Best Scone Recipe (video)
Learn how to make the best scones of your life! These scones have a dark-golden and crunchy outer crust. They are tender, moist, and buttery on the inside. Plus you can easily adapt this recipe with your favorite add-ins.
What is a scone?
A scone is a pastry typically made with flour, butter or heavy cream, milk, eggs, baking powder, sugar, and salt. They can be sweet or savory. They are commonly served for breakfast, as a snack, or with your afternoon tea. American scones are usually triangular in shape and loaded with mix-ins and flavorings. They are also usually topped with coarse sugar or glaze for extra sweetness. British scones are generally round in shape and kept plain because they are customarily served with clotted cream and jam.
Why this recipe is so great:
- Some people might think of scones as dry, hard, and bland bricks of pastries, but I guarantee you this recipe is not like that at all. It’s quite the opposite actually. With this recipe, you get a very buttery and moist scone with a soft and tender inner crumb. The exterior is crunchy and baked to a dark golden perfection.
- This recipe is easy to make and you can customize it any way you want. You can use this recipe to make sweet or savory scones. It works with any combination of your favorite mix-ins.
- Here are some reviews:
“Love this recipe! I can’t stop making blueberry lemon scones. I find I have to leave mine in the oven a bit longer, but they come out perfect! I top them with a bit of butter and honey. Oh my goodness! So tasty!” – Monica
“Best scones I ever made! I usually use heavy cream but feel the buttermilk made the difference. After I brushed them with buttermilk, I sprinkled the top with sanding sugar and then made a vanilla glaze…only because I can’t leave well enough alone! I used 2 cups of frozen blueberries as an add-in. Excellent recipe!” – Julie
How to make scones:
(the ingredient amounts are listed in the printable recipe card further below)
- Start by tossing together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Then add in the cold butter.
- Using a pastry cutter, fork, or two knives, work in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse meal with some larger pieces remaining.
- Toss in your add-ins.
- Whisk together the buttermilk, egg, and vanilla (if making sweet scones).
- Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients and mix just until all is moistened.
- Scrape the dough onto a floured work surface.
- With floured hands, gently knead the dough into a ball. It doesn’t have to be perfectly smooth. Rough and shaggy is actually better.
- Flatten into a 6″ circle and cut into 8 wedges.
- Transfer onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and chill in the fridge for 20 minutes.
- Brush the surface with buttermilk and bake in a 400F oven for 20 minutes.
Expert tips:
- Use cold ingredients. Using cold butter, milk, and egg is essential for this recipe because you want the butter to remain solid while you work the dough. The small pieces of butter in the dough are what gives the scone its desirable texture. Cold butter creates steam as it melts in a hot oven. The steam from the melting butter expands between the layers of dough yielding a soft and fluffy interior, while the fat on the surface of the dough coats and creates a crispy outer shell.
- Be gentle and work quickly. When mixing your wet and dry ingredients together, gently mix until JUST combined and all appears to be moistened; that way you don’t create too much gluten. When kneading the dough into a ball, work quickly, so you don’t melt too much of the butter with your hands.
- Chill the dough. The key to this recipe is to let the scones chill in the fridge for 20 minutes while your oven preheats. This allows for the gluten in the flour to relax, which makes the scones more tender and enables them to rise higher. It also chills the fat, which makes the scones flakier.
FAQ:
Can scones be made in advance?
Yes, you can prepare the dough the night before, cover and store in the fridge overnight, and bake fresh in the morning. Baked scones will last in the fridge for up to 5 days, so you can also bake them in advance, and just reheat when ready to serve. To reheat, place them on a baking sheet lightly tented with foil, and warm in a 350F oven for about 10 minutes.
Can you freeze scones?
You can freeze them baked or unbaked. To freeze unbaked scones, place the wedges in the freezer until frozen solid, put them in a ziplock back, return to freezer and store for up to a month. When ready to bake, let thaw overnight in the fridge, and bake as instructed. To freeze them after baking, let cool completely, place in a ziplock bag, and freeze for up to a month. When ready to use, thaw overnight in the fridge, and warm in the microwave for 30 seconds or on a baking sheet lightly tented with foil in a 350F oven for about 10 minutes.
