Best Scone Recipe
Learn how to make the BEST scones of your life! The beauty of this master scone recipe lies in its adaptability. With a tender crumb, crisp edges, and a rich buttery flavor, these scones are perfect on their own or as a base for endless variations.
Why you’ll love this recipe:
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. 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 golden perfection.
- Versatile – This scone recipe is a perfect base for endless flavor variations. Whether you prefer sweet scones with fruit and chocolate or savory options with cheese and herbs, this recipe can be easily adapted to your cravings.
- Perfect Texture – The combination of cold butter and a light touch in mixing ensures that these scones have a tender, flaky texture, and a crispy exterior. The result is a scone that is moist and not too dense.
- Easy to make – This recipe is easy enough for beginners, yet satisfying even for seasoned bakers. With only 15 minutes of prep and 20 minutes in the oven, you can have freshly baked scones to your liking in under an hour.
If you love scones, you must also try my Best Blueberry Scones, Cranberry Orange Scones, and Glazed Pumpkin Scones. For a mix of sweet and savory, try these Feta Cheese & Blueberry Scones.
Ingredients you’ll need and why:
- All-purpose flour – Provides the structure and base for the scones, creating the dough’s bulk and texture.
- Granulated sugar – Adds sweetness and helps create a tender crumb by interacting with the other ingredients.
- Baking powder – Acts as a leavening agent, causing the scones to rise and become light and fluffy.
- Salt – Enhances the flavor of the scones and balances the sweetness, also helping to strengthen the dough.
- Unsalted butter – Contributes richness and flavor, while its cold, solid form helps create flaky layers in the scones.
- Buttermilk – Adds moisture and tenderness, and helps to activate the baking powder for a better rise. Also used onto brush the scones for a more golden outer crust.
- Egg – Binds the ingredients together, adds richness, and helps with the scones’ structure and rise.
- Vanilla extract (for sweet scones) – Enhances the sweetness and adds a warm, aromatic flavor.
- Optional add-ins and toppings – 1-2 cups of sweet or savory mix-ins and toppings like coarse sugar or glaze.
How to make the best 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.
- Work in the butter using a pastry cutter, fork, or two knives 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 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 until golden brown.
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 give the scones their 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 it 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.
Storing and freezing instructions:
Storing – Place the scones in an airtight container and store them at room temperature for up to 2 days, or refrigerate for up to 5 days.
To freeze unbaked scones – Place the wedges in the freezer until frozen solid, put them in a ziplock back, return to the freezer and store for up to a month. When ready to bake, let thaw overnight in the fridge, and bake as instructed.
To freeze baked scones – 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.
Recipe FAQs:
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 scone recipes that contain eggs.
Scones are supposed to be crunchy on the outside yet soft and moist on the inside. They should not be dry or crumbly.
To reheat, place them on a baking sheet lightly tented with foil, and warm in a 350F oven for about 10 minutes.
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.
If you’ve tried this Master Scone Recipe or any other recipe on my blog please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
How To Make The BEST Scones
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 (160ml) 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
- glaze or coarse sugar for topping
Instructions
- In a large bowl, toss together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.2 1/2 cups (315g) all-purpose flour, 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
- 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.½ cup (114g) cold unsalted butter
- In a measuring cup, whisk together the buttermilk, egg, and vanilla (if making sweet scones).⅔ cup (160ml) cold buttermilk, 1 large egg, 1 tsp vanilla
- 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 top with coarse sugar if using.
- Bake for about 20 minutes or until golden brown. Transfer the scones to a cooling rack.
Notes
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).
I’ve made a ham and cheddar version of these a couple times now and by boyfriend thinks they’re better than the local bakery! I’ll be trying some berry ones this weekend.
I haven’t made this recipe yet but plan to this weekend because it looks delicious, easy, and the reviews say it all! Quick question: I would like to make a sweet version and a savory version for choice for Easter brunch. After chilling, can they be cooked in the oven at the same time? If I rotate the trays will they deflate? I realize I !ight need to increase the baking time slightly. Thanks!
You can but depending on the flavors you’re making, it might be best to bake them separately. For example, if you’re making onion cheddar scones and strawberry scones, well your strawberry scones might have a hint of onion if you bake them together. However, if you are planning on making plain scones and strawberry scones, it would be fine to bake them at the same time. I hope that makes sense and let me know if you have any other questions:)
Thanks so much for the quick reply and insight! Today I am making both as sweets: choc chip for grandkids and cherry white choc pecan.
