Coconut Scones

After my holiday in Hawaii, I drifted into island time. Without a salty ocean to wade into or a sandy beach to sip cocktails on, I opted for hot showers and drinking sweet, red wine in front of the television. After the sunshine and shaved ice, it was hard to go back to a reality full of work, workouts, and cooking my own dinner. I held onto island time much longer than I should have, trying to convince myself that it was okay to pretend I was on vacation when I clearly wasn't. I was putting off work, eating poorly, and didn't set foot into the gym for months.

Eventually even I realized these bad habits needed to change.

I set myself back to a proper work schedule. I completed a month long vegan challenge to jump start a healthier diet. Finally, after avoiding it for too long, I gathered up my courage and faced the gym this afternoon.

Before I caught island time fever, I prided myself on the fact that I regularly made it to the gym five or six hours a week. I was a fixture in the mornings, taking cycling classes and toning through weight lifting. For the first time in my life, the muscles in my biceps couldn't be crushed flat by a set of strong hands. I had calf muscles that surpassed those of my ballerina sister who can dance on the tips of her toes. I could even visibly flex my back muscles. I was proud of the sweat that dripped down my face and the results I achieved.

Then, I threw it all away.

I hesitantly walked into the gym this afternoon. The building rests only a couple blocks from where I live now, making it all the more shameful I haven't set foot in one since I moved. I got a membership to bribe myself into regular attendance and headed off to my first class in three solid months—circuit training. There were four of us in the class and it became blatantly obvious that I was having a hard time keeping up. Weights I used effortlessly just months before, suddenly felt like lead bricks in my hands. I was more than half a beat behind in my jumping jacks and I couldn't jump rope to save my life. In hindsight, I really should have chosen a yoga class.

I slowly walked back home with a proverbial tail between my legs, my muscles wobbling like a bowl full of Jello. The "truths" I had been telling myself (You're still in shape! You didn't get winded walking up that flight of stairs, it must have been from the heat) unequivocally became lies. Luckily, it's never too late to head back to the gym and fix the ails of neglect (which I'll do right after I make another batch of these scones).

These coconut scones are a delicate, subtle way to begin the day. These scones are a triple coconut threat, holding coconut oil, coconut milk, and coconut flakes in their flaked layers. The scones are dairy/egg-free, but you'd never guess it. The finished scones are glazed in a sweet coconut glaze before serving, which adds just the right amount of sweetness. This is my new favorite breakfast sweet and may be the best scone recipe I've shared with you.

One Year Ago: Black Bean Salsa
Two Years Ago: Chocolate Chip Raisin Oatmeal Cookies (sugar-free!)

Coconut Scones with Coconut Glaze

Yields 8 scones

Coconut Scones
1 cup (125 grams) all-purpose flour
1/2 cup (60 grams) whole wheat flour
1/4 cup (56 grams) granulated sugar
2 tablespoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup coconut oil (solid state, not liquid)
1 cup sweetened coconut flakes
3/4 cup (175 ml) coconut milk

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flours, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Cut in the solid coconut oil with a pastry blender (or your fingers) until the mixture resembles coarse sand. Stir in the coconut flakes and coconut milk until the mixture comes together.

Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface and form into a disk roughly 1-inch thick. Cut the dough into 8 pie shaped wedges and move to a baking sheet. Bake for 16-18 minutes, or until the edges barely take on color. Allow scones to cool completely before glazing.

Coconut Glaze
1/2 cup (62 grams) powdered sugar
1 tablespoon coconut milk

In a small bowl, stir together the powdered sugar and coconut milk. Using a spoon, drizzle glaze over cooled scones. Allow a few minutes for the glaze to set before serving.

The glazed scones also freeze well in an air-tight container. Allow scones to come to room temperature before serving.

Comments

[Becca - Cookie Jar Treats]

I know what you mean about getting out of rhythm. I haven't been to the gym since December (I ended up asking my dad to cancle the gym membership I have) and although I eat /pretty/ healthy, I think I could improve. I probably eat too many sweets ;) But I do on occassion "work out" (mostly just little exercises like faux push-ups, jumping jacks, squats, etc).

These scones look terrific. I recently ate something that made me realize I kind of like coconut, so this is an exciting recipe for me :)

[Sarah @ Will Run for Pasta]

Those scones look amazing, I love all things coconut! Except coconut water which tastes nothing like coconut :D I started working out and running again this past month and it's been hard. I just found out about the Red Faced Runners 5K Challenge, have you seen it? Food Bloggers + a 5K = totally awesome, http://www.redfacedrunners.com :)

[Katrina @ Warm Vanilla Sugar]

Now these are just pretty!

[Amanda]

I cannot wait to try these!!!