How do I get my scones to rise and be fluffy?
Make sure you are using enough baking powder and make sure it’s fresh. Don’t add too much flour when you knead the dough and don’t overwork the dough. Be very gentle and just work it enough to gather it into a shaggy ball. Letting the dough rest before baking also helps.
Do scones need eggs?
The answer is no. However, scones that contain eggs are fluffier and rise higher than scones that don’t because eggs serve as a leavening agent in baked goods. Eggs also add flavor, moisture, and richness to the scones so I highly prefer recipes that contain eggs.
Are scones supposed to be dry or moist?
Scones are supposed to be crunchy on the outside while soft and moist on the inside. They should not be dry or crumbly.
Why are my scones hard?
Scones can turn out hard for a number of reasons like overbaking, overworking the dough, the oven temperature being too high, not enough fats or liquids. However, it’s usually due to overbaking.
This recipe will serve as your basic go-to scone recipe with instructions on how to adapt it for sweet or savory, and mix-in options. What you see in the photos are sweet scones with white chocolate chips, blueberries, and raspberries as mix-ins. I used this same recipe to make my chocolate chip scones. Watch the video below to see how easy it is to make.
You might also like:
- Chocolate Chip Scones
- Best Blueberry Scones
- Feta Cheese & Blueberry Scones
- Flaky Butter Biscuits
- Bakery Style Blueberry Streusel Muffins
Did you make this recipe? Please kindly leave a comment with your star rating below.
PrintHow To Make The BEST Scones
- Prep Time: 15 min
- Chill Time: 20 min
- Cook Time: 20 min
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 8
- Category: breakfast, snack
- Method: bake
- Cuisine: American
Description
These scones have a dark-golden and crunchy outer crust. They are tender, moist and buttery on the inside. Plus you can easily adapt this recipe with your favorite add-ins.
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups (315g) all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface and kneading
- 2 tbsp (for savory) or 4 tbsp (for sweet) granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1 tsp (for savory) or 1/2 tsp (for sweet) salt
- ½ cup (114g) cold unsalted butter, cubed
- ⅔ cup (167ml) cold buttermilk, plus more for brushing top of scones
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp vanilla (for sweet only)
Optional
- 1–2 cups add-ins (I used 1/2 cup white chocolate chips, 1/2 blueberries and 1/2 cup raspberries for this sweet scone version)
Instructions
- In a large bowl, toss together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.
- Work in the butter with a pastry cutter or fork until it resembles coarse meal with a few larger pieces remaining. Mix in any add-ins at this step if using.
- In a measuring cup, whisk together the buttermilk, egg, and vanilla (if making sweet scones).
- Pour the wet ingredients over the dry mixture. Gently stir with a rubber spatula until JUST combined and all appears to be moistened.
- Scrape the dough onto a floured work surface. With floured hands, gently and quickly knead the dough into a ball (sprinkle more flour if needed as you’re kneading). It doesn’t have to be smooth. Rough and shaggy is good.
- Pat out into a 5″ circle if making plain scones, or 6″ circle if you have incorporated any add-ins.
- Cut into 8 wedges and place 2″ apart onto a parchment paper or silicone mat lined baking sheet. Chill uncovered in the fridge for 20 minutes while you preheat your oven to 400F.
- Brush the tops of the scones with more buttermilk and bake for about 20 minutes or until golden brown.
Notes
Scones are best enjoyed the day of. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 days or in the fridge for up to 5 days. To reheat, place on a baking sheet, lightly tent with foil, and warm for 10 minutes at 350F.
To make in advance: prepare the dough the night before (up to step 5), cover and store in the fridge, and bake as instructed the next day. Baked scones will last in the fridge for up to 5 days, so you can also bake them in advance, and just reheat when ready to serve. To reheat, place them on a baking sheet lightly tented with foil, and warm in a 350F oven for about 10 minutes.
To freeze unbaked scones: place the wedges in the freezer until frozen solid, put them in a ziplock back, return to freezer and store for up to a month. When ready to bake, let thaw overnight in the fridge, and bake as instructed.
