Strawberry Scones

An easy Strawberry Scones recipe using fresh strawberries! They have a tender, moist texture and a turbinado sugar finish for extra crunch and sweetness!

Inspired by the soft British scones of my youth, this recipe makes soft, buttery strawberry scones, with the perfect moist, crumbly texture. The sugar, heavy cream, and a dash of vanilla make this breakfast treat into something decadent. They are rich, thick and chewy and each bite has strawberries and a hint of lemon! The tops are crisp with a generous sprinkling of turbinado sugar. Perfection!

A sweet, rich scone is the best breakfast and can double as a dessert if paired with some homemade ice cream. I often rotate between these, my sourdough cinnamon rolls, and another strawberry favorite: Classic Strawberry Shortcake with Whipped Cream.

What is the secret to making good scones?

• Blot your strawberries dry. Just like any baked good with fresh strawberries, the dough around the strawberries is a little more moist. Even though I obsessively blot my strawberries dry with a paper towel, there’s still a hint of gooeyness around some of the strawberries from their juices. If that bothers you then use blueberries or dried fruit instead.
• Cut cold butter into the dry ingredients completely. Years of making giant batches in restaurants has proven to me that this makes the most tender, moist scones. It also means you need fewer wet ingredients to make a cohesive dough, which equals less gluten development!
• Whisk together all the wet ingredients. In larger batches, I use an immersion blender but a whisk does just fine here! You won’t have to mix your dough while the eggs incorporate. Less gluten development equals more tender scones!
• Don’t skip brushing on some heavy cream before baking. Get a beautiful finish to your scones and lock in their moisture by brushing them with heavy cream just prior to baking. I add a little turbinado sugar for an added crunch.

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Ingredients

• Strawberries: It’s best to choose fragrant, red, in-season strawberries. Out of season strawberries will have less flavor and more water. If strawberries aren’t in season try freeze dried strawberries instead! 
• Heavy Cream: Heavy cream adds just enough liquid to make a moist, tender scone. You can substitute with ⅓ cup Greek yogurt and 2 tablespoons of milk if you don’t have heavy cream on hand.
• Whole Eggs
• Vanilla Extract: Vanilla Extract adds a beautiful flavor itself but it also boosts other ingredients around it.
• All-purpose flour: All-purpose flour has just the right amount of gluten to make a flaky texture that is not tough. You could also use pastry flour for extra cheap insurance.
• Sugar
• Baking Powder: Double acting baking powder reacts instantly when mixed with an acid. It reacts a second time when heated. Because the baking powder is double acting, it has a slower, more stable rise than baking soda alone. This will also allow you to make the scones ahead and freeze.
• Kosher Salt
• Butter: I use unsalted butter for baking, because you want to control the amount of salt you are adding. Butter shortens the gluten strands as it coats them during the mixing process. This keeps them from forming a strong network that would lead to overly tough scones.
• Lemon Zest: Be sure to zest only the bright yellow parts of the lemon peel for the most concentrated flavor and to avoid the bitter white pith.
• Turbinado sugar

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

Variations

• Cinnamon or chocolate chips: Go in a completely different direction and substitute the strawberries for chocolate chips or cinnamon chips like I did in these chocolate chip scones or cinnamon scones. Or make a mixture! Let me know in the comments how they turn out!
• Add a glaze: Make a quick glaze with lemon juice and powdered sugar, and you’re in for a treat. I would quite happily recommend you drizzle on this strawberry glaze made from homemade strawberry jam in my recipe for Strawberry Lemon Cake Donuts!
• Use seasonal fruit: Rotate scone recipes through the year, depending on what’s in season! Check out these Spiced Apple Scones and Blueberry Scones in preparation.

How to Make Strawberry Scones

Further details and measurements can be found in the recipe card below!

Make the scone dough:

Step 1: Dice strawberries and blot them dry with a paper towel. 

Step 2: Combine the cream, egg, and vanilla in another bowl with a whisk or fork. Whisk until smooth and set aside.

Step 3: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder. Mix the dry ingredients with the paddle or by hand just enough to distribute the ingredients. 

Step 4: Add cold butter and mix on low to cut it in. Continue to mix until the butter is no longer visible and the mixture resembles coarse crumbs and the largest chunk of butter is the size of a pea.

Step 5: Add strawberries and lemon zest to the flour mixture. Toss to coat with flour and distribute evenly.

Step 6: With the mixer running on low, slowly pour the cream mixture into the flour mixture and mix until almost incorporated.

Step 7: Dump the dough out onto a well-floured surface and knead it together (gently, with love!). 

Portion and bake:

Step 8: Press the dough out to about a 1 inch thickness. Using a floured bench scraper, sharp knife, or pastry cutter, cut the dough into 6 equal triangles. Place them 1” apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet.

Step 9: Preheat the oven to 325°F. 

Step 10: Brush scones with heavy cream and sprinkle with Turbinado sugar. 

Step 11: Bake scones in the preheated oven for about 18-22 minutes or until golden brown around the edges, puffed, and the centers provide a little resistance when touched gently. 

Step 12: Cool completely on baking sheets or eat them warm! 

Frequently Asked Questions

Before You Go

I hope you enjoyed this professional chef tested recipe. Check out our other delicious, chef-developed scones recipes!