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

Cream Scones

By Tammy Spencer
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!
5 from 4 votes
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time23 minutes
Chilling Time20 minutes
Total Time58 minutes
Servings: 8 scones
Calories: 262kcal

Special Equipment

Ingredients

For the scones

  • 2 cups (240 grams) all-purpose flour
  • ¼ cup (50 grams) granulated sugar, or to taste
  • 1 tablespoon (15 grams) baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon (1 teaspoon) kosher salt
  • 6 tablespoons (85 grams) unsalted butter, cold, grated or cubed, see Recipe Notes
  • ½ cup (113 grams) heavy cream, plus extra for brushing on top, see Recipe Notes
  • 1 (50 grams) large egg, beaten

Additional flavoring options

For the glaze (optional)

  • ½ cup (60 grams) 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 (cold, and grated or cubed) 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 scones 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.

Recipe Notes

Some scone 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). You can add another 2 tablespoons of butter for more richness if you'd like.
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.
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 extract): ¼ teaspoon almond, mint, orange, lemon, or Fiori di Sicilia extracts. Vanilla Bean Paste provides the same flavor benefits as vanilla extract with the added bonus of including vanilla bean seeds. No scraping a bean, more vanilla flavor!
  • 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.
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 (given below). 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.
  • 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

Nutrition

Serving: 1scone | Calories: 262kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 64mg | Sodium: 465mg | Potassium: 52mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 515IU | Calcium: 108mg | Iron: 2mg