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This is my scone 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!
The Best Scone Recipe Ever
I have been baking these scones for as long as I can remember. I think, sometimes, that 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 so he could savor my butter tarts every Christmas. Now, don’t go getting all excited, I mean butter tarts, there are no sneaky innuendos or double meanings implied there. My family’s recipe for butter tarts. Yup. Savor them he does. Or is the word inhale?
And then that evolved to my mincemeat tarts. And then my shortbread. Now the past few years, its my scones.
I guess baking is cheaper than a divorce in any case, right?
Do Scones Have Eggs?
This recipe does and I think that’s what really sets it apart from all others. I use sour cream AND an egg to make the ultimate rich scones. Really, just read all of the raving reviews below from readers that have made these – I don’t call anything the best unless I REALLY 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. This recipe is one of the oldest on my website and has been updated many times over the years with new photos and even a new how-to video- but never a new recipe!
Simple, Easy Scones Ingredients
Ingredients:
- 1 cup of sour cream
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 4 cups of flour
- 1 cup of white sugar
- 1 cup of blueberries or raisins, or whatever fruit you want.
- 1 cup of margarine or butter
- 1 egg
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- Kick the tires & light the fires to 350 degrees.
Step by Step How to Make Good Scones
Get all of your ingredients ready to use! It’s easier when you have everything ready to go, or “mise en place” as chefs say, which translates to “everything in it’s place.”
More pretty.
Take your bowl with your cup of sour cream, and mix in the baking soda. It makes it poof up. That’s my well-educated explanation of the chemical reaction that happens. It poofs up.
It…poofs…up.
Ok, throw those 4 cups of flour into a big mixing bowl. I brought out my Big Steel Baddy for this job. He can handle it.
Add your cup of sugar.
Add in your baking powder.
And your salt.
And whisk them all together, or sift. If anyone out there owns a sifter you can go ahead and feel free to use it. Don’t be intimidated by my whisk, and the fact that it can kick your sifters hiney, then come back and fluff my ingredients right up, then come back for a second helping of kicking hiney on your sifter. Just saying.
Ok, butter time. And even though there are some scone purists who may clutch their pearls and fan themselves rapidly with their cookbooks, I have used margarine in this recipe, and it tastes great as well. Choose your poison.
Now, this is one kitchen do-hickey I cannot live without, my pastry blender. Can you believe that I used two knives scissor style for years? And for the gold cookie award, does anyone want to guess who gave me this for Christmas one year? Leave your answer in my comments, I am sure you can guess correctly.
Cut the butter in until your arms ache, and it looks like this. If your arms aren’t aching, it ain’t cut in enough!
Hello world. Meet egg. I love this picture because it shows how I am loathe to wash more dishes than I have to. See the little salt sprinkles on the front edge? I just re-used the closest dirty bowl to me.
Beat the egg slightly.
Take your poofy sour cream and your egg and add them in.
Mix it well, and then add your fruit. With fresh fruit, you have to be oh so careful not to squish it in too much. Raisins are amazing in this recipe as well, they make a sweeter scone than the blueberries do. Raisins, you can pound the heck outta the suckers and you won’t even make a dent. Blueberries are a delicate fruit to use, but worth it in the end.
Be gentle.
Divide into three equal circles, patting each into a circle that is one inch thick (width ranges from 6-7 inches).
See? If you look at the front, even I squished the berries. After I had the gall to lecture you. Serves me right. Later I will show you what it looks like all baked up, don’t even sweat it if you squish some.
Cut each circle into 6 pieces.
Lay your beautiful little pie-like pieces onto your very well greased baking sheets. Blueberries like to stick.
Pop them into your preheated 350 degree oven and bake until the bottoms are nice and brown, and the tops are slightly browned.
So here is a squished one, see how it just shoots little blue veins through the dough? No big deal, in fact, fairly attractive looking.
These are great plain, better with margarine or butter, and fantastic with jam.
More Scone Recipes
Here are a few more tried, tested and true recipes here on The Kitchen Magpie!
- Glazed Meyer Lemon Scones
- Christmas Cherry Scones
- Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Scones
- Pumpkin Spice Scones
Best Scones Ever Recipe 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.
- Make sure to read my Step by Step How to Make Perfect Scones. It will totally help you with cutting the scones up!
Happy baking!
Love,
Karlynn
Scone Recipe: The Best Scones Ever
- Prep Time
- 10 minutes
- Cook Time
- 15 minutes
- Total Time
- 25 minutes
- Course
- Breakfast Meals
- Cuisine
- British
- Servings
- 18
- Calories
- 287
- Author
- Karlynn Johnston
Ingredients
- 1 cup of sour cream
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 4 cups of flour
- 1 cup of white sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup of butter
- 1 egg
- 1 cup of blueberries or raisins or whatever fruit you want.
Instructions
- Kick the tires & light the fires to 350 degrees.
- Take your bowl with your cup of sour cream, and mix in the baking soda.
- Whisk together the flour, sugar,baking powder and salt in a large mixing bowl.
- 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.
- 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 milk until it’s combined. The secret to a good scone is a drier dough, not gluey.
- When the dough is combined, mix in the fruit. I fold in delicate berries by hand.
- 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.
- Bake on a well greased or parchment lined baking sheet for 15-20 minutes, until the scones are browned nicely on the bottom and slightly on the top. Watch them carefully!
- Serve and enjoy!
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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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.
Bethany Young says
Awesome recipe ! Didn’t use any sugar , instead topped with home made jam and whip cream.
Harjit says
Absolutely love that I have all the ingredients at home and the scones were just like the ones from the bakery – and this was my first attempt!! 5 stars for sure