Tessa’s Recipe Rundown
Taste: These scones are ultra buttery with a hint of sweet tanginess. The customization and flavor options are endless!
Texture: Extremely tender, flaky, light, and golden brown on top. Every bite is heaven!
Ease: Super easy. Less than 40 minutes from start to finish, plus you can make them ahead of time.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe: The perfect recipe to have in your back pocket for any special breakfast or brunch.
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I never used to understand the obsession and appeal of scones – that is, until I took a bite of a truly great scone!
Many are bland and dense – but once I perfected this scone recipe, I realized how delightful they can be. They’re sturdier and heartier than biscuits because they contain eggs and more sugar.
Reader Love
These came out incredible! Thank you for the careful and detailed instructions! I chose to add ham, cheddar, and chives to mine and so did not include the sugar on top. I will be making these many more times with many more mix-ins.
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What I love most about them (besides all. the. BUTTER.) is that they belong on any breakfast or brunch table. Totally customizable!
British publication The Mirror even noted how unforgettable this from-scratch recipe is in their recent article all about scones!
You can add nuts, citrus zest, chocolate chips, dried fruit like raisins or currants, or simply serve alongside flavored butter or your favorite jam and clotted cream (although this is more of an American scone recipe than British).
Sprinkle of Science
How to Make The Best Scones
Ingredient Notes
- All-Purpose Flour: I prefer to use Gold Medal AP flour, as I find it yields a more tender scone than flour made with a high protein wheat variety, like King Arthur Flour. If using a measuring cup instead of a scale, be sure to spoon and level.
- White Sugar: This is where scones differ from biscuits! A relatively small amount of sugar adds a touch of sweetness and encourages lightly golden brown edges.
- Baking Powder: A whole tablespoon is used to create tall and light scones.
- Baking Soda: A small amount also helps leaven the scones and will help create that light golden crust.
- Butter: It must be COLD and stay cold until the dough hits the oven, or you will not achieve flaky scones.
- Buttermilk: This is absolutely my preferred liquid. It will result in tender, taller scones because its acidity reacts with the baking powder and tenderizes the dough. It also adds a lovely tang to create more depth of flavor. I don’t recommend a DIY buttermilk substitute. You can use keffir instead, or heavy cream, which will alter the taste and texture. Learn more about the science of buttermilk here.
- Eggs: This is the other ingredient that distinguishes scones from biscuits. Eggs add richness, structure, and color.
- Vanilla: Don’t skip, unless you’re making a savory variation.
- Coarse Sugar: This is an optional topping ingredient, but I highly recommend it! You get pretty sparkly scones with a bit of a crunchy exterior. Yum.
Tips for Making the Dough:
- Whatever you do, do not overmix the flour mixture or dough or allow it to get too warm, to avoid flatter, tougher, and less flaky scones.
- My absolute favorite tool for making this dough quickly and easily by hand (so I don’t have to lug out my food processor) is this OXO bladed pastry blender.
- Use a marble pastry board to help keep the dough cool. If at any point you notice the butter become greasy and melty, pop the dough into the freezer for 10 to 15 minutes before proceeding.
- Once shaped, you can also place the baking sheet of unbaked scones in the fridge or freezer while the oven preheats, to ensure the butter remains nice and cold.
How to Make Tall, Flaky Scones: Bonus Tip
We’re stealing a trick from croissant baking that I also use in my Best Ever Pie Crust recipe! A little bit of “lamination” gets the scones to shoot up sky-high with tons of flaky layers. Don’t worry, it sounds more complicated than it actually is.
If this seems like too much work, just skip this step – they’ll still be delicious! Check out my How to Make Tall Scones & Biscuits article for more tips.
How to Laminate Your Scone Dough:
- If adding any mix-ins, fold into the dough now.
- Turn the craggly mass of dough out onto your work surface.
- Shape it into a rectangle.
- Fold the rectangle horizontally in thirds, like you’re folding a piece of paper to go into an envelope.
- Flatten it out into a rectangle again.
- Now fold it in thirds once more, but going the opposite direction. This will also help you to gently ‘knead’ the dough so it comes together into a more cohesive disk without overmixing it. Overmixing leads to rubbery and tough scones and biscuits.
Try to shape half your dough using this trick and half without to compare the difference. You’ll be surprised!
I demonstrated this during a live Zoom class with my Blueberry Scone recipe. Take a look at Benjamin’s laminated vs. un-laminated scones:
Storage Instructions
Scones are best served within a few hours of baking. This is why I recommend making the dough in advance:
Refrigerate the Dough: The shaped unbaked scones can be covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated overnight. Bake from the fridge as the recipe directs.
Freeze the Dough: Place shaped, unbaked scones inside an airtight container and freeze for up to 1 month. No need to thaw, you can bake from frozen, adding about 2 minutes to the baking time.
Flavor Variations
Feel free to get creative with add-ins! You can fold in about 3/4 cup of dried fruit, chocolate chips, nuts, etc. Dried fruit or frozen berries, like raspberries, work better than fresh.
- Cranberry Orange Scones
- Pumpkin Scones
- Blueberry Scones
- Chocolate Chip Scones
- Lemon Poppy Seed: Add 3 tablespoons poppy seeds + 2 tablespoons grated lemon zest to the dough.
- Cinnamon Sugar: Mix 3 tablespoons granulated sugar with 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon and sprinkle on the after the egg wash.
How to Make A Glaze
- 1 1/2 cups (188 grams) powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons water, milk, or citrus juice
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, or other extract
- Citrus zest, to taste, if desired
Directions: Whisk all glaze ingredients together until thick but still pourable glaze forms. Spread or drizzle over cooled scones and let stand until glaze has set.