To freeze them after baking: let the scones cool completely, place them in a ziplock bag, and freeze for up to a month. When ready to use, thaw overnight in the fridge, and warm in the microwave for 30 seconds or on a baking sheet lightly tented with foil in a 350F oven for about 10 minutes.
Here are some suggested variations from King Arthur Flour.
Sweet scone variations:
White Chocolate, Cherry, and Pecan Scones: Add 1/2 cup dried cherries, 1/2 cup white chocolate chips, and 1/2 cup pecans.
Chocolate Chunk Scones: Add 1 – 1 1/2 cups of chocolate chunks (milk, semi-sweet, dark or mix).
Double Chocolate Chunk Scones: Substitute 1/4 cup cocoa powder for 1/4 cup of the all-purpose flour; add 1 cup chocolate chunks and 1/2 teaspoon espresso powder.
Toasted Coconut Lime Scones: Add 3/4 cup toasted unsweetened shredded coconut and 1 tablespoon lime zest. For extra coconut flavor, use coconut milk in place of the dairy called for in the recipe.
Roasted Strawberry and Pistachio Scones: Toss 2 cups sliced or quartered strawberries with 1 tablespoon sugar. Spread them on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake at 425°F for about 20 minutes, or until jammy-looking. Let the berries cool before stirring them into the dry ingredients with 1/2 cup chopped pistachios.
Lemon Blueberry Scones: Add 2 cups blueberries and 1 tablespoon lemon zest.
Triple Cinnamon Scones: Add 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon (to the dry ingredients) and 1 cup cinnamon chips.
Savory scone variations:
Cheddar, Basil, and Sun-Dried Tomato Scones: Add 1 cup grated cheddar, 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil (or 2 tablespoons dried basil), and 1/2 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes (not packed in oil).
Cheddar, Bacon, and Chives: Add 1 cup grated cheddar, 1/2 cup cooked crumbled bacon, 2 tbsp finely chopped fresh chives (or 2 tsp dried).
These scones are quite possibly the best thing I have ever baked! They have the perfect amount of crispness on the outside and gooeyness on the inside and so easy! I did a batch of the raspberry white chocolate. Then I went a bit rogue…. I made cinnamon chip one but decided to stuff them with a cinnamon, brown sugar, butter mixture… these did not disappoint. I may have over-filled them so a cinnamon sugary crust formed on the edges as it baked!! Not pretty but delicious!
Thank you for the rave review, Amy! I’m glad you like the recipe so much and the cinnamon brown sugar filling sounds delicious!
I followed your recommendation on white chocolate, cherry and pecans and it was absolutely delicious!! thanks for sharing
You’re very welcome and thank you for your lovely comment!
I love your recipe! My daughter used your blueberry muffin recipe & I was so impressed with how easy & delicious it is!
Thanks to you I’ve reclaimed my “ joy for baking” again!
My friends drop everything and come for a visit at the mention of scones!
Thanks
Susan
Awe, you’re very welcome, Susan! I’m so happy you found your joy for baking again:)
This is probably the best scone recipe I’ve ever made or eaten. I made it with zest from 1 large orange, 1/2 cup dried cranberries (rehydrated) and 2/3 cup roasted chopped pecans. I also sprinkled turbinado sugar on top. Divine!
One trick I have learned making scones is freeze the butter, then grate on a grater. It allows the butter to easily work into the flour mixture.
This has become my go-to recipe whenever I have people stay the night, my in-laws are always impressed by it. I have done chocolate chip, blueberry, and apple cinnamon and they all have been delicious! I want to make a pumpkin or pumpkin chocolate chip batch next, how should I include the pumpkin puree?
Thank you for your kind words! For a pumpkin version, I would replace the vanilla with 1 1/2 tsp of pumpkin pie spice, reduce the buttermilk to 1/4 cup and add 1/2 cup of pumpkin puree. Try that and let me know what you think:)
They were delicious! The dough was a little dry, so I ended up using about 1/3 cup buttermilk and an extra dollop of pumpkin.
