If you've ever wanted tall, flaky, bakery-style cream scones without the guesswork, you're in the right place. This easy, ratio-based recipe comes together quickly and gives you tender, buttery scones you can customize any way you like. Whether you're baking for brunch or afternoon tea, you'll get consistent, delicious results every time!
Jump to:
- Quick Recipe Summary ✨
- Why this recipe works
- What makes a perfect scone?
- Recipe Ingredients
- Flavoring options for scones
- How to make cream scones
- Making scones in the food processor
- Storage and make-ahead instructions
- How to make mini scones
- What goes with scones?
- Troubleshooting Guide
- Questions asked and answered
- More scone & condiment recipes to try
- Recipe
- Comments
Quick Recipe Summary ✨
Homemade Cream Scones: Light, tender, and flaky scones with a buttery crumb and just the right touch of sweetness. They're easy to make and endlessly customizable at home.
- Flexible, foolproof method: Uses a simple recipe ratio (3:1:2) so you can scale the recipe and adapt flavors with confidence 👍
- Bakery-style results: Cold butter + minimal mixing = tall rise, crisp edges, and soft, flaky layers every time 🧈
- Customize your way: Sweet or savory, with endless mix-ins, extracts, and glazes to match your mood 🍓🍫🧀
Active Time: About 20 minutes • Chill Time: 30 minutes • Bake Time: 18 to 23 minutes • Total Time: About 1 hour ⏱️
Difficulty Level: ⭐⭐ Easy to Medium. Simple technique, just keep ingredients cold and don't over-mix
Yield: 8 to 12 scones • Freezer-friendly: Up to 3 months • Make-ahead: Freeze unbaked and bake fresh anytime 📦
👉 Follow the tips below to make bakery-quality homemade cream scones with flaky layers, tender crumb, and perfect rise every time!
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Why this recipe works
- Keeping the butter cold is key to get those lovely flaky layers
- The dough comes together quickly, and minimal mixing keeps the crumb tender, not tough
- The cream and egg combo adds richness and structure, so you get a soft interior with just enough stability to hold its shape
- A short chill before baking firms everything back up, helping the scones rise taller and bake up with crisp edges and a tender center
I've been taking my daughters for afternoon tea on their birthdays since they were each 5 years old, and that's upwards of 25 years now. I want to have a "Mommy Date" to make each feel special on her special day. That, and I love the afternoon tea traditions and need an excuse to go myself!
One of the best parts of afternoon tea (besides the cucumber sandwiches, which I love) are the cream scones. And while going out is always fun, learning how to make scones at home is easier than you think!
With a cream scones recipe at hand, you can vary the flavorings and mix-ins to make a variety of scones to suit your whims. 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 an afternoon tea, maybe you can compare notes and get even more fresh ideas!
What makes a perfect scone?
Before we get started, here's what you're aiming for: a really good scone is all about texture and balance, with simple ingredients done right.
- Tall and well-risen: Not flat or spread out, but nicely puffed with a defined shape
- Lightly crisp edges: Golden on the outside with just a bit of structure
- Tender, soft interior: Moist and delicate, not dry or cakey
- Flaky layers throughout: You should see and feel those buttery layers when you break one open
- Just-sweet-enough flavor: Balanced so it works with jam, curd, or even savory add-ins
If you can check off all five, congratulations! You've got bakery-quality scones right from your own oven!
Recipe Ingredients
You'll need the following ingredients to make this cream scones recipe:
Ingredient Notes
The basic ingredients for cream scones don't vary a whole lot: all-purpose flour, heavy cream, butter, sugar, baking powder, an egg, and salt.
Butter: How you cut up your butter isn't as important as keeping it cold. Generally I'll grate frozen butter on a box grater before cutting it into the flour mixture. You can also cut chilled butter into small ½-inch cubes. Either way, make sure the butter is well chilled before cutting it into the flour mixture.
Some cream scones recipes use more butter than the 3 : 1 : 2 recipe ratio of flour, butter, and cream (the given amounts in this recipe use a 9 : 3 : 6 ratio). For this recipe, you can add another 2 tablespoons of butter for more richness if you'd like.
