The BEST Scone Recipe
Learn how to make delicious, soft, light, and tender scones with this easy tutorial. This scone recipe is perfect for breakfast, brunch, or dessert!
Scones are one of those recipes that some people tend to think are dry or bland. But the truth is that when made correctly, scones are actually super soft, light, and can melt in your mouth!
So today I’m bringing it back to the basics and showing you exactly how to make homemade scones. These scones come together in about 15 minutes and they only take about 20 minutes to bake in the oven.
This scone recipe is also a perfect base for creating different flavors, so I’ve included options for different flavor variations. I’ve even included a few different options for glazes so you can really make this recipe your own!
What You’ll Need For This Recipe
For this scone recipe, you’ll need just a few simple ingredients. Let’s break down each one:
- All-Purpose Flour: When it comes to measuring your flour, make sure to spoon it into the measuring cup and level it off with the back of a knife. Too much flour can lead to a crumbly dough and scones that don’t taste as good. I talk about this more in my post on how to measure flour.
- Granulated Sugar: I typically stick with granulated sugar because I prefer the taste, but brown sugar will work too.
- Baking Powder & Salt: There is one tablespoon of baking powder in this recipe and I promise it’s not a mistake! In order to get a good rise, you need a decent amount of baking powder.
- Cold Unsalted Butter: Since the amount of salt in salted butter can vary quite a bit between different brands, I prefer to stick with unsalted butter. Also, cold butter is key to creating the perfect scones. As the cold butter melts in the oven, it creates steam pockets that help the scones rise and creates a lighter texture too.
- Heavy Whipping Cream: When it comes to soft scones that don’t dry out, heavy whipping cream is the best option. A little cream brushed on top of the scones before they go into the oven creates a beautiful slightly crisp and lightly browned exterior too.
- Egg & Vanilla Extract: The egg helps to create a lighter texture and the vanilla adds flavor.
How To Make This Scone Recipe
As I mentioned earlier, scones are INCREDIBLY easy to make and throw together. To start, you’ll whisk together your flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Then, cube your cold butter into small pieces and use a pastry cutter or fork to cut it into the dry ingredients until you have small pea-sized crumbs.
Next, whisk together the heavy whipping cream, egg, and vanilla extract until well combined. Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl and stir the mixture together until it just comes together.
Then, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface, work it into a ball, flatten it into a disc 7 inches in diameter, and cut it into 8 equal-sized pieces.
Lastly, you’ll want to place the scones on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat and place the baking sheet in the freezer for 5-10 minutes so that the dough is thoroughly chilled.
Once it’s nice and cold, brush the tops of the scones with a little heavy whipping cream. If you don’t plan to add a glaze on top, you can sprinkle them with a little coarse sugar or granulated sugar. Then, place them in the oven and let them bake for about 20 minutes or until they’re lightly browned and golden on top.
Recipe Variations
As I mentioned earlier, this recipe is a great base for adding other flavors. Here are a few ways that you can change up this scone recipe. I suggest mixing in these ingredients right after you cut in the butter and before you mix in the wet ingredients.
- Blueberry: Add 1 cup of fresh blueberries
- Cranberry Orange: Add 2 teaspoons of orange zest and 2/3 cup of sweetened dried cranberries (or 1 cup of chopped fresh cranberries)
- Cinnamon Raisin: Add 1 and 1/2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon and 2/3 cup of raisins
- Lemon Poppy Seed: Add the zest of 1 medium lemon and 1/2 tablespoon of poppy seeds
You can also find my chocolate chip scone recipe here and my apple cinnamon scones here.
I’ve also included a vanilla glaze option, but you can easily change up the glaze too. Here are a few ways to do that:
- Orange Glaze: Omit the vanilla extract and use fresh orange juice instead of milk
- Lemon Glaze: Omit the vanilla extract and use fresh lemon juice instead of milk
- Cinnamon Glaze: Add 1/4-1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
Baking Tips
- When measuring your flour, make sure to spoon it into your measuring cup and level it off with the back of a knife.
