Cream Scones

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These Cream Scones are perfectly light and flaky. They are melt-in-your-mouth good! The best scones recipe.

I wanted to get this recipe to you before the weekend, just in case you need some baking inspiration. Baking a batch of these Cream Scones would be a perfect way to start your Sunday morning. Start to finish, you can have these incredibly light and flaky scones on your breakfast table in well under an hour. They are super easy to make, especially if you use your food processor to mix up the dough.

It’s hard to beat a good cream scone. One of my favorite breakfast treats is a cream currant scone or peach scone. I didn’t have any currants when I made these, but the dried cherries were equally delicious. You could use almost any small chopped fresh fruit or dried fruit, really.

Dried cranberries, blueberries, apricots, or even toasted chopped nuts would be wonderful in these scones. If you prefer, you can mix mini chocolate chips into these scones instead of the dried fruit.

If you have a weakness for breakfast pastries, try my cream cheese danish next!

How to Make Scones

If you have a food processor, you can use it to combine the dry ingredients and work in the butter. The food processor makes this recipe so quick and easy! Then you’ll use a fork or spatula to incorporate the heavy whipping cream.

Finally, shape the scone dough into a ball and then a 1 1/2-inch thick circle. Cut the dough into 8 triangular wedges, bake and enjoy!

(Full instructions below.)

Tips for the best Cream Scones:

You want to use a light hand when mixing up the scone dough, and err on the side of under-mixing. This will ensure that your scones turn out with those light and flaky layers that you love.
You want the butter to remain cold, and blend in the butter just until the mixture resembles coarse meal. The largest butter pieces should still be the size of small peas.
This scone recipe is easily adaptable for other mix-ins. Try your favorite chopped dried fruit, fresh berries, nuts or chocolate chips.
I often make these scones with a half white whole wheat flour and half all purpose flour to include more whole grains.

This scone recipe is so good, you’ll have a hard time stopping at just one. Grab a cup of coffee or tea and a warm scone, and settle in for some weekend relaxation time.

More Scone Recipes:

Lemon Scones
Cinnamon Scones
Gingerbread Scones

5 from 2 ratings

Servings: 8 scones

Prep Time: 15 minutes mins

Cook Time: 12 minutes mins

Total Time: 27 minutes mins

These Cherry Cream Scones are the lightest, flakiest scones ever. They are melt-in-your-mouth good!

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Ingredients

▢ 2 cups all-purpose flour
▢ 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
▢ 1 tablespoon baking powder
▢ ½ teaspoon salt
▢ 5 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
▢ ½ cup dried cherries, coarsely chopped, or dried cranberries or currants
▢ 1 cup heavy cream

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
In the bowl of a food processor, combine the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder and salt. (Alternatively, see note about mixing scone dough by hand.)
Pulse a few times to combine the dry ingredients.
Add the butter cubes to the food processor. Pulse 10 times to cut the butter into the dry ingredients.
See Also
Basic Short-Crust Pastry Recipe The 51 Best Ina Garten Recipes of All Time Easy Ham And Cheese Scones recipe by Oh Sweet Basil Homemade Banana Nut Bagels Recipe - Celebration Generation
Add the dried cherries and pulse one or two times to mix them in. Transfer the dough to a large mixing bowl.
Pour in the heavy cream and use a fork to mix until the dough starts to come together. Use your hands to finish bringing the dough together if needed. Do not over-work the dough; you want the bits of butter to remain cold.
Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and shape it into a disk. Flatten the disk into a 1-inch thick circle. Cut into 8 wedges and place on the parchment-lined baking sheet.
Bake until the scones are lightly browned on the edges, 12 to 14 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes before serving.

Notes

To make dough without a food processor: Whisk together the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Use a pastry blender or your fingers to work in the butter until the largest pieces of butter are the size of small peas. Then stir in the dried cherries and heavy cream.
Scones can be frozen before or after baking. Freeze unbaked scones on a baking sheet and then transfer to a zip-top bag. Bake straight from the freezer, adding a few minutes to the baking time.
Recipe adapted from Cook's Illustrated.