Baking powder: This scone recipe uses 1 tablespoon of baking powder to insure you'll have tall, tender scones. Don't substitute baking soda as the scones will have a metallic taste to them.
Flavorings, mix-ins, and toppings: Optional ingredients include any flavorings (like vanilla extract), mix-ins (like chocolate chips), 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.
See the recipe card for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Flavoring options for scones
Think of this as your mix-and-match guide to building your perfect scone.
Start with the base dough → then layer in flavor:
- Base: Classic cream scone dough
- Mix-ins (½ to 1 cup): Chocolate chips (or other flavored chips), dried fruit, finely chopped nuts (toasted if desired), or even sprinkles
- Flavor boost (optional): In addition to or instead of the 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, try ¼ teaspoon almond, mint, orange, lemon, Fiori di Sicilia (orange-vanilla) extracts or any type of citrus zest
- Liquid swap (optional): Replace part of the heavy cream with buttermilk, eggnog, pumpkin, applesauce, a non-dairy milk alternative, or a fruit juice or purée
- Topping: 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
- Finish (optional): A simple glaze or flavored icing
Now that you have the basic idea, here are a few delicious combos to try:
- Orange Cranberry Scones: Dried cranberries + Fiori di Silicia + orange glaze 🍊
- Chocolate Chip Scones: Chocolate chips + vanilla + no glaze (simple and classic!) 🍫
- Lemon Scones: lemon juice + lemon zest + lemon glaze 🍋
- Eggnog Scones: eggnog + nutmeg 🌰
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 example:
Savory scones: Cheddar + buttermilk + chives + bacon bits (skip the sugar and vanilla) 🧀
Once you get the formula down, you can create your own signature scones with ease!
How to make cream scones
In order to achieve those flaky layers, the most important tips you want to follow when making scones are:
- Leave visible butter pieces: Needed to produce steam as the scones bake
- Fold the dough once or twice (or enough to incorporate your mix-ins): Creates lamination that leads to layers
- Chill the scones before baking: Keeps the butter cold, so the layers can separate
Keep these tips in mind as you make your scone dough.
Step 1: Make the dough
In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt (photo 1).
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 overwork the butter
You don't want the butter to warm up and mix completely into the flour - instead you want to see distinct bits of butter in the dough. This is what creates the flakiness of the baked scone.
In a small bowl, whisk together the heavy cream, egg, and the flavoring extract, if using (photo 3).
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.
The weather matters
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.
To test, squeeze a small amount of dough between your fingers - 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.
Again, don't over-mix the dough - you want to keep that butter cold and separate from the flour.
Making scones in the food processor
I've noticed as I've grown older that it's getting harder for me to make scone dough by hand, especially if I'm using frozen butter.
Using the food processor is a quick and efficient way to make scone dough, as long as you follow the #1 rule: Don't overwork the dough! Use short 5 to 10 second pulses to process the dough - you still want to see the chunks of butter after the dough is mixed. Here's a step-by-step breakdown:
- Pulse the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt until it's combined.
- Add the cold butter to the flour mixture and pulse a few times. Stop as soon as you see the flour mixture looking crumbly with pea-sized pieces of butter.
- Add the cream mixture and pulse just until the dough holds together.
Now you're ready to turn out the dough and continue with the recipe.
Step 2: Fold in any mix-ins
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 rough square about 1-inch high.
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).
Step 3: Portion the dough
Once the dough is chilled, you have your choice of how to shape the scones:
- For wedge-shaped scones: Roll out the disk into an 8-inch circle, then use the bench scraper to cut the disk into 8 wedges (photo 6).
- For round scones: Roll out the disk to a height of about ¾ inches. Use a 3-inch round cookie cutter to cut out rounds (gather, press, and cut the leftover dough again as needed, but hopefully not more than 2 times).
- For square scones: Roll out the dough into a 12- by 4-inch rectangle, then cut into twelve 2-inch squares.
Place the scones about 2-inches apart on a half baking sheet pan covered in a Silpat silicone mat or parchment paper. Press in any reserved mix-ins on the tops of the scones. Brush the tops of each scone with heavy cream with a pastry brush and sprinkle on some coarse sugar.
Step 4: Bake the scones
Bake the scones at 400°F for about 18 to 23 minutes or until golden brown (photo 7).
