This Scone Recipe makes the BEST tender, flaky, and buttery scones in just 30 minutes. Recipe includes instructions for enjoying plain or adding your favorite mix-ins. Don’t forget to watch the how-to video!
A Super Simple & Satisfying Scone Recipe
This quick and easy scone recipe makes flavorful, beautifully textured scones without any of the fuss. If you’ve been too intimidated to make this wedge shaped treat, you won’t be after making these.
Here’s why you’ll love this scone recipe:
- No pastry blender! Instead we’ll use a food processor, which does all of the heavy lifting without overworking the dough. I do provide instructions for how to make your scones without a food processor, if you don’t have one!
- Just like in my easy biscuit recipe, a little laminating yields nice, flaky layers.
- It’s customizable! Frozen fruit (or fresh fruit, it’s just a bit messier), chocolate chips, dried fruit, nuts, or your favorite zest are all great options.
- No eggs! I found that using eggs makes scones less flaky and less melt-in-your-mouth.
- They’re delicious by themselves, or even better with honey butter, jam or whipped cream.
- It’s the perfect base for lots of different flavor variations such as my lemon poppy seed scones, chocolate scones, raspberry scones, and more!
What You Need
One of the best things about this scone recipe is that is uses ingredients that you probably already have on hand. Let’s touch on a few key players:
- Flour. Do NOT use self-rising flour or your scones will become much too tall and tip over.
- Butter. This is possibly the most important ingredient in my scone recipe. If you can get your hands on it, I recommend a high quality European butter, which has a higher fat content and makes for delectable, tender results.
- Vanilla. Just a splash of vanilla extract adds a lovely depth of flavor.
- Heavy cream. This helps bind everything together, much like an egg would, but the results are much more melt-in-your-mouth.
SAM’S TIP: Keep your butter as cold as possible! I like to freeze mine for at least 15-30 minutes before I begin making scones. Cold butter pieces distributed throughout the dough makes for tender, flaky, buttery layers. If the butter gets too warm at any point, your scones are prone to becoming flat and dense.
How to Make the Best Scone Recipe
- Combine the dry ingredients in your food processor, then add the butter pieces and pulse.
- Add the cream and vanilla to the food processor and pulse until the everything clumps together.
- Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface, add any add-ins, then begin laminating.
- Form your dough into a disc and cut it into wedges.
- Place your scones on your baking sheet, brush them with cream, and sprinkle with sugar.
- Bake until light golden brown, then let the scones cool on the baking sheet before enjoying.
SAM’S TIP: Always press straight down when cutting your scones–never saw into scone dough! A straight cut helps the scones rise straight and properly; sawing will yield scones that tip over and have less defined edges.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you may use a grater or a pastry cutter to cut the butter into the flour instead, but the dough will be very dry and require more effort to come together. I discuss this in more detail above and provide instructions in the recipe below.
Yes! To do this, prepare your dough as instructed, then wrap each scone in cling wrap and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
If baking from the refrigerator, you can follow the scone recipe as written. If baking from frozen, the scones may need a few extra minutes in the oven. I always wait until just before baking before brushing them with cream and sprinkling with sugar.
Yes! To freeze baked scones, let them cool completely after baking. Once they’ve cooled, transfer them to an airtight container (I like to loosely wrap each scone in wax paper or parchment paper so they don’t stick together) and enjoy within 3 months.
To defrost your scones, you can microwave them from frozen. The time required will vary depending on the power of your microwave.
Enjoy!
Let’s bake together! I’ll be walking you through all the steps in my written recipe and video below! If you try this recipe, be sure to tag me on Instagram, and you can also find me on YouTube and Facebook
The BEST Scone Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (113 g) very cold unsalted butter I like to place my butter in the freezer 15 minutes before beginning to ensure it is cold
- ½ cup (120 ml) heavy cream
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup your favorite add-ins optional: frozen berries, chocolate chips, nuts, etc.
- Additional heavy cream for brushing over scones optional
- Additional sugar for sprinkling over scones optional
Recommended Equipment
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375F (190C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in the basin of a food processor and pulse to combine.2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour, ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar, 2 teaspoon baking powder, ¼ teaspoon salt
- Cut butter into Tablespoon-sized pieces and scatter over flour mixture, pulse until butter is cut up into the flour mixture and butter pieces are no longer visible.½ cup (113 g) very cold unsalted butter
- Combine the heavy cream and vanilla extract in a measuring cup and pour heavy cream over your flour mixture.½ cup (120 ml) heavy cream, ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pulse until dough begins to clump together.
- Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface and (handling lightly, as you don’t want to over-work this dough) add any add-ins at this point, gently working them into the dough. Fold the dough in half over itself and use your hands to gently flatten layers together. Rotate the dough 90 degrees and fold in half again, repeating this step 5 times and taking care to not overwork the dough.½ cup your favorite add-ins
- Form the dough into a smooth disk about 1″ thick by 6″ round.