FAQs
Can I substitute the buttermilk?
I don’t recommend it, it’s worth the extra trip to the grocery store, promise. Did you know you can even freeze leftover buttermilk? Learn more about buttermilk here.
If you need to substitute, you can use Kefir. Or, for a different taste and texture altogether, use cream instead.
If you’re baking outside of the U.S., some kind readers have let me know how they find buttermilk or something similar in their home country:
France: Lait ribot or lait fermenté
Italian: latticello
UAE: Laban
India: Chaas leftover from paneer
Britain: Tesco and Asda sell buttermilk
Sweden: Filmjölk
How are scones different than biscuits?
Generally, American-style scones contain eggs and sugar, whereas biscuits do not. This makes for a sweeter and denser product.
What’s the difference between American-style and British-style scones?
Generally, American-style scones are richer, denser, and often loaded with different flavor additions. British-style scones are often lighter, drier, and more plain because they are meant to be served with clotted cream and jam. My recipe is American-style.
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Classic Scones
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Ingredients
- 3 cups (381 grams) all-purpose flour, measured correctly
- 1/3 cup (66 grams) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 1/2 sticks (170 grams) unsalted butter, cold and cubed
- 1 cup (237 grams) buttermilk
- 2 large eggs, divided
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Coarse sugar, for topping
Instructions
- Adjust the oven rack to the center position and preheat to 400°F. Line two baking pans with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and baking soda.
- Add the butter and cut with a pastry cutter or a fork until the butter is the size of large peas.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, 1 egg, and vanilla extract.
- Make a well in the middle and add the liquid mixture. Mix until just combined. Don't over mix. If adding in dried fruit, nuts, chocolate, or other flavorings, do so now.
- Transfer the dough to a floured surface. *Optional Step: See Recipe Notes for lamination instructions.
- Divide into 2 equal parts. Lightly knead each into 3/4-inch thick, 6-inch diameter rounds. Cut each round into 8 wedges and place on your prepared baking pans. Space them out about 2 inches apart.
- Make Ahead: At this point, the unbaked scones can be covered and refrigerated overnight, or placed inside an airtight container and frozen for up to 1 month. If baking from frozen, add about 2 minutes to the baking time.
- In a small bowl, combine the remaining egg with 1 teaspoon water. Brush over the scones. Sprinkle with the coarse sugar.
- Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until lightly browned. The scones are best served warm, or within a few hours of baking.
Recipe Notes
- Turn the craggly mass of scone dough out onto your work surface.
- Shape it into a rectangle.
- Fold the rectangle horizontally in thirds, like you’re folding a piece of paper to go into an envelope.
- Flatten it out into a rectangle again.
- Fold it in thirds once more, but going in the opposite direction.
- This will also help you to gently ‘knead’ the dough so it comes together into a more cohesive disk without overmixing it. Continue with step 7 above.
The Ultimate Cookie Handbook
Learn the sweet SCIENCE of cookie baking in a fun, visual way to customize your own recipes frustration-free. Plus, my best 50+ homemade cookies!
More Brunch Recipes You’ll Love:
- Savory Scones (made with shallots, jalapenos, and cheese!)
- Ultimate Muffin Recipe (customizable!)
- Quiche Lorraine
- Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake
This recipe was originally published in May 2017 and updated in 2023 with new photos and even more baking tips. Photos by Joanie Simon.
This recipe is a little different from the onesI normally make, I going to try your recipe. I can’t wait to taste them. Thanks.
Thank you SO much for the freezing instructions! Just to be clear 😉 since you say to add 2 minutes to the baking time… does that mean you’re baking from frozen? Or should I thaw first so as to do the egg wash/sugar topping?
Hi! I want to give this a go but the thing that’s confusing me is the cup and grams. 3 cups of flour is definitely not equivalent to 381g. Which one should I follow?
Yes ,I agree 3cups flour is 360 grams. Not 380 grams
I have made 3 batches of these. Love them. One with walnuts, two with walnuts and chocolate chips.i tried the freezing and pulling out 2 at a time when I wanted them. This will be my go to recipe. I am going to try with apples and cinnamon today. Wish me luck. My family just asked me to bring some for Easter brunch.
Hi Tessa, I made these scones this afternoon and Oh my goodness, and as the name describes, they are perfect! I added the zest of one large orange and made an orange glaze to drizzle on top. I love scones and this is going to be added to my collection of treasured recipes. Thank you for sharing your recipe. I’m enjoyig a couple with my afternoon tea as I’ m tryping this comment. Cheers!
Hi there! Can all of you that have made these give me some ideas of how much fresh fruit or dry add ins (choc chips, dry , dried fruit, etc) per recipe? Thank you
I just made these, they are to die for! I added fresh blueberries. They are so light and fluffy.
My grandmother was Scottish and her’s were heavy and dense. In love with these!!! Thanks for sharing your recipe.
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I followed the recipe to the letter and they turned out really well. Except they tasted very strongly of baking powder. I made sure that the dry ingredients were well mixed before adding the wet ingredients. Are you sure it calls for 1tbsp of baking powder and not 1 tsp? Apart from that they were lovely with jam to mask the bitter taste.
I LOVE the taste of these scones! So simple! My batter was quite wet and sticky and was very hard to transfer. I followed the instructions to a T, so I’m not sure what went wrong! Please help!!!
Dear Tessa,
Your recipe is one I want to try for an upcoming event. I have left over fresh cranberries from Thankgiving. Can I just chop these up and fold them into the batter? Thank You, God Bless
Yes! Add some orange zest too! Yum!
I am eager to try this recipe after reading the comments. Do you have a gluten free version. I was thinking of almond flour, not a blend with rice, potato, tapioca. Perhaps you know of other gluten free flours. thks.