These scones are full of bright lemon, toasted coconut, and a tender crumb that melts in your mouth. With over 7 grams of protein per serving, they are a healthy sweet treat to have along your afternoon coffee.

I love slow mornings.

It’s the reset I need after a crazy week. And, if they happen to be in the middle of the week for me to recharge, it’s perfect.

So, when I’m looking to have a slow morning, there is nothing that I love to have more than a scone.

These lemon coconut cottage cheese scones are the kind of recipe that lifts you up, but that’s not incredibly complicated to make.

Each bite of these scones is full of bright lemon zest, sweet shredded coconut, and cold grated butter to create the creamiest and most delicious scones you’ve ever tried.

They have over 7 grams of protein per serving, making them a great sweet, healthy treat to have.

And, they are easy to adapt to most dietary needs. If you want to make these scones gluten-free, simply swap the flour with an all-purpose gluten-free flour blend, and you’ll have a delicious gluten-free treat.

Ingredients and Substitutes

All-purpose flour (2 cups) – Replace with gluten-free all-purpose flour for a gluten-free scone.

Shredded coconut, unsweetened (1/2 cup) – Swap with almond flour.

Salt (1/2 tsp)

Baking powder (2 tsp)

Baking soda (1 tsp)

Caster sugar (1/3 cup) -Substitute with granulated sugar or a sugar-free alternative.

Cottage cheese, 2% blended (1 cup) – Switch with Greek yogurt, ricotta cheese, or silken tofu for a dairy-free alternative.

Lemon juice (3 tbsp) – Use lime juice or white vinegar.

Lemon zest (2 tsp) – Replace with lime zest.

Unsalted butter, very cold (1/2 cup) – You can also use unsalted ghee or coconut oil.

EGG WASH

Egg (1)

Water (1 tsp)

GLAZE (OPTIONAL)

Lemon juice (1 tbsp) – Swap with lime juice.

Powdered sugar (3 tbsp) – Use a sugar-free powdered sweetener to lower the calorie and carb content.

How to Make Lemon Coconut Cottage Cheese Scones

Step 1. Preheat your oven to 400F and prepare a baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper. Place your butter in the freezer for 10 minutes.

Grab a bowl and mix the flour, shredded coconut, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and sugar.

Step 2. In another bowl, combine the blended cottage cheese, lemon juice, and lemon zest.

Step 3. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ones and combine them.

Step 4. Take the butter out of the freezer and grate it into the dough. Start mixing the butter into the dough to mix it evenly. 

Step 5. Form the dough into a ball and place it on top of a floured surface. Roll it out into an 8-inch circle using a rolling pin.

Cut the circle into 8 triangles.

Step 6. Place each triangle on the baking sheet, making sure to leave plenty of room between them to grow.

Step 7. In a small bowl, mix the egg and water to create an egg wash. Brush each of the squares with the egg wash.

Step 8. Place the scones in the oven and bake for 18-20 minutes or until they are lightly golden. Remove them from the oven and let them cool down.

Mix the glaze ingredients and drizzle over the scones.

My Tips & Tricks

1. Keep the butter very cold: This is going to make it easier to grate and the cold butter creates steam pockets when it’s baking, giving it the flaky layers we love from scones.
2. Don’t overmix: Mix until everything is just combined. Overmixing can develop the gluten and result in tough and dry scones.
3. Add the glaze once they have cooled: adding it while they’re hot can melt and run down the scones.