Serving: 1scone, Calories: 322kcal, Carbohydrates: 35g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 18g, Saturated Fat: 11g, Cholesterol: 60mg, Sodium: 161mg, Potassium: 207mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 9g, Vitamin A: 925IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 98mg, Iron: 2mg

Nutrition information is an estimate.

Cuisine: American

Course: Breakfast

Tried this recipe?Mention @kristines_kitchen on Instagram or tag #kristineskitchenblog.

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Breakfast Freezer Friendly

posted by Kristine Rosenblatt on Sep 30, 2018 (last updated Jan 16, 2020)

24 comments Leave a comment »

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24 comments on “Cream Scones”

Dorothy @ Crazy for Crust — October 30, 2014 @ 6:37 am Reply
I’m usually very excited for the time change but I’ll be traveling this year. It just seems like a waste of an extra hour, lol! Love these scones, I could eat a scone every day!
- Kristine — November 2, 2014 @ 8:14 am Reply
  See Also
  Regency cupcakes - Queen cakes recipe
  I would be so bummed if I missed out on my extra hour! Wishing you safe travels! 🙂
Karen — November 2, 2014 @ 10:57 am Reply
I made these scones today with a combination of dried cranberries & apricots and they were SO good!! Thanks for the great recipe! I’m sure I will make it again and again with different mix-ins. And it will be hard to ever eat a store bought scone again – these taste so much better, and I was surprised how easy they were to make!
- Kristine — November 2, 2014 @ 8:26 pm Reply
  Thanks for letting me know, and I’m so glad you liked these! I want to try them with cranberries and orange zest soon!
  - Karen — November 24, 2014 @ 8:34 pm
    I made these again today with a combination of dried cranberries, orange zest, and mini chocolate chips. They were SO good! This time I made the dough using my fingertips instead of the food processor, and I actually found it to be much easier!
  - Kristine — November 25, 2014 @ 9:48 pm
    Thanks for commenting and letting me know! I tried them with dried cranberries and orange zest a few weeks ago, but I bet the chocolate chips made them even better. Thanks for sharing the tip about making the dough by hand, too!
Gayle @ Pumpkin 'N Spice — November 2, 2014 @ 3:42 pm Reply
I spent my extra hour of Daylight Savings Time sleeping, though maybe I should’ve been baking these scones! 🙂 These look delicious, Kristine! I love the cherry flavor. I love how soft and moist they look!
- Kristine — November 3, 2014 @ 8:15 pm Reply
  Sleep sounds like a pretty good way to spend that extra hour! Unfortunately my kids didn’t get the memo about daylight savings time. 🙂
Kristi @ Inspiration Kitchen — November 3, 2014 @ 6:53 am Reply
Gorgeous scones Kristine! I love scones in the morning – they’re so perfect for breakfast! Pinned!
- Kristine — November 3, 2014 @ 8:55 am Reply
  Thanks for the pin, Kristi! Scones are my favorite breakfast treat. They go so well with a cup of coffee!
Oriana @Mommyhood's Diary — November 3, 2014 @ 7:22 am Reply
Ohh boy!! This is what I need right now to pair my cup of coffee. Love it. Pinned
- Kristine — November 3, 2014 @ 8:55 am Reply
  Thanks, Oriana! I know, it’s too bad I made these scones a few weeks ago because I could totally go for one with my morning coffee today too!
Lindsey @ American Heritage Cooking — November 4, 2014 @ 5:56 pm Reply
I love scones! These look perfect! Soft, moist and packed with dried cherries! Just how I like them! I did enjoy that extra hour…but I don’t enjoy how early it gets dark!!
- Kristine — November 4, 2014 @ 7:43 pm Reply
  Thank you, Lindsey! The early evening darkness is not my favorite either, and it certainly makes dinnertime natural light food photos impossible!
Karen — August 31, 2020 @ 8:01 am Reply
I had heavy cream I needed to use up so I found this recipe and I am sooo glad I did.
These are just delectable. I used a combined dried berry mix that I presoaked in hot water and drained just so they wouldn’t be too hard in the finished scone. Since it is summer, I also used frozen butter that I simply grated on a box grater.
This recipe is definitely going on my baking favorites list. In fact, it’s a reason to have cream on hand to whip up a batch. Tea party anyone?
Fran — May 14, 2021 @ 11:16 am Reply
Just as the previous comment I had a cup of cream left over and been meaning to try your scone recipe They turned out just as pretty as yours. Just took them out of the oven and waiting for them to cool down so I can dig into one. I used cranberry and orange rind in the mix . Thank you!
Jamie Lee — October 8, 2021 @ 12:46 am Reply
Love these scones. Perfect!! Made them twice coz the first time wasn’t enough. Thank you. ???
Charlene Wurtz — February 21, 2022 @ 1:38 pm Reply
have you ever used half and half cream instead?
- Kristine — February 23, 2022 @ 11:16 am Reply
  I haven’t. I think it will work fine, the scones just won’t have as rich of a flavor.
Sharon Palmer — April 24, 2022 @ 6:49 pm Reply
Says 2c. Flour 10 oz?? My dry cups are approx 7.25 oz
Measuring things out to make tomorrow..adding pecans an little hint of maple extract with maple glaze..
Can hardly wait..
- Kristine Rosenblatt — April 25, 2022 @ 6:04 am Reply
  Hi Sharon,
  I’ve just looked it up again to double check and 2 cups of flour weigh 250 grams (which is about 8.5 ounces). You can either measure the flour by spooning it into your measuring cup and leveling it off, or by weighing out 250 grams for this recipe. If you find the dough to be very sticky, you can add a bit more flour. I hope you enjoy the scones!
Terrie S — October 18, 2022 @ 1:56 pm Reply
These scones were so good. I made them by hand using a pastry cutter and they were perfect. I used a mixture of dried cherries and mini chocolate chip. Yummy!!
Ruth Furr — October 21, 2023 @ 2:30 pm Reply
I made these today, but is the 1 TABLESPOON of baking soda correct? Thats just about all I could taste in these scones.
- Kristine Rosenblatt — October 22, 2023 @ 8:46 am Reply
  Hi Ruth, It is 1 tablespoon of baking powder, not baking soda. They are not the same thing.

