These easy vanilla scones are a great grab and go breakfast – whip up a batch and eat them throughout the week. This easy scone recipe is my go-to, and you can even add blueberries if you want.
My sister and I love scones, and I absolutely love the petite vanilla scones at Starbucks, so I created my own easy scone recipe.
You can serve these Easy Vanilla Scones three ways. You can either add a vanilla glaze – just like Starbucks does, or you can leave them plain and eat them with clotted cream and jam. Or you can make my friend Lauren’s Lemon Ginger Curd.
I made these scones as part of my Royal Wedding Watch Party menu. You guys – and American is becoming a Princess. This is a big deal! It is also going to so much fun to watch live. The best way to celebrate is to grab some friends and serve up an Afternoon Tea inspired feast. And you can’t have Afternoon Tea without scones.
The great thing about these easy vanilla scones is that you can make them in just 20 minutes! It is so easy. You probably have all of the ingredients you need in your fridge and pantry already.
You can either roll out the scone dough and then use a small round biscuit cutter to make round scones, or you can form the scone dough into a circle and then slice the dough into triangles.
I made some triangular scones which I glazed with icing, and I made some circular scones which I left plain and served with clotted cream and jam – it was the best of both worlds.
To recap, here are links to all of my Royal Wedding Watch Party posts.First I shared a guide to hosting a Royal Wedding Watch Party, complete with Royal Wedding Bingo Cards.
Next, I shared a recipe for a Roasted Strawberry Crepe Cake, a show stopping dessert made with layers of crepes and raspberry custard. There is an easy shortcut to making this recipe, just use store-bought crepes!
Tea Sandwiches, sandwiches are a key part of afternoon tea, so I shared recipes for my three favorite tea sandwiches.
Charles came up with the idea for Crown Cookiessugar cookie sandwiches with jam in the middle.
And a Sparkling Strawberry Pimm’s Cup co*cktail – a festive British co*cktail to sip while toasting the newly married couple!
You can use these recipes to easily host a traditional afternoon tea. These recipes lend themselves well to a bridal shower, baby shower, or girls get together.
If you want to try another easy scone recipe, make these Dark Chocolate and Orange Scones.
Easy Vanilla Scones
My sister and I love scones, and I absolutely love the petite vanilla scones at Starbucks, so I created my own recipe. These easy vanilla scones are a great grab and go breakfast - whip up a batch and eat them throughout the week. You can serve these Easy Vanilla Scones two ways. You can either add a vanilla glaze - just like Starbucks does, or you can leave them plain and eat them with clotted cream and jam.
CourseBreakfast
CuisineBritish
Prep Time 8 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Ingredients
- 2cupsAll Purpose Flour
- 2 ½teaspoonsBaking Powder
- a pinch of Sea Salt
- 4tablespoonsCold Butter
- 3tablespoonsGranulated Sugar
- 1Large Egg
- about ½ cup of Milk
- 2teaspoonsVanilla
For the Vanilla Glaze:
- ½cupPowdered Sugar
- 1/2teaspoonVanilla
- 2 1/2teaspoonsMilk
Instructions
Heat your oven to 425 degrees.
In a mixing bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together. I recommend using a whisk because it will remove any clumps.
Crack the egg into a one cup liquid measuring cup. Add enough milk so that the mixture measure 200 ml (7 ounces). Whisk to combine.
Next, take a cheese grater, and use the grater to grate the butter into the flour mixture. Then use your fingers to mix the butter into the flour, until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. Stir in the granulated sugar.
Use a fork and stir the vanilla and about ¾ of the milk mixture into the flour mixture. You want the dough to be soft and just slightly sticky. You will have some of the milk mixture leftover, and you will need it later.
Place the dough on a floured surface and knead gently until the dough is evenly mixed. Use your hands to flatten the dough until it is ¾ of an inch thick. Use a biscuit cutter to form the scones, or use a knife to slice them into triangles.
Arrange the scones on a parchment lined baking sheet, leaving 2 fingers space between each scone. Carefully brush the tops of the scones with the remaining milk mixture, making sure that none of the milk mixture runs down the sides of the scones.
Bake the scones for 9-12 minutes, until golden brown.
Mix up the vanilla glaze by combining the powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk. Let the scones cool for a few minutes, then brush them with the vanilla glaze.
Recipe Notes
You can either roll out the scone dough and then use a small round biscuit cutter to make round scones, or your can form the scone dough into a circle and then slice the dough into triangles. I made some triangular scones which I glazed with icing, and I made some circular scones which I left plain and served with clotted cream and jam - it was the best of both worlds.
Want to save this easy vanilla scone recipe for later? Here is an image for you to pin:
FAQs
5 Mistakes to Avoid When Baking Scones
- Using anything but cold ingredients. The secret to the flakiest scones is to start with cold ingredients — cold butter, cold eggs, and cold cream. ...
- Only using all-purpose flour. ...
- Overmixing the dough. ...
- Not chilling the dough before baking. ...
- Baking them ahead of time.
1. Flour. Know what flour you should use! We recommend using all-purpose flour.
Is it better to make scones with butter or oil? ›
We love using oil as it is light on animal fat and also very easy to use. Because we serve the scones with butter or whipped cream, it is okay not to use butter in the scone itself. However, if you prefer a scone made with butter, rub the butter into the dry ingredients until the flour resembles a coarse type of grain.
