Scones are a perfect addition to any wedding or baby shower, brunch, or weekend treat. They are typically sweeter, but also do so well savory using bacon and cheddar or with other herbs. They are incredibly easy to make, especially since you can prep them ahead too.
Scones get a bad wrap of being dry or crumbly, but these are not that. When done well, scones are tender and flavorful. There are endless amounts of flavor mix-ins, so feel free to be inspired with one of the ideas below, or get creative with your own combination using this incredible tried and true master scone recipe.
If you are into sourdough…be sure to check out my sourdough discard scone recipe! I feature it as a strawberry flavor, but it can also be used with any flavor addition!
How to make amazing scones
Here are some steps on how to make perfect strawberry discard scones. It comes together in just 30 minutes and can be prepped ahead of time!
1. Mix together dry ingredients
2. Using a pastry blender, fork, or food processor, pulse in cold butter
3. Mix together wet ingredients and combine with dry ingredients
4. Press into 8″ disk and cut into 8 pieces
5. Bake at 425 degrees F for 18-22 minutes until golden brown
6. Top scones with glaze and enjoy!
*PRO TIP: chill for at least 10 minutes in freezer or 30 minutes in fridge before baking, helps them rise higher
Make ahead tip! Store leftovers airtight at room temp. To reheat, place in the oven at 350° F for 10 minutes, or until warm.
scone Flavor Options
Scones are so versatile and could be made with a variety of different flavor combinations. All you need is about 1-1.5 cups worth of mix-ins to your dough. It’s so easy to get creative. I’ll list some amounts in the recipe notes below. Some of my favorites include:
- Lemon blueberry
- Raspberry
- Biscoff & White Chocolate
- Bacon, Cheddar, & Chive
- Maple Brown Sugar
- Zesty Orange
- Chocolate Chip
I list out the details of these in the recipe notes below!
Make ahead and storing tipS
Can I make the dough in advance?
Store dough or cut scones covered in the fridge for up to 48 hours. Makes it easy to prep and then throw in the oven last minute so you have zero work close to when you want to serve, while having fresh hot scones.
Storing & reheating tips:
Store leftovers airtight at room temperature for a few days. To reheat, place in the oven at 350° F for 10 minutes, or until warm.
More recipes you’ll love…
If you make this recipe, make sure you tag @loskitchenco on Instagram and leave a comment below! You can also save for later by clicking the ‘Pin Recipe’ button on the recipe card. Happy baking!
Easy Homemade Scones (any flavor!)
Ingredients
- 2 cups (240 g) all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup sugar *see note if choosing savory flavor
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp baking powder
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter cold
- 1/2 cup heavy cream, cold + 2 tbsp for brushing
- 1 large egg
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- About 1-1.5 cup mix-ins (chopped strawberries, chocolate chips, etc. – see note for complete idea list)
- course sugar to top optional
- glaze to stop optional – see note for glaze recipe & flavor combos
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425° F. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, salt and baking powder.
- Cut butter into tbsp pieces and add to dry mixture. Incorporate using a pastry cutter to get pea sized pieces of butter through the mixture.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients: heavy cream, egg, and vanilla. Add to dry ingredients. Add mix-ins of choice (see notes) and fold everything together.
- Transfer to a work surface and press into an 8” disk. Using a knife or bench scraper, cut into 8 pieces. Transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
- Place in the freezer for about 10 minutes or fridge for about 30 minutes to chill. Brush tops with heavy cream and sprinkle coarse sugar on top (optional). Bake for about 18–22 min until golden brown.
- If you'd prefer a glaze for your scone flavor, baking time is a great time to prep that. Whisk together the ingredients in the recipe below (see notes section).
- Store leftovers airtight at room temp. To reheat, place in the oven at 350° F for 10 minutes, or until warm.
Notes
Scones are typically a sweeter pastry, however for a little less sweet, reduce to 1/4-1/3 cup sugar. Sugar moistens, so it will make the scone slightly less tender but still delicious. For savory scones, I highly recommend reducing sugar to 2 tbsp. FLAVOR VARIATIONS:
Add about 1-1.5 cups of any of the following flavors to your scone dough
- Biscoff & White Chocolate (~3/4 cup white chocolate chips + ~3/4 cup broken up Biscoff cookies). Brush with cream. Post bake, drizzle on melted Biscoff butter.
- Strawberry (~1 heaping cup chopped strawberries) Brush with cream. Post bake, drizzle on glaze recipe below.
- Chocolate Chip (~1 heaping cup mini semisweet chocolate chips). Brush with cream and add coarse sugar on top before baking.
- Bacon, Cheddar, & Chive (heaping 1/2 cup chopped cooked bacon, heaping 1/2 cup cup up or grated sharp white cheddar or sharp yellow cheddar cheese, & 2-4 tbsp finely chopped chives). Brush with cream prior to baking.
- Ham & Cheddar (heaping 1/2 cup chopped cooked ham, heaping cup chopped or grated cheddar cheese), Brush with cream prior to baking.
- Blueberry Lemon (1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries. Do not thaw. If using frozen, I love using wild blueberries because they are smaller. Add 1 tbsp lemon zest.). Brush with cream. Post bake, drizzle with a lemon glaze. See recipe below.
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 4 tbsp melted butter
- 2-3 tbsp heavy cream or milk
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp lemon juice (optional for lemon glaze)
- 1 tsp lemon zest (optional for lemon glaze)
