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.
Delicious and easy scones! Looking forward to trying other flavor variations. Even with just cinnamon sugar, these were wonderful.
Moist and delicious!
I love scones, especially when I’m in England. But I generally avoid American scones, because they’re so dry. Not the case with these scones!! They were so moist and full of flavor.
I made half with mini chocolate chips and half with mini cinnamon chips. I brought them to my book club, and people couldn’t get enough! I will definitely be making these again!
Great base scone recipe… once you master this, you can change up the add-ins and customize to your liking! I like to bake from frozen – doing the prep work in advance makes it too easy to pop some in the oven for fresh scones on short notice.
These scones are so good (light and moist) that they’re also enjoyed by those who think they don’t like scones. Tessa’s laminating tips are so helpful to achieve the layers. And the flavor combinations to add to the dough and or glaze are endless. I like to freeze some scones right after shaping, unbaked, then quickly egg wash and bake on a moment’s notice.
So glad you enjoyed these scones, Becky! Your scones look terrific – look at those lovely tall layers!! 🙂
The lightest and most tender scones I have ever made! Delicious!
I added blueberries to my scones and they were delicious! This was my first attempt at scones and while the instructions are great, I felt like I was a mess. Delicious is really the only thing that matters to me but I’m going to try making them again!
These turned out great! I did laminate the dough and sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar before baking. Yum!
I’m so glad I finally made these! I haven’t always had the best success with scones in the past, but these were terrific!
Amazing recipe
Easy to follow and tastes fantastic!
These are by far the most delicious scones I’ve ever baked. They are light and fluffy, buttery and so flavorful. I made one recipe adding zest of 1 lemon and 2 tsp of freshly squeezed lemon juice and the second recipe with 1 cup fresh blueberries, 2 tsp of zest, 1 Tbsp of lemon juice and reduced vanilla extract to 1/2 tsp Both are exceptional and for sure this will be my go to recipe for scones. I cooked in a convection oven at 375 for exactly 13 minutes. Will be serving these as part of our eclipse gathering. Thank you Tessa for perfecting the art of scone baking 🎉
I did what the recipe said NOT to do and used homemade buttermilk (as I am trying to reduce one-use grocery purchases). I was unable the laminate the dough as a result of the more soft dough, but I was still happy with how my chocolate chip scones turned out. Thanks, Tessa, for a great recipe, and for informing us why we should not use substitutions. Lesson learned!