The most delicious homemade Scones couldn't be easier to make, with a few basic ingredients. You can adapt them to add any mix-ins you like.
If you're a fan of easy baked goods you must try our Cinnamon Roll Biscuits, Homemade English Muffins, Cranberry Orange Muffins, or Lemon Blueberry Bread!
Homemade Scones are a snapshot of my childhood
Homemade Scones are a snapshot of my childhoodWe can all thank Momma Bailey for this beautifully simple, and insanely good, scones recipe.
There's no quicker way to get my kids out bed! Picture a flakey, tender biscuit, married with an old-fashioned glazed donut. YUM. And they're fool-proof for any level of baker.
This scones recipe is a launching point for any flavored scones, like blueberry, chocolate chip, orange scones, and popular peach scones.
How to make Scones:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Make Dough: 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. Combine yogurt, cream, egg, and vanilla until well blended. Add to dry mixture along with craisins (or other add-ins) then use a rubber spatula to fold the ingredients in until it starts to come together in large clumps.
Cut and Bake: 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 (we want the butter to stay cold, and the scones to be tender and not tough). Dust a clean surface with a little flour then gently pat and shape into an 8-inch circle. Cut into 8 wedges then transfer to a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake at 400°F for 16-18 minutes.
Enjoy: Make glaze by combining powdered sugar and 1 Tbsp milk and stirring until smooth. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes before drizzling the glaze on top. These are best served the day they are prepared.
Make Ahead and Freezing Instructions:
To Make Ahead: The dough for scones can be made one day in advance, covered and refrigerated. When ready to bake, place cold scones on lined baking sheet and bake as instructed.
To Freeze Scones Dough: place cut scones in freezer to flash freeze for 1 hour, then place partially frozen scones in a freezer safe container for 2-3 months. Thaw completely overnight in the refrigerator before baking. To Freeze Baked Scones, cool completely then store in a freezer safe container for 2-3 months. Thaw completely, or warm 20 seconds in the microwave before eating.
Add-Ins and Variations:
- Mix-ins: Add 1 cup of fresh or frozen blueberries, chocolate chips, coconut, pecans, dried cranberries or raisins.
- Orange Scones: Replace vanilla with fresh orange juice and add 1 tsp of orange zest to the glaze.
- Peach Scones
- Vegan Scones: Substitute vegan butter, vegan yogurt, flax egg, and replace heavy whipping cream with coconut milk.
- Gluten-Free Scones: Substitute gluten free flour.
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Recipe
Classic Pastry Scones
Ingredients
Scones:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup frozen unsalted butter
- 1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup favorite mix-ins like Craisins, fresh or frozen blueberries, chocolate chips, coconut, pecans, dried cranberries or raisins
Glaze:
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1-2 Tablespoons milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a mixing bowl.
- Grate in frozen butter to dry mixture. Use a fork or pastry blender to cut in the butter.
- Wet Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together yogurt, cream, egg, and vanilla until well blended.
- Combine: 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.
- Shape and cut: 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.
- 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
Nutrition
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I first shared this recipe January 2014. Updated March 2020 and May 2024.
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These look really Yummy. I’m wondering if fresh raspberries would work. Or would they be too wet?
You could try it but I think freeze dried strawberries may turn out better.
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.
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.
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.
Can I use sour cream instead of Greek yogart
Yes, that should work!
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.
I use the biggest whole on my box grater and it’s really easy!
Best I can figure is be sure to ‘cut and separate’ into triangles. There must be space between pieces for adequate cooking.
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.
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?
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
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.
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.