Clean Almond Joy Scones {Recipe Video!} | Amy's Healthy Baking (2025)

Tender scones with the same almond, coconut & chocolate flavors as the popular candy bar. But they’re much healthier with no refined sugar or artificial ingredients!


Two weekends ago while visiting my parents, my mom came home from running errands with a gleam in her eye. “Want to go to an open house?” she asked excitedly.

“No way—it’s open today??” came my surprised response.

“Yes!” Mom exclaimed, and two minutes later, I sat buckled into the passenger seat of her car as she eased back down the driveway.

As she navigated across town, I started thinking out loud. “It’s been so long—I almost don’t know if I want to see it… I’m getting nervous… Kind of like those first-date butterflies in my stomach!”

Mom nodded, slowly pulled to a stop against the curb in a residential neighborhood, and glanced over at me. “Are you sure you want to go?”

I took a deep breath and exhaled. “Yes, I’m sure.”

So we climbed out of the car and walked across the street…


To the house I grew up in.

As the first owners of that modest house, my parents bought it a few years before I was born, but the summer I turned 10, my family moved across town to a larger home with a spacious backyard on a quieter cul-de-sac. With ample space for kids and dogs to run around—plus a detached workshop for my dad’s woodworking hobby—none of us ever regretted moving.

But part of me still wanted to return, to see what the second owners had done to my childhood room with the pastel pink bows Mom had painted around the ceiling, to walk around the backyard with the deck Dad had built, to stand in the kitchen where I baked my first batch of muffins all by myself…


And miraculously, nearly everything still looked the same. The brick fireplace, the carpeted stairs and banisters, the tiny bedrooms, the special kitchen cabinets crafts by Dad. But the second owners had still redone a few things, like updating the kitchen appliances and adding in a laminate hardwood floor.

Mom and I wandered around, soaking in the familiar parts and new twists, all while taking pictures to show my dad and brother when we returned. As we walked down the driveway and turned around for one last glance, we both agreed—we were glad we went!


Similar to what happened to my childhood home, I gave a familiar flavor profile an updated twist: I turned candy bars into a healthy breakfast! These Clean Almond Joy Scones have the same nutty, coconutty, chocolaty taste as their namesake but none of the refined sugar or artificial ingredients. Besides, who can resist chocolate for breakfast??

To make these pastries clean eating friendly, I added in white whole wheat flourinstead of all-purpose. It has a lighter texture compared to regular whole wheat flour and a more subtle wheaty taste. However, both regular and whole wheat pastry flour would both work if you don’t usually buy the white version.


Instead of sugar, these scones are sweetened with maple syrup! The real, pure kind—not the artificial stuff sold in squeeze bottles. Only the best of the best, straight from the trees, for these scones! Since I prefer my scones on the not-so-sweet side (no need to induce cavities at breakfast!), we only need a few tablespoons. Honey or agave work too; just use whatever you usually have on hand.

Although most scones are rather indulgent and laden with butter and heavy cream, this healthier recipe only uses 2 tablespoons of butter! The rest of their tender texture comes from my secret weapon: Greek yogurt. Greek yogurt adds all of the moisture of butter for a fraction of the calories, and it gives the scones a little protein boost too!


And now for the most important part… The candy bar flavor! We’ll use almond extract for the nutty flavor, shredded unsweetened coconut, and lots of mini chocolate chips. I prefer more chocolate than coconut (it’s why I’m writing a chocolate cookbook!), but feel free to tweak the amounts of each to suit your tastes.

Want to see how it all comes together? Then watch my short video!

Now who’s hungry for breakfast?

Clean Almond Joy Scones

5.0 from 1 reviews

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Yields: 8 scones

These tender scones have the same flavor as the popular candy bar—but none of the refined sugar or artificial ingredients! Store any leftovers in an airtight container on the counter for up to 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

  1. Preheat the oven to 425°F, and line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and coconut. Cut in the butter with a pastry cutter 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, and almond extract. Fold in 1½ tablespoons of chocolate chips.
  3. 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 into the tops. Bake at 425°F for 17-20 minutes, or until the tops are lightly golden. Cool on the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.

Notes: Regular whole wheat flour, whole wheat pastry flour, and all-purpose flour may all be substituted.

For a gluten-free version, I recommend the following blend: 1 cup (120g) millet flour, ¼ cup (30g) tapioca flour, ¼ cup (30g) brown rice flour, and 1 teaspoon xanthan gum.

Honey or agave may be substituted in place of the pure maple syrup.

