Sugar Free Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Scones, with cranberries, gluten free, grain free

I'm always looking for a new fun way to skinny up a recipe. After seeing hundreds of beautiful pumpkin deserts online, and making my share of them too, I was still wanting more! I wanted a scone. A light, sweet, crispy, fluffy, grain free and sugar free scone of course. This time I used cold cooked butternut squash like butter and cut it into the grain free flours....

I was low on butter and had some leftover cubes of cooked butternut in the fridge. The squash was nice and cold, so I thought why not?
It worked awesome! The scones are tender inside and so delicious. They taste perfectly sweet thanks to the squash and a little pure stevia. The chocolate chips really take them over the top. Definitely a decadent desert or breakfast without the guilt!

Did you know there are 430 calories, 18 grams of fat, 63 carbs and only 4 grams of protein in a Starbucks Pumpkin Scone? Yikes!
These large scones come in at apx 300 calories, 19 grams of fat, 23 carbs and 7 grams of protein. Much better! Remember there's a lot of fiber in almond meal and coconut flour and that helps the net carb count. Next time I'll slice them smaller and cut the baking time. They're so rich and satisfying that I can't eat a whole one in a sitting and usually save half for later.

Are you concerned about eating nut flour? There's been a lot of controversy on the subject and I do eat all deserts, including Paleo ones, in moderation.
I don't soak my nuts, but if you have tummy troubles with nuts you might want to try soaking and drying them prior to grinding. Here's a post from my friend Adrienne at Whole New Mom on soaking nuts.
Here's another informative post from the Paleo Mom on Almond flour and if you scroll to the bottom you will see some alternative Paleo flours from nuts and seeds that would work in this recipe too.
Also I didn't add any xanthan gum or psyllium husks to the scones. I wanted to see if the squash would hold them together, but they turned out more crumbly than I like. Let them rest on the baking sheet and then cool on a rack and they will firm up a bit. This was my first try, so next time I might use a teaspoon xanthan gum or ground psyllium husks for a firmer texture.

So what's your favorite Pumpkin recipe?  Have you tried my new Pumpkin Bread yet? It's one of my favorites!

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Makes 8 large scones

Ingredients:  Make sure all of the ingredients are gluten free

• 1 cup (scant) (84 grams) almond meal, raw almonds finely ground in a coffee mill
• 3/4 cup (105 grams) coconut flour
• 1/8 teaspoon pure white stevia powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons (10 grams) baking powder
• 1/2 cup (106 grams) cooked butternut squash, peeled, cubed, cold
• 3 tablespoons butter, cubed, cold
• 1/2 cup plain yogurt, here's how I make my lactose free Homemade Greek Yogurt
• 1/4 cup yogurt whey or milk of choice
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup dried unsweetened cranberries
• 1 cup chocolate chips, sugar free, or Enjoy Life  plus a little extra to melt and drizzle after cooling.
• 1 teaspoon xanthan gum or ground psyllium husks, opt

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

1. Chop squash into chunks and boil or bake until tender. Cool and peel. 
2. Combine all of the dry ingredients in a large bowl and sift.  Regrind any large bits. 
3. Cut the butter and squash into the flour mixture, using a pastry cutter, two knives or a large fork until you have a uniform mealy consistency. Don't overwork.
4. Add yogurt and vanilla and gently mix in. Add cranberries and chocolate chips and enough of the whey or milk to just moisten the dough. 
5. Dough should be crumbly and damp, but not wet. The secret is to not over mix.
6. Turn the dough onto a board floured with coconut flour.  Pour into a pile and pat down. Knead once to cover with flour.  Pat into a rectangle.  Cut down the middle of the rectangle dividing the dough in two. Cut the two sections into even squares.  Now cut across to make 4 squares. Cut the squares diagonally to make 8 diamond cut scones. 
7. Place scones on a large greased or parchment lined baking sheet.
8. Bake for 20 minutes or until brown.  Let cool. Using a large spatula, gently lift and move to plate. The scones are fragile until cooled. 
9. Melt some additional chocolate and drizzle over scones. 

Subs- 

Can't have nuts or seeds?  Try 3/4 cup gluten free Millet flour instead of the almond meal. Adjust liquids if dough is too dry as needed.