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This is my beloved recipe for the best scones ever – buttery, crispy on the outside, but velvety on the inside perfection! These scones are simple to make and will have you baking them weekly for your weekend breakfasts. Slather these with clotted cream for the perfect combination!
Why I Think You’ll Love These Scones!
- This recipe yields eighteen perfectly delicious, crispy, buttery scones.
- These scones are SO good that the recipe is in my second cookbook!
- Once you try these scones, you won’t make any other type again.
This Really is the Ultimate Scones Recipe
I have been baking these scones for as long as I can remember. Sometimes, I think my husband married me for my baking—not all of it, but some. He has admitted, in a sugar-induced haze, that he married me to savor my butter tarts every Christmas. Now, don’t get all excited. I mean, butter tarts. There are no sneaky innuendos or double meanings implied there.
Ingredient Notes
I use sour cream and an egg to make the ultimate rich scones. Just read all of the rave reviews below from readers who have made these—I don’t call anything the best unless I think it is!
Sour cream is what sets the best scones apart from all others. It yields a tender crumb inside, while the butter in the recipe makes the outside crispy and snappy—the perfect scone, in my opinion.
How to Divide and Cut Scone Dough into Even Pieces
This method will work with any scone recipe, simply portion out the dough into two disks (12 scone yield recipes) or 3 disks (larger 18 scone yield like this recipe.) Form a log of dough that is even in thickness.
Cut the dough into three equal portions. Form each disk into a circle one inch thick, gently shaping and patting it into a circle (width ranges from 6 to 7 inches).
Cut each circle into six pieces to yield eighteen scones.
How to Arrange the Scones on the Baking Sheet
Lay the little pie-like pieces onto the baking sheets. Blueberries and other fresh fruit like to stick, so grease your baking sheets if you are using these. I use a good non-stick sheet, but my raisin scones don’t stick to it. Make sure there is space between the scones, as shown.
Karlynn’s Tips & Tricks
- Use cold butter ( even frozen) and grate it into the scones if you have a grater. Don’t fear; however, if you want to make these and you don’t have time to freeze the butter, cold from the fridge works great as well!
- Try not to overwork the dough if you can. The heat from your hands will soften the butter. If you think you overwork the dough, refrigerate the scone triangles before you bake them to get the butter hard again.
More Delicious Scone Recipes
Happy baking! Let me know in the comments below if you have tried these and what you think!
Love,
Karlynn
The Best Scones Recipe
- Prep Time
- 10 minutes
- Cook Time
- 15 minutes
- Total Time
- 25 minutes
- Course
- Breakfast Meals
- Cuisine
- British
- Servings
- 18 scones
- Calories
- 288
- Author
- Karlynn Johnston
Ingredients
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup white sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup butter cold or frozen is best
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup raisins blueberries, or other fruit pieces work
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 °F. Get out an extra large baking sheet or two baking sheets that fit into your oven. Lightly grease the baking sheets.
- In a large glass measuring cup, mix the sour cream and baking soda. Let it bubble.
- In a very large mixing bowl whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
- Grate the cold butter into the dry mixture. Or you can also cut in the butter using a pastry blender or two knives in a criss-cross fashion, until the butter is broken into pea-sized morsels in the flour.
- Beat the egg and mix in into the sour cream in the measuring cup.
- Add the sour cream mixture into the dry mixture, working it in.
- The dough can be a bit dry, but if you use your hands to combine it, it will be perfect. If needed, add a tablespoon or two of milk until the dough JUST comes together, you want a dry dough, not a gluey one!
- When the dough is combined, mix in the fruit.
- Divide into three equal circles, patting each into a circle that is one inch thick (width ranges from 6-7 inches). Cut each circle into six equal triangles. Place the cut scones on the baking sheet with space between
- Bake for 15-20 minutes, until the scones are browned nicely on the bottom and slightly on the top. Watch them carefully! Remove and let cool for a few minutes on the baking sheet , then remove and cool completely on a baking rack.
- Store in a closed container at room tempertature for up to 5 days. You can also freeze them for up to 3 months.