Remove from the oven and cool the scones on the baking pan for 2 minutes, then move to a cooling rack. Allow to cool for 10 to 15 minutes.
Step 5: Glaze the scones
If you want to ice the scones with a glaze, drizzle it onto the still-warm scones and allow it to set for a few minutes.
Glaze texture and flavor options
For a simple glaze: Whisk together powdered sugar with milk, heavy cream, or a flavored liquid (like orange juice for Orange Cranberry Scones) until smooth. Adjust the consistency by adding 1 teaspoon of liquid or more sifted powdered sugar as needed.
For a thicker, richer glaze (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.
Storage and make-ahead instructions
Storage Instructions: Scones are best enjoyed right away, though leftover scones keep well at room temperature or in the refrigerator for about 3 to 5 days. Glazed or plain scones freeze well, up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator then warm to your liking before serving.
Make-ahead instructions: 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 375 °F for 20 to 25 minutes.
Yield Notes
The yield is generally about 8 scones (that's what I get from a circle cut into wedges or with a 3-inch round cookie cutter), and up to 12 (cutting the square scones). Your yield may vary.
How to make mini scones
If you want to use a mini scone pan to make 16 mini scones, you'll need to increase the ingredient amounts to a 12: 4 : 8 recipe ratio (the adjusted amounts are given in the Recipe Notes).
Using those ingredient amounts, make the dough as directed above. Fold in any desired mix-ins (mini chocolate chips work especially well), then shape the dough into a large square. Cut the square into four small squares, then each square into four triangles. Place the dough triangles in the mini scone pan sprayed with baking spray and press slightly to fill the compartments. Bake as directed.
What goes with scones?
Why, homemade lemon curd and clotted cream, of course! Or make this strawberry jam recipe to serve alongside the scones.
I've also seen whipped cream, butter, crème fraîche, and various fruit jams, jellies, and preserves at teas I've attended. No rules!
Troubleshooting Guide
As a though experiment, you might be wondering if 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.
So yes, you need the chemical leavening from baking powder.
Even with the best intentions, scones can be a little finicky. Here's how to troubleshoot the most common hiccups so you get great results every time:
| Problem | What happened | How to fix it |
| Flat, spread-out scones | Butter got too warm or dough wasn't chilled | Chill the dough for at least 30 minutes before baking |
| Tough or dense texture | Dough was overmixed | Mix just until the dough comes together-no more |
| Dry, crumbly dough | Not enough liquid | Add cream 1 tablespoon at a time until it holds together |
| Too sticky to handle | Too much liquid or dough is warm | Lightly flour your surface or chill the dough briefly |
| Not flaky | Butter pieces were too small or overworked | Stop mixing when you still see pea-sized butter pieces |
| Pale tops | No cream wash or oven temp too low | Brush tops with cream and bake at 400°F |
Questions asked and answered
Here are some questions you might have...
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) by weight (using a kitchen scale comes in handy here). 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.
The best way to make sure you have scone success is to be sure not to over-work the scone dough by cutting in the butter too much. You want the dough to have pea-sized chunks of butter that you can see. Chilling the dough right before baking also helps to firm up the butter before baking.
Why? Like with biscuits, cold chunks of butter in the dough ensure that the scone will have the texture you want. This is because when the scones bake, the steam created by the water in the butter evaporating makes the flaky, crumbly texture that scones are known for.
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.
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I hope you like this recipe! Let me know if you have any questions, and don't forget to leave a comment and rating. Thanks!
Slainté! L'chaim! Cheers!
- Tammy
More scone & condiment recipes to try
Recipe
Cream Scones
Equipment
- box grater if butter is frozen
- 3-inch round cookie cutter or your choice of size and shape, optional
Ingredients
For the scones
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup granulated sugar, or to taste
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold, grated or cubed, 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 400 °F. Line a half baking sheet pan with a Silpat silicone mat or parchment paper. Set aside. Note: The instructions below are for making the dough by hand. If you want to use the food processor to make the dough, see the instructions in the post above.If you want to make mini scones in a mini scone pan, see the Recipe Notes for updated ingredient amounts.
