How to Make Perfect Scones

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Use this basic scone dough for any sweet scone variety. See blog post for a couple savory scone
options. Feel free to increase the vanilla extract and/or add other flavor extracts such as lemon
extract or coconut extract. Read through the recipe before beginning. You can skip the chilling
for 15 minutes prior to baking, but I highly recommend it to prevent the scones from over-
spreading.

Ingredients
2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled), plus more for hands and work
surface
1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup (1 stick; 115g) unsalted butter, frozen
1/2 cup (120ml) heavy cream or buttermilk (plus 2 Tbsp for brushing)
1 large egg
1 and 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1–1.5 cups add-ins such as chocolate chips, berries, nuts, fruit, etc
optional: coarse sugar for topping

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Instructions
1 Whisk flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder together in a large bowl. Grate the frozen
butter using a box grater. Add it to the flour mixture and combine with a pastry cutter,
two forks, or your fingers until the mixture comes together in pea-sized crumbs. See
video above for a closer look at the texture. Place in the refrigerator or freezer as you
mix the wet ingredients together.
2 Whisk 1/2 cup heavy cream, the egg, and vanilla extract together in a small bowl. Drizzle
over the flour mixture, add the add-ins, then mix together until everything appears
moistened.
3 To make triangle scones: Pour onto the counter and, with floured hands, work dough
into a ball as best you can. Dough will be sticky. If it’s too sticky, add a little more flour.
If it seems too dry, add 1-2 more Tablespoons heavy cream. Press into an 8-inch disc
and, with a sharp knife or bench scraper, cut into 8 wedges. For smaller scones, press
dough into two 5-inch discs and cut each into 8 wedges. To make 10-12 drop scones:
 Keep mixing dough in the bowl until it comes together. Drop scones, about 1/4 cup of
dough each, 3 inches apart on a lined baking sheet. To make mini (petite) scones, see
recipe note.
4 Brush scones with remaining heavy cream and for extra crunch, sprinkle with coarse
sugar. (You can do this before or after refrigerating in the next step.)
5 Place scones on a plate or lined baking sheet (if your fridge has space!) and refrigerate
for at least 15 minutes.
6 Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400°F (204°C).
7 Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking mat(s). If making mini
or drop scones, use 2 baking sheets. After refrigerating, arrange scones 2-3 inches apart
on the prepared baking sheet(s).
8 Bake for 18-26 minutes or until golden brown around the edges and lightly browned on
top. Larger scones take closer to 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool for a few
minutes. Feel free to top with any of the toppings listed in the recipe Note below.
9 Leftover scones keep well at room temperature for 2 days or in the refrigerator for 5
days.
Notes
1 Freeze Before Baking: Freeze scone dough wedges on a plate or baking sheet for 1
hour. Once relatively frozen, you can layer them in a freezer-friendly bag or container.
Bake from frozen, adding a few minutes to the bake time in the recipe below. Or thaw
overnight, then bake as directed.
2 Freeze After Baking: Freeze the baked and cooled scones before topping with icing or
confectioners’ sugar. I usually freeze in a freezer-friendly bag or container. To thaw,
leave out on the counter for a few hours or overnight in the refrigerator. Warm in the
microwave for 30 seconds or on a baking sheet in a 300°F (149°C) oven for 10 minutes.
3 Overnight Instructions: Prepare scones through step 4. Cover and refrigerate
overnight. Continue with the recipe the following day.
4 Special Tools (affiliate links): Glass Mixing Bowls | Box Grater | Pastry Cutter | Whisk |
Rubber Spatula | Bench Scraper | Baking Sheet | Silicone Baking Mat or Parchment Paper
| Pastry Brush
5 Scone Flavors: See blog post above. If adding fruit, use fresh or frozen. If frozen, do not
thaw. Peel fruits such as apples, peaches, or pears before chopping. If desired, add 1
teaspoon of cinnamon with the flour. I usually add cinnamon when making chocolate
chip scones.
6 Over-spreading: Start with very cold scone dough. Expect some spread, but if the
scones are over-spreading as they bake, remove from the oven and press back into its
triangle shape (or whatever shape) using a rubber spatula.
7 Mini/Petite Scones: To make smaller scones, press dough into two 5-inch discs and cut
each into 8 equal wedges. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until lightly browned.
8 Optional Toppings: Vanilla icing, salted caramel, lemon icing, maple icing, brown butter
icing, lemon curd, orange icing, raspberry icing, dusting of confectioners’ sugar.

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