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
Tips & Tricks
- Use cold butter ( even frozen) and grate it into the scones if you have a grater. Don’t fear however if you want to make these and you didn’t have time to freeze the butter, cold from the fridge works great as well!
- Try not to overwork the dough if you can. The heat from your hands will soften the butter. IF you think you did over work the dough, you can refrigerate the scone triangles before you bake them to get the butter hard again.
- You can substitute in currants for a very traditional scone!
- Make sure to read my Step by Step How to Make Perfect Scones. It will totally help you with cutting the scones up!
Nutrition Information
All calories and info are based on a third party calculator and are only an estimate. Actual nutritional info will vary with brands used, your measuring methods, portion sizes and more.
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June says
Mine would not mix with the amount of sour cream and egg. Must have had a small egg. Had to add at least a 1/4c of milk. Don’t make these the first time with blueberries. Use raisins or dried cranberries. Then it would be easier to mix for a beginner. Will try again with less flour.
Lyn Darling says
Have you ever used frozen fruit in the scones – It’s winter here – no fresh fruit. I will in the meantime use raisins
Thanks
Bridget Liebig says
I just made these and they are delicious! I used 1stick each of unsalted and salted butter. I split the dough into 3 balls and then added dried cranberries to one ball, dried cherries and sliced almonds to one, and mini chocolate chips to the third. A big hit with the family!
Doreen svendsen says
Hello everyone this was my first time making the scones . I followed step by step and the dough wasn’t coming together so from the sour cream that I put in I ended up putting in the whole 16 oz of sour cream and it made to dough form into dough. Then I had to work it with my hands (I used blueberry) so when using blueberry your going to crush them. I the cut the ball of dough in half some are small after putting my hands in it and getting it to form I wanted a few more scones because it will be awhile before I make them again. I also brushed on milk and sprikled some sugar on top. I just tried one it’s not bad
Karen Clifford says
I love how you wrote your recipe. I have not tried it yet, but I will be using it for my family brunch this weekend. I usually don’t read all of the explanations on these things and just go to the basic instructions,but I love you present your comments and Suggestions. And the way you set everything up. I will be buying a pastry cutter, and will write again when I actually try these. Thanks
Nancy Farrens says
I have made these twice in the last 2 weeks. I did not have to add any extra moisture, I just worked them with my hands and they went from crumbly to a nice mound of dough. I added cherry craisins, pecans and white chocolate chips. They were wonderful. They are great warm and still good a day or two later.
Cynthia says
So first of all, these are great scones. I did make one adjustment, which I’ll share. But the one thing I learned. DO NOT LICK THE SOUR CREAM SPOON AFTER YOU ADD THE BAKING SODA to the dry ingredients! ? You can taste the chemical reaction, I’ll just say that. Aside from that, I agree that this recipe was a bit dry. I kept a small bit of cold water on the side and as I divided the dough into the three equal segments (before cutting), I added some water a LITTLE at a time to until it became just tender enough to work with, leaving just a bit of stickiness on my hands. I did use cranberries and I added some slivered almonds. Other than that, thank you for a great recipe. I’ve printed it and saved it for future use.
SweetPea says
I must have done something wrong. My dough came out very very scraggly and SO DRY. Very sad, because they baked up pretty dry too :'( i used frozen butter and grated it in and the only things i did differently were: i used dried cranberries instead of raisins, and i added the zest of 1 orange to the dry ingredients. I was really hoping these would turn out.
Babes Johnson says
My dough was extremely dry. In a panic I added a couple tablespoons of milk to the dough. If I wasn’t in such a rush, I would’ve thought it out and probably tried buttermilk or cream instead. I also put my blueberries in the freezer while preparing the dough. The outcome? Delicious!
Doris Kwan says
These are really delicious scones! I don’t really like scones because they are usually dry but these were soft in the middle but harder on the outside. The only thing I might change next time is using less sugar. Maybe 3/4 vs 1 cup.
Elin says
These are great. Was out of sour cream so substituted half and half mixed with vinegar. Added orange rind and juice and chopped fresh cranberries. Keeper!