[TK]

I know how you feel. A few months ago, I was such a fixture in the gym that everyone knew me by name. I was in fantastic shape - 5'3" and 105 pounds and I could lift heavy weights, run for miles, do yoga, you name it. I cooked from scratch every night and I made my own jams, pickles, you name it. Then a bunch of people in my office quit, and then we got a lot of large projects. After working 90 hours a week and pulling several all nighters each week, I told myself I didn't have the time or energy to go to the gym or even to cook, and that I "deserved" that cookie or brownie. Well, I don't have to tell you how that ended up. Frankly, it's scary to face the music and admit the damage I've been doing to my body, but I need to focus on myself and being healthy again.

[Brie]

If you don't have whole wheat flour can you just use 1.5 cups regular or will that negatively affect the texture in some way?

[Kristin Rosenau]

Brie-- You can use all 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour. I added a little whole wheat flour for a healthier take, but using all-purpose will taste just as good!

[Sara]

I LOVE that these call for coconut oil! I'm currently trying the Paleo diet for 30 days (on day 2), and it's a staple in the cooking. Do you think that I could substitute almond or coconut flour for the all-purpose and wheat? Really want to try these!!

[Kristin Rosenau]

Sara-- Yes, you can, but you'll need to do a little math with conversions between flours on your own. Just remember that 1 cup almond/coconut flour does not necessarily equal 1 cup all-purpose flour.

[Bridgid]

This recipe looks amazing! Just one question - by coconut milk, do you mean the kind that comes in a can (with oodles of fat and deliciousness), or the kind they sell in the refrigerated section, next to the other faux "milks"?

:)

Thanks for the recipe!

[Kristin Rosenau]

Bridgid-- I do mean the kind that comes from a can--you can find it in the baking section.

[Mary Dailey]

Man, would I like to lock a lip on some of these!

[Anne]

Kristen, I made these scones last night and they were great!! I am dairy intolerant and LOVE that these were dairy free!! I can't wait to try your other recipes! - Anne

[Josie]

Looking forward to trying your recipe as soon as it's cooler here in Toronto. Thanks for sharing!

[Carin]

Never made scones before but this recipe seemed so tasty I ventured a try. So glad I did, wow! Made them mini size by making 4 discs of the dough and dividing by 6. Baked at same temp for 12 minutes instead and they turned out wonderful. This is going into regular treat baking rotation, thanks :D

[nandini]

these look AMAZING!!! cant wait to try them... i just have one question, i live in india and its hot here! coconut oil does not stay soild here.. unless i put it in the fridge.. is it okay to use cold coconut oil?

[Kristin Rosenau]

Nandini-- That happens to me too! I popped mine in the freezer for ~15 minutes until it turned solid. Be careful when cooling down the oil, however. If it gets too cold, it turns into a rock and you'll have to wait for it to warm up again before you can use it.

[Julia {The Roasted Root}]

Your scones look delicious! I love coconut and would definitely try this recipe. Have you tried it using coconut flour before? Hope you had a great weekend!

[Misa]

These scones were fantastic! Great texture and wonderful for my love of coconut!!! Thanks for the post!

[Sam]

I just made these and they are dee-lish! I wish my glaze turned out as white as yours, it was kind of just clear...other than that it was great. Thanks!

[Brigitte]

What a great recipe! I'm a coconut oil fanatic, I usually substitute the butter with coconut oil. These scones are amazing! I made them with all purpose gluten free flour, and honey instead of granulated sugar. Definitely a winning recipe! Thanks so much for sharing it!!

[Mary]

Hi! I'm going to try these and am wondering about the baking powder amount - is it 2 TB or teaspoons? Thanks!

[Kristin Rosenau]

Mary-- The recipe does call for two tablespoons. This helps the scones rise substantially.

[Sharon]

Hi! They look amazing. I would love to add some chocolate chips to the recipe. Any suggestions?

[Kristin Rosenau]

Sharon-- Just throw in a handful or two! Anywhere between 1/2 cup and 1 cup should be good, depending on how much chocolate you would prefer.

[Nansy]

Each time I go on your blog, I end up on this post because I have wanted to make this ever since you first uploaded it! However, I can't get my hands on coconut oil. Do you know of any alternatives? Thanks Kristin!

[Kristin Rosenau]

Nansy-- Coconut oil can be found in most grocery stores next to the olive and vegetable oils (Walmart also carries it). It's also in most, if not all, health food stores. If you simply cannot find it, you can use butter in the same proportion instead.

[Yoko]

Thank you for sharing your recipe! I have two questions to ask: First, Can I substitute 1 tablespoon of those 2 tablespoons of baking powder with 1 tablespoon of baking soda? Secondly, Can I use cake flour instead of all-purpose flour? Thank you for your advise!

[Susan]

I used all white flour as I had no whole wheat on hand but otherwise followed the recipe. Scrumptious. I also used light
coconut milk from a can and it turned out just fine although it may have been a tad yummier with the regular stuff. Nevertheless they came out great.