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The classic English scone recipe homemade. These are fluffy scones you won’t be able to live without! Check out how easy they are to make in this video.
I first tried scones in Spain, when my grandmother would make a batch for breakfast and then leftovers would be enjoyed toasted the next day during afternoon tea.
While scones are not a traditional Spanish baked good, she learned how to make them from her British neighbor when she moved to Uruguay at the young age of 20. In their daily tea time, while the kids were in school, they exchanged stories about their dreams of moving across the world.
Since I grew up with my grandparents, scones for breakfast or afternoon snack have been a part of my life as long as I can remember. Made with basic ingredients, these scones are tall and fluffy, have crisp edges and are perfectly delicious.
Another thing I picked up from my grandmother? Using prunes in a lot of my cooking! This is precisely why after years of partnering with Sunsweet Amaz!ng Prunes, I am thrilled to continue to share recipes my family and I love.
My kids typically eat a couple of these sweet, juicy morsels every day. They are the Feel Good Fruit and offer 3 grams of fiber and only 100 calories per serving, making them the right idea for a snack.
Besides these scones, I also use them quite often to make smoothies, like my Berry Prune Smoothie, my High Fiber and Protein Smoothie Bowl or my No-Bake Fiber Bites. Prunes are very versatile for cooking although oftentimes we enjoy them right out of the bag!
The best part is that this recipe is great for both kids and adults and to be enjoyed at any time of the day. By adding Sunsweet Amaz!n Prunes to the recipe, I’m not only adding natural sweetness (which classic British Scones lack), but I'm adding fiber and nutrients Compared to other dried fruits, prunes are lower in sugar and have a low glycemic index. In other words, they are digested and absorbed slowly, by the body, which helps to sustain energy over a longer period.
The difference between English Scones and American Scones
You might think of scones as the sugar-dusted temptations found in a coffee shop bakery case, but traditional English scones are quite different.
English scones resemble our American biscuits in their round shape and are not as sweet. American scones are twice the size, triangular, and packed with a variety of sweeter add-ins, like berries or chocolate chips. It’s not hard to see or taste the difference.
How to Make English Scones
As luck has it, you probably have most of the ingredients you need to make English scones in your kitchen. Flour, baking soda, salt, butter, eggs, and milk, that’s it!
Once the dough is combined and shaped into a ball, place the dough on a floured surface give it a few kneads and roll out into a 1-inch thickness. Be sure not to overwork the dough which causes excess gluten to develop and this yields tough compact scones. No thank you!
For the round shape, I use a 2.5″ biscuit cutter if you don’t have one, a jar lid works just fine.
Last but not least, brush a little milk over the top of each scone, this step will give them a beautiful golden brown color that will leave you feeling proud about your perfectly, tall, light, and dainty scones.
Are English Scones the Same as American Biscuits?
Scones and biscuits are both very similar in ingredients but have differing proportions.
People generally think of scones as richer and denser, while biscuits are light and fluffy, some even flaky. … The main difference is that a British scone is served with butter or clotted cream and jam. American biscuits are more often served with savory breakfast dishes.
English Scones vs American Scones
Instead of cold, cubed butter which is often used in American scone recipes, English scones call for softened butter. This results in a soft, sandy texture that’s much easier to work with.
Fruit Scone Recipe
I’ll be the first to admit even though American scones aren’t the same as classic English scones, I’m a total sucker for them. I love all the different add-ins and combos which inspired me to include one of my family’s favorite dried fruit, prunes.
Compared to other dried fruits, prunes are lower in sugar and have a low glycemic index. It’s one sweet snack I feel good about eating and personally, I find the prunes much tastier than currants (which are very dry) for these English Scones.
This recipe is also the perfect base for add-ins. You can add any frozen or fresh fruit like blueberries and raspberries as well as nuts and even chocolate chips.
How to freeze Scones
In case you want to keep a batch of these scones on hand for unplanned company or quick breakfasts, you can freeze scones baked or unbaked. To freeze baked scones, let them cool down to room temperature and freeze in an airtight bag for up to 2 months.
To freeze unbaked scones, make the recipe and cut the dough into circles. Place the scones on a baking sheet, freeze them, and once frozen, transfer them inside a large zip bag.
To bake, place the frozen scones straight from the freezer onto a baking sheet and bake for an extra 5 minutes, or until cooked through.
How to reheat leftover scones
As a child, I ate “next day scones” quite often and are best reheated or lightly toasted. To reheat leftover scones, simply bake them at 300F for 5 minutes until they are toasty and warm. If you have a toaster oven, put them through one toast cycle as well.
To reheat scones in a toaster, slice them in half and toast them to your liking.
Can scones be made ahead?
Just like mentioned above, doubling the batch and freezing scones to enjoy a couple on demand is a terrific idea.
Like any baked good, these are best fresh, but they're still fantastic the next day. I like to store mine in an airtight container or zip bag. Reheat them per the instructions above, or bake from frozen.
What to serve with scones
I like to serve these English Scones with prunes with a little butter. From time to time, I’ll make some clotted cream (like whipped cream without as much sugar) and top them with a little plum jam. Hands down the latter is my favorite.
How long will scones keep?
At room temperature, for a few days. In the fridge, for a couple weeks. In the freezer, a couple of months!
Ultimately, making scones is a delicious and simple task that you can make any day of the week! Since the recipe comes together in a single bowl and a small area of the counter, cleanup is a breeze!
Sunsweet Scones
Ingredients
- 3 cups (15 ounces) all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup (2 ⅓ ounces) sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch pieces, and softened
- ¾ cup dried currant or finely chopped Sunsweet Amaz!n Prunes
- 1 cup whole milk
- 2 large eggs
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 500F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Pulse the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a food processor until combined, about 5 pulses. Add butter and pulse until fully incorporated and the mixture looks like very fine crumbs with no visible butter, about 20 pulses.
- Transfer mixture to large bowl and stir in the currants.
- In a separate medium bowl, whisk the milk and eggs. Set aside 2 tablespoons of the milk mixture. Add the remaining milk mixture to the dry ingredients and fold with a rubber spatula until just barely any dry bits of flour remain.
- Transfer the dough to a well-floured counter and gather it into a ball. With floured hands, knead until the surface is smooth and free of cracks, about 25 to 30 times. Press gently to form a disc.
- Using a floured rolling pin, roll the disk into a 9-inch round that’s 1-inch thick. Using a floured 2 ½-inch round cutter, stamp out 8 rounds, recoating the cutter with flour if it begins to stick.
- Arrange the scones onto the prepared baking sheet. Gather the dough scraps, reshape them into a ball, and knead gently until the surface is smooth. Roll dough to 1-inch thickness and stamp out 4 rounds.
- Discard remaining dough.
- Brush the tops of the scones with the reserved milk mixture. Reduce the oven temperature to 425F and bake the scones until risen and golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes, rotating the sheet halfway through baking.
- Transfer the scones to a wire cooling rack and let cool for at least 10 minutes. Serve scones warm or at room temperature.
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