How to Make Scones (VIDEO)
This deliciously moist and flaky Scones Recipe is the base for a variety of perfect, homemade scones. Once you know how to make classic scones, you can come up with a hundred flavor variations.
We love homemade pastry recipes from our classic Apple Turnovers to the famous Baklava. If you’re also a fan of delicious pastries, this classic Scone recipe is a must-try!
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Best Scone Recipe
Scones can be served for breakfast or brunch, at an elegant afternoon tea (bridal or baby showers come to mind), or at a cozy gathering with family or friends. With so many flavor options- from blueberries, chocolate chips, or lemon zest- they are a perfect treat. Here’s why you’ll love this scone recipe:
- Customizable – It can be easily made with your favorite ingredients to suit your taste.
- Make-Ahead – The recipe can be made ahead of time and frozen (see instructions below).
- Texture perfection – Moist inside with a touch of crisp on the outside.
Scones Video Tutorial
Watch Natasha show you how to make classic scones. Once you master the dough, you can get creative and customize the add-ins. So, let’s get started and create the best scones you’ve ever tasted!
What are Scones?
Scones originated in the United Kingdom. They are considered a quick bread, often shaped into circles similar to a Southern biscuit, or wedges. Though they have similar ingredients as biscuits – a foundation of flour, butter, heavy cream (or buttermilk), and a leavening agent to help them rise – the proportions and resulting textures are completely different.
English “scones” are closely related to American “Biscuits” – they are less sweet and are served with Devonshire cream or clotted cream and jam. American scone recipes like this one, tend to have more butter, heavy cream, and sugar in the recipe and often have mix-ins added.
Tips for Making the Best Scones
The key to making fluffy and flaky scones is to use cold ingredients and keep them cold. If you use room-temperature ingredients or handle the dough too much, your dough will over-spread in the oven, leaving you with flat scones instead of the tall, moist, and flaky scones you dream about.
- Cold Ingredients – Keep all of your ingredients refrigerated and very cold until ready to use.
- Dice butter ahead of time and then return it to the refrigerator until it is time to add it to the recipe.
- Chill before baking – Refrigerate your formed dough for at least 15 minutes before baking.
- Cut straight down with a food scraper or knife and avoid using a sawing motion.
- Fully preheat the oven – a hot oven turns the butter into steamy air pockets and prevents butter from pooling in the pan. An oven thermometer helps!
Ingredients for Scones
See the list below (full measurements in the recipe card) for my tried and true scone recipe.
- Flour – All-purpose works great
- Sugar – lightly sweetens the dough
- Baking powder – makes the dough rise
- Salt – balances the flavors
- Butter – unsalted (make sure it’s cold)
- Egg – adds structure and flavor
- Heavy cream – cold cream provides moisture for a rich texture and soft crumb; also used to brush the tops
- Vanilla extract – try real or homemade vanilla for the best flavor
- Raw sugar – to sprinkle over scones
Optional Vanilla Glaze
- Milk – any kind, even a dairy-free milk. Add more milk to thin the glaze.
- Powdered sugar – Add more powdered sugar to thicken the glaze.
- Vanilla – Use real vanilla extract
Variations
We recommend adding 1 to 1 1/4 cups of add-ins. Adding too much fruit may cause your scones to fall apart. We recommend the following varieties, but get creative and add in your favorites!
- Blueberry Scones
- Chocolate Chip Scones – Use mini chocolate chips
- Raspberry and White Chocolate Chip Scones
- Blackberry Scones
- Cranberry Orange Scones
- Strawberry Scones
- Cinnamon Sugar Scones – sprinkle with 1 Tbsp sugar and 1/2 tsp cinnamon before baking.
- Savory Scones – Reduce your sugar to 2 Tbsp and omit vanilla. Add 1 cup of shredded cheese (cheddar or parmesan), herbs (rosemary, thyme, chives), and cooked, bite-sized pieces of meat such as bacon or ham.
How to Make the Perfect Scones
- Prep – Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Dry Ingredients – In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Add cold unsalted butter and cut it into the flour mixture with a pastry blender until pea-sized crumbs form. Gently fold in flavor add-ins if using. Refrigerate while preparing wet ingredients.
- Wet Ingredients – In a small bowl, combine cream, eggs, and vanilla. Beat with a fork until well blended. Combine the cream mixture and flour mixture and fold with a spatula until moistened.
- Work the Dough – Transfer the dough onto a clean, lightly floured surface and work it into a ball of dough just until it comes together. Next, flatten into a 1-inch thick and 7-inch wide disk. Chop into 8 equal wedges.
- Chill – Arrange scones on a lined baking sheet 1 inch apart. Brush the tops with cream and generously sprinkle with coarse sugar. Refrigerate for 15 minutes before baking.
- Bake – Bake for 20-23 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool completely. Drizzle with glaze if desired.
