Buttery, Tender, Easy Scones Recipe

Printer-friendly versionPrinter-friendly version

This easy scones recipe makes the most delicious, buttery, tender, classic scones.  These are scones made with yogurt or sour cream rather than cream (and yes, even fat free yogurt works), and they're quick to make--just about 30 minutes from the first step until they're on your plate!

classic scone made with an easy scones recipe, cut in half and being drizzled with honey.

For some reason, the warm breezes and budding leaves of spring make me crave scones.  I bake up a batch of the buttery, tender treats, and break out my carefully rationed supply of homemade strawberry jam.  (It would never do to run out of that summery elixir before strawberries come back into season in a few months.) 

Homemade scones topped with strawberry jam.

Warm from the oven, these taste like heaven on a plate.  If they even make it to a plate.

If you're looking for flavored scones, try making these petite vanilla scones, or fruit scones like apple scones or rhubarb scones.

Ingredients for easy scones recipe on a a marble surface.

Easy Scones Recipe

  • 4 cups flour
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 2 t baking powder
  • 1 t baking soda
  • 1/4 t cream of tartar
  • 1 t salt
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, cold
  • 1 egg
  • 1 cup plain yogurt or sour cream (fat free is just fine)

Ingredients for an easy scones recipe being combined with a pastry cutter in a metal bowl.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

In a large bowl, mix together dry ingredients.  Use a pastry cutter (pictured above), two knives, or a bench scraper to cut the butter into the dry ingredients.  Keep cutting in until the butter is in pea-sized chunks.

Egg beaten in a small white bowl for an easy scones recipe.

Add wet ingredients (sour cream or yogurt and egg) to the dry ingredients, and mix until just combined.  I often start with a wooden spoon, and then finish with my hands, gently kneading the dough until the flour is incorporated.

You might feel that the dough is too dry, and that you need to add more liquid, but be patient and just keep working the dough together--it really does work, I promise!  Check out the video tutorial to see how dry my dough looks right up until the last minute.  If you give in and add extra liquid, your scones will spread horribly when you bake them.  They'll still be delicious, but not as pretty.

Circle of scones dough shaped in a circle and cut into eight wedges.

Divide dough in half, and pat one half into a disk shape.  Cut into eight even wedges.  Repeat with the remaining dough.

wedge shaped scones dough on a silpat lined baking sheet.

Place on a baking sheet (I typically use a silpat liner, but that's not necessary), and bake for approximately 15 minutes, or until the scones just start to turn golden.  

Easy scones baked on a silpat lined baking sheet.

As you can see, there's a bit of spreading, even with just the moisture in this recipe as written.  If you add more liquid, the spreading will be much more dramatic.

honey being drizzled on scones made with an easy scones recipe.

I use this recipe all the time.  It's seriously easy to throw together, and tastes absolutely amazing.  I've used it quite a few times in my parties for just those reasons.  At the Blush Tea Party:

Homemade scones and strawberry jam

At the Cornish Fairy birthday party:

Classic scones and strawberry jam at the Cornish fairy party

And pretty much any time we have guests.  Good scones are so much better than the dusty pucks sold in so many coffee shops.  Treat yourself and make some this spring.

Scone made with an easy scones recipe on a white plate, next to a tea pot and cup of tea.

Printable, One Page Easy Scones Recipe:

Want a one page, printable version of this buttery, tender scones recipe?  Click the image below to print the PDF or download it directly to your device.

Navigational image leading reader to printable easy scones recipe.

Other Scones Recipes You Might Like:

Navigational link leading reader to apple scones recipe.

Navigational image leading reader to cranberry pumpkin scone recipe

Navigational image leading reader to blueberry scone recipe

 
Nicole Wills, creator of Tikkido

Links on this page may be affiliate links. We may receive a small commission for something you buy through those links, at no additional cost to you.