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
Rather than mixing the ingredients together, use a technique called “cutting”. Use a flat-bladed knife or a palette knife and cut it (or pull it) through your ingredients when you add the wet ingredients so they are just barely incorporated. Don't overwork the dough.
What is the secret to making scones rise? ›
Once you've cut out your scone shapes, flip them over and place upside down on the baking tray. This will help them rise evenly and counteract any 'squashing' that happened when you cut out the dough. Perfect scones should rise to about 2 inches high.
What to avoid when making scones? ›
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.
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.
Which flour is best for scones? ›
Use all-purpose flour for a higher rising scone that holds its shape nicely, both in and out of the oven. To make more delicate, lower-rising, cake-like scones, substitute cake flour for all-purpose flour.
How long should you rest scones before baking? ›
Recipes for scones sometimes provide a make-ahead option that involves refrigerating the dough overnight so it can simply be shaped and then popped into the oven the next day. But now we've found that resting the dough overnight has another benefit: It makes for more symmetrical and attractive pastries.
Should flour be sifted for scones? ›
Don't forget to sift!
Be sure to double or even triple sift your flour, as it takes away the clumps in the flour allowing for more air pockets in the scone dough - the result being a fluffier and more crumbly scone.
What happens if you don't put baking powder in scones? ›
However, you will need to add the raising agents that you would usually find in self-raising flour – without any raising agents your scones will be like rocks. And not in a nice Rock Buns kind of way! The general rule of thumb is to add 2 teaspoons of baking powder for every 150g of plain flour.
Why do you put eggs in scones? ›
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. If you haven't seen it, we show them being made in the cookery school.
Why are scones bad for you? ›
ANY TYPE OF SCONE
Although convenient and tasty, scones are a complete loss. 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.
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.
How to 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.
Why do my scones fall apart when I cut them? ›
Why are my scones too crumbly? The liquid that you add after adding the butter is required to keep the whole dough together. If there's not enough water to keep the dough together, it will fall apart too easily and it will be very hard to bring it all together.
Why is it important to use cold butter when making scones? ›
Lauren Chattman, author of The Baking Answers Book, says the point in using chilled butter is so that it doesn't melt during dough assembly. Let the butter melt in the oven, not on your kitchen counter. AND frozen butter takes up more physical space than melted butter.
Why are my scones not light and fluffy? ›
Overworking the dough: when you overwork your dough, your scones can come out tough and chewy, rather than that desired light, crumbly texture. The trick is to use light pressure and only the work the dough until it just comes together.
What are the characteristics of a good scone? ›
Scones are considered ”quick” breads since they are leavened with baking powder or baking soda and cream of tartar. They may be plain, but often have a wide variety of sweet or savory ingredients. Scones should be golden on the outside and tender and flaky inside, like a slightly sweetened biscuit.
Should flour be sifted when making scones? ›
Don't forget to sift!
Be sure to double or even triple sift your flour, as it takes away the clumps in the flour allowing for more air pockets in the scone dough - the result being a fluffier and more crumbly scone.
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.
