Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Banana Scones

Whole wheat chocolate banana scones are a healthier version of a buttery and flaky scone that cuts the calories without sacrificing flavor or texture.

 
In all the spices and extracts I could merge together when baking, I often return to the same combination: chocolate chips and banana.

Part of this stems from my very typical feminine fondness of chocolate, especially dark chocolate. Seldom do I chose another flavor over chocolate, unless we’re talking a really good carrot cake or a melt-in-your-mouth pumpkin dessert. (Tangential question: what is it with my palate and all things orange? Sweet potatoes, pumpkin, butternut and acorn squash, and carrots – I crave them all.) The only sweet flavor that trumps chocolate is chocolate combined with fruit such as strawberries, pumpkin, or banana.

In a family of three runners (Charlie is quite the endurance monster), bananas are consumed at a rapid rate. Well, Charlie turns his nose up at bananas, so it’s only two of us eating an alarming amount of bananas. On the rare occasion that a banana actually develops that brown speckled skin that indicates a sweet and soft interior, I jump at the opportunity to bake it into something.

So, of course, when one lonely banana became too ripe for regular consumption, I immediately concocted this recipe.

What do you do with one overripe banana? You certainly cannot make banana bread or banana muffins. I had no cocoa powder on hand to make brownies, and banana cookies just did not sound exciting. So what did I do? I sent out a quick text to consulting my official taste tester, aka Ryan.

One of Ryan’s favorite baked goods is scones. While I’m personally more of a muffin fan, I do appreciate the flakiness of a good scone. These whole wheat chocolate banana scones are the perfect compromise for us: scones for muffins lovers. They are flaky but also fluffy and they melt in your mouth but are also slightly chewy.

As I often attempt in my baking, I healthified these scones a bit. Whole wheat flour and rolled oats in place of all-purpose flour adds fiber and prevents a sugar crash. The banana replaces some of the fat while contributing some potassium. I left off a saccharine glaze in order to lower the amount of sugar. These whole wheat chocolate chip banana scones are a treat, but not a treat that will leave you feeling lethargic and puffy later in the day.

Whenever I bake scones, I am consistently surprised at how easy they are to make. I expect them to be time-consuming, like croissants, or messy, like danishes. Scones actually are no more difficult to bake than muffins or cookies. If you encounter issues like the dough getting too soft, a quick chill in the freezer will set everything right again, since the butter must be chilled through the baking process.

Here’s tip to make baking scones easier: use a cheese grater or vegetable peeler to grate your butter. This creates the thin flakes of butter needed to create the flaky texture of the scones and decreases the amount of time you need to spend crumbling the butter into the dry ingredients. 

Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Banana Scones

Laura Norris

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 12 minutes mins

Servings 8

Ingredients

  

• 1-1/4 cup whole wheat flour + extra for rolling
• 1/3 cup rolled oats
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/3 cup brown sugar*
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 large banana mashed
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips

Instructions

 

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
• In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, oats, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and brown sugar.
• Grate the butter into the dry ingredients and use your fingers to combine until the butter forms coarse crumbs. If the butter gets too soft, quickly pop in the freezer for 1-2 minutes and then resume.
• Make a well in the center of the mixture and add the mashed banana and milk. Mix with a wooden spoon until it forms a dough. If the dough is too dry, add more milk one teaspoon at a time. If the dough is too wet, add more flour one teaspoon at a time.
• Stir in the chocolate chips into the dough.
• Lightly flour a clean work surface and roll the dough out to an 8-inch circle. Cut into 8 wedges and place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
• Bake for 10-12 minutes until golden brown, and enjoy!

Notes

*If you want a less sweet scone, reduce the sugar to 1/4 cup.

These scones are best enjoyed with a cup of coffee or hot tea as breakfast or an afternoon treat! Store in an airtight container to prevent any excess moisture from softening them. 

[Tweet “Enjoy a healthy treat: whole wheat chocolate chip banana scones from @thisrunrecipes #fitfluential #eattorun”]

Questions of the Day:
What’s your favorite flavor combination in desserts?
Scones or muffins? 

Summary

Recipe Name

Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Banana Scones

Published On

2015-06-12

Preparation Time

0H10M

Cook Time

0H12M

Total Time

0H22M