Is heavy cream or buttermilk better for scones? ›
Heavy Cream or Buttermilk: For the best tasting pastries, stick with a thick liquid such as heavy cream or buttermilk. I usually use heavy cream, but if you want a slightly tangy flavor, use buttermilk.
Should you rest scones before baking? ›
The resting of the dough helps to relax the dough so everything remains tender, if you kneaded the dough and baked the scones immediately the insides would be great but the outsides would be tough and chewy.
How do you make scones rise higher? ›
To ensure taller scones, start with a thicker dough disc and place the scones on a tray with sides, allowing them to slightly touch one another. This arrangement encourages the scones to push against the pan and each other, promoting height.
Should a scone be dry or moist? ›
It can have layers of course, but they should err on the side of crumbly. A scone is slightly dryer than a biscuit and yet, when done well, not dry at all. Scones are intended to be consumed with a hot beverage of your choice after all. And clotted cream, or butter, or jam.
Why are scones bad for you? ›
They are typically extremely high in calories from the heavy butter and cream. And, although scones with fruit might seem healthier, most are even higher in calories and still high in saturated fat. Steer clear of scones.
Why aren't my scones light and fluffy? ›
Avoid using a food processor to mix scones: A food processor will work, but it often overworks the scone dough. We recommend using your hands until the mixture comes together. Overworking the dough will lead to scones that are tough and chewy, rather than light and flaky.
Why do you put eggs in scones? ›
Scones can be made either with self-raising flour or with plain flour and baking powder. Sweet scones and cheese scones have an egg added to enrich them. Both will rise but whatever scone you make its important that they are handled lightly and not rolled too thinly.
Why? When cold butter is rubbed into the flour, it creates flaky pockets of flavour (which soft, room temperature butter can't do). Once the cold butter and liquid (e.g milk) hits the oven, the water in the butter and cold liquid begins evaporating.
How to tell when scones are done? ›
Bake scones in a 425°F oven for 18 to 23 minutes, until they're a very light golden brown. Don't over-bake; dark scones will be dry. Break one open to check for doneness: the interior shouldn't appear doughy or wet, but should feel nicely moist.
Should you put scones in the fridge before baking? ›
You could make the dough in the morning and cut out the scones and refrigerate them before baking. However the scones contain bicarbonate of soda, which acts quickly when it comes into contact with liquid and it will lose some of its raising power as it stands. Consequently the scones may not be quite as light.
Why are my scones heavy and dense? ›
My scones have a dense, heavy texture and poor volume
You may have used too little raising agent or over handled the dough before it was baked. The oven may have been too cool.
What is the best raising agent for scones and why? ›
As well as the raising agent in the flour, baking powder adds a bit of lift to scones. Baking powder is a convenient choice as it is a ready-mixed leavening agent, generally made of bicarbonate of soda and cream of tartar (usually some cornflour too).
Do you put cold or hot butter in scones? ›
Butter must be COLD from the very start to when the dough enters the oven. The cold butter melts upon entering the oven and the water content in butter evaporates in steam. As the steam escapes, it bursts up and creates that beautiful tall, flaky, fluffy texture.
Can I use Greek yogurt instead of buttermilk in scones? ›
Just use the same amount of yogurt as the recipe calls for buttermilk. For the right thickness, you might need to mix it with a little water. Sour cream: Sour cream substitute works well too! Just like with yogurt, use the same amount of sour cream as you would buttermilk.
What does cream of tartar do for scones? ›
When combined with baking soda, it becomes a leavening agent (the stuff that makes baked goods puff up in the oven) by producing carbon dioxide gas. If you ever run out of baking powder, you can substitute 1/4 teaspoon baking soda plus 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar for 1 teaspoon baking powder.
How do you keep scones moist? ›
Add moisture-boosting mix-ins: “Adding fruit, Jammy Bits, or chocolate can introduce moisture and flavor to your scones,” Bethany says.
What are the differences between American style scones and British style scones? ›
American scones use much more butter than British scones, and they usually have quite a bit more sugar. The extra butter is what makes them so much denser. This is not really a good or bad thing, as British scones pile on plenty of sugar (in the form of preserves/jam) and butter or clotted cream as toppings.
Why Are My Scones Flat? Expired leavening agents. Your baking powder and/or baking soda could be expired. Most scone and biscuit recipes call for quite a large amount of leavening, and if either are expired, your scones simply won't rise to beautiful heights.
Why aren t my scones light and fluffy? ›
Avoid using a food processor to mix scones: A food processor will work, but it often overworks the scone dough. We recommend using your hands until the mixture comes together. Overworking the dough will lead to scones that are tough and chewy, rather than light and flaky.
Why do my scones spread out and not rise? ›
My scones have spread and lost their shape
The mixture may have been too wet or the baking tray might have been too heavily greased. Twisting the cutter when cutting the scones can also have this effect.
How do you get scones to hold their shape? ›
The longer you knead the dough, the stronger the gluten network will be. We want just enough gluten for the scones to hold their shape, but not so much that we sacrifice the light and flaky texture. Over-kneading your dough also increases the chance of your butter getting too warm.
