There’s not much I love more than rich and buttery scones, but this version of Whole Wheat Cranberry Scones is a nice, healthy alternative when the craving strikes.
If you’re looking to lighten things up this holiday season, these scones might be a good place to start. They’re made with less butter than a classic recipe for scones, and they’re made with low fat buttermilk in place of cream. Whole wheat cranberry scones are dusted with powdered sugar, but you can always add a sweet glaze if you prefer more of a sweet topping.
These scones are made with a combination of white and whole wheat flour. The combination is perfect. I wouldn’t try making them with all whole wheat flour as they’ll come out too dense, and the flavor won’t be ideal.
How to make Whole Wheat Cranberry Scones:
Whisk together the dry ingredients, and then cut in cold butter until the mixture is crumbly (similar to the way you make pie crust). Then you’ll mix in dried cranberries and orange zest… then egg and buttermilk. You’ll handle the dough ingredients gently by stirring the ingredients together with a fork. Next you’ll gather the dough into a ball, pat it into a circle and place it on a baking sheet lined with parchment.
The circle of dough is cut into wedges, just like a pie. You won’t pull the wedges apart- just leave them be. And then you’ll bake it for 20 minutes. After baking, you’ll sprinkle with powdered sugar and then take a serrated knife and slice the scones into individual wedges.
Topping for these scones:
There’s a simple dusting of powdered sugar on these scones to keep them very light. If you’d like to sweeten things up, you can add a glaze to the tops of the scones. In a medium bowl, whisk together one cup of powdered sugar with 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract and 1 1/2 tablespoons of milk. Drizzle the vanilla glaze on top of the scones and let them sit until the glaze has firmed up a bit.
If you’re following Weight Watchers WW plan, they’re a bit of a splurge… but they’re do-able! You’ll find a link to the WW Points on the recipe card below. With so many indulgent things around us during the holidays, it’s nice to have a slight reprieve from all of the guilt. That being said, I do prefer to add the icing option to the top of these!! But that’s part of my sugar addiction, I guess. Happy holidays, and enjoy!
Here are a few more recipes for scones you might like to try:
- Double Orange Scones with Orange Butter
- Blueberry Lemon Scones
- Copycat Starbucks Vanilla Bean Scones
- Chocolate Chip Scones
- Strawberry Buttermilk Scones
- Fresh Peach Scones
- Cranberry Orange Scones
- Snickerdoodle Scones
Whole Wheat Cranberry Scones
Ingredients
- 1⅓ cups all purpose flour
- ⅔ cup whole wheat flour
- ¼ cup granulated white sugar
- 2½ teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons cold butter, cut into small pieces
- ½ cup dried cranberries
- 2 teaspoons grated orange zest
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- ¾ cup lowfat buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients (through salt). Cut in the butter with a pastry blender until the mixture is crumbly (or use clean fingers to work it together). Add the cranberries and orange zest and stir with a fork. Add the egg and buttermilk and stir with a fork until the dry ingredients are just moistened.
- Gather the dough into a ball and place on the baking sheet. Pat into a 7-inch circle. Cut into 8 wedges with a knife dipped in flour. Do not separate the wedges.
- Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a baking rack to let cool. Sprinkle with powdered sugar while still warm. Cut through the wedges with a serrated knife and serve.
Notes
- If you'd like to sweeten things up, you can add a glaze to the tops of the scones. In a medium bowl, whisk together one cup of powdered sugar with ½ teaspoon vanilla extract and 1½ tablespoons of milk. Drizzle the vanilla glaze on top of the scones and let them sit until the glaze has firmed up a bit.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