{clean eating, gluten-free, low fat, low calorie}

View Nutrition Information

You may also like…

Clean Chocolate Chip Scones

Almond Joy Oatmeal Cookies

Skinny Almond Joy Frappuccino

More chocolate scone recipes from other food bloggers…
Mint Chip Scones by Crazy for Crust
Triple Chocolate Scones by Inside BruCrew Life
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Scones by Chelsea’s Messy Apron
Balsamic Cherry Dark Chocolate Scones by Running to the Kitchen

Clean Almond Joy Scones {Recipe Video!} | Amy's Healthy Baking (2025)

FAQs

Why do you put baking soda in scones? ›

Baking soda reacts with acidic ingredients, creating lift when the acid is introduced.

Should scones be brushed with milk before baking? ›

Prepare scones for baking

For best browning, brush rounds (or drop scones) with milk or cream before baking. For added crunch and flavor, top with sugar (granulated, turbinado, or sparkling) or cinnamon-sugar. Cut each round into 6 or 8 wedges; a bench knife works well here.

Why do you rest scones before baking? ›

The explanation is simple: As with other doughs, including pizza dough, resting lets scone dough's gluten relax completely, so that it doesn't snap back during shaping or baking.

What do you brush scones with before baking? ›

Brush scones with remaining heavy cream and for extra crunch, sprinkle with coarse sugar. (You can do this before or after refrigerating in the next step.) Place scones on a plate or lined baking sheet (if your fridge has space!) and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400°F (204°C).

What happens if you put too much baking soda in scones? ›

Too much baking soda will result in a soapy taste with a coarse, open crumb.

Which flour is best for scones? ›

Cake flour is finer and lower in protein, which makes lighter and fluffier scones. If you don't have any on hand, a simple blend of all-purpose flour and a bit of cornstarch makes a great substitute. Simply whisk together 1¾ cups all-purpose flour and ¼ cup cornstarch.

Is buttermilk or heavy cream better for scones? ›

You could use buttermilk instead of heavy cream in this recipe if you prefer. Its acid reacts with the baking powder to keep the dough tender. But since we use heavy cream and an egg, this dough is richer than traditional biscuit dough and doesn't need much tenderizing.

How long should you rest scones before baking? ›

Recipes for scones sometimes provide a make-ahead option that involves refrigerating the dough overnight so it can simply be shaped and then popped into the oven the next day. But now we've found that resting the dough overnight has another benefit: It makes for more symmetrical and attractive pastries.

Should you chill scone dough before baking? ›

Keep scones cold before putting them in the oven: For best results, chill the mixture in the fridge before baking, this will help to stiffen up the butter again, which will stop your scones from slumping as soon as they hit the oven's heat.

How do you make scones rise higher? ›

Much like cinnamon rolls, arranging your scones side by side, just touching one another, helps in making the scones rise evenly, and higher. Since the heat causes the scones to rise, if they are placed side by side, the scones will be forced to rise upwards, not outwards.

Should scones be cold before baking? ›

To nail a pillowy texture in any scone, the ingredients (and especially the fats) need to be cold. Typically, that means pulling elements like eggs, butter, and other dairy (cream, buttermilk, sour cream, or crème fraîche) from the refrigerator only just before baking.

Why do you mix scones with a knife? ›

Why should you stir batter for scones with a knife and not a spoon? You aren't stirring it, you're cutting the butter into the flour to coat, or shorten, the gluten strands with fat. This makes your scones tender.

How thick should scone dough be? ›

It is far better that the scone mixture is on the wet side, sticking to your fingers, as the scones will rise better. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and flatten it out with your hand, or use a rolling pin, to a thickness of 1-2 cm (1/2 – ¾ inch).

What does egg wash do to scones? ›

Egg washes are used to brush on pastries, breads, pie crusts, biscuits, scones and more before baking them so they bake up with a beautiful, bright, golden brown finish.

What happens if you don't put baking powder in scones? ›

I didn't use baking powder in the scones I made yesterday and they were light and fluffy but I did use self raising flour. If you used plain flour they might be a bit biscuity! They'll still taste good but might be thin.

Does baking soda make scones rise? ›

The two come in combination as bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) is an alkaline and needs the addition of an acid, such as cream of tartar, to create the carbon dioxide that causes the scones to rise.

What is the best raising agent for scones and why? ›

A mixture of bicarbonate of soda and cream of tartar, or baking powder (which is a ready paired mixture of the two) are used as the raising agent in scones.

What makes scones rise best? ›

How to make scones rise high? Once you've cut out your scone shapes, flip them over and place upside down on the baking tray. This will help them rise evenly and counteract any 'squashing' that happened when you cut out the dough. Perfect scones should rise to about 2 inches high.

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