Dakotah says
Made your recipe for the best ever scones. I was thrilled with the simplicity of the recipe and you are so right they are simply delicious, thx
avery says
ok wow these are truly amazing.
Pamela says
These are so delicious best recipe ever, did not change a thing.
Brittney says
These are great scones! I wanted to experiment with different flavors. I put in half white sugar and substituted brown sugar for the other half, added cinnamon, and frosted with a maple cream glaze. Turned out beautifully! I also made a batch adding cheddar cheese and bacon and that came out wonderfully as well. The base recipe is not too sweet and allows savory add ins as well! Thanks!
Judy Wizniuk says
These are the BEST SCONES I have ever tasted! 5 Stars for sure!!! Thank you for sharing this delicious recipe!
Rachel CUMMING says
I just made these and they tasted delicious. However, I cut them rather large (only ended up about 8 pieces) because I thought they wouldnt rise much. One look at them in the oven and I was in a panic. They looked bloated and leaking butter.
However after they cooked a bit longer (I went the full twenty then a little longer for the ones that I added raspberry) and they cooled off and set, they were excellent.
Anne says
My daughter and I made these today – our first scones ever! We did short the sugar a tad (which I tend to do on a lot of recipes these days). Not raisin people and we were sadly out of berries, so we used pecans and cinnamon chips. They are excellent – we’ll make them again!! Thanks 😉
James Daniel says
These scenes are the best! I’ve gone to these several times over the last few years, great recipe here.
Donna Morris says
Howdee from our little hobby farm in Lacoochee, FL. My daughter’s name is also aberrant from the usual – not Carolyn or Karleen. It’s Karialyn (care-ee-al-lynn. So, naturally I am drawn to YOUR recipe . . . not somebody with a mundane name.
I first ventured into scone baking when Mo Rocca presented some lady’s recipe on his program. Now I’m set to try yours. Mise en place . . .
Heidi says
Well crap…..my scones are now in the oven and then i started reading the comments. One of the first to comment mentioned that she forgot the egg. DING! I suddenly remember that I forgot to add the egg too! I could not figure out why the dough was so dry so i added a big splash of half n half. I know thats not the same as an egg but it is added fat like an egg yolk would be. Hopefully they will turn out. Oh well. Nothing I can do now. They certainly smell good! I left half without any additions – just plain – and the other half I added chocolate chips.
Mary Harris, author of "The My Kid's Allergic to Everything Dessert Cookbook" says
Oh my! Hubs loves scones, don’t know why, he’s 99.7% Ashkenazi Jew. I’m Irish, so yes for me too! And we love adding healthy fruit to dishes, so the blueberries are a go! Thank you for posting this!
Elizabeth Winslow says
So good and so forgiving! As with everything my 3 children (all 3 and younger) were helping me. So I forgot to add the egg, because I forgot to add the egg the mixture was too dry so I added some milk. Then I remembered the egg so it wasn’t too wet. So I added so extra flour when I patted out. They came out so delicious!! Total winner of a recipe. And, no children or mother were damaged in the making of this recipe
Annie says
For those of you who are reducing the amount of sugar in this recipe, don’t forget that, in baking recipes, sugar must be thought of as a liquid. So be sure to increase the liquid slightly when you decrease the sugar. If you omit 1/2 cup of sugar, then adding up to 1/4 cup milk or water will replace the necessary moisture.
Traditional scone recipes call for about 1 to 2 Tablespoons of granulated sugar for Two Cups of flour, while this recipe calls for 1/2 cup (8 Tablespoons) of sugar for every two cups of flour — which is a huge amount of sugar! If you want extra sweet, cupcakey-scones, then use all the sugar, but be aware the resulting item is more cake than scone.
Karlynn Johnston says
These are the least cakey scones out there actually, they are snappy and crispy, and you need the sugar because of the CUP of sour cream! Like all the other reviews say, the recipe AS WRITTEN is perfect.
Ruth says
I agree, these are the best scones ever! I have been making them for years. I always use soft butter and add 1/4 tsp. Of cream of tartar. I use my kitchen aid and it works great. I also freeze them before I bake them, that way I can mix them up one day and bake them at will. My favorite ones are dark chocolate , caramel, with sea salt. My second is pumpkin pie with maple drizzle.
