeries such as Starbucks.
Why I like Cranberry Lemon Scones
Scones are one of those foods I like to make in the winter or fall (but honestly, they are good all year round.) Something about that tart burst of flavor inside a sweet baked good is a favorite of mine. However, in addition to the flavor, cranberries have loads of health benefits making them a favorite pick for my healthy whole wheat scone recipe.
Health Benefits of Cranberries
Cranberries are best known for their prevention of UTIs. And in fact, this study done in 2016 actually confirmed that they do have the ability to prevent UTIs in women. (The study was done on cranberry juice – much more highly concentrated than the amount of cranberries you would get in scones.) However, cranberries have an array of benefits including some new research that shows they may benefit gut health.
Many of the benefits of cranberries are due to their incredibly high level of antioxidants. In fact, they beat out almost all other fruits and vegetables with their antioxidant content.
So, all this to say, throw in the cranberries. If you’re going to bake, might as well add something beneficial, right? ?
Other Must Try Healthy Baked Good Recipes
Healthy Lemon Cranberry Scones
Ingredients
- 3/4 Cup Greek yogurt
- 1 Egg
- 2 3/4 Cup Whole Wheat Flour I recommend white whole wheat for a lighter texture
- 4 Teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 Teaspoon Salt
- 1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda
- 1/2 Cup Butter
- 1 Lemon, Zested
- 1/2 Cup Maple Syrup
- 1 Cup Cranberries
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Mix together greek yogurt and egg in a small bowl . Set aside.
- In a large bowl, mix dry ingredients: whole wheat flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda.
- Cut butter into flour mixture until mixture resembles coarse peas.
- Mix in in the zest of 1 lemon, maple syrup, cranberries.
- Add yogurt mixture and stir until a soft dough forms. Knead about 10 times. Form dough into two balls and pat into circles approximately 3/4-1″ thick.
- Cut each circle into 6 pieces using a pizza cutter. Place the scones on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 15-20 Minutes until lightly browned and cooked through.
Notes
Nutrition
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Can’t wait to try out this recipe, Josten!