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
Always keep your ingredients and bowl as cold as possible, this ensures a light result. Work quickly and use your hands as little as possible as the heat from your hands can quickly warm the ingredients and make the end result “heavy”. Arrange the scones close together, this will ensure a good rise and even baking.
What is the secret to making scones rise? ›
How to make scones rise high? 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.
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.
Is buttermilk or 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.
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.
How do you keep scones from getting hard? ›
Handle scone dough gently: “Overmixing leads to too much gluten development, which leads to tough, dense scones, instead of flaky, moist ones,” says Bethany. Once you've added the liquid in your recipe, mix the dough gently until just combined — and no more.
Should scones be baked touching? ›
Scones like to cosy up to one another in the baking tray. This helps them to rise evenly in the cooking process. When placing the scones in the baking tray they need to be touching.
Why do you rub butter into flour for scones? ›
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.
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.
Scones with fruit and wheat-free scones may take longer than others Increase baking times in 3 minute increments to test. Higher elevation will need less cooking time. To check if they are ready, press down on the top to check if firm to touch, they are READY. If it indents down, bake for another 3-5 min.
Should you put scones in the fridge before baking? ›
Not chilling the dough before baking: to really ace your scones, it helps to chill your dough again before it's baked. Using cold ingredients does help, but your hands will warm up the dough when you're working with it and the extra step of chilling will help you get the best result.
How do you get a good rise on scones? ›
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.
What makes a scone good? ›
The best scones have a crisp, slightly caramelized exterior and a tender, buttery, just-sweet interior. They can be dressed up with a glaze, studded with fruit or nuts, or gently spiced.
Is it better to sift flour 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 are the qualities of a perfect 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.
Why aren t my scones 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 makes a scone special? ›
The best scones have a crisp, slightly caramelized exterior and a tender, buttery, just-sweet interior. They can be dressed up with a glaze, studded with fruit or nuts, or gently spiced.
How to improve scones? ›
Don't overwork the dough!
It allows for those air pockets to help increase the fluffiness. If the dough is too crumbly however, just add a touch of buttermilk, double cream or whatever thick liquid you're using. If the dough is too sticky, just add a touch of flour but remember not to put too much!