- Make the dough: In a large bowl, combine 2 cups all-purpose flour, ¼ cup granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon baking powder, and 1 teaspoon kosher salt.
- Toss 6 tablespoons unsalted butter into the flour mixture to coat, then use a pastry blender, two forks, or your hands to work the butter into the flour mixture 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.
- In a small bowl, whisk together ½ cup heavy cream, 1 large egg, and 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (if using).
- 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. The amount of the heavy cream mixture to add depends on the humidity of the day. Squeeze a small amount of dough between your fingers, and add more of heavy cream or flour, 1 tablespoon at a time (2 tablespoons maximum), if it's too crumbly or too wet. Remember, do not over mix the dough - you want to keep that butter cold and separate from the flour.
- 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 rough square about 1-inch high.
- Add any mix-ins: If you're using 1 cup mix-ins (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.
- Gather the dough, and flatten it into a 6-inch disk (if you want square scones, shape the dough into a rectangle with the short side about 4-inches long). Use a bench scraper to release the dough, if needed. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate the dough at least 30 minutes or up to overnight.
- Once the dough is chilled, you have your choice of how to shape the scones:For wedge-shaped scones: Roll out the disk into an 8-inch circle, then use the bench scraper to cut the disk into 8 wedges. For round scones: Roll out the disk to a height of about ¾ inches. Use a 3-inch round cookie cutter to cut out rounds (gather, press, and cut the leftover dough again as needed, but hopefully not more than 2 times).For square scones: Roll out the dough into a 12- by 4-inch rectangle, then cut into twelve 2-inch squares.
- Place the scones about 2-inches apart on the prepared baking pan. Press in the reserved mix-ins on the tops of the scones. Brush the tops of each scone with heavy cream and sprinkle with coarse sugar.
- Bake for about 18 to 23 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and cool the scones on the baking pan for 2 minutes, then move to a cooling rack. Allow to cool for 10 to 15 minutes.
- For the optional glaze: Whisk ½ cup powdered sugar (sifted) and 1 to 2 tablespoons flavored liquid in a bowl until smooth. Adjust the consistency by adding 1 teaspoon of liquid or more sifted powdered sugar as needed.
- Place the cooling rack back on the baking pan to catch the drips. Drizzle the glaze on the and allow to set. 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!
- Storage Instructions: Scones are best enjoyed right away, though leftover scones keep well at room temperature or in the refrigerator, stored in an airtight container, for about 3 to 5 days. Glazed or plain scones freeze well, in an airtight bag, for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator then warm to your liking before enjoying.
- Make-ahead instructions: 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 375 °F for 20 to 25 minutes.
- The yield is generally about 8 scones (that's what I get from a circle cut into wedges or with a 3-inch round cookie cutter), and up to 12 (cutting the square scones). Your yield may vary.
Notes
- 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
- 2¾ cups (336 grams) all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup (67 grams) granulated sugar
- 4 teaspoons (15 grams) baking powder
- 1¼ teaspoons (5 grams) kosher salt
- ½ cup (114 grams) unsalted butter
- ¾ cup (190 grams) heavy cream
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
Rosalie says
I was wondering if you can just make drop scones like dropped biscuits.
Tammy Spencer says
Hi Rosalie, sure! You can shape the scones using a large cookie scoop like I did for my Maple Walnut Scones. Good luck, and happy baking! 😉
Nancy Blouin says
I am so thankful to have come across this recipe. My husband and I truly enjoyed it. Thank you so very much.
Tammy Spencer says
Hi Nancy, I’m so glad you liked them! Thanks for sharing, and happy baking! 🙂
Teri says
I make cranberry, walnut orange scone but my recipe doesn’t have an egg in it either. I then make an orange glaze to put over it. So so good.
Tammy Spencer says
Sounds delicious, Teri!
Leslie says
I just made this recipe for a zoom tea I plan to have with my son and his girlfriend tomorrow. The scones are so delicious, I’m hoping that I have a few left when it’s time for tea! Thank you so much!
Tammy says
Wonderful! I hope you have fun at your tea. Enjoy! 😉
Tammy Cooper says
I re-read the tea reasoning - love it!
Keep up the blogging!
Enjoyed our visit and catching up!
Tammy