I really don’t write a lot on my website because:
- I’m not a writer.
- I figure you all come here for the recipes anyway.
- What’s the point? I like short and sweet. Literally.
Every now and then though, I do get the itch to write just a bit. And this recent comment on Facebook tickled my writing fancy:
I absolutely adore your recipes. I’ve been Paleo for over a year and feel/look amazing. I have to ask, though, aren’t treats such as Paleo baked goods supposed to be a very occasional treat? It seems that they’re being posted on a near daily basis.
And this was my response:
You are totally right, however I have a houseful of almost a dozen growing boys here everyday after school and they aren’t Paleo (most aren’t even gluten-free) so they get at least a Paleo treat a day –far better than the standard teenage fare of soda and chips, if you know what I mean!
Why the heck are there so many dessert and bread recipes on here? Well, it’s not that much of a challenge to come up with a Paleo chicken recipe –they’re all over the internet. Just sift through the websites of people like Martha, Ina, and Elise, and you’ll likely find some nice healthy steak and vegetable dishes as well. They’re probably gluten-free and maybe even Paleo. However, when it comes to finding baked goods that are of course treats, well, that’s not as easy, and that it is something I provide on this website –I create classic Neolithic dishes (like these Paleo Chocolate Chip Scones) that use Paleo-friendly ingredients.
Further confirming this hunch is the list of the Top 10 Most Viewed Recipes on my sidebar; just crank your eyes over a few inches to the right and take a gander at that feature. As you can see, folks look at, and I assume therefore want, baked goods. And so I am pretty much always testing something, and thankfully, the hordes of boys that come to my house after school take pleasure in eating the items that I am continuously testing.
And now back to our regular programming:
Paleo Chocolate Chip Scones
Ingredients
- ½ cup coconut flour
- ¼ teaspoon celtic sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ cup palm shortening
- ¼ cup honey
- 4 large eggs
- ½ cup chocolate chips, coarsely chopped, about 3 ounces
Instructions
- In a food processor, combine coconut flour, salt and baking soda
- Pulse in shortening, honey and eggs
- Stir in chopped chocolate by hand
- Scoop batter onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet
- Bake at 350°F for 10-14 minutes
- Cool and serve
These gluten-free, dairy-free Chocolate Chip Scones are made from coconut flour. So no, the measurement of 1/2 cup of flour is not a typo (I get this question on just about every recipe on my website that uses coconut flour). Coconut flour is unique in that just a little bit goes a long way.
On another culinary note, I want to point out that coconut flour is quite light and fluffy –great for cakes and muffins. So these quick and easy Paleo Chocolate Chip Scones are rather cakey and fluffy and don’t have a heavy crumb. They’re a bit different than a classic scone. They’re also nut-free which is deliberate as I’ve had more and more requests for nut-free recipes lately.
Finally, yet most importantly, I based this recipe on one from Brian Musial at mypaleodiet.net, although I’ve made a number of modifications. He has a lovely site that you may wish to peruse for other healthy Paleo recipes. Enjoy the scones and thanks for listening.
Peace out,
Elana
Sam says
Ha, I love this article! I find eating paleo a breeze most of the time as I was brought up in the country where dinner was always meat and vegetables or a variation of. But what I do struggle with is my love of baked goods and breakfast cereal and that’s why I love visiting your site so much. Without your ‘treats’ I would go out of my mind. Thank you.
Kelli says
Elena,
Having had only 3 boys of my own who regularly had a buddy or two in tow, I can’t imagine feeding as many as you do!!! I especially appreciate all the treat recipes for the very reason’s you yourself stated. Boys need plenty of “filler food” (as my Husband calls it) and finding healthy versions that aren’t empty carbs is almost impossible not to mention ridiculously expensive.
Thanks again, you are a lifesaver indeed!!
leah says
I just made these scones and substituted palm shortening for the vegan shortening and had to cook the scones for maybe 5 minutes longer and they are to die for. Light, fluffy, sweet, delicious. Delicious with some nice cold water or milk. Thanks Elena. I love your recipes.
Sandra says
I substituted coconut oil for the vegan shortening, and the scones turned out perfectly. Had to bake them a couple of minutes longer, probably because we are in high altitude. No wait, we’re just 10 miles from Elana … so maybe it’s just my oven.
My 7-year-old daughter is eating one of the scones for dessert right now (I made them for breakfast for tomorrow morning, but she couldn’t wait). She is loving it.
Cynthia says
These are great! I used Earth Balance’s Coconut Spread in place of the shortening because it is what I had. They came out great. Definitely a keeper for me. Thanks for sharing them.
Kim says
I can’t wait to try this! I tried your paleo breakfast bread and loved it… Can’t wait to try this one out in the morning! mmm!
Alexis de Onís says
Curious if there is a good alternative to palm oil shortening. Palm oil harvesting is absolutely decimating orangutans–they are close to extinct because of it.
Pam says
I have used coconut oil in place of the palm oil shortening successfully.
Jen says
I had a hankering for scones (like I do most days), but knew I wanted to experiment more with coconut flour so I was thrilled to find this recipe. I replaced the vegan shortening with lard, 3 T of Grade B maple syrup in place of the honey, and 1/3 c chopped toasted pecans in place of the chocolate chips. I like to make mini scones to pretend I’ll eat less so I used a 1/8 c measuring cup to scoop them onto my baking pan, which made 15 scones. They were done in 16-17 minutes. Delicious!
Betsy See says
I just made these and not sure what I did wrong but the batter was way too thin to “drop” on parchment paper. So I poured it into muffin tins and made muffins. My chocolate chips all fell to the bottom, but they did turn out OK.
I’d love a good scone though, any idea what I could have done wrong? I did sub the palm shortening with coconut oil. Other than that, followed this recipe to a “T”.
Thanks
Marilyn says
I had the same issue… the batter was so runny, I had to use muffin tin cups… I followed the recipe, and also live at about 5,000 ft… anyone out there w/an idea of why they were so soupy ?? Thanks.
Elana says
Hi Marilyn, thanks for sharing your concerns with this recipe. I live at 5,000 feet and develop all the recipes at this altitude. The issue with the consistency of the batter actually depends on the flours used (this recipe calls for coconut flour, almond flour will not work as a substitute) as well as the brands used when baking. Best results come from using the required ingredients as well as the recommended brands that are shown when clicking on the green text in the ingredients portion of the recipe :-)
Kelly B says
I stumbled across your site as I was searching for coconut flour recipes.
I love your recipes and I love your site.
Well done and thank you! :)