Australian/ Baking/ Recipes/ Snack

Grandma’s Scones – Easy Scone Recipe

02/05/2022 (Last Updated: 04/12/2020)

The best scones are always made from scratch! Make Grandma’s easy scone recipe – crumbly on the outside, soft and flaky on the inside, perfect for slathering with jam and cream.

Plain scone filled with jam and cream on a white plate.

Why We Love This

Transform basic pantry staples to the best scones ever in no time! This easy scone recipe is made the traditional way by hand, but you can use a food processor to make it even easier.

Slather your freshly baked scones in butter, jam or cream for the best afternoon snack or store them in the freezer for later.

This recipe is super adaptable to add new flavours or textures – see our variations section below for more ideas.

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Related: Ginger Fluff Sponge / Apple Crumble with Muesli / Weetbix Cake with Dates

Close up shot of a single scone sliced in half, filled with cream and jam.

What are Scones? 

Scones are a type of quick bread made with baking powder instead of yeast. They’re similar in appearance to Australian damper bread, and both can be prepared with either savoury or sweet additions to the dough.

Today we’re sharing Laura’s Grandma’s scone recipe, perfected over years of baking for family. It brings back memories of when the whole family would gather at Gran’s for a feast of epic proportions – scones, party pies, sausage rolls, and Grandma’s famous pea and ham soup!

Scones vs Biscuits

Scones are often confused with American biscuits, but there are a couple of key differences. American biscuits tend to be sweeter, lighter and fluffier, with visibly flaky layers, and sometimes include fruit or other additions. Scones, on the other hand, are a little more dense with a crisp and crumbly texture. They’re traditionally served with fresh butter, jam, and thickened cream (heavy cream) or clotted cream.

Cooked scones on a baking tray.

What You’ll Need

  • Self Raising Flour – We use self-raising flour so there’s no need to add baking powder in separately. It results in more even textured scones as the raising agent is more evenly mixed through the flour. Sub with plain flour and sift in 4 tsp baking powder if you need. 
  • Butter & Milk – You can use salted or unsalted butter, it’s up to you. Full cream milk or buttermilk will give you light and fluffy scones. Both ingredients should be cold when you start working with them, so only take them out of the fridge right before you use them.
Ingredients laid out for scones.

How to Make Scones

  1. Preheat the oven to 230˚C / 450˚F and line a tray with baking paper. Place the floursugar and salt into a large mixing bowl. Add the chopped butter and dig in with your hands. Mix the butter and flour together with your fingers until you get a crumbly texture with no lumps.
  2. Make a well in the centre and pour in the milk. Use a butter knife or dough scraper to ‘cut’ the flour in all directions until the dough just starts to come together into a sticky dough ball.
  3. Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Gently press out into a flat 2 cm / 1 in thick circle.
  1. Transfer dough onto a lined baking sheet and cut into 8 equal pieces just like a pizza. OR use a scone or cookie cutter to cut into shapes. Dust the cutter each time before pressing, and don’t twist when pulling it out. Transfer to the baking tray.
  2. Lightly brush the top of each scone with milk to glaze. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Wandercook’s Tips

  • Start Cold – Always use cold butter and milk when making scones. This stops the butter while you bring the ingredients together, creating steam when baking and resulting in lighter scones. You can even use frozen butter to help achieve this.
  • Don’t Over-Knead – There’s almost no kneading required for scones. Simple ‘cutting’ the flour with a butter knife or dough scraper is the key technique in this recipe. It helps ‘pull’ everything together, resulting in that fluffy scone texture you know and love.
  • Shaping the Scones – You can use a scone cutter / cookie cutter to get the right shape. Lightly dust it in flour before each press to stop the dough sticking. Avoid twisting when pulling the cutter out as this can make them go lopsided while baking. 
  • Extra Tall Scones – Arrange them close together on the baking tray. This way they all support each other as they rise, and the steam released will keep the insides extra moist and fluffy as they’re baking.
  • Keep Fresh – Wrap scones in a towel after baking to trap in a little moisture but still allow them to breathe.

