Start with our soft and flaky homemade Scones recipe and add your favorite mix-ins.  Then drizzle a simple powdered sugar glaze on top and bask in pastry scone heaven.
I love the smell of fresh baked pastries and breads like scones, Cinnamon Rolls and Lemon Poppyseed Bread that give that warm comforting feel to our home. These are the best because they’re simple to make and I always have the ingredients!
Homemade scones with dried cranberries, and glaze on top.

This is a pastry scones recipe, not fry bed scones!  These scones are more like sweet pastry biscuits with a glaze…..and they are absolutely the best scones recipe! This is also a one-size fits all recipe where you’ll never need another one and it’s so easy to adapt to any type of scones you want to make including blueberry scones, orange scones, and peach scones!

These perfect homemade scones are MOIST, SOFT, and FLAKY; plus I’ve got all the tips for making sure your scones turn out perfectly every time.

My mom used to make these scones regularly on Sunday mornings. The smell of fresh scones always made it easy to get out of bed, and I knew I’d have to get to the kitchen quick or my siblings would devour them first!

The Secret to Perfect Scones:

There are a couple of tricks that will ensure your scones turn out perfectly.

  1. Cold butter.  COLD Butter is the key to making perfect scones. As the butter cooks it creates air pockets in the dough that make those great big, fluffy, flakey layers that we love in a great scone or biscuit.  Use frozen butter, or stick your butter in the freezer for 20 minutes while you gather together the other ingredients.
  2. Don’t over-work the dough. When the dough is formed you don’t want to knead it or handle it too much. Just pat and shape it enough to help it come together into a round, flattened disc. Just like with a good pie crust or biscuit recipe, if you over-handle the dough then the baked product will be tougher, instead of tender and flakey.
  3. To avoid flat scones:  Place the dough in the refrigerator after step 6.  I didn’t include this in the directions because flat scones have never been an issue for me with this recipe.  But, if you notice your scones are getting flat or you butter is warm, put the dough in the refrigerator for several minutes and then reshape the dough and try again.

How to Make Scones:

1. Mix dry ingredients.  Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

2. Cut in butter.  Grate the frozen butter and add to dry mixture. Use a fork or pastry blender to cut in the butter.

3. Mix wet ingredients.  In a separate bowl whisk together yogurt, cream, egg, and vanilla until well blended.

4. Gently Knead.  Combine wet and dry mixture and craisins, and fold the ingredients in until it starts to come together in large clumps. Gently knead mixture by hand (in the mixing bowl) just a few times until it comes together in a ball.

5. Shape and cut dough.  Dust a clean surface with flour and drop dough onto surface. Gently pat and shape into an 8-inch circle.  Cut into 8 wedges then transfer to a parchment lined baking sheet.

6. Bake at 400 degrees F for 16 – 18 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes before drizzling the glaze on top. These are best served the day they are prepared.

Six process photos for how to make scones.

Add-Ins and Variations:

  • Chocolate chips:  Mix in a handful of any flavor chips (white, chocolate, peanut butter, etc.).
  • Coconut
  • pecans
  • Dried cranberries
  • Raisins
  • For blueberry scones: mix in 1 cup of fresh or frozen blueberries.
  • For orange scones: replace vanilla with fresh orange juice and add 1 tsp of orange zest to the glaze.
  • Peach Scones
  • For vegan scones: substitute vegan butter, vegan yogurt, flax egg, and replace heavy whipping cream with coconut milk.
  • For Gluten free scones: substitute gluten free flour.

Uncooked wedges of homemade scones on a baking sheet.

MAKE AHEAD AND FREEZING INSTRUCTIONS:

To make ahead: The scones dough can be made one day in advance. Prepare the recipe through step 5, cover dough and refrigerate for up to one day.

To freeze dough: Cut dough into wedges and place them on a baking sheet. Loosely cover them and place them in the freezer for one hour.  Once frozen, store scones in a freezer safe container for 2-3 months.  Allow to thaw overnight in the refrigerator before baking.

To freeze baked scones: Allow scones to cool completely. Store in a freezer safe container for 2-3 months.  Allow scones to thaw completely on the countertop and warm for 20 seconds in the microwave before eating.

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Recipe

Homemade scones with dried cranberries, and glaze on top.
Prep 15 minutes
Cook 15 minutes
Total 30 minutes
Save Recipe
YouTube video

Ingredients
 
 

For the Scones:

For the Glaze:

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • In a mixing bowl whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. 
  • Grate the frozen butter and add to dry mixture. Use a fork or pastry blender to cut in the butter.
  • In a separate bowl whisk together yogurt, cream, egg, and vanilla until well blended. 
  • Add to the dry mixture along with craisins (or other add-ins) and use a rubber spatula to fold the ingredients in until it starts to come together in large clumps. 
  • Gently knead mixture by hand (in the mixing bowl) just a few times until it comes together in a ball. Try not to handle the dough too much.
  • Dust a clean surface with a little flour and drop dough on top. Gently pat and shape into an 8-inch circle. Cut into 8 wedges then transfer to a parchment lined baking sheet. 
  • Bake in preheated oven until golden, about 16 - 18 minutes. 
  • Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes before drizzling the glaze on top. These are best served the day they are prepared.

