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! Can you make ahead dough ahead? Then just pop out and bake on school mornings?
Yes, you can freeze it! You can cut out the dough, place it on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and freeze the triangles for one to two hours (this will prevent them from sticking together). Then, store them in a freezer bag or storage container in the freezer for 2 to 3 months. You can bake from frozen for a few extra minutes. If the scones begin to brown too much on top before they’re done baking, just place a piece of foil over them.
I wonder if these could be frozen–without the icing…
Yes, that would be fine!
Best scones I have ever made.
Delicious!!!
Easy to follow recipe with great tips, like chilling the pan of scones before baking.
Absolutely delicious. Didn’t change a thing with the recipe. I added blueberries & brushed the tops with heavy whipping cream & sprinkled turbinado sugar before baking, they didn’t need any icing. The scones came out perfect-just a hint of sweetness.
These really are the best we’ve had. And we’re pretty fussy. Make sure to not over mix as the texture is improved by the little dots of dough.
Can you use almond flour on this?
I haven’t tried it, so I’m not sure.
Thank you I made mine and the turned out great very easy
Thanks for this recipe!! My oven doesn’t seem to run hot, but 400 F was a bit too high for how I made them, which was splitting into 2 discs to make 16 smaller scones. Luckily I was experimenting so I only baked 4 at first to make sure, and they started to burn before they were nicely browned. The next 4 I pulled out sooner but they still weren’t the right balance, too dark on the bottom and corners. What was perfect was 15 minutes from frozen on a glass pan instead of metal sheet pan at 375. This recipe is so delicious but if anyone is making them smaller it might help to lower the temp a bit! I made them lemon white chocolate, using lemon extract and chunks of this lemon white chocolate I got in Spain that has bits of lemon rind in it. And glaze made with lemon juice. So scrumptious! I made another batch last night and it’s already almost gone the next morning! Can’t wait to try more variations – I might make them even smaller next time so I can fit them into my cookie jar more easily 🙂
If I use two eggs would scones be liter?
I wouldn’t recommend it for this recipe. If you add another egg you would need to make other adjustments, or the dough will be too sticky.
These scones are absolutely phenomenal- they come out perfect every single time. Thank you so much!
I’d love to try you recipe with a mini scone…any advice?
You could probably divide the dough in two, flatten each one out into a circle, and cut 8 small wedges out of each one.
I just posted my comment – this is what I did but found that lowering the temp to 375 and 15 minutes was ideal. Thanks again for this wonderful recipe Danielle!
Thank you for sharing, Emma! Glad you enjoyed the scones!
These scones are amazing! Easy to make, and the result is fluffy, moist, and delicious!!!!
So easy to bake added blueberries deliciouuuuss!
Thank you so much. I am not a regular baker but I “whip these up” in a short time when expecting friends for tea! Love the recipe!
Can I use sour cream instead of heavy cream
I haven’t tried it, but you probably could. You may need a little milk or extra sour cream to help the dough come together and possibly a little extra sugar.
Banged these out this morning, plain. Only had oat milk which worked just fine. Cranberry orange next weekend!
Easy, quick and tasty. My husband said the scone was better than what he gets at Starbucks.
I made these yesterday (I tweaked the recipe a bit to make them maple walnut scones, and used a butter & 1/2 and 1/2 combo because I didn’t have heavy whipping cream on hand) and they were a huge hit with my husband, children, and co-workers! The recipe is so simple to make and absolutely delicious!
Way too much baking soda! If I ever make these again, I would reduce the amount by at least a teaspoon. Very disappointing.
This recipe calls for baking powder, not baking soda. If you used baking soda that’s probably why they didn’t turn out good.
You are correct. I mistakenly used baking soda as I was reading the recipe from my tablet. I have printed the recipe which makes it easier for me to read the ingredients more thoroughly. I will definitely make them again the correct way! Thank you.
Hey! Can I use whole wheat flour instead?
I wouldn’t recommend using only whole wheat flour, otherwise the scones will be really dense. You could use half all-purpose flour and half whole wheat flour though. If needed, you can add an additional 1 to 2 tablespoons of heavy cream to help the dough come together.
I have made the recipe many times now and my family devours it. However, I was wondering if I could use the same measurements for whole wheat flour? Thank you!
You probably could use whole wheat flour, but you will need to add a little extra heavy cream to help the dough come together. Just keep in mind that it will make the scones denser.
Would you keep the sugar the same if you’re doing a savory scone?
For savory scones, I only use 2 teaspoons of sugar.
What’s the calories on these things?
I added chocolate chips and dried cherries.
Also, cheddar cheese, chive and thyme.
Everything was amazing.
Hi, Chelsea! I’m not sure on the nutritional information, but you can plug everything into an online calculator to get an estimate.
this if my go to since making it once, I’ve made it over 2 dozen times.
perfect hostess gift, get well gift, welcome to the neighbourhood gift, sorry for your loss gift, new baby gift and so on….
thanks xox
Absolutely awesome! The are so delicious!
Best scones I’ve ever made!
These were the best scones that I have ever made – fantastic recipe! Thank you!
First, I’m not a baker. I love to eat baked goods but I don’t know how to create them.
Decided I wanted to have some scones. It’s been years since my last scone but desire drives creation so I decided to find a recipe and try it on my own.
This recipe looked appetizing so I chose it and checked my ingredients. Since my wife likes to bake, we had all the ingredients on hand.
I started my project a couple of hours ago. Admittedly, I didn’t understand several of the baking terms and processes, like “cutting in”, but my wife rescued me. Also, I tried a little variation by glazing them with melted butter.
In the end, I was doubtful I could produce an edible result. None the less, I popped them into the oven and twenty minutes later out they came. I let them cool for 10 minutes then it was time to try them.
I cut them in half and added more butter and topped with raspberry jam.
These were ABSOLUTELY THE BEST SCONES I’ve ever had. And my wife was gah-gah about their light flakiness and wonderful flavor.
This is a recipe that will end up in our favorites binder forever! Enjoy!
I’ve never made scones, but made these. Absolutely delicious! Thanks so much!
Best scones I’ve ever made. Added chopped Craisins and orange zest. Grated the cold butter. Came out perfect.