- Cold ingredients are best for this recipe! Make sure your dough is as cold as possible before you place the scones in the oven. I suggest placing the baking sheet with the scones in the freezer for 5-10 minutes before baking them.
- Brush the top of each scone with a little heavy whipping cream before placing them in the oven. This will create a slightly crispy exterior and help them brown too.
The BEST Scones Recipe
Ingredients
For the scones:
- 2 cups (250 grams) all-purpose flour spooned & leveled
- 1/3 cup (65 grams) granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 6 tablespoons (85 grams) cold unsalted butter cubed into pieces
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) heavy whipping cream plus more for brushing the tops
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
For the vanilla glaze:
- 1 cup (120 grams) powdered sugar
- 1-2 tablespoons (15-30 ml) milk
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
To make the scones:
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (204°C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add the cold cubed butter and use a pastry cutter or fork to cut it into the dry ingredients until you have small pea-sized crumbs.
- In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together the heavy whipping cream, egg, and vanilla extract until fully combined. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. The mixture may be a little crumbly at this point, this is okay!
- Scoop the mixture out onto a lightly floured surface and work it together in a ball, then flatten into a 7-inch circle. Cut the dough into 8 equal-sized pieces and place them on the prepared baking sheet, making sure to leave a little room between each one.
- Place the baking sheet in the freezer for 5-10 minutes or until the scones are chilled.
- Brush the tops of each scone with a little heavy whipping cream. If you're not adding a glaze, you can top them with coarse sugar if desired.
- Bake at 400°F (204°C) for 18-22 minutes or until the tops of the scones are lightly browned and cooked through.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.
To make the vanilla glaze:
- In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract until well combined. If the glaze is too thick add more milk to thin it out and if the glaze is too thin add more powdered sugar to thicken it.
- Top the scones with the glaze and allow to harden for 10-15 minutes, then serve, and enjoy.
Notes
- Blueberry: Add 1 cup (150 grams) of fresh blueberries
- Cranberry Orange: Add 2 teaspoons of fresh orange zest plus 2/3 cup (105 grams) of sweetened dried cranberries (or 1 cup of chopped fresh cranberries)
- Cinnamon Raisin: Add 1 and 1/2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon plus 2/3 cup (105 grams) of raisins
- Lemon Poppy Seed: Add the zest of 1 medium lemon plus 1/2 tablespoon of poppy seeds
- Orange Glaze: Omit the vanilla extract and use fresh orange juice in place of the milk
- Lemon Glaze: Omit the vanilla extract and use fresh lemon juice in place of the milk
- Cinnamon Glaze: Add 1/4-1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
Hi Danielle!
I LOVE your recipes! They turn out great all the time, and my family loves it when I bake now! One question I had was that almost every time I make the scones, half a cup of heavy cream never seems to be enough. I’ve tried different flours as well, including whole wheat and white wheat flour, and it doesn’t seem to change. Is there something I’m doing wrong? I add about 2/3-3/4 of a cup each time make the scones, not including brushing the cream on top. Thanks so much for making this website!
Thank you, Emma! I appreciate that! Are you using all-purpose flour? The reason I ask is because whole wheat and white wheat flour tend to absorb more moisture, so you would need more cream in that case. And are you making sure to spoon and level your flour too? Also, as you’re mixing the dough together in the bowl it will be a little crumbly. Try working it together with your hands and that should help it come together.
Thanks so much Danielle! I will definitely try this next time I make them!
My friends 40th is coming up and I’m in charge of the menu. Planning to do a tea party theme, so excited to try these. If I do smaller rounds instead of 8 triangles, will the baking time be the same and should I spread them on a baking tray?
Also how many days in advance can I make dough and freeze them unbaked?
If you do smaller rounds, you will likely need to reduce the baking time by a few minutes. I do recommend leaving some space between them on the baking sheet too. I haven’t tried freezing the dough and typically recommend baking the dough right after you make it. Some readers have had success with freezing it though.
I made these, and added frozen raspberries. They looked good, but had a very strong metallic aftertaste. Too much baking soda? I don’t know. The texture was lovely but the metallic flavor rendered them inedible, sadly.
