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.
Recipe by Sally on May 1, 2019
Prep time: PT30M
Cook time: PT25M
Total time: PT1H
Rating
4.8 stars ( reviews)
Keywords
scones
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 (8 Tbsp; 113g) 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
Categories
Breakfast
Cuisine
American
Steps
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.
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.
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.
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.)
Place scones on a plate or lined baking sheet (if your fridge has space!) and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400°F (204°C).
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).
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.
Leftover scones keep well at room temperature for 2 days or in the refrigerator for 5 days.
Reviews
Pat on 2025-08-09 (5 stars): Thank you for scone recipe, giving them a 5 star just delicious !
Hannah on 2025-08-13 (5 stars): Amazing. I never seem to have cinnamon chips in the house, so I made a cinnamon-sugar scone. Added a small amount of cinnamon to the dry ingredients, and once the dough came together, spread a layer of cinnamon-sugar and gently folded it in before shaping my circle/cutting. The idea was to have a layer running through the dough. Mostly successful, but I look forward to my next attempt. Also made a simple cream/pwd sugar/vanilla frosting for post-bake.
Deidra on 2025-08-30 (5 stars): I used King Arthur Gluten-free flour and mine came out perfect on the first try. I was meticulous about following each step. I placed the dough in the fridge while mixing the wet ingredients. Then placed the triangles back in the fridge for 15 minutes while the oven pre heated.
Donna Holmes on 2025-08-29 (5 stars): Scones have always been a fail for me until this recipe. I have made it twice twice in the last two days. Grading frozen butter and chilling for 30 minutes before cooking seem to be the secret. Thank you.
Larch on 2025-08-31 (5 stars): EXCELLENT SCONES! Love them. Delicious. Used fresh raspberries. Scones came out perfect. Will be making this again! Thank you!
