Pumpkin Spice Protein Scones

Fall is in the air!
I love opening all of the doors and windows in the morning to let in the cool air that I have dearly missed. There’s just something invigorating about breathing in fresh morning air and feeling the cool breeze. I am ready for it to finally reach temperatures that justify wearing boots, scarves and vests. I was done with summer about two weeks in! But for now, I’m content with enjoying my favorite season by going a little pumpkin crazy. My sweet, patient husband has been so understanding, especially when I come back from the store with a bag full of pumpkin spice flavored everything and make a couple of pumpkin recipes every week. I married a good guy!

This week I decided to make some pumpkin scones to eat for breakfast. I took a recipe from my Weight Watchers cookbook and added a few ingredients and replaced others to achieve what I was wanting. And boy did it deliver! These scones are so moist, fluffy and delicious. I’m already looking forward to breakfast tomorrow so I can have another. My goal was to make some scones that were whole wheat/grain, low sugar, containing protein and, of course, all things pumpkin. I was very pleased with the end result! 

Pumpkin Spice Protein Scones

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup oats
1/2 cup protein powder
1/4 cup coconut sugar
1/3 cup unsweetened coconut
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp pumpkin spice
2 tsp cinnamon
4 tbsp chilled coconut oil (it should be hard)
3/4 cups unsweetened vanilla almond milk
1/2 cup pureed pumpkin
1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 375 F. Spray a round cake pan with nonstick spray.
Whisk together flour, oats, protein powder, sugar, coconut, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. With a pastry blender (or two knifes used like scissors), cut the cold coconut oil into the mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs.
Mix together the almond milk, pumpkin and vanilla extract in a small bowl. Add to flour mixture, stirring until moistened.
Transfer the dough to the round cake pan and pat down until evenly filled. Brush the dough with a little more milk using a pastry brush, then sprinkle some more sugar and coconut on top.
Bake the scones for 15-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let it cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then remove from the pan and let them cool completely on a wire rack. Cut into about 8 slices and enjoy!

**You can also add some Nestle pumpkin spice chips to the batter for an extra punch of pumpkin spice! I did and they turned out delicious.**