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This easy English Scones Recipe is perfect for entertaining guests! A traditional tasty English teatime treat that’s so easy to make at home.
Today’s recipe has a special place in my heart! These easy British Scones remind me of one my favorite vacation destinations: London. My husband and I love everything British: the accent, the weather, and especially the food. Yes, I’m serious, I love British food.
London is a great city for foodies. Even if you’re a student and don’t have much money (like we did on our first trip, where we stayed in a hotel room without windows to save money) you can experience Michelin starred cuisine (choose the lunch menu), eat the finest sandwiches from Harrods (go there just before they close), and taste traditional Afternoon Tea (get the cream tea instead of the whole Afternoon Tea).
Scones with clotted cream and jam are definitely one of my favorite treats and they’re so easy to make at home!
These scones are so simple to make! I like to make the whole recipe and freeze most of them. Then when I want one I defrost it, most times I use my toaster oven or just let them sit on the counter for a few hours, and they taste like fresh out of the oven!
Like my Easy Lemon Raspberry Cake or my Banana Muffins with Cinnamon Streusel, British-style scones are a great addition to a brunch or special-occasion breakfast like Mother’s day, Easter or Christmas. (Have a look at my Breakfast & Brunch category for more brunch inspirations!)
What is the difference between American Scones and English Scones?
British scones are different from American scones! British ones have less butter and sugar in them because you slather clotted cream (which is kind of a butter) and sweet jam on them when you eat them. They are flaky, fluffy, and so delicious!
English scones contain more leavening agent than you would normally use for this amount of flour but you want them to rise high in a short time. And you don’t really add add-ins into the dough like in the US version. British scones are preferred plain, sometimes a few raisins are added but that’s very rare.
Clotted Cream is really hard to find outside the UK. You can find it on Amazon or make your own (here is a great tutorial from Cupcake Project). But be prepared that it’s expensive to buy real clotted cream outside the UK, but you should definitely try it.
If you can’t find clotted cream you can use butter, whipped cream, or mascarpone which is a great alternative I often use and available at most big grocery stores in the deli section.
This English Scones Recipe is really easy and fast to make, using ingredients you probably have at home anyway. Scones are traditionally served in the afternoon at teatime with a cup of tea but they’re also perfect for brunch!
– Julia
Looking for more Brunch Recipes?
- Baked Oatmeal Recipe
- Spinach Tomato Quiche
- Ham and Cheese Breakfast Casserole
- Banana Muffins with Cinnamon Streusel
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English Scones Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ tsp salt
- 3 ½ tsp baking powder
- 3 tbsp granulated sugar
- 6 Tbsp unsalted butter, cold and cut into cubes
- ¾ cup milk
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 large egg, beaten
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat and put it in the oven while it is preheating.
- In a large bowl, combine flour, salt, baking powder, and sugar. Add the butter and use a pastry cutter, a fork, or your fingers to work it in until the mixture looks like fine crumbs.
- Heat up the milk on the stove or the microwave until warm, but not hot. Add the vanilla and lemon juice, then set aside for a moment.
- Add the milk mixture to the dry mixture and combine them quickly with a fork.
- Pour the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Sprinkle the dough with flour, then fold the dough over a few times until smooth. Don't overwork the dough. Pat into a round disc about 1.5-inch (4cm) high.
- Use a 2 1/2 inch round biscuit cutter to cut out scones, repeat until all the dough is used. You should get 8 scones.
- Brush the tops of the scones with egg wash, then carefully place them onto the hot baking sheet.
- Bake for 10-15 mins until golden on top. Serve topped with jam and clotted cream.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
I love the recipe.
Hi!
They just came out of the oven now!
Excellent recipe BUT after having tried it several times I strongly advise to add 1 beaten egg. It makes the dough less difficult to handle, and you then just add a little more flour at the end. The scones taste even better and get more fluffy ?
If you have no access to clotted cream, use the recipe for Devonshire/Devon cream including Mascarpone and add some delicious jam??
Have you ever made the doe the night before and then baked the next day? I have a brunch tomorrow I’m making these for and am trying to do as much prep in advance.
Hi Alanna, I haven’t tried making the dough in advance and I wouldn’t recommend doing it because the longer it sits, the less leavening power it has. You could bake them today, store them in an airtight container overnight and then just reheat them in the oven for a few minutes tomorrow. I hope that helps! – Julia
Lived in Britain for many years but never made scones!
Tried your recipe today for the first time.
Absolutely delicious served with raspberry jam and Rhoda clotted cream from Cornwall brought to Norway frozen!
Evocative ??
Thank you kindly??
Thank you for your review, Steinar! So happy you liked my recipe!!
I have found clotted cream (the same jar as in your picture) at Whole Foods – about $8. Expensive, but yes, worth a try at least once!
Good to know! Thank you for the tip, Robin. And I agree with you it’s expensive outside the UK but so worth it!
Interesting..I’ve been researching various biscuit/scone/risen baked beignet recipes. Have you tried combining just the flour first with the butter rather than all dry ingredients together? Some English scone recipes do this..guess I’ll have to experiment. Also, is vanilla usually added? Thanks..
Just made the scones and they are delicious. We ate them with jam and butter and loved them! Thanks for the recipe!
Could I use buttermilk if i have it instead of milk and lemon?
Yes, you can :-)
Is the butter to be cold, Melted, or soft?
Hi, Lydia! The butter should be cold. I will edit the recipe to make this more clear. – Julia
No parchment or slipmat on baking sheet.
Hi Kathy, I use a silicone baking mat on my baking sheets. I will add this to the recipe instructions to make it more clear! – Julia