Vegan Whole Grain Chocolate Espresso Scones with Espresso Glaze
Delicious chocolate scones filled with crunchy cacao nibs and topped with a simple espresso glaze for a heavenly chocolate & espresso flavor combo! Plus they’re made with whole wheat flour to pack in extra nutrients and fiber - but don’t worry, they’re so chocolate-y that you wouldn’t even know it!
I was never an avid fan of scones until a few years ago when a (now closed) scone shop converted me to #TeamScones. After trying out their scones, I was surprised at how great scones - which I previously thought of as hard, forgettable triangles of flour - could actually be. These chocolate espresso scones are inspired by my former fave scone from that shop, but made better because they’re vegan (I discovered these in my non-vegan days) and made with nutritious whole wheat flour! 😉
A great chocolate-y breakfast or afternoon treat and especially perfect for anyone who can’t stay away from cacao nibs (I know I can’t possibly be the only one!).
Why You’ll Love these Chocolate Espresso Scones
Chocolate-y. Imagine biting into a chocolate scone only to discover that it’s filled with bonus crunchy chocolate-y bits throughout. 🤤 These feature a double dose of chocolate - a chocolate-flavored dough with crunchy (and extra chocolate-y) cacao nibs within! Oh, and some more nibs on top too because you can never have too many!
Espresso-y/coffee-y. If there’s one thing that can make a chocolate scone even better, it’s the flavor of espresso (or coffee)! The glaze on top is reminiscent of your morning cup, and IMHO, these scones are best served alongside your favorite coffee beverage.
Soft and crunchy textures. Soft and tender on the inside, with a perfectly crisp texture on the outside. Crunchy cacao nibs throughout/on top of the scone add an extra satisfying punch.
Not too sweet. These scones have just enough sugar in the dough to balance the bitter cacao/cocoa powder, although the scone itself doesn’t taste sweet. But fear not - the glaze on top gives them that extra bit of sweetness we’re all looking for in a baked good!
Whole grain. The scones are made with 100% whole wheat flour, which is a whole grain, meaning it contains good-for-you nutrients like vitamins, fiber, and protein! And because of the chocolate-flavored base, not even the most devout white/all-purpose flour lover in your life will be able to detect the taste of those extra nutrients you just snuck in there (they’ll never know these are whole grain if you don’t tell them 😉).
Packed with fiber. Between the whole wheat flour, cacao nibs, and cacao powder, these scones contain quite a bit of fiber (over 5 grams per scone according to some quick Google math - not bad for a baked good, right?)!
Delicious & always in season. The chocolate gives these scones a richness that’s ideal now during the holidays, but they’re equally great year round since it’s a known FACT that there’s never a time when chocolate and espresso are out of season.
Ingredient Overview
Whole wheat flour. Whole wheat flour is far more nutritious than its white counterpart (containing more protein, fiber, vitamins, and antioxidants), which is why I try to incorporate it into baked goods whenever possible. But whole wheat flour isn’t always ideal for flavor (if using subtler flavors like lemon or vanilla that struggle to cut through the flavor of the whole grain), but chocolate has a bolder flavor than the whole grains, so it works here! A perfect taste + added nutrition = win-win!
Cacao (or cocoa) powder. To give the dough that chocolate flavor! I love using raw cacao powder for deeper flavor notes and a bit more nutrients, but cocoa powder also works! It’ll just be a little less bitter so your scones will turn out slightly sweeter.
Coconut palm sugar. To sweeten the scone dough just enough to balance out the bitterness from the cacao/cocoa powder.
Cacao nibs. For extra satisfying crunchy chocolate-y bits of texture. 🤤
Coconut oil. The fat source! Frozen and chopped into pea-sized pieces that will melt during baking to create little air pockets to help rise the scones up!
Dairy-free milk & apple cider vinegar. The primary liquid ingredient in these scones, non-dairy milk is mixed with apple cider vinegar to form a “buttermilk” mixture that will react with the baking soda to help the scones rise and create a more tender crumb! Don’t worry - you won’t be able to taste the vinegar since it completely reacts with the baking soda.
Applesauce. Another liquid ingredient that helps add moisture and tenderize the texture of the scones!
Baking soda, baking powder, and salt. The leaveners that help the scones rise!
