Cream Scones
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These dreamy Cream Scones are flavorful, tender, and perfect for breakfast. This is a great base recipe for all sorts of add-ins. They bake up moist with crisp, crumbly edges.
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Cream scones are very similar to my super soft scones. I took that recipe and swapped the buttermilk for heavy cream. And oh my goodness, this is the best scone I’ve ever made. They taste like sweet vanilla cream.
It’s so simple yet the flavor of the cream shines through. I love to serve these scones with fresh fruit and jam. But, there’s a sprinkling of coarse sugar over the top making them sweet and perfect on their own.
I have several scone recipes on the site already. You can use those to get ideas of what to add to today’s recipe. Think, blueberries, lemon zest, strawberries, pear, or even spices such as cardamom or cinnamon.
Why This Recipe Works
- Using heavy cream gives the scones a nice cream flavor.
- Adding an egg helps keep the scones soft while adding richness.
- Freezing the scones before baking will ensure they hold shape during baking.
Ingredients
For the ingredient measurements and the entire recipe, be sure to scroll down to the bottom of the blog post where the recipe card is located.
- Flour: All-purpose flour is best for scones.
- Sugar: Only a touch of granulated sugar is added to the dough. The tops of the scones are sprinkled with coarse sugar just before baking.
- Baking powder & salt: Baking powder is the leavening agent used to give the scones a nice rise. And salt enhances the flavor
- Butter: I prefer unsalted sweet cream butter. It makes all the difference in how the scones taste.
- Heavy cream: The star of the recipe! It adds a rich creamy flavor to the scones.
- Egg: One egg is all you need to add extra richness and moisture to the dough.
- Vanilla: Vanilla flavors the dough.
Step by Step Directions
For the full recipe instructions, scroll down to the bottom of the blog post to the recipe card.
- Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl.
- Cut the butter in with a pastry cutter until coarse crumbs form.
- Mix the cream, egg, and vanilla together and add just enough to make a dough that holds together.
- Shape the dough into a 7-inch circle and cut it into 8 triangles.
- Arrange the triangles on a baking sheet and freeze for 30 minutes.
- Brush the tops with heavy cream, sprinkle with coarse sugar, and bake until golden brown.
Tips For Success
- Don’t skip freezing the shaped scones before baking! This ensures the butter is cold when going into the oven and will create airy pockets as it melts inside the dough.
- Cream scones require heavy cream. You can not use any other liquid with this recipe.
- Add only as much liquid as it takes for the dough to come together. The dough shouldn’t be wet, but it should stick together when you squeeze it.
Cream Scones
Ingredients
- 2 ¾ cups (358 g) all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup (67 g) granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter, cold and cut into pieces
- 1 cup (240 ml) heavy cream, cold, plus more for brushing
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons coarse sugar
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt together.
- Cut the butter into the flour using a pastry blender, 2 knives, or your fingertips. The mixture should look like coarse crumbs.
- Whisk the heavy cream, egg, and vanilla together and gradually add it to the flour mixture. Stir just until the dough comes together. You may not need all the cream mixture. Add a little at a time until the mixture is moist but not too wet. Do not over mix the dough or the scones will be tough.
- Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and gently pat the dough into a 7-inch circle.
- Cut the circle in half, then cut each half into four triangle shaped wedges. You should have 8 triangles.
- Arrange the scones 2 inches apart on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Place the scones in the freezer for 30 minutes.
- Position the oven rack in the center of the oven and heat to 400°F.
- Brush the tops of the scones with cream and sprinkle with coarse sugar. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Serve immediately.
Notes
- The scones need to be cold when going into the oven. Placing the shaped dough into the freezer for 30 minutes ensures the scones will bake up light and fluffy.
- Alternatively, you can place the scone dough in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.
- Unbaked scones can be refrigerated overnight. Or seal in an airtight container and freeze for up to 1 month. Add about 2 minutes to the baking time when baking from frozen.
- Baked scones will keep for up to 2 days stored in an airtight container at room temperature or in the refrigerator.
- Scones can be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
Nutrition
The nutrition information provided is for convenience and as a courtesy only. It is not guaranteed to be accurate because nutrition information can vary for a variety of reasons. For precise nutritional data use your preferred nutrition calculator and input the exact ingredients and brands you used in the recipe.