FAQs

What should I serve with scones?

Hot scones are amazing with a simple slather of butter alongside a hot cup of coffee or tea! For cooler scones, serve them with jam or marmalade and your favourite cream such as clotted, thickened cream or heavy cream. If you’re feeling experimental, try them with a fresh batch of coconut jam or cinnamon infused speculoos spread!

Can I use a food processor?

Yes you can add the flour, sugar and salt to a food processor, then add the butter on top. Give it a quick blitz until the ingredients look like breadcrumbs, then continue with the recipe below.

How long do scones last?

Scones are at their best on the day of baking, but will last for 2-3 days in an airtight container. Reheat in the microwave on high for 10-20 seconds to warm them before eating so they’re nice and fluffy.

Can I freeze scones?

Yes, you can freeze scones. For best results, store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to three months. Allow them to defrost on the bench before reheating them in the microwave on high for 10-20 seconds. Or warm them in the oven (preheated to 150˚C/300˚F) for 5 to 10 minutes.

My scones didn’t rise, what happened?

There are a few things that may have stopped your scones from rising.
– Oven Temperature – make sure your oven is fully pre-heated before baking, as a cold oven can affect the rising agent. 
– Out of Date Ingredients – Try again with fresh self-raising flour (or plain flour and baking powder if using).
– Too Much Kneading – Once you add the milk, it’s important you don’t over-mix the dough. Over-kneading causes the flour to develop too much gluten, leading to scones that are flat, dense or chewy.
– Too Much Flour – When turning out the dough onto your work surface, just dust it very slightly so the dough doesn’t stick.

Why are my scones chewy?

It’s probably from working the dough too much. Use a knife or dough scraper to ‘cut’ through the mixture until it’s just combined before pressing it lightly into a ball – there’s almost no kneading at all. You can also try cooking them a little bit longer to see if that dries them out a bit more.

Several plates of scones with jam and cream.

Variations

  • Play With Shapes – While you might typically think of scones having a roughly rounded shape, there are no hard and fast rules. Make them squares, rectangles, triangles or any shape you desire.
  • Add Fruit – Once you’ve incorporated the butter but before you add the milk, you can add a handful of currants, raisins, dried cranberries, chopped dates or even frozen berries and mix them into the dough. 
  • Flavour Ideas – Try them with a tbsp of fresh lemon zest, orange zest, vanilla extract or almond extract.
  • Spice it Up – Add a sprinkling of cinnamon or pumpkin spice (cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg & cloves) in with the dry ingredients.
  • Make it Savoury – Omit the sugar and add fresh herbs such as rosemary, oregano or dill. 
  • For Chocolate Lovers – Add a handful of dark, milk or white chocolate chips.
  • Add Texture – Stir though toasted coconut, chopped almonds, walnuts or pecans.

For more baking fun, try these next:

★ Did you make this recipe? Please leave a comment and a star rating below!

Jam and cream filled plain scone with crispy outside texture.

Grandma’s Scones – Easy Scone Recipe

The best scones are always made from scratch! Make Grandma's easy scone recipe – crumbly on the outside, soft and flaky on the inside, perfect for slathering with jam and cream.
4.91 from 11 votes
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Course: Snack
Cuisine: Australian
Servings: 8 scones
Calories: 293kcal
Author: Wandercooks
Cost: $5

Ingredients

Optional Toppings:

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 230˚C / 450˚F and line a tray with baking paper.
  • Place the floursugar and salt into a large mixing bowl. Add the chopped butter and dig in with your hands. Mix the butter and flour together with your fingers until you get a crumbly texture with no lumps.
    450 g self raising flour, 2 tsp raw sugar, 1/2 tsp salt, 100 g butter
  • Make a well in the centre and pour in the milk. Use a butter knife or dough scraper to 'cut' the flour in all directions until the dough just starts to come together into a sticky dough ball.