Donna Morris says
Howdee from our little hobby farm in Lacoochee, FL. My daughter’s name is also aberrant from the usual – not Carolyn or Karleen. It’s Karialyn (care-ee-al-lynn. So, naturally I am drawn to YOUR recipe . . . not somebody with a mundane name.
I first ventured into scone baking when Mo Rocca presented some lady’s recipe on his program. Now I’m set to try yours. Mise en place . . .
Melanie says
These are wonderful! Had never made scones before but followed the recipe to a T and they turned out perfectly. And as someone who hates cutting in butter, that grating tip really made the process much less annoying!
Tressa says
Omg I made these for my poker club girls and they woofed them up. They thought they were delicious. They always tease me that I’m the only baker in the club. They call me showoff. I always give them some to take home. Will make again.
Marie Kiszczak says
How could I make these with orange and craisins? How much orange juice or zest? I’m afraid to add liquid and change the consistency. I’m so excited to try these! Please let me know the best way to flavor them orange with craisins. Thank you so much!!
Ruth says
Marie, I am always experimenting with this recipe to make new flavors. I would use orange extract and orange zest. I have also used mandarin oranges that have been patted dry. You could just make an orange drizzle or glaze to put on top. I have even made a couple of savory ones, yum yum.
Yvette says
Honestly, these are incredible! I have had many scones in my travels through Scotland and England and these are absolutely as good, if not, (dare I say it) better! As soon as my first batch was gone, I was in the kitchen the next day making more. The sour cream makes a world of difference! This recipe is definitely being saved as my go-to scone! Fabulous!!
Karen Tate says
I have made these for our Woman’s Club Afternoon Tea. Mine were very dry and would not hold together. I added about three small splashes of milk to each circle and that seemed to help. I have found I can get 32 scones out of a recipe. I cut 8 pieces out of a 7 inch circle. I am making 90 scones. have received many compliments on them and requests for the recipe.
Mardy says
Oh, YUM! The Greek yogurt is fantastic in this recipe. However, I haven’t made it with sour cream yet so I can’t compare the
two. I cut the butter into the dry ingredients with my fingers but I refrigerate the bowl first & refrigerate the mixture a couple of times as I cut. I also refrigerate the cut
scones before baking. I don’t make clotted cream. Instead I make whipped cream & beat the heck put of it. It’s a tasty substitute in my opinion.
Pz856f says
I was wondering if I could substitute Greek yogurt in tjis recipe. Glad I read your comment.
Mary Allen says
I have learned over the years that when measuring flour spoon it into your measuring cup. That way your recipes turn out moister. I do it in all my recipes.
Darlene says
Trying this recipe tomorrow!
Darlene says
OMGosh…………this is the best scone recipe I have tried!
I made a batch wild blueberries and also a batch with frozen cherries
Awesome!
Meg says
Where did you get your cute silicon pan liners?!
Dawn Evans says
Good recipe. I would definitely cut out half the sugar next time. They were a little too sweet for a scone.
Tom says
Love them!
Anna Burt says
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this, I’ll be trying it soon! You and I have similar dirty dish strategies lol and I loved the kick the tires and light the fires comment!!!!
Jane says
How would I make cheese scones with this recipe. Less butter?
Carolina says
I made these today. Used greek yogurt in place of the sour cream and put on a lemon/cream powder sugar glaze after they were done. They are soooo delicious! Thanks so much for the recipe! And happy New Year baking to you. 🙂
Mardy Hall says
Oh, YUM! The Greek yogurt is fantastic in this recipe. However, I haven’t made it with sour cream yet so I can’t compare the two. I don’t make clotted cream. Instead I make whipped cream & beat the heck put of it. It’s a tasty substitute in my opinion.
Gilhan Lee says
I made this 2 times, both were great. I am gonna make this scones today again, in a food processor this time. I found this recipe 2weeks ago, but made it twice already. Will be the 3rd time today. Yummy.