- Cut the disk into 8 wedges, pressing the knife straight down with each cut.
- Transfer wedges to prepared baking sheet and place about 2″ apart. Brush lightly with heavy cream and sprinkle with sugar.Additional heavy cream for brushing over scones, Additional sugar for sprinkling over scones
- Bake on 375F (190C) for 14-16 minutes or until edges are just beginning to turn golden brown. Don’t over-bake your scones or they will be dry and tough.
- Allow scones to cool on baking sheet before serving and enjoying.
Notes
¹Food Processor
If you don’t have a food processor you can make the scones by whisking together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Cut the butter into the dry ingredients with either a pastry cutter, box grater, or pair of knives. Whisk together heavy cream and vanilla and pour over and stir until well-combined. The dough will be very dry but will come together with some effort. If absolutely necessary you can add a bit more cream, a splash at a time.Storing
Scones are best enjoyed fresh, but you can store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. See the FAQ section in the post for instructions on freezing scones (before or after baking).How to Make Lemon Scones
Add 1 Tbsp of fresh lemon zest into the scone batter with the butter Once scones have cooled, dip in a simple glaze made of 1 ¼ cup (160g) powdered sugar, 1 ½ Tablespoons (20ml) lemon juice, 1 ½ teaspoons of water, and ¼ teaspoon of vanilla extract.Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.
Heidi
Love this recipe. I add a tablespoon of lemon juice and it seems to make them more tender.
Rosanna T Oxhorn
I’ve used your scone recipe twice and both times I needed to add extra cream to bring the dough together in the food processor. I was also surprised by how little they rose. That being said they really are delicious.
Joanne miller
These are so good and have made several times but I am wondering why only 1/2 cup cream as I have had to add at least a cup to get dough to come together. Am I doing something wrong?
Sam
Hi Joanne! I’m glad you’ve enjoyed them! Do they spread a lot with a cup of cream in them? Are you weighing your flour?
Shelley L
Mine don’t come together in the food processor like they do on her video. I spoon and level my flour carefully. I use a bit more than a 1/2 cup cream. Dough comes together by hand on my pastry mat with a little work. I make my disk and put in the freezer about 15 minutes before slicing and baking
Olivia
Delicious! This recipe is super simple, and incredibly versatile, the scones were perfect! I added orange juice and zest to the dough, as well as to a glaze I made to go on top, and it was great!
Susie
Excellent New Year’s Day scones. The food processor made it so easy and almost fool-proof. I also liked that there was no egg in the dough.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We’re so happy you enjoyed the scones, Susie! Sounds like a delicious New Year’s Day tradition 😋
Judy M
I’ve made many scones over the years but none were as authentic as this recipe. Made them plain with the sugar and cream topping and absolutely love them. Will be making for Christmas Eve with dried cranberry and pistachios…already know they’ll be a hit.
Becky B
I’m having a tea party in a week. Want to make these tonight and will freeze them. Do I need to defrost before baking?
Sam
Hi Becky! You don’t have to thaw them to bake them, but just keep in mind it will take several more minutes to bake. 🙂
Robin N.
can I substitute whole milk or whole milk Greek yogurt for heavy cream? want to make healthier, less fat, other suggestions th as to won’t mess these up?
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Robin! Others have used milk instead of heavy cream with success. Hope this helps!
Stephanie
I’ve made these using your recipe about five times and they are always wonderful! I was wondering if I can use whole wheat flour as a substitute and if so, what adjustments to the recipe would I need to make?
Sam
Hi Stephanie! I haven’t tried whole wheat flour here. It’s a bit “thirstier” so may need alterations, but without having tried it myself, I can’t say for sure what they would be. Let me know how it goes if you try it. 🙂
Lea
wondering if gluten free flour will work and non dairy…gonna try. have to.
Sam
Hi Lea! Did you try the gluten free flour? I would love to know how it turned out. 🙂
Lexie Brough
wonderful recipe and so easy…takes very little time from start to serving. The only change I made was substituting 1/3 Cup kefir for the cream. I used a bowl and spoon instead of my food processor.
This will be my go to recipe from now on! Thank you.
Karen
Have you made this recipewith cheese?
Sam
Hi Karen! I have not made it with cheese but you would just want to follow the instructions in step 6 to do so. You shouldn’t have any issues. 🙂
Maggie
I was intrigued when the recipe called for heavy cream. I added chopped walnuts, golden raisins, chopped dried cherries, and almond filling, topped off with toasted sliced almonds. WOW. It sounds like a lot of mix-ins but it gave them a nice texture and the perfect amount of sweet since I only used half the sugar. AMAZING!!
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed them so much, Maggie! 🙂