FAQs

What is the secret to making good scones? ›

Baking tips for making the perfect scones

The colder the better when it comes to scones, we recommend a chilled bowl and pastry cutter too. Use pastry flour: This will create a noticeably lighter scone. However, self-raising flour works just as well and creates a higher rising scone that holds its shape nicely.

See Details ›

Is milk or cream better for scones? ›

And if you are debating whether to use cream or milk in your scone dough, remember that cream, especially whipping cream, is 35 % fat (or more), which brings a lot of richness to the dough, while adding slightly less water, and this will yield scones that are more tender and richer that store very well and don't dry ...

Get More Info Here ›

Is buttermilk or heavy cream 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.

Learn More ›

What is the best heavy cream substitute for scones? ›

You can make a similar heavy cream alternative using regular milk and butter. Whole milk has a fat percentage of around 3.5% and is preferable to lower-fat varieties, but you'll still want to use more melted butter than you would with half-and-half. For best results, try mixing ⅔ cup of whole milk with ⅓ cup butter.

See Details ›

Which flour is best for scones? ›

Cake flour is finer and lower in protein, which makes lighter and fluffier scones. If you don't have any on hand, a simple blend of all-purpose flour and a bit of cornstarch makes a great substitute. Simply whisk together 1¾ cups all-purpose flour and ¼ cup cornstarch.

Read The Full Story ›

Is it better to make scones with butter or oil? ›

For example, if you substitute oil for butter or margarine, you can significantly reduce the amount of saturated fat in your baked goods. This streamlined recipe for Light Scones uses just 3 tablespoons of canola oil, which contains a fraction of the saturated fat found in butter or margarine.

Find Out More ›

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.

Know More ›

Should scone dough rest before baking? ›

The explanation is simple: As with other doughs, including pizza dough, resting lets scone dough's gluten relax completely, so that it doesn't snap back during shaping or baking.

What happens if you put too much milk in scones? ›

The crumblier the dough, the crumblier the resulting scones, so be sure not to add too much milk. You might not even need it all. I say roll the dough out, and using a rolling pin makes me feel all domestic goddess, but the be completely honest, you can just press the dough out onto a floured surface.

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