16 Easy Scone Recipes You'll Love for Afternoon Tea or Breakfast

By Victoria Spencer
Updated May 07, 2020
Andrew Purcell
Scones are easy to make, easy to eat, and easy to love—that's what makes them such a standout dish. Here, we've gathered our best scone recipes to enjoy with clotted cream and jam for afternoon tea, healthy twists to enjoy at breakfast, and indulgent glazed options you can enjoy as dessert.
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Yuki Sugiura

We all know that scones hail from across the pond and that the Queen enjoys a scone with a cup of tea in the afternoon. What you may not be so clear on is just what a scone is. We'll help set the record straight: Scones are quick breads, and in the UK, they are generally made with milk and self-rising flour and without eggs. English scones are not glazed or frosted, and they are generally spilt open and spread with butter, but sometimes also with clotted cream and jam (yes please!).

Our scones tend to be richer and more cake-like, usually made with egg and with heavy cream or buttermilk. In the recipes here, you'll see that we make scones with cake flour for a more delicate English-style scone, such as our Rich Cream Scones, but we mostly use all-purpose flour, like in the Scones with Pears, Irish Cheddar, and Honey shown here, which is just one of the things that means scones are so easy to make. Some of our scones recipes go a more healthy route, adding in whole grains like oats or buckwheat flour, making them strong contenders for breakfast. And for a gluten-free scone, be sure to try the lofty quinoa and cranberry scone that uses rice flour and quinoa flakes, along with dried cranberries, for a flavorful and light scone sans the gluten.

Another thing to love about scones? They're quick to make, our fastest recipe takes 30 minutes. The only downside to scones? One tends to lead to another, and they are best enjoyed the day they're made (or freeze leftovers for another day.) Some scones are drop scones, which means they're made with a moister batter and don't require rolling or shaping. That results in a more homespun look. Other scone dough is patted out, formed into a circle then cut into elegant triangle scones. And some scone dough is rolled out, then cut into circles using what we'd call a biscuit cutter (the Brits, of course, say is a scone cutter!). Whichever route you take, when you make scones you're on the way to a quick, easy, and pleasing baked good.

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Rich Cream Scone

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This is the classic of classics, and it's a recipe that can't be beat. Cream scones have a light, flaky texture thanks to plenty of butter and heavy cream. Another thing that makes them so airy? This recipe is made with cake flour.

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Fast Raspberry Scones

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Most scone recipes, like this one, come together quickly. Packed with fresh raspberries, these buttermilk scones take just 30 minutes from start to finish—add a few minutes for them to cool before eating.

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Irish Soda Scones

Raymond Hom
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There's no rolling or cutting needed for these easy drop scones. Currants and caraway seeds give them the classic flavors of Irish soda bread.

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Rhubarb-Buckwheat Scones

Con Poulos
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Made with all-purpose flour and a touch of buckwheat flour, these scones have a nutty flavor, tender crumb, and plenty of tart rhubarb mixed in. Pair them with our Strawberry Butter for the ultimate spring breakfast treat.

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Blueberry Scones

Bryan Gardner
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A dough made with heavy cream and egg is packed with blueberries and flavored with lemon zest for these heavenly scones.

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Mummy's Sweet White Scones

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This classic English-style plain scone is often paired with clotted cream and jam for afternoon tea.

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Herb-Cheddar Scones

Yuki Sugiura
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A savory scone is just the thing to pair with a bowl of soup at lunch. Packed with grated Cheddar, scallions, and dill, these flavorful scones would also be perfect for a breakfast egg sandwich.

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Glazed Lemon-Ginger Scones

Mike Krautter
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Are you a ginger lover? Then these flavor-packed scones made with a trifecta of ginger (fresh, dried, and crystallized) are the ones for you. The dough is made with half buttermilk and half heavy cream, and the finished scones are topped with a simple lemon glaze.

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Raisin and Oat Scones

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Here's a healthy drop scone made with a mix of whole wheat and all-purpose flours plus rolled oats, raisins or dried cherries, and fennel seeds.

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Cream Scones with Currants

Andrew Purcell
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Currants, the lesser known kin of the ever-popular raisin, are a classic English scone addition. Here, we've added currants to a rich scone dough made with heavy cream and egg.

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Pumpkin Scones

Mike Krautter
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This is the scone of fall! It's a pumpkin spice treat topped with a maple glaze.

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Aran Goyoaga's Cranberry and Quinoa Scones

Aran Goyoaga Styling & grap
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For a delicate teatime treat, try this favorite gluten-free scone recipe that uses brown rice flour and quinoa flakes.

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Flaky Cranberry Scones

Matthew Septimus
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Yes, scones can be a make-ahead treat! In fact these scones are best made and cut into triangles then frozen and either thawed or baked direct from frozen. This unusual recipe calls for bread flour and produces a scone that's wonderfully crunchy on the outside and soft and tender on the inside.

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Potato Scones

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Also from the British Isles comes this savory take on the scone that's cooked on the stovetop, not baked in the oven. Potato and all-purpose flour are combined these egg-free scones (baking powder provides the leavening). We add cheese, just because.

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Candied Orange and Golden Raisin Scones

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Dainty scones that have double the orange flavor thanks to candied orange zest and a splash of Grand Marnier. The golden raisins make these rich cream scones sweeter and even more luscious.

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