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Plant-Based Spiced Sweet Potato Scones with Chocolate and Pepitas

By Camila Chaparro

Published on December 15, 2021

Yield

Serves 8 (Makes 8 scones)

Plant-Based Spiced Sweet Potato Scones with Chocolate and Pepitas

Ingredients

1 small sweet potato (8 ounces/227 grams), unpeeled, pricked with fork several times1½ cups (7½ ounces/213 grams) all-purpose flour ½ cup (2¾ ounces/78 grams) whole-wheat flour 3 tablespoons sugar 1 tablespoon baking powder ½ teaspoon table salt ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon ½ teaspoon ground ginger ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg 5 tablespoons refined coconut oil ⅓ cup (2 ounces/57 grams) mini bittersweet chocolate chips ¼ cup raw pepitas ¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened plant-based creamer, divided

Before You Begin

You need room-temperature (solid) coconut oil for this recipe; it does not need to be melted. The dough will be quite soft and wet; dust the counter and your hands with flour. Make sure not to overwork the dough and to bake the scones on two stacked baking sheets so the bottoms don't scorch. Do not use dairy products in this recipe; the dough will not come together. Not all chocolate chips are vegan; read the package carefully.

Instructions

  1.  Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Set rimmed baking sheet in second rimmed baking sheet and line with parchment paper. Microwave sweet potato on plate until very soft, 6 to 9 minutes, flipping potato over halfway through microwaving. Immediately slice potato in half lengthwise to release steam and set aside to cool.
  2.  Pulse all-purpose flour, whole-wheat flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg in food processor until combined, about 3 pulses. Pinch off ¼-inch pieces of oil into flour mixture and pulse until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal, about 10 pulses. Transfer mixture to large bowl and stir in chocolate chips and pepitas.
  3.  Scoop sweet potato flesh from skins into now-empty processor bowl (you should have ½ cup sweet potato); discard skins. Add ¾ cup creamer to sweet potato and process until smooth puree forms, about 10 seconds. Stir sweet potato- creamer mixture into dry ingredients until dough begins to form, about 30 seconds.
  4. Turn dough and any floury bits out onto lightly floured counter and knead until rough, slightly sticky ball forms, 5 to 10 seconds. Pat dough into 8-inch round and cut into 8 wedges. Evenly space wedges on prepared sheet, and brush tops with remaining 2 tablespoons creamer. Bake until light golden brown, 16 to 18 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through baking. Transfer scones to wire rack and let cool for at least 10 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Plant-Based Spiced Sweet Potato Scones with Chocolate and Pepitas
Photography by Daniel J. van Ackere. Styling by Ashley Moore.

Plant-Based Spiced Sweet Potato Scones with Chocolate and Pepitas

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Yield

Serves 8 (Makes 8 scones)

Ingredients

1 small sweet potato (8 ounces/227 grams), unpeeled, pricked with fork several times
1½ cups (7½ ounces/213 grams) all-purpose flour
½ cup (2¾ ounces/78 grams) whole-wheat flour
3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon table salt
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground ginger
⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
5 tablespoons refined coconut oil
⅓ cup (2 ounces/57 grams) mini bittersweet chocolate chips
¼ cup raw pepitas
¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened plant-based creamer, divided

Ingredients

1 small sweet potato (8 ounces/227 grams), unpeeled, pricked with fork several times
1½ cups (7½ ounces/213 grams) all-purpose flour
½ cup (2¾ ounces/78 grams) whole-wheat flour
3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon table salt
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground ginger
⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
5 tablespoons refined coconut oil
⅓ cup (2 ounces/57 grams) mini bittersweet chocolate chips
¼ cup raw pepitas
¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened plant-based creamer, divided

Ingredients

1 small sweet potato (8 ounces/227 grams), unpeeled, pricked with fork several times
1½ cups (7½ ounces/213 grams) all-purpose flour
½ cup (2¾ ounces/78 grams) whole-wheat flour
3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon table salt
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground ginger
⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
5 tablespoons refined coconut oil
⅓ cup (2 ounces/57 grams) mini bittersweet chocolate chips
¼ cup raw pepitas
¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened plant-based creamer, divided

Why This Recipe Works

There are plenty of pumpkin-flavored baked goods out there, so we thought sweet potato would make a fun twist on that theme. Initially we tried grating it (a no-go: it looked weirdly like shredded cheese), so then we tried microwaving a whole sweet potato and scooping out the flesh, which made for a better texture. A trio of warm spices (ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg) enhanced the sweet potato flavor. We added a handful of pepitas for color and crunch and a generous dose of mini chocolate chips. A brush with plant-based creamer before baking gave our scones a subtle sheen worthy of the brunch table.

Before You Begin

You need room-temperature (solid) coconut oil for this recipe; it does not need to be melted. The dough will be quite soft and wet; dust the counter and your hands with flour. Make sure not to overwork the dough and to bake the scones on two stacked baking sheets so the bottoms don't scorch. Do not use dairy products in this recipe; the dough will not come together. Not all chocolate chips are vegan; read the package carefully.

Instructions

  1.  Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Set rimmed baking sheet in second rimmed baking sheet and line with parchment paper. Microwave sweet potato on plate until very soft, 6 to 9 minutes, flipping potato over halfway through microwaving. Immediately slice potato in half lengthwise to release steam and set aside to cool.
  2.  Pulse all-purpose flour, whole-wheat flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg in food processor until combined, about 3 pulses. Pinch off ¼-inch pieces of oil into flour mixture and pulse until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal, about 10 pulses. Transfer mixture to large bowl and stir in chocolate chips and pepitas.
  3.  Scoop sweet potato flesh from skins into now-empty processor bowl (you should have ½ cup sweet potato); discard skins. Add ¾ cup creamer to sweet potato and process until smooth puree forms, about 10 seconds. Stir sweet potato- creamer mixture into dry ingredients until dough begins to form, about 30 seconds.
  4. Turn dough and any floury bits out onto lightly floured counter and knead until rough, slightly sticky ball forms, 5 to 10 seconds. Pat dough into 8-inch round and cut into 8 wedges. Evenly space wedges on prepared sheet, and brush tops with remaining 2 tablespoons creamer. Bake until light golden brown, 16 to 18 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through baking. Transfer scones to wire rack and let cool for at least 10 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

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