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    Home » Basic Baking Techniques

    Published Mar 24, 2017 · Updated May 16, 2022 · by Tammy Spencer · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Basic Cream Scones Recipe

    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video
    Chocolate chip scones on a cake stand with one on a flowered plate behind Pinterest banner.
    Chocolate chip scones on a cake stand with one on a flowered plate behind Pinterest banner.

    Making rich, flaky homemade cream scones with a tender crumb texture is easy with this basic scone recipe that uses a simple recipe ratio. Customize the scones with your choice of flavorings and mix-ins to create a variety of options that are better than a bakery!

    Chocolate chip scones on a cake stand with one on a flowered plate behind. this …

    [May, 2022: I've reworked the recipe and updated this post with all new pictures. Enjoy!]

    Why this recipe works

    • Rich and flaky scones with just the right amount of sweetness and a tender crumb texture
    • A basic scone recipe that can be easily customized
    • Use a recipe ratio so that you can scale the recipe up or down as needed

    I've been taking my daughters for High Tea on their birthdays since they were each 5 years old, and that's upwards of 25 years now. I wanted to have a "Mommy Date" to make each feel special on her special day. That, and I love High Tea and needed an excuse to go myself!

    One of the best parts of High Tea are the cream scones, of course. And while going out is always fun, learning how to make scones at home is easier than you think!

    With a basic scones recipe at hand, you can vary the flavorings and mix-ins to make a variety of scones to suit your whims.

    Jump to:
    • Why this recipe works
    • Using a recipe ratio for cream scones
    • What you need
    • How to Make Scones With a Master Scone Recipe
    • Questions asked and answered
    • Pro Tip: Get Creative With Your Scone Recipe
    • What goes with scones?
    • Related Recipes
    • Recipe
    • Comments

    Using a recipe ratio for cream scones

    Recipe ratios are an easy way to remember the basic building blocks for many items. The concept comes from Chef Michael Ruhlman's book, Ratio: The Simple Codes Behind the Craft of Everyday Cooking book. For example, the recipe ratio for a pie crust is as easy as 3 : 2 : 1 (3 parts flour, 2 parts fat, and 1 part liquid). This post takes a deeper dive into how to use recipe ratios in cooking and baking.

    Biscuits fall under a 3 : 1 : 2 ratio, 3 parts flour, 1 part fat, and 2 parts liquid. A cream scone is just an enriched biscuit, meaning eggs are included in the measurement of the liquid (in this case, heavy cream) for richness and tenderness.

    And just as with making pie crust, it's important to keep everything chilled as you go.

    a small scone
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    Michael Ruhlman Ratio cookbook cover

    What you need

    Now that remembering the ratio for homemade scones is easy, no recipe is really necessary! The ingredients needed to make homemade scones are flour, butter, sugar, baking powder, salt, heavy cream, and an egg.

    The ability to riff on the basic scone recipe is easy, too. The variations are only limited by your imagination (yes, yes, and the ingredients you have...yeesh!). Optional ingredients include any mix-ins you want use (like chocolate chips), flavorings like vanilla extract, and toppings like coarse sugar. If you want to glaze your scones, use powdered sugar plus some liquid that complements the flavor of your scones (not shown below).

    Ingredients for basic scones portioned in glass bowls from overhead.
    The ingredients needed for a basic cream scone with optional mix-ins and flavorings

    How to Make Scones With a Master Scone Recipe

    Step 1: Make the dough

    In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt (photo 1).

    Flour, sugar, baking powder, & salt in a glass bowl.
    Combining the dry ingredients needed for scones

    How you cut up your butter isn't as important as keeping it cold. Either grate frozen butter on a box grater, or cut the chilled butter into small ½-inch cubes. Either way will work.

    Toss the butter into the flour mixture to coat, then use a pastry blender, two forks, or your hands to work the butter into the flour until coarse, pea-sized crumbs appear (photo 2). Don't overdo this step as you don't want the butter to warm up and mix completely into the flour.

    Collage of before and after cutting butter into flour mixture.
    Cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs

    Whisk together the heavy cream, egg, and the flavoring extract (if using) in a small bowl (photo 3).

    Heavy cream, egg, and vanilla in a glass bowl.
    Combining the wet ingredients

    Slowly add the heavy cream mixture to the flour mixture and mix until the dough just holds together (photo 4). Using a bowl scraper will help to combine the dough in the bowl without your hands warming up the butter, plus you can see any crumbs at the bottom that still need to be mixed in.

    Use the bowl scraper to push the dough into a ball in the bowl, then turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and shape it into a flattened disk about 1-inch high.