For the Glaze:

  • Add powdered sugar to a mixing bowl with 1 Tbsp milk and stir until smooth. Add additional milk, if needed. Drizzle over scones.

Notes

Add-Ins and Variations:

  • Chocolate chips:  Mix in a handful of any flavor chips (white, chocolate, peanut butter, etc.).
  • Coconut
  • pecans
  • Dried cranberries
  • Raisins
  • For blueberry scones: mix in 1 cup of fresh or frozen blueberries.
  • For orange scones: replace vanilla with fresh orange juice and add 1 tsp of orange zest to the glaze.
  • Peach Scones
  • For vegan scones: substitute vegan butter, vegan yogurt, flax egg, and replace heavy whipping cream with coconut milk.
  • For Gluten free scones: substitute gluten free flour.
Make ahead Instructions: The scones dough can be made one day in advance. Prepare the recipe through step 5, cover dough and refrigerate for up to one day.
Freezing Instructions:
To freeze the dough, cut prepared dough into wedges and place on a baking sheet.  Loosely cover them and place them in the freezer for one hour.  Once frozen, store scones in a freezer safe container for 2-3 months.  Allow to thaw overnight in the refrigerator before baking.
To freeze baked scones, allow scones to cool completely.  Store in a freezer safe container for 2-3 months.  Allow scones to thaw completely on the countertop and warm for 20 seconds in the microwave before eating

Nutrition

Calories: 361kcalCarbohydrates: 48gProtein: 5gFat: 16gSaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 71mgSodium: 167mgPotassium: 152mgFiber: 1gSugar: 24gVitamin A: 539IUCalcium: 75mgIron: 2mg

Did You Make This Recipe?

Tag @TastesBetterFromScratch on Instagram with #TastesBetterFromScratch!

I first shared this recipe January 2014. Updated March 2020 with process photos and flavor adaption tips.

Have you tried this recipe?!

RATE and COMMENT below! I would love to hear your experience.

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About The Author

Lauren Allen

Welcome! I’m Lauren, a mom of four and lover of good food. Here you’ll find easy recipes and weeknight meal ideas made with real ingredients, with step-by-step photos and videos.

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Comments

  1. 4 stars
    Quick and easy! I added a 1/2tsp of cinnamon and a mixture of dried fruits. Fabulous! I also dropped them by tbs on the cookie sheet (easier to eat on the go).

  2. 5 stars
    Made these Saturday morning and they were the bomb- added dried Montmorency cherries and these were delightful not a hard biscuit type but soft and luscious

  3. 5 stars
    These were so good, I can’t wait to make them again! They were flaky and delicious! I added dried cranberries and a little orange juice and they were wonderful. Thank you!

  4. 5 stars
    My teenaged son needed to make scones for a class project for the Victorian Era and I knew there would be a good one on Tastes Better From Scratch. I was right! These scones turned out amazing! We used Ocean Spray cherry juice-infused dried cranberries and chopped them up into small pieces. Everyone in our family thought they were incredibly delicious and he’s excited to share them with his class. I’ll definitely make these again and try blueberries or mini-chocolate chips or orange juice and zest. Yum!

  5. 5 stars
    OMIGOSH! I have tried a gazillion scone recipes over the years, all with little satisfaction.
    I’ve finally found the PERFECT recipe. Thank you, Lauren! When these came out of the oven I just stood there looking at them, I couldn’t believe they came out of MY kitchen. I was like, “Did I make those?” Then I tasted one, was even more impressed. Truly the perfect scone recipe! I added mini choc chips, skipped the glaze. I will be making these again and again and AGAIN. 🥰

  6. I hosted a tea this weekend and used your scone recipe. My guests commented that they were the best scones they’ve ever had! Flaky on the outside, but soft on the inside…so delicious! I used organic whole dried cranberries.

  7. 5 stars
    You can’t mess these up! I was out of heavy cream so substituted 1/2 & 1/2, just diced cold butter since I didn’t have any time for freezing it (and had to use salted butter cause I didn’t have unsalted), and lastly my oven runs hot. And they still came out divine! My mix in was fresh blueberries and they were the best fruit scones I’ve had. There is no excuse not to try these.

  8. 5 stars
    This recipe was delicious! The scones were a perfect balance of a crunchy outer crust and slightly moist inside. These were lite in texture and not heavy like some scones can be. I added my mix in’s of dried cranberries, zest from one orange, orange juice and Vanilla bean paste. They were a hit!

  9. 5 stars
    Ok I just made these this morning. I used coconut sugar instead of regular sugar and these are the BEST scones I’ve ever had. Thank you so much for the recipe!!

  10. 5 stars
    Really good recipe. Easy to follow. I made blueberry and they were moist and lasted for days after baking!! These will be a staple in my home.

  11. Made these, and it is excellent. I added 1/2 teas almond extract as well, along with dried cherries. (Later I tried 1/2 almond flour for some more protein and it was terrific, good texture.) I have made this my go to for scones. Thanks a bunch.

