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
I have no heavy cream or half and half right now, but I’d there something I can substitute? I’m just so anxious to try them!
You could use milk instead, but you may want to use just a little bit less since it’s thinner than heavy cream.
Hi there can I use frozen blueberry’s in this recipe? Thanks ?
Yes, that would be fine. You don’t have to thaw them either, just make sure to gently mix the dough together.
These came together easily, rose very well, and my husband liked them. I flavored mine with cherries and almonds, and topped them with flaked almonds, but skipped the glaze.
These are the Best! I added 1/2 cup dried cranberries and 1/2 cup pecans. I also used the whole stick of butter instead of 6 Tablespoons. Also used the juice of a small lemon and added to dough in addition to vanilla that recipe requires. Absolutely delicious!
Question!
Can I make these and leave them in the fridge overnight to bake in the morning?
I haven’t tried it, but I think it would be okay. I’ve frozen the cut out scones and baked them from frozen without any issues.
This is THE BEST recipe! It’s easy and the scones melt in your mouth!
Thanks for sharing!
These turned out great! Thanks for a wonderful recipe. I made mine with whole buttermilk and blueberries and they were scrumptious. Next, I’m doing the glaze, too. My whole family loved them.
My first time making scones! So easy and SO delicious!
This IS the BEST Scone Recipe! Perfect without the need to change a thing. It passed the “Grandkids Test” … they loved every bite. These Scones made a perfect Strawberry Shortcake, too. Yummy stuff!
Delicious. The best recipe I’ve tried in years
Great recipe
Made scones light melt in my mouth excellent
Thank you
Came perfect
Can I make them an freeze them and bake when I am ready ?
Yes, you can cut them out and freeze them. You may need to add a few extra minutes to the baking time. If they start to brown too much before they’re done, you can cover them loosely with foil.
This truly is the best scone recipe ever. Best if you do not sub milk for cream.
I come back to this recipe every time I want to make scones, it has been my favorite one I have tried since the beginning of quarantine when I first attempted them. They are the perfect low-fodmap snack and I am appreciative for this incredible recipe!
Hi !! Why my scones are not raising ?? ???are flat as cookies … Should i add More banking powder ??? Could be that German baking powder is not so strong ????
Thank youuuu
Have you tested your baking powder to make sure it’s still fresh? And are you making sure to use cold ingredients, including the butter? If the butter is too warm, that can cause your scones to turn out flat too.
Thank you ❤️❤️❤️I will try again. The flavor is absolutely delicious ❤️
Can these scones be shipped overnight?
I haven’t tried it, but I imagine that you could. I would just leave them plain (without a glaze) and wrap them tightly with plastic wrap. You could also place the bottoms of two scones together and wrap them, it may prevent them from breaking during transit. I do that with cookies and it works well! I’d also make sure to pack them tightly so they don’t shift very much.
I have baked these scones several times and they are delicious! My family loves them too!
I really like the cranberry orange variety
I just baked them for Easter a few days ago.
I found that the dough was very dry and crumbly so I added more heavy cream. After I set them up on the pan I realized that I had forgotten to add the egg and vanilla. I baked them anyway and they were still delicious! Definitely a favorite! Thank you!
Excellent recipe! I’m addicted. Have made the basic recipe, cherry almond, and apple cinnamon. I find that these scones freeze well even after they’ve been baked. I wrap each individually in clear wrap, or by twos in zip-lock freezer bags, then in foil. The purists won’t like this, but 30 or so seconds in the microwave turns out a perfect warm scone. I live alone and can’t eat a whole batch of scones in two days, even after sharing. Thanks for the recipe!
Can these be made ahead and frozen
Yes, you can cut out the scones, freeze them on a baking tray until firm, then store them in a large freezer bag. You can bake them from frozen for a few extra minutes. If they start to brown too much on top before they’re done, just place a piece of foil over them.
I love these scones! I add 150 g Brandied fruit and top with coarse raw sugar, skipping the glaze. It’s the only scone recipe I use!
I made these today super easy and absolutely delicious. Will definitely be making this again. I actually used half & Half instead of heavy cream, I thought I bought heavy cream instead it was the half & half the wrong bottle., didn’t have time to go back to the store so I just made it anyway. They were amazing a big hit with my family including my 3 year old granddaughter! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This is the first time I’ve ever made scones, and these turned out fabulous. I omitted the vanilla and added the zest and juice of one lemon, and also added 1/2 cup of dried organic blueberries. Brushed the tops with the heavy cream and sprinkled sugar on as suggested, and they were as delicious as everyone else has said.
Just making my first scones tonight – was so EZ, they smell incredible and I put blueberries in them. They look fantastic – my hubby is hovering waiting for them to coold down and get glazed – dessert after Corned beef and Cabbage dinner – woot woot! This recipe is in my book!
Can you freeze these overnight after cut or how would you recommend keeping dough for the next day?
Yes, you can freeze them! You can bake them from frozen and just add a few extra minutes to the baking time. If they start to brown too much, just cover them with foil until they’re fully baked through.
Absolutely addicted! I have been putting chocolate chips in mine and making a cocoa glaze for on top and my husband and boys love it. Its my favorite pregnancy go to because its simple fast and tastes soooo good, which is all a huge plus for making a dessert/ breakfast for 3 hungry boys, my husband and myself with my cravings. And clean up is super easy and quick also. Huge thanks for sharing this recipe i highly reccomend it to anyone who hasnt tried it.
If i’m doing chocolate chip scones how many tablespoons or cups should I add?
You can add 1/2 to 2/3 cups of chocolate chips.
I make scones often and have tried many recipes. These are far and away the best I have made. I added lemon zest to the scones and used only fresh squeezed lemon juice to make the glaze. They are truly amazing.
Hi,
Can you double this recipe? Or should I make 2 batches. Thanks
I think it would be fine to double the recipe. I would probably divide the dough in half, so it’s easier to shape and cut.
We made these delicious scones. Super easy, super quick. We made the basic recipe and loved it. Can’t wait to try different variations with fruit or chocolate chips. Great!
Just shared these with my parents and they loved them. Light and delicious. I made mine with chopped dried apricot and white chocolate chips with the vanilla glaze. Thanks for the great recipe!
This recipe is tops! I could not believe that I made the scones myself. Thank you
what degree do you bake them at
400°F (204°C). All of the ingredients and instructions are listed in the recipe card towards the bottom of the post.
This recipe makes delicious scones. I used a 1/2 cup of butter instead of just 6 tbsps., and it worked out perfectly. Next time, I am going to eliminate the vanilla, it was a bit too much for me. I think I will cut them into squares instead of triangles. Thank you so much!