Will bake together… Can’t wait to try this delish recipe!
I baked them exactly like the recipe said but in the oven the butter melted all over the baking sheet as did the blueberries. Was my oven too hot? no one else seemed to have this problem
Sounds like there were too many large pieces of butter in your dough. Just work your butter into the flour mixture a little more and that should fix the butter melting issue. As for the blueberries, it’s completely normal for the ones on the outside to burst. That’s expected:)
THIS WAS SO EASY AND SO SO GOOD!!!
WOW
I made this yesterday. It was so good. I will definitely make it I a regular basis.
I don’t often leave reviews, but this scone recipe has been getting me through the pandemic. I make these all the time. So good!
Thanks, Dorothy! Glad to hear these scones are helping you get through:)
Amazing recipe. Easy to follow. Used blueberries and strawberries. Topped half with a lemon glaze. Yummm! Can’t wait to make more variations! Thank you!
You’re very welcome, Hilary! So glad you think it’s amazing and thank you for your kind words:)
Lily – looooved your recipe. I have read many scones recipes on line but never attemped to make them. Chose yours for my first attempt today because of your pictures, your clear instructions and all the wonderful help you have given in the comments. They turned out perfectly, exactly like the expensive ones I have bought over the years. My family loved them – what a yummy treat! Now I will scrap all the other recipes! Can’t wait to make more with all your suggestions! Thank you so much and be well!
Aww, you’re very welcome, Sandy. Thank you for your kind words and be well too!
really good recipe. WE love these scones for Sunday breakfast or “to go” for our winter forest hikes. Just making them again. Thank you!
You’re very welcome, Kaja! I’m so glad you like them:)
These are the best scones ever! My husband asks me to make a batch almost every week and are pretty much gone the same day!. However I find mine seem to lose its shape and there’s so much butter at the bottom of my baking sheet. Is this normal?
Thank you for your kind words and no, that’s not normal. I think you just need to work in the butter a bit more so the pieces are smaller and that should help prevent the greasiness from the larger butter pieces. Let me know if that works out:)
I made this recipe as is with cranberries, almonds and orange zest, and I was amazed at how delicious they were! They actually looked like the recipe picture! I was also surprised by how they puffed up and became larger; I didn’t realize they would do that. Definitely a keeper – thank you!
You’re very welcome and thank you for your kind words, Lynann!
These scones turned out so delicious! I used frozen mixed berries and added orange zest. Also, I live at altitude and didn’t need to adjust the recipe or baking temp. at all.
Thank you for your kind words, Jeanne! And that’s so great to know that you don’t have to adjust this recipe for high-altitude. Enjoy the scones and stay safe out there!
Not sure how you mix and knead these without breaking up the blueberries?
You just have to be gentle. A few blueberries might pop but the majority will stay intact.
I made this recipe and added butterscotch chips. The recipe is simple, easy to follow, and yields AMAZING scones. They are so light and fluffy with a wonderful crunchy exterior. The next time I make this recipe, and I can already tell there will be a lot of next times, I’m making my favorite cheddar and scallion scones. This recipe is going into frequent rotation. 10/10!
Thank you for your rave review, Holly! I’m so happy you think the scones are AMAZING:)
Made white chocolate raspberry scones using this recipe. My husband said I can make them again. 🤣. Forgot to take a picture but I will next time sine there will definitely be a next time! They were easy to make. If you plan ahead, could easily do on a weekday morning. Next I’m going to try a savory version. Thanks!
Thank you for your kind words and I too love white chocolate and raspberry together – yum! Stay safe and happy new year!
Could I use whole milk if I do not have any buttermilk on hand?
Yes, you can use whole milk. Enjoy and happy holidays!
Could I use brown sugar in place of the white sugar to make a brown sugar cinnamon scone?
Yes, that’s a great idea!
came out perfect i’m so stoked! thank you!
You’re very welcome! So glad you like it:)
This is now going to be my go to scone recipe for many variations. I made it with these changes/variations: I froze my butter, then grated it into the flour. I added the zest of one orange, about 2 to 3 tablespoons of finely chopped fresh rosemary, and about 1/2 cup of chopped dried cranberries. I didn’t add any other fruit or add-ins. I also brushed heavy cream on the tops before baking (instead of the buttermilk) and sprinkled sugar on top. Thanks for the great recipe!
You’re welcome! I’m glad you like it:)