Sorry you had trouble with the recipe, Linda. This recipe calls for baking powder not baking soda though. If you used 1 tablespoon of baking soda there’s nothing acidic for it to react with in this recipe and that’s likely why they had a metallic taste.
First time making scones and these came out awesome. Made a variation of the orange-cranberry recipe. Delish! Even my husband was raving about them…and he’s a beer and wings guy. Thank you for this easy to follow, simple ingredients recipe.
This recipe is delicious!! I have added fresh blueberries and also chopped white chocolate with fresh raspberries! I wasn’t happy with how they stored in an airtight container- but they were fine the next day on a plate covered with a towel. I also have made the scones and frozen them unbaked. When I want them, just put them on the pan whole the oven preheats, brush on the cream and bake- perfect!! My next try will be a savory scone- bacon, cheese- who knows!!
Loved these and so easy! I added raisins and some lemon extract to the glaze.
I also used half and half because that’s what I had.
Any idea on the calorie count?
So glad you enjoyed the scones, Debbie! I’m not sure about the nutritional information, but you can plug everything into an online calculator to get an estimate.
Amazing recipe! I am not an experienced baker, except biscuits and cornbread, but the recipe was easy to follow, even if it took me over an hour with distracting toddler cuteness in the room!
Added in 1 cup fresh-picked over-ripe blackberries, which made the dough a bit wet, but I carried on, adding just a dust of flour to the outside, which mixed nicely with the brushed-on heavy cream. Because the scones were for small people, I cut each of the big scones about an inch from the edge before baking. The outer non-wedge pieces finished right at 22 minutes, but I had placed the little inner wedges a little too close together, so I had to separate them (at about 15 minutes in!) and cook for another couple of minutes longer than the outer trapezoids.
Thank you for the awesome recipe!
My favorite scone recipe…I love it! I find these really big so I make two smaller rounds and the scones are half the size and I have more to share! Or eat lol
Continuing to use this awesome recipe! Today, at the instigation of my 4-year-old, I used dried blueberries and, after adding a bunch of orange zest, we decided to cut up a whole orange into the scone dough. It was wet with all the orange juice, and I had to adjust with a little flour, and then recompensated with some heavy whipping cream and then even a little bit more flour. Happy ending: It turned out deliciously over the top orangey.
Thanks again for this forgiving and flexible scone recipe!
Thanks, Michael! I’m glad you love the recipe!
I’ve never made scones before. These are so easy and so delicious! First batch I made was plain, second I added chocolate chips. Yum! ?
This recipe is like a combination of the American version and traditional English version. I typically make the American version with buttermilk and cold butter with no egg. I like to add blueberries or I’ll mix orange juice and orange zest to the buttermilk and make orange cranberry with almonds. I found that the traditional version was not to my liking. The butter is soft, milk or cream is used and an egg is added. I think the English version would be better with savory additions. I am interested in trying this combination, though. ?
This recipe is great! I freeze the scones overnight so I’m baking in the morning when its cool for the summer. I bake it for about 23 minutes and they come out so yummy! Great “base” recipe that I’m excited to come up with new variations in flavors.
Hello,
Just found your blog and a definite new follower. I’ve been looking for a good scone recipe and may have found it here. Thank you! I wanted to make a banana scone variation but not sure on the measurements. How would you go about added mashed bananas in? I appreciate your feedback!
So happy you found my site, Lydine! I haven’t tried a banana variation yet, but I think it would be delicious. You could probably use 1/2 cup or so of mashed banana, but you’d likely need to add more flour and reduce some of the wet ingredients for it to work properly.
I’ve never made scones before but I’ve had plenty of dry ones. This recipe was easy and they came out moist and oh so yummy. I’ll be making these again and again.
Thanks!
Arlene
I have been trying to perfect a scone recipe for years. These are the best I have made. Make sure to follow the tips about measuring out the flour and chilling the scones before you bake them.
