The end of summer means many things, but the decline of berries usually causes hoarding by the pint—or the flat. Take a berry-picking trip to Sauvie Island, and you will likely find your laps overflowing with beautiful, plump blueberries that more than any one family can handle. Berries can easily become a finger-licking pie able to induce a week-long sugar high, or you could try a blueberry treat that leans toward the healthier side of blueberry nirvana.
Blueberries themselves are low in calories and high in antioxidants, so most berry lovers have no problem piling on blueberries to morning oats or in pancakes. WebMD calls blueberries a “Superfood” for their ability to lower your risk of heart disease and cancer and decrease your cholesterol level, all without a drop of artificial anything. For many, the real tipping point to delicious-but-less-nutritious comes with the addition of refined sugar and processed flour.
Breakfast items have become an anytime meal or snack these pandemic days, so here is a scone fit for all blueberry lovers concerned with sugar or carbohydrate overload. You will hardly miss that blueberry pie after taking three bites of these Blueberry Whole Grain Scones filled with plum and juicy blues.
These scones are easy to make and have many possibilities for substitutions. They are already dairy free and can be made nut-free. The raw scones can be frozen and baked as you need them, and already-baked scones can be kept at room temperature 2-3 days and refreshed in the toaster. You can also make the scones the night before and bake them fresh in the morning.
Blueberry Whole Grain Scones
Makes 8 3-inch scones
1 1/2 cup oat flour (I make my own by grinding in my food processor or spice grinder, and I like to grind it more coarse than store-bought, more similar to the grind on cornmeal as opposed to a powder)
1 cup whole wheat flour (Bob’s Redmill works great!)
1 cup spelt flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt (Diamond Kosher)
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/3 cup coconut oil, melted
1/4 cup peanut butter, almond butter, cashew butter, sunflower butter, or tahini
3-4 tablespoons nut milk or oat milk (I used almond)
2+ cups blueberries
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, combine the first six ingredients. Melt coconut oil in a sauce pot and then stir in maple syrup, nut butter, and milk. Make a well in dry ingredients and pour in the wet ingredients. Stir until just beginning to incorporate, add blueberries and stir until the mixture can be clumped together but seems a bit crumbly. Let dough rest five minutes. Prepare a cutting board or other flat work surface with a sprinkle of flour. After the five minutes, turn the dough out onto a floured surface and dust the top with flour. Shape into a flat circle by patting and turning the dough to make it come together like a big pancake, about 1/2-3/4” thickness. You can use a 3-inch biscuit cutter to cut, or just use a floured 1 cup measuring cup. Punch close together without overlapping, and reform scraps until all the scones are punched out. Scones do not really spread during baking, but do not have them touching for the bake. Bake on a Silpat or parchment-lined sheet tray for 20-22 minutes, until just set and bottoms are golden brown.