Can the egg be omitted for a crispier scone?
You can, but these scones are already quite crispy on the outside. The egg adds richness and makes the inside crumb soft and tender. I would try the recipe as is (unless you have an egg allergy) to see how you like it before omitting the egg.
Can’t wait to make them!!!
Can I use almond/coconut milk instead of the buttermilk?
Thanks!!
You can use either. I personally would use coconut milk over almond because it’s higher in fat and will make for a richer scone. Thank you for your question and have a great weekend!
I loved this recipe! My attempts at scones in the past have yielded a very wet dough that was hard and messy to work with although they did end up tasting good but this recipe was really nice. The dough was just wet enough to stick together. I made 2 kinds. One with frozen blackberries that I put a little flour on before adding them to my dry ingredients. The other was a cranberry/orange. Used some chopped dried cranberries and the zest of 1 orange in the dough then made a glaze with a couple tsp. of OJ and powdered sugar. I also put this glaze on the BlackBerry ones. They were both delicious. Also I used powdered buttermilk. In my first batch I mixed 2/3 cup water with the powdered buttermilk then read the directions and realized I was supposed to put the powder in with dry ingredients and water in with wet so that how I did it in the second batch. Both turned out great and I couldn’t tell any difference.
I’m so glad to hear that you love the recipe. Thank you for your lovely comment:)
This has become my go-to recipe for scones and I’ve tried lots. It is perfect, easy and adaptable to whatever add ins I choose. Although everyone also loves them plain with some jam and fresh cream ….yum!
Thank you for your rave review, Jeanette! I’m so glad everyone loves them:)
The scones sound wonderful. I am wondering how to make maple bacon scones with this recipe? Thanks.
I would add 1/2 cup cooked bacon crumble, 2 tbsp maple syrup to the scones and finish with a maple glaze. Add 1/2 tsp of maple extract if you have for a prominent maple flavor.
Can these be made with almond or coconut flour?
No, the texture will not be the same. If you are looking for a gluten-free version, I recommend using Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free 1:1 baking flour. It works exactly like AP flour. I hope this helps and enjoy the scones!
Fantastic!
Thank you!
Just amazing..the best that I’ve ever eaten..Will surely Do again.
Thank you for your kind words! I’m glad you like it:)
HOw would I make banana scones??? Do not know what to substitute? Thank you
I would add an extra 1/2 cup of flour and add 1 cup of mashed bananas to the buttermilk and egg mixture. You’ll probably need to bake it for a few more minutes as well. I hope that helps and let me know how it turns out!
I love to make various scones recipes for friends and family. For Raspberry and white chocolate chip scones I mix the white chocolate chips with recipe than split mixture in half and make two 6 to 8 inch rounds disc than apply raspberry on top of bottom disc mixture and gently apply top disc . Press down and sprinkle sugar on top as recipe indicates. I’ve done this with blueberries, slices sweetened peaches etc. works beautifully without breaking fruits.
This is LITERALLY the BEST scone recipe EVER!!! Me and my family love it!! This is a recipe we will definitely be making over and over. Thank you so much💕
You are very welcome, Luna! So glad you and your family love it and thank you for your rave review:)
Hi Lily,
Just saw your recipe on Pinterest and am anxious to make these scones!!! Can you use frozen blueberries? If so, frozen or thawed? TIA.
Hi Janet,
Yes, you can use frozen blueberries. Use straight from frozen, do not thaw. For full instructions on how to make scones with frozen blueberries, see my blueberry scone recipe: https://www.littlesweetbaker.com/blueberry-scones/
These are Amazing and Easy to make!
My family begs me for them and they disappear right away!
My friends are always in a hurry to join me for coffee and scones when I make a batch .
Aww, that’s so nice to hear. I’m glad everyone likes them and thank you for your kind words!
They turned out perfect they are so so good ! I am so happy thank you
You’re very welcome and I’m so glad you think they are perfect!
Can you use something else to replace buttermilk?
You can use whole milk or low-fat milk mixed with 2 teaspoons of white vinegar or lemon juice. Enjoy and have a great day!