Superfood Scones
Light, flaky whole-wheat pastry and antioxidant-loaded superfoods – such as hemp, cacao nibs and pecans – make this a healthy alternative to a baked good from your local coffee shop.
Heading out the door? Read this article on the new Outside+ app available now on iOS devices for members! Download the app.

Love baking? Find healthy muffin recipes here!
Ingredients
- 1½ cups whole-wheat pastry flour or spelt flour + additional for dusting
- 1½ tsp baking powder
- 3/4 tsp orange zest
- 3/8 tsp (1/4 + 1/8 tsp) baking soda (TRY: Bob’s Red Mill Baking Soda)
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 6 tbsp cold organic unsalted butter (TIP: Keep in fridge until ready to use)
- 1/2 cup unsweetened raisins or currants
- 1/4 cup chopped unsalted pecans
- 1/4 cup raw cacao nibs (or use 1/4 cup dark chocolate chunks and reduce maple syrup to 2 tbsp)
- 2 tbsp hemp hearts
- 1/2 cup cold buttermilk + additional as needed
- 2½ tbsp pure maple syrup (preferably Grade A)
- 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
Preparation
- Preheat oven to 450°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, orange zest, baking soda and salt. Cut butter into pieces and use a pastry cutter or your fingertips to work butter into flour mixture, making a coarse meal with a few larger chunks.
- Add raisins, pecans, cacao nibs and hemp hearts to bowl and stir to combine.
- In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together buttermilk, maple syrup and vanilla. Slowly add buttermilk mixture to flour-butter mixture, stirring to combine, just until mixture begins to form clumps. (Note: If any dry flour remains, add more buttermilk as necessary, 1 tbsp at a time, until flour is incorporated.)
- Transfer mixture to baking sheet. Lightly dust your hands with flour and gather mixture into a ball, squeezing to form a dough (it may still crumble slightly).
- Flatten dough to 1-inch thickness and fold in half. Flatten and fold once more. Gently shape into a 1-inch-thick, 6-inch-diameter round. Cut into 6 wedges, then arrange them 1/2 inch apart. (Alternatively, shape into a rectangle and cut into squares.)
- Brush tops with buttermilk. Bake scones until puffed, golden brown on top, and hollow-sounding when tapped on bottoms, 15 to 18 minutes. Let cool slightly on a wire rack.
Nutrition Information
- Serving Size 1 scone
- Calories 377
- Carbohydrate Content 44 g
- Cholesterol Content 33 mg
- Fat Content 20 g
- Fiber Content 9 g
- Protein Content 6 g
- Saturated Fat Content 9 g
- Sodium Content 281 mg
- Sugar Content 20 g
- Monounsaturated Fat Content 6 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat Content 3 g