Pro Tip:
The scones are done when the tops are golden and the edges golden brown. The internal temperature on an instant-read thermometer should register at 200°F when done.
How to Make Vanilla Glaze
In a small bowl, combine powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla. Stir until well blended. The glaze should be drizzling consistency; add powdered sugar to thicken or milk to thin the glaze. Using a spoon, drizzle the glaze over the cooled scones.
Pro Tip
The glaze will set and harden within an hour. If you are glazing ahead, cover and store the scones once the glaze sets.
What can I use instead of a pastry cutter?
If you don’t have a pastry cutter, there are several methods for cutting butter into flour. You can use two forks or knives, or a food processor. Alternatively, you can freeze the stick of butter and grate on the large holes of a box grater. The key is to use cold butter and not work the dough too much, creating overly dense scones.
What to Serve With Scones
We love to enjoy scones in the morning for breakfast or brunch. Scones go great with:
- Coffee or tea
- Devonshire cream or clotted cream and jam
- Peach Preserves
- Plum Jam
- Vanilla glaze (see recipe below)
- Honey butter
Make-Ahead Scones
Like most baked goods, scones taste best right out of the oven, still warm, but you can make them ahead and bake fresh the next morning.
- To bake in the morning: Follow steps 1-5 to prepare your scones, then cover and refrigerate the unbaked scones overnight. Bake them chilled, directly from the refrigerator.
- Storing baked scones: Transfer cooled scones to an airtight container for up to 3 days (or 5 days in the refrigerator).
- Freezing: You can freeze scones baked or unbaked.
- To freeze dough: Place your cut dough wedges onto a baking sheet and freeze for 1 hour. Transfer to a freezer-safe bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight or bake from frozen, adding 2 minutes to the baking time.
- To freeze baked scones: After baking, cool on a wire rack. Transfer to an airtight container or freezer bag. Freeze for up to 3 months.
- To reheat: microwave for 20 seconds or place in the oven at 300°F for 10 minutes.
More Pastry Recipes
If you love this classic Scone recipe, you have to try these other moist, homemade pastry recipes:
Scones Recipe
Ingredients
Ingredients for Scones:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 Tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 Tbsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold, diced (1 stick)
- 1 large egg, cold, lightly beaten
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream , cold, plus 2 Tbsp to brush the tops
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 Tbsp coarse/ raw sugar to sprinkle the top, or sub with granulated sugar
Vanilla Glaze:
- 2/3 cup powdered sugar
- 1 to 1 1/2 Tbsp milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
How to Make Scones
- Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add diced cold butter and cut it into the flour mixture using a pastry cutter until pea-sized butter crumbs form. Gently stir in flavor add-ins if using. Refrigerate the mixture while preparing liquid ingredients.
- In a small bowl, combine cream, eggs, and vanilla and beat with a fork until well blended. Pour the cream mixture into your flour mixture and fold with a spatula just until moistened, don’t over-mix. If the dough is too dry to come together, add another tablespoon of cream. If it’s too moist, sprinkle with flour.
- Transfer the dough onto a clean work surface and work it into a ball of dough just so it comes together. Next, flatten into a 1-inch thick and 7-inch wide disk. Chop into 8 equal wedges, cutting straight down without using a sawing motion.
- Arrange scones on a lined baking sheet at least 1 inch apart. Brush the tops with cream and sprinkle generously with coarse sugar. Refrigerate the scones for 15 minutes before baking.
- Bake for 18-22 minutes or until the tops are golden and the center is baked through. Remove from the oven and cool completely then drizzle with glaze if desired.
To Make the Glaze:
- In a small bowl, combine powdered sugar, 1 Tbsp milk, and vanilla. Stir until well blended. The glaze should be drizzling consistency; thicken it with more powdered sugar and thin it out with more milk. Use a spoon to drizzle glaze over the cooled scones and enjoy.
Nutrition Per Serving
Natasha Kravchuk
Hi! I'm Natasha Kravchuk. Here you'll find delicious, trusted recipes with easy step-by-step photos and videos. 
By any chance do you know if I can use Stevia instead of sugar. I’m a diabetic and unfortunately I probably shouldn’t eat these according to the recipe (which by the way sounds and looks incredible)
Hi Nona! I haven’t tested a sugar alternative to advise. I checked through the comment section but I did not find if anyone has tried this. I believe it can work, but you may want to do some research on how to do that best so it doesn’t negatively effect the taste or texture. Please let us know if you experiment.
I made these but decreased the cook time by 2 mins to avoid burning the bottom of the scones. 🙂 I cheated by reading the review comments and your responses before hand to avoid errors and the scones came out great. My 8 yo loved them. Very easy and yummy recipe. Thank you!
That’s wonderful, Pari! So glad they turned out great.
Hello! I tried to make these but the batter came out too dry. I weight out my flour so any thoughts on what I did wrong?
Hi Kerry, I have this note in the recipe “If the dough is too dry to come together, add another tablespoon of cream. If it’s too moist, sprinkle with flour.” I hope that helps!
