Whole-Wheat Carrot and Zucchini Spiced Scones

Quick, easy, whole-grain breakfast pastry

Happy father’s day to all of the fathers out there! Today, I wanted to surprise my dad with one of his favorite breakfast treats, scones. He usually likes savory food, but he can never pass up a fresh baked scone.

Whenever I’m home from college I have to make a double, if not triple, batch of scones for him to keep in the freezer and warm up before he heads off to the gym. Traditionally, I make him some type of berry scone, but I wanted to switch it up today and came up with this recipe for carrot and zucchini spiced scones.

These scones are 100% whole wheat and 100% delicious. I use half butter half greek yogurt to give them the biscuity texture and buttery taste while also being better for you. Instead of granulated sugar, I used a small amount of coconut sugar so that these are also refined sugar free. You can’t even tell they are whole wheat and actually kind of healthy. Another bonus, they are also super easy to whip up and can be made in less than an hour.

For a slight twist to these scones, drizzle with a glaze for a sweet dessert biscuit.

Now for the recipe:

Whole-wheat Carrot and Zucchini Spiced Scones

Yield 8 servings

Ingredients:

2 cups white whole-wheat flour

3 tbsp coconut sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 cup unsalted butter, frozen and grated

1/2 cup shredded carrots and zucchini, strained of excess liquid

1/4 cup Greek yogurt

1 large egg

1/2 cup unsweetened plain almond milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup raisins and/or toasted walnuts (optional)

Extra unsweetened plain almond milk and coconut sugar for topping (optional, but will produce a more golden brown color)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the white whole-wheat flour, coconut sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon until well combined. Add in grated butter and mix with hands until butter is evenly distributed.

3. Add in shredded carrots and zucchini and lightly mix. Form a well in the middle of the dry mixture and add in the remaining ingredients. With a fork, mix together until a dough ball begins to form, then knead the rest of the way with your hands until a ball forms. The mixture should be slightly sticky to the touch.

4. Divide dough ball into eight even portions and shape into a disk or wedge 1-inch in thickness. Place on the prepared baking sheet, brush with more milk, and sprinkle with extra sugar. Bake for 18-24 minutes, or until lightly golden brown on top. Allow to cool for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. Enjoy!

5. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 days or place in the freezer for up to 1 month.

Recipe note:

For a vegan version, replace the butter with vegan butter, the greek yogurt with greek style almond yogurt, and the egg with a flax egg. I haven't tried this version yet, so comment and let me know how it turns out!