Can I use Whey Isolate instead of Whey Concentrate?

I wouldn’t advise it. Whey Isolate is more processed and tends to be "thirstier" than concentrate, so it can lead to a much harder dough. Though if that’s all you have try this: If the dough looks too dry or crumbly (it should lazily drop off your fork), add an extra tablespoon of milk. Isolate can also bake up a bit faster, so start checking them for doneness a minute or two early.

Do I have to use sourdough discard?

Not at all! If you don't have a starter, you can substitute the discard with an extra ½ cup (60g) of all-purpose flour and about 3 tablespoons (45ml) of milk. They won't have that signature sourdough tang, but they’ll still be delicious.

Can I make these without the sugar?

The sugar helps with the structure and that lovely golden crunch on top, but you can certainly reduce it. If you’re using a sweetened vanilla protein powder, you can cut the added sugar in the dough by half without losing too much flavor.

My scones came out a bit flat. What happened?

This usually happens if the dough was too warm or the baking powder was a bit old. Make sure you don't skip that 30-minute fridge rest! It chills the fat and the leavening agents so they "spring" upward when they hit the hot oven rather than spreading out.

Can I use fresh blueberries instead of frozen?

Absolutely. Fresh berries are great, but they are a bit more fragile. Fold them in gently so you don’t crush them and end up with purple-streaked dough (though it will still taste great!). If using frozen, don't thaw them first—toss them in straight from the freezer after giving them a quick rinse and pat dry, as they can have a lot of ice crystals on them, watering down the batter.

Sourdough Blueberry Protein Drop Scones

Name: Sourdough Blueberry Protein Drop Scones
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 10
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1¼ cups/290 grams Greek yogurt; 2 scoops/60g Whey Concentrate, ideally vanilla flavor; ¼ cup/60ml milk (or plant milk); 2 tbsp/30g butter, melted and cooled; 1 large egg; 1/3 cup/70 grams sugar, plus more to taste and for sprinkling; ½ cup/100g sourdough discard; 1.5 cups/290 grams all-purpose flour; 2½ teaspoons baking powder; 1 teaspoon kosher salt; 1 cup/100 grams fresh blueberries, plus extra for decorating; 2-3 tbsp cream or milk for brushing

Description

If you’ve ever avoided making scones because you didn’t want to mess with cold butter or flour-covered counters, these are for you. By swapping heavy cream for a high-protein yogurt base and adding a splash of sourdough discard, I’ve turned a classic treat into a 10g protein powerhouse. These are “drop scones,” which means they are unceremonious, rustic, and take only 10 minutes of active work. While they do need a little “nap” in the fridge to hydrate the protein and flour, the result is a cloud-like interior that proves protein baking doesn’t have to be rubbery or dry.

Ingredients

Units Scale

1 1/4 cups/290 grams Greek yogurt
2 scoops/60g Whey Concentrate, ideally vanilla flavor
1/4 cup/60ml milk (or plant milk)
2 tbsp/30g butter, melted and cooled
1 large egg
1/3 cup/70 grams sugar, plus more to taste and for sprinkling
1/2 cup/100g sourdough discard
1.5 cups/290 grams all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup/100 grams fresh blueberries, plus extra for decorating
2-3 tbsp cream or milk for brushing

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Instructions

Blend (or whisk) Your Wet Ingredients and Protein

As so often in my recipes, I prefer to use a blender for the wet ingredients and protein, as it makes sure there are absolutely no protein powder lumps in sight. Not that you would notice them later (so feel free to just whisk), but I’m weird like that.
Add your yogurt, whey concentrate, milk, melted and cooled butter, the egg and sugar to your blender (or large bowl) and blend (or whisk) until very smooth.

Add Your Wet Ingredients to the Dry

In a large bowl add the flour, baking powder, blueberries and salt and give it brief stir with your fork, so the baking powder is mixed in and the blueberries are covered with flour.
Make a little well, pour in your wet protein mix and stir everything together until you have a shaggy batter. It will look pretty wet and drop heavily from your fork.

Drop Your Scones On a Baking Sheet

Line two sheet pans with baking parchment (or line one and bake in batches).
Using your fork, simply drop about 10 heaps of batter on your parchment covered pans. No precision or shaping needed. Just keep them about 2 inches from each other (max. 6 per pan). The craggier they look, the more nice and crispy bits you have later. Plus they magically get rounder while baking. It’s quite astonishing.

The Hard Part

Here comes the hard part. I know you want to bake them right now! But you need to give them at least 30 minutes in the fridge. Trust me, it’s for the best. The flour will hydrate, the flavors get to know each other, baking powder and sourdough work their magic, and your scones will be better for it.
When I just pop them in there for 30 minutes I usually leave them uncovered. But if you want to leave them overnight to get your breakfast meal prep out of the way, put the whole sheet pan into a large bag that you inflate by blowing into it lightly, then tie or clip it close, to keep the scones lovely and moist.

Bake Your Sourdough Blueberry Protein Drop Scones

Pre-heat your oven to 425°F/220°C.
Brush each scone with a little more milk (or cream if you like), sprinkle with some sugar for extra crunch and sparkles. I used demerara sugar for this, since it has bigger crystals. But granulated works fine. Pop some extra blueberries on top of each scone, for those little blueberry “volcanoes”, with the juice running all over the top when they burst.

Bake up to 6 scones on one sheet pan, as they will expand quite a bit, for 18-20 minutes or until lightly golden brown or 200°F/93°C at the center.

Equipment

Nutribullet

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Glass bowl

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sheet pan

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Notes

How to Serve

Allow your sourdough discard protein scones to cool for about 5-10 minutes, then enjoy warm as they are. Of course you could slather them with butter and maybe some jam but try a bite first. You might have inhaled the whole thing as is before thinking twice.

How To Store

These Protein Sourdough Blueberry Scones will keep in an airtight box on the counter for about 3 days, up to 5 days in the fridge and freeze really well for about 3 months.
If you want to re-heat them, 20-30 seconds in the microwave will do. Though, frankly, I always prefer using the air fryer! About 5 minutes at 350°F/175°C will give you scones even better than fresh, with crisp edges and a soft, fluffy inside.
After freezing you can either defrost them on the counter or, as I do, give them about 6-9 minutes in the air fryer* at 350°F/175°C or 15 minutes at the same temperature in the oven. Personally I adore reheating them in the air fryer, as the sugar topping gets really crunchy!

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cooling Time: 30 Minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Category: Protein Breakfast, Protein Sourdough
Method: Bake
Cuisine: American