  12. These are fantastic! They are a new favorite for everyone in my house. I used my handed down cast iron scone pan for these. I swapped the plain Greek yogurt for honey Greek since it’s a big container and my kids will scarf down whatever yogurt is left over. They won’t eat plain though. Cut the sugar to under 1/4 cup since the yogurt has sugar and the craisins are sweet as well. I just eyeballed the frosting, making about half of the recipe amount and it was more than plenty. Oh and I love the butter/grater trick. I hadn’t tried that before.

  13. 3 stars
    I made the dough into an 8 inch circle but cook time was 24 minutes. My oven is calibrated correctly. Any thoughts? Any easier ideas for grating the frozen butter? I used the finest grate cut.

    1. Best I can figure is be sure to ‘cut and separate’ into triangles. There must be space between pieces for adequate cooking.

  14. Thank you for this recipe! The place we used to get scones closed during Covid and will not reopen at the location nearest us. I had been wanting to try making my own and this recipe was the perfect solution. There are easy substitutions online for ingredients you might not use often enough such as heavy whipping cream. I did not make the glaze but added some orange zest to the scones along with dried cranberries. Will definitely make this again.

  15. You absolutely nailed it on this one. I’ve been making scones every weekend for about 6 months and this is my go-to recipe. I’m good at following a recipe but venturing off with changes makes me sweat, yikes! I would love to try a pumpkin spice scone. Have you tried this? If so, how did you adjust the recipe for the pumpkin puree?

  16. Am a baker at a hotel and i like your scones with the step by step guide in making them it helps plse keepup the good works

  17. 5 stars
    A forgiving and versatile recipe. I made a double batch of these this morning. No yogurt or heavy cream on hand and I was not going to the store. Son for the yogurt, I subbed in roughly an equal amount of low fat Philly cream cheese, that I’m trying to use up, and for the heavy cream, about the same amount of sour cream with some water. I don’t measure when using subs so it’s “some.” If needed, I adjust liquids when mixing the dough using a spray bottle for better distribution. Turned out perfectly.

    1. 5 stars
      I have been wanting to make scones for a while now. It was helpful to watch the video. They came out so good! Thanks for sharing your recipe.

  18. 5 stars
    Had these at my daughters home today, hands down , these are perfect scones .. SO soft , and flavour full .
    She kept them plain and split them when baked , homemade raspberry jam on one side , and whipped cream in the other.
    Amazing! Well done Christina !

  19. 5 stars
    My daughter made these –
    1. Dried cherries with almond extract. Almond extract in glaze as well and then sliced almonds on the top.
    2. Blueberry with lemon zest. Lemon juice and lemon zest in the the glaze.

    AMAZING!

  20. 5 stars
    Thank you for sharing your recipe and tips. This was my first scone success and they came out so amazing. Jumping up and down!!! Can’t wait to try the other flavors. Have you ever done this with a savory twist?

  21. 5 stars
    I made two batches, one with home made cranberry jelly left over from Christmas holiday, and one with frozen blueberries and lemon zest. Both are awesome. I had to add significant extra cooking time, and after the initial bake, I lowered the temp 25 degrees and added time. I didn’t want to overcook the outside. I recommend using fresh berries not frozen because they are too wet when cooking. Still delicious flavor with the combination with lemon zest.

  22. 5 stars
    Wow! These were amazing. I’ve never tried making this type of scone before. I wanted something different for breakfast and found your recipe. I’ve been perusing more of your recipes. I’m hooked. Thank you so much. And can I say I love that there are not twenty ads as I try to scroll through the post? Thanks again. I look forward to following you.

  23. 5 stars
    The Best and Easiest scone recipe ever! I added chocolate chips and Heath bits. I also used sour cream instead of yogurt. Yum!

  24. 5 stars
    I added in 1 diced apple tossed with 1 tbsp flour and butterscotch chips….. Oh my delicious….
    Froze batch of apple, dried tart cherries and choc chips…. See how they come out later…. Loved the recipe.

  25. 5 stars
    Yum! I made these for mother’s day brunch. I added the zest and juice of one orange to the batter, then combined orange juice, orange zest, and powdered sugar for the glaze. Very delicious, and very orange-y, just how I like it! They were flaky and delicious. Will make this again with endless variations.

  26. 5 stars
    I don’t usually comment or review things online but I have to talk about these scones. I made them a few weeks ago (the orange version) and they are AMAZING! I am not an advanced baker by any means, and they turned out so good! A few days later I made two more batches, one using lemon to replace the orange and another using lemon but adding some fresh berries (blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries) we had left over! They turned out with a blue/red swirl in them and both were so delicious. I have to say the orange was my favorite though. Thank you so much for this recipe!! I can’t wait to bake more of these!

    1. I’m so happy you have enjoyed them so much! Thank you for taking the time to comment!

  27. 5 stars
    These turn out so light and fluffy.
    My husband, son and his girlfriend can’t wait until I bake them again.
    Thank you for such an easy and yummy recipe