When I was a kid, I used to love going shopping with my mom.

And when I say shopping, I mean grocery shopping.

My sisters and I would always try to convince my mom to bring us to Fresh Market, a fancy “health/foreign” food store near our house. Of course, at age 6, 8, and 10 we weren’t exactly health freaks. What we were was hungry for treats!

Fresh Market had this cute little “club” called the “Cookie Club” that you could join as a kid, then receive free cookies each time your parents shopped there. So, naturally, we signed right up the minute we were privy to this.

Like most other grocery stores, Fresh Market had their “cookie” section in the midst of a huge section of baked goods, treats, and pastries. And every time my mom and I went there, even though we could’ve simply gotten a cookie or two for free, we ended up purchasing the fresh-baked scones.

Oh my Lord, these scones were phenomenal. I’m pretty sure we ended up trying almost every single one through the years, from their blueberry sprinkled with sugar in the raw, to their tart cranberry. And there my scone obsession began.

I’ve actually attempted to make healthy scones a few times, but in the past it’s always been a bust. From hard-as-a-rock scones to just plain tasteless ones, I’ve had next to no success. Until these, of course!

The secret to these babies is the flour. Not too much, but just enough to give the scones that scone-like consistency. Not to mention, I used both whole wheat and almond flour, getting in both those whole grains and healthy fats. I also chose to use coconut sugar for a bit of a brown-sugary undertone, and topped it off with banana and walnuts, creating a taste similar to a banana-nut muffin but much lighter. In fact, unlike a banana nut muffin, the taste is so far from overpowering that it a scone can easily be transformed into a decadent Strawberry Shortcake! (Check back next week for the recipe! ;))

Of course, per usual this Skinny Sweet Treats recipe is customizable! So if you’d prefer a scone with a bit less of a banana-taste, you can easily substitute applesauce and replace the walnuts with cranberries, dried blueberries, or any other ingredient of your choice!

Well, it looks like Fresh Market may be losing a customer today, because I’ll definitely be making my own scones from now on! 😉

Whole Wheat Cinnamon Scones

• 3 c whole wheat flour
• 1 c almond flour
•  1/4 c coconut sugar
• 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 c almond milk
• 3/4 c (6 oz) vanilla coconut milk yogurt
• 2 tbs coconut oil
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1 large banana, mashed (or about 1/3 c applesauce)
• 1/2 c chopped walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 425°F. Combine melted coconut oil and coconut sugar in a large bowl. Add milk, yogurt, vanilla extract, and cinnamon and stir until smooth. Add mashed banana. Pour in flours, baking powder, and baking soda. Fold in walnuts if desired. Once fully combined, remove from the bowl and place batter on a lightly floured surface. Kneed until no longer sticky (may have to add additional flour), then roll into a long strip, about 1 in thick. Cut into fourths. Kneed each portion into a large circle, then cut into 6 triangles. Place on a lightly greased cookie sheet and sprinkle with sugar in the raw (optional). Bake for 11-13 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove and enjoy!

Nutrition Information (from myfitnesspal.com)

Calories: 105

Fat: 5g

Carbs: 14g

Protein: 3g

(Yields 28 scones)

Nutrition information includes walnuts. Not including walnuts, it is as follows: 91 calories, 4g fat, 13g carbs, 3g protein. Nutrition information also doesn’t include any extra flour used when kneading, since this may vary.