Tips for Baking These Scones
Accurately measure the flour. Measuring flour in grams using a food scale will give you the best results in baking! If you don’t have one (you should invest in one - they’re inexpensive and invaluable for cooking and baking), measure the flour using the “spoon and level” method to avoid using too much flour. To do this, “fluff” the flour with a spoon to aerate it. Then, spoon the flour into a measuring cup until it overflows slightly, and use the back of a knife to “level” the excess flour off the top.
Use frozen (then chopped) coconut oil. For the best rise, use frozen pea-sized bits of coconut oil! The frozen oil pieces will create little air pockets that will make the scones rise UP instead of spreading out while baking. Science! 🤓
Avoid overmixing. Mix the dough just until all the wet and dry ingredients are combined.
Freeze the dough before baking. This ensures your dough is cold and that your coconut oil will be solid so your scones can puff UP while baking! It also avoids any overspreading.
Cool before adding the glaze. Let the scones cool for at least 15-20 minutes before spreading on the glaze.
Best when fresh. These are best when fresh (i.e. within a couple of hours of baking), so I highly recommend baking these on the same day you’ll eat them! Leftovers will keep for a day but they’ll lose some moisture and that perfect scone texture.
Whole Grain Chocolate Espresso Scones with Espresso Glaze
Vegan
Makes 8
Ingredients
Scones:
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons dairy-free plant milk (oat, cashew, etc. - I used oat)
1 ½ teaspoons apple cider vinegar
250 grams whole wheat flour (about 2 scant cups, spooned & leveled)
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons coconut palm sugar
1/4 cup cacao or cocoa powder
1/4 cup cacao nibs, plus more for topping
2 teaspoons very finely ground espresso or coffee (optional)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon fine salt
1/4 cup coconut oil measured in liquid state, then frozen*
1/4 cup applesauce
Espresso glaze:
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon + 1/2 teaspoon brewed espresso or very strong coffee, chilled
Directions
In a measuring cup or small bowl, combine the dairy-free milk and apple cider vinegar to form a “buttermilk” mix. Transfer to the fridge to set for a few minutes as you prep the rest of the ingredients.
In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients (whole wheat flour, coconut palm sugar, cacao powder, cacao nibs, finely ground espresso, baking powder, baking soda, and salt).
Remove the frozen coconut oil from the freezer and use a knife to chop it into pea-sized pieces. Add the frozen coconut oil pieces to the dry ingredients and whisk to combine.
Remove the buttermilk mix from the fridge, add the applesauce, and mix together to combine.
Add the buttermilk and applesauce mix to the dry ingredients and use a spatula to combine. At first, it will look like there isn’t enough liquid to form a dough, but keep mixing, using your hands at the very end to fully incorporate everything and form a dough, but being careful not to overmix once a dough forms.
The dough should feel completely mixed (i.e. no dry flour bits throughout) but if you’re having a hard time incorporating the ingredients, add a bit of milk (1 teaspoon at a time) and combine until you form a dough.
Transfer the dough to a flat surface and shape it into a flat disk that’s about 1-inch tall. Using a large knife, cut straight through the disk to form eight even wedges.
Separate the wedges and transfer them onto a silicone mat or parchment paper, then move them to the freezer to chill for 15-20 minutes. At this point, pre-heat the oven to 425°F.
When the oven is ready, transfer the silicone mat/parchment paper with the scones onto a metal baking sheet and place in the oven to bake. Bake until the scones are lightly browned and crisped on the outside, about 14-16 minutes (mine were perfect at 15).
Remove from oven and immediately transfer the baked scones to a baking rack to cool for 20 minutes.
As the scones are cooling, prepare your glaze. Whisk together the powdered sugar and cooled espresso/strong brewed coffee until a thick but drizzly glaze forms.
Once cooled, drizzle the glaze onto the scones and immediately top with extra cacao nibs, if desired.
Let the glaze set for a few minutes and enjoy! Best when fresh, although leftovers will keep at room temperature for a day.
*To freeze the coconut oil, measure it out while it’s in liquid state and place it in a small shallow bowl or onto a plate with edges (or any flat-ish dish that will make it easy to scoop the frozen oil out of) and transfer it to your freezer to set until completely solid. Pinch bowls work best if you have if you have them!
**To make these refined sugar-free: Omit the glaze and serve these with some vegan Nutella-style spread or your favorite fruit jam. They won’t be as espresso-y, but they’ll still be delicious!
Can’t stop thinking about those crunchy cacao nibs and sweet espresso glaze? Leave a comment below with your feedback and tag me on Instagram (@teostinykitchen) so I can see how beautiful they turned out!