I’ve never been great at baking, but I followed the directions and could not believe how delicious they turned out! They’re not hard as a rock! They’re light and fluffy, and have the best flavor. I can’t wait to try some of the flavor options. Thank you for this super easy super delicious recipe .
When I made the blueberry scones the juice from the fresh berries made the dough sticky and wetter than the plain batch I had made first. Should I cutback on the heavy cream to compensate for the blueberry juice? Although it was a wetter dough, it baked up perfectly.
I wouldn’t adjust the heavy cream. Sometimes fresh blueberries can be hard to mix in with the dough, I find that I have to fold them in gently. You could try frozen blueberries and see if that helps since they’ll be firmer.
I don’t understand. The recipe is super easy but my dough comes out super soft and sticky not firm and crumbly-like, so it makes it hard to shape and cut into 8 triangles. I followed the recipe exactly. What am I doing wrong?
Have you double checked the measurements to make sure you’re using the correct amounts? The dough shouldn’t be very sticky or hard to shape.
I can’t wait to try this!!! If I want to bake maple walnut scones, can I substitute maple syrup for sugar?
I wouldn’t suggest it in this recipe. You could certainly use maple extract or make a maple glaze to add some maple flavor. I have maple cinnamon glaze in this baked pumpkin donut recipe that would work great!
These scones are heavenly! They have delicate layers of airy buttery goodness and a pleasant crispness on the outside (probably because I forgot to brush them with cream before baking, but it worked in my favor!) My nana demanded another batch for her birthday right after. My mom recommended this recipe to me actually, it’s definitely a keeper!
Hi there! These look amazing. Do you have any thoughts about using gluten free flour and whether this would substantially change anything?
I haven’t tried them with a gluten-free flour, so I’m not quite sure. If you do use one though, I would recommend using one that substitutes 1:1 for all-purpose flour.
What makes scones come out heavy and hard?
There are several things – not enough cold fat, over baking the scones, over working the dough, etc.
These look amazing!!! I’m going to have to give them a try.
Can you refrigerate the dough overnight and bake them the next day?
Thank you, Vivian! I haven’t tried refrigerating the dough, but since they’re made with baking powder I’m not sure if they would rise quite as high if you let the dough sit overnight.
You can totally freeze these and bake the next day. They turn out even better! I keep my freezer stocked with round discs of scones:-)
Amazing scones, baked them today lovely buttery and light. My scones used to turn out hard and overcooked so pleased to have found your recipe – thank you
This actually IS the best scone recipe! I tried a different recipe a few weeks ago and they were good but this recipe made perfect scones. I am going to try them again this week with mini chocolate chips.
I just made these, came out great despite being a bit over baked with burnt bottoms. Seems the baking time is a bit too long; other recipes give a baking time of just 15 minutes. I will use this recipe again, just adjust the baking time.
Hi, Ellen! Have you checked your oven temperature with an oven thermometer? Or did you happen to use a dark baking sheet. Either one could be the cause of them burning on the bottom. You can certainly reduce the baking time too though.
Just made 3 batches, and they taste amazing! Thank you for this recipe.
These are the best scones I have ever tasted.
I’ve got this recipe memorized! So so good! & mix ins are easy-we love white chocolate coconut (with white choco drizzle on top…)-super decadent… my boyfriend loves it when I make these scones. Thanks so much for this awesome recipe! 🙂
Looking forward to trying this recipe! Do you know if the baked scones freeze well – or perhaps do they do well after being frozen?
Yes, the baked scones freeze just fine!
Hi Danielle !
The Scones are delicious ! I’ve bake professionally for over 30 years and this a great recipe is easy ! We use to make some doughs the night before and bake them in the morning. So my question is how will this dough do overnight ?
Thank you !
Hi, Mike! I haven’t actually tried it, but I have a feeling that if the dough sits overnight the scones won’t rise quite as tall.
This was an easy recipe. The scone was not too dry or crumbly, it was perfect with clotted cream and lemon curd. I have made it twice so far. Thank You!
A really lovely recipe. These are very tender and bake up perfectly. So many options for mix ins! Thank you for sharing!