My husband randomly requested scones last night, and I had remembered you just posted this! He wanted chocolate chips, and I forgot the top coating of heavy cream, but they still turned out perfectly. Super easy, too!
Hi Wendy! That’s wonderful. Thanks for the feedback.
I love all your recipes!!
Your Awesome…I made the blueberry scones. DELICIOUS
Thank you! I’m happy to hear that you’re enjoying them!
Natasha these scones were AMAZING!! Super easy to make!
They were a hit with my family. I’m going to make another batch tomorrow morning. Do these freeze well? Thanks for this perfect scone recipe!
Hi Susan! I’m glad you loved the recipe. Yes, see my notes above for freezing instructions.
I was looking for your homemade vanilla recipe, which was part of your scone recipe that I just finished watching
Hi Nicole. Yes, you can use the search bar at the top of the page to look for any recipe. You’ll find it titled, “vanilla extract.”
Hello Natasha, is there anything non-dairy that I can use instead of heavy cream? Thank you, Sharon
Hi Sharon. I have not tested an alternative but they make dairy-free cream that you could try in its place.
I love to try this recipe but I can’t do heavy cream. Is it okay to use milk instead of the heavy cream?
Hi KT, I have not tested an alternative but they make dairy-free cream that you could try in its place.
Everything about this recipe was by far the best scone recipe I have tried…until I took them out of the oven after 21 minutes and the bottoms were completely scorched. The scone inside was fabulous, but we couldn’t eat the bottom. This has never happened before, and I have tried probably 8 recipes up to this point. What did I do wrong?
Hi Paige, that is unusual at 21 minutes. Did you possibly use a convection oven setting? In that case, you would need to adjust the baking temperature or time since convection will bake faster. Also, make sure to bake in the center of the oven. Lastly, I highly recommend using an oven thermometer to ensure your oven is heating properly.
Hallo Natasha, I can hardly wait to try this recipe. I would like to know if you have a recipe for Devonshire or clotted cream for scones.
Thank you, V.
Hi Victoria! I do not have a recipe for that.
I hope you love these scones!
This was the perfect recipe! I didn’t have a pastry cutter, so shredded the butter and worked it in by hand after letting it sit in the fridge for awhile. I added strawberries and used the lemon drizzle for the top….definitely a keeper!!!
I’m so glad it worked out, Kelly! Thank you for your wonderful comment!
I made these this morning for my husband. We used “jumbo” blueberries as that is all the store had. I’d recommend smaller blueberries next time
just so they stick in the batter better. I also could not find my pastry cutter (ordered a new one this morning) so my butter was a bit big… I’d do better at that next time so they look prettier.
All in all, my 3 (adult) taste testers gave two thumbs up. My husband was a chef in a castle in Ireland and knows scones well- he was impressed at how moist they are.
The lemon zest glaze from the video was a great touch, but no one would wait for the scones to cool 😂 so it melted into the scones instead of really being a glaze.
That’s wonderful, Brooke! Thank you so much for the feedback.
I love watching your recipe videos. The scone look great. I will try them. Could you tell me where you got your wood cutting board and what size it is? Thanks, Nana
Hi Susan! Thank you. Here is my amazon affiliate link for the cutting board.
Great recipe with so many possibilities! My favorite are the cinnamon chips scones I make for our grandkids as well as family and friends!
I add ground cinnamon to the dry ingredients. I test the mixture to make sure the flour has a good cinnamon taste. After the butter has been blended into the flour I add cinnamon chips. Then follow the rest of the recipe directions.
After applying cream to the tops of the scones before baking I sprinkle a mixture of demerara sugar and cinnamon over them. They come out delicious and freeze well. I wrap them individually so they can be taken out individually for lunch boxes or for a “grab and go” snack!
Thanks for sharing, Tobias!
Looks and sounds delicious! Can’t wait to try it! I love the style of your cooking. Thank you!
I saw Sharky on your hand while you were zesting the lemon!
Good catch! I hope you love the recipe.
Its like you were reading my mind! this was everything that I wanted and more, and I especially love the tip for overnight storage to bake fresh in the morning! thank you so much for sharing this amazing recipe!
You’re very welcome Jess! There’s nothing like freshly bakes scones in the morning!
How did you know I’ve been craving scones lately? This recipe is much better and easier than one I’d recently tried (from another site, a total fail!). You even made my favorite—blueberry with lemon glaze! Honestly, how did you know exactly what I love?
Oh, of course. Sharky told you lol
Aw! I’m so glad to hear this recipe comes in perfect timing.
Love me a homemade scone! These were so easy to make and tasted even better.
I’m so glad you loved the recipe, Abby!
This recipe makes me so happy!! Scones are one of my favorites!! Your recipe is easy to make & truly makes a delicious scone!
Thank you, Kristyn! I’m glad to hear that.