After weeks of teasing you with these scones on Instagram, I’m finally ready to share the recipe!

My obsession with teapigs tea inspired me to make these Zesty Chamomile Scones. (Read There's WHAT in my Tea? to learn more about my tea obsession). Teapigs makes the most delicious teas, which are packaged in sustainable packaging, of course, and are made with whole tea leaves. See the difference here between tea made with whole tea leaves (on the left) versus tea made with ground leaves (on the right):

I wanted to get creative with teapigs’ chamomile tea and these scones resulted! They’re as nutritious as they are delicious, featuring almonds, brown rice flour, and chia seeds for fiber, protein, and healthy fats.  This makes them perfect for breakfast or afternoon tea. (They are vegan and gluten free, too). Enjoy alone or topped with coconut yogurt, fresh fruit, or no-added sugar jam.

Note about almond flour: Do you know how to make almond flour? You can either make it using pulp leftover from making almond milk OR you can grind up almonds (bought in bulk without plastic packaging) in a blender. This is how I avoid buying almond flour in plastic packaging (and avoid wasting almond pulp). Plus, whole almonds last longer! I like a few chunks of almonds in this recipe, so I didn’t grind the almonds too finely.

ZESTY CHAMOMILE SCONES (8 scones)

Time: ~10 minutes prep + 25 minutes baking

Ingredients

• 2 teapigs chamomile tea temples (+ ¾ cup boiling water)

• 2 cups ground almonds

• ½ cup brown rice flour

• ½ tsp baking soda

• ½ tsp vanilla powder (or vanilla extract)

• Juice and zest from 1 lemon

• 3 Tbsp chia seeds

• 5-6 tbsp maple syrup

Directions:

1. Start by brewing the tea with the 2 temples of teapigs chamomile tea and ¾ cup (12 tbsp) hot water. Let sit for at least 10 minutes.

2. To make the chamomile chia egg, combine 3 tablespoons of chia seeds with 9 tbsp (1/2 cup + 1 tbsp) of the freshly brewed chamomile tea and set aside so to firm up.

3. Mix together the ground almonds, brown rice flour, baking soda and vanilla powder/extract. Then add in the lemon juice and zest, maple syrup, 3 more tablespoons of the brewed chamomile tea, and the chamomile leaves from inside one teapigs tea temple.

4. Add in the chamomile chia egg and mix to combine. It should have a lovely refreshing aroma of chamomile and sweet lemon.

5. Place the batter into muffin tins (the batter should yield about 8 scones) and bake in the oven at 190C or 350F for about 25-30 minutes.

6. Once the scones are done, let them cool for about 10 minutes.

7. Take a deep breath, take in the gorgeous smell of freshly baked scones, and enjoy! You can top them with coconut cream or yogurt and some fresh fruit or (no added sugar) jam!