    You have to be flexible about the amount of liquid to add to the flour mixture as the actual amount will depend on the humidity of the day. Squeeze a small amount of dough between your fingers and if it is very crumbly, add more liquid, 1 tablespoon at a time (2 tablespoons maximum). If the dough is too wet, you can knead in 1 tablespoon of flour when you turn out the dough. Don't over-mix the dough - you want to keep that butter cold and separate from the flour.

    Collage of adding heavy cream mixture to flour mixture to make scone dough.
    The scone dough before and after adding the wet ingredients

    Step 2: Fold in any mix-ins

    If you're adding in a mix-in (like with these Chocolate Chip Cream Scones), place a few pieces on the top of the disk, then fold the dough over them. Flatten the dough and reshape into a disk (photo 5).

    Do this "fill and fold" method a few times until you have enough layers of your mix-in incorporated into the dough. This method is similar to how to fold in mix-ins for bread dough, too.

    Use a bench scraper to release the disk from the mat. Cover the dough with plastic wrap, and chill for at least 20 minutes or up to overnight to let the butter firm up again.

    Topping scone dough with chocolate chips.
    Folding in the mix-ins

    Step 3: Portion the dough

    Depending on how you want the size and shape of the scone to be, there are 2 options to portion the dough:

    For wedge-shaped scones: Unwrap the chilled dough and place it on a half sheet baking pan covered in a Silpat silicone mat or parchment paper. Cut the disk into wedges using the bench scraper and place the wedges about 2-inches apart (photo 6).

    For cut scones: Unwrap the chilled dough and place it on a lightly floured work surface. Use a 3-inch round cookie cutter (or whatever size or shape you desire) to cut out shapes. Gather and cut the leftover dough again as needed, but hopefully not more than 2 times. Transfer the cut scones to a half sheet baking pan covered in a Silpat silicone mat or parchment paper.

    The yield is generally about 8 scones (that's what I get from a circle cut into wedges or using a 3-inch round cookie cutter), but yours may vary.

    Collage of scone dough before & after portioning.
    Portioning the scone dough

    Step 4: Bake the scones

    Brush the tops of each scone with heavy cream using a pastry brush and sprinkle on some coarse sugar (or your topping of choice, if desired). The coarse sugar adds a nice crunch to the scones, but it's not strictly necessary.

    Bake at 425°F for about 18 to 23 minutes or until they are dark golden brown (photo 7).

    Collage of before & after baking scones.
    Before and after baking the scones

    Step 5: Glaze the scones

    If you want to ice the scones with a glaze, you can use milk or cream to make your glaze, or choose a flavored liquid to complement your other ingredients. An example is using orange juice for these Orange Cranberry Scones.

    Whisk the powdered sugar and the flavored liquid in a bowl until smooth. Adjust the consistency by adding 1 teaspoon of liquid or more sifted powdered sugar as needed. Drizzle the glaze on the still-warm scones and allow to set for a few minutes.

    Questions asked and answered

    Here are some questions you might have...

    What is the secret to making good scones?

    Don't over-work the scone dough by mixing in the butter in too much. You want the dough to have cold, pea-sized chunks of butter because when the scones bake, the steam the water in the butter creates makes the flaky, crumbly texture that scones are known for. Chilling the dough right before baking also helps to firm up the butter. Cold butter ensures that the scone will have the texture you want.

    Can you use baking soda (bicarbonate of soda) instead of baking powder in scones?

    Technically, yes, you can use baking soda in scones. You'll have to make sure that there is some sort of acid for the baking soda to react with in order for it to leaven the scone dough, like buttermilk or lemon juice. Use about ¼ of the amount of the baking powder so the scones don't have a metallic taste.

    Is baking powder necessary for making scones?

    Funny you should ask, because I did leave out the baking powder one time and this was the result: flat, unappealing scones with a tough texture. The baking powder works to create lift in the oven, and contributes to the overall soft and crumbly texture you want.

    Comparing scones made with & without baking powder.
    Scones with and without baking powder. The scone on the left is just sad.

    Pro Tip: Get Creative With Your Scone Recipe

    Flavoring Options are where the creativity lies. Have fun with it! Here are some ideas:

    • Flavored liquids (instead of heavy cream): Buttermilk, eggnog, pumpkin, applesauce, or a non-dairy milk alternative
    • Mix-ins: Chocolate chips (or other flavored chips), dried fruit, finely chopped nuts (toasted if desired), or even sprinkles
    • Extracts (in addition to or instead of the vanilla): ¼ teaspoon almond, mint, orange, lemon, or Fiori di Sicilia extracts
    • Toppings: Coarse sugar adds a nice crunch to the scones, but it's not strictly necessary. You can vary the toppings with other things like sprinkles or chopped nuts
    • Glaze: You can use milk or cream to make your glaze, or choose a flavored liquid to complement your other ingredients

    You can prepare a thicker, richer glaze than the normal powdered sugar version, like with these Maple Walnut Scones. Heat 1 tablespoon unsalted butter and your flavored liquid of choice together in a small saucepan over low heat, whisking occasionally. Once the butter has melted, remove from heat and whisk in the sifted powdered sugar.

    Scones also can be savory rather than sweet, and will be like enriched biscuits. Just omit the sugar and vanilla, use a complementary liquid like buttermilk or broth instead of heavy cream, and use mix-ins and/or toppings like grated cheese, herbs, or bacon bits.

    Baked chocolate chip scones on a cooling rack.

    What goes with scones?

    Why, homemade lemon curd and clotted cream, of course! I've also seen whipped cream, butter, crème fraîche, and various jams and jellies at teas I've attended, just to name a few. No rules!

    Scones stored in an airtight container at room temperature will keep for up to 5 days. Freeze the baked scones in a ziplock bag for longer storage.

    For freshly baked scones anytime, freeze the cut, unbaked scones in a ziplock bag. Take out as many as you want to bake (there's no need to defrost them first), and bake at 400°F for 20 to 25 minutes.

    Chocolate chip scones on a flowered plate beside lemon curd & clotted cream with more on a cake stand behind.
    What goes with Cream Scones? Why, lemon curd and clotted cream, of course!

    Now that you have the basic scone recipe, you can go about creating your own variations for homemade cream scones. They will reflect your creativity and imagination, and will be better than what you find in a bakery.

    And if you do go out for High Tea, maybe you can compare notes and get even more fresh ideas!

    Slainté! L’chaim! Cheers!

    Tammy

    Related Recipes

    Traditional High Tea (or more technically, Cream Tea) calls for Cream Scones with jam and clotted cream. Make your own with these recipes...

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      Basic Cream Scones Recipe
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      How to Make Homemade Clotted Cream (Oven Method)
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    Recipe

    Chocolate chip scones on a cake stand with one on a flowered plate behind.

    Basic Cream Scones Recipe

    Tammy Spencer
    Making rich, flaky homemade cream scones with a tender crumb texture is easy with a basic scone recipe that uses a simple recipe ratio. Customize the scones with your choice of flavorings and mix-ins to create a variety of options that are better than a bakery!
    Adapted from Ratio: The Simple Codes Behind the Craft of Everyday Cooking
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save Recipe Saved Recipe
    Prep Time 15 mins
    Cook Time 23 mins
    Chilling Time 20 mins
    Total Time 58 mins
    Course Breakfast & Brunch, Dessert
    Cuisine British
    Servings 8 scones
    Calories 262 kcal

    Equipment

    • box grater if butter is frozen
    • pastry blender
    • bench scraper
    • bowl scraper
    • half sheet baking pan
    • Silpat silicone mat or parchment paper
    • pastry brush
    • 3-inch round cookie cutter or your choice of size and shape, optional
    Prevent your screen from going dark while cooking

    Ingredients
     
     

    For the scones

    • 2 cups all-purpose flour
    • 2 to 3 tablespoons granulated sugar, or to taste
    • 1 tablespoon baking powder
    • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
    • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, very cold or frozen, see Recipe Notes
    • ½ cup heavy cream, plus extra for brushing on top, see Recipe Notes
    • 1 large egg, beaten

    Additional flavoring options

    • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, or another flavoring, see Recipe Notes
    • 1 cup mix-ins, see Recipe Notes
    • coarse sugar, or another topping, for sprinkling, optional

    For the glaze (optional)

    • ½ cup powdered sugar
    • 1 to 2 tablespoons flavored liquid, see Recipe Notes

    Instructions
     

    • Preheat the oven to 425 °F.
    • Make the dough: In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
    • If the butter is frozen, grate it using a box grater. Otherwise, cut the butter into small cubes.
    • Toss the butter into the flour mixture to coat, then use a pastry blender, two forks, or your hands to work the butter into the flour until coarse, pea-sized crumbs appear. Don't overdo this step as you don't want the butter to warm up and mix completely into the flour.
    • Whisk together the heavy cream, egg, and vanilla (if using) in a small bowl.
    • Slowly add the heavy cream mixture to the flour mixture and mix until the dough just holds together. Using a bowl scraper will help to combine the dough in the bowl without your hands warming up the butter, plus you can see any crumbs at the bottom that still need to be mixed in. Use the bowl scraper to push the dough into a ball in the bowl, then turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and shape it into a flattened disk about 1-inch high.
    • Add any mix-ins: If you're adding in a mix-in (like chocolate chips) to your scones, place a few pieces on the top of the disk, then fold the dough over them. Flatten the dough and reshape into a disk. Do this "fill and fold" method a few times until you have enough layers of your mix-in incorporated into the dough. This method is similar to how to fold in mix-ins for bread dough, too.
    • Use a bench scraper to release the disk from the mat. Cover the dough with plastic wrap, and chill for at least 20 minutes or up to overnight to let the butter firm up again.
    • For wedge-shaped scones: Unwrap the chilled dough and place it on a half sheet baking pan covered in a Silpat silicone mat or parchment paper. Cut the disk into wedges using the bench scraper and place the wedges about 2-inches apart.
    • For cut scones: Unwrap the chilled dough and place it on a lightly floured work surface. Use a 3-inch round cookie cutter (or whatever size or shape you desire) to cut out shapes. Gather and cut the leftover dough again as needed, but hopefully not more than 2 times. Transfer the cut scones to a half sheet baking pan covered in a Silpat silicone mat or parchment paper.
    • Bake the scones: Brush the tops of each scone with heavy cream and sprinkle on some coarse sugar (or your topping of choice). Bake for about 18 to 23 minutes or until they are dark golden brown.
    • Cool the scones on the pan for 2 minutes, then move then to a cooling rack.
    • For the optional glaze: Whisk the powdered sugar and the flavored liquid in a bowl until smooth. Adjust the consistency by adding 1 teaspoon of liquid or more sifted powdered sugar as needed. Drizzle the glaze on the still-warm scones and allow to set for a few minutes. See the Recipe Notes for instructions for a richer glaze.
    • Serve warm or at room temperature. Pair them with lemon curd and clotted cream for a lovely combination. Enjoy!
    • Scones stored in an airtight container at room temperature will keep for up to 5 days. Freeze the baked scones in a ziplock bag for longer storage.
    • For freshly baked scones anytime, freeze the cut, unbaked scones in a ziplock bag. Take out as many as you want to bake (there's no need to defrost them first), and bake at 400 °F for 20 to 25 minutes.
    • The yield is generally about 8 scones (that's what I get from a disk cut into wedges or using a 3-inch round cookie cutter), but yours may vary.

    Notes

    Some scone recipes use more butter than the 3 : 1 : 2 recipe ratio. You can add another 2 Tablespoons of butter for more richness if you'd like. Also, how you cut up your butter isn't as important as keeping it cold. Either grate frozen butter on a box grater, or cut the chilled butter into small ½-inch cubes. Either way will work.
    You have to be flexible about the amount of liquid to add to the flour mixture as the actual amount will depend on the humidity of the day. Squeeze a small amount of dough between your fingers and if it is very crumbly, add more liquid, 1 tablespoon at a time (2 tablespoons maximum). If the dough is too wet, you can knead in 1 tablespoon of flour when you turn out the dough. Don't over-mix the dough - you want to keep that butter cold and separate from the flour.
    Flavoring Options are where the creativity lies. Have fun with it! Here are some ideas:
    • Flavored liquids (instead of heavy cream): Buttermilk, eggnog, or a non-dairy milk alternative
    • Mix-ins: Chocolate chips (or other flavored chips), dried fruit, finely, chopped nuts (toasted if desired), or even sprinkles
    • Extracts (in addition to or instead of the vanilla): ¼ teaspoon almond, mint, orange, lemon, or Fiori di Sicilia extracts
    • Toppings: Coarse sugar adds a nice crunch to the scones, but it's not strictly necessary. You can vary the toppings with other things like sprinkles or chopped nuts
    • Glaze: You can use milk or cream to make your glaze, or choose a flavored liquid to complement your other ingredients
    Savory scones: Scones also can be savory rather than sweet, and will be like enriched biscuits. Just omit the sugar and vanilla, use a complementary liquid like buttermilk or broth instead of heavy cream, and use mix-ins and/or toppings like grated cheese, herbs, or bacon bits.
    For a richer icing glaze: While the scones are baking, you can prepare a thicker, richer glaze than the normal powdered sugar version. Heat 1 tablespoon unsalted butter and your flavored liquid of choice (like maple syrup) together in a small saucepan over low heat, whisking occasionally. Once the butter has melted, remove from heat and whisk in the sifted powdered sugar.

    Your Notes

    Click here to add your own private notes

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1 sconeCalories: 262 kcalCarbohydrates: 28 gProtein: 4 gFat: 15 gSaturated Fat: 9 gCholesterol: 64 mgSodium: 465 mgPotassium: 52 mgFiber: 1 gSugar: 3 gVitamin A: 515 IUCalcium: 108 mgIron: 2 mg
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    Hi, I'm Tammy! My fascination with baking comes from my love of science and the magic of bringing together ingredients to produce something yummy. Coupling that with my appreciation of scotches and bourbons, I love to bake stuff, jot down my whisky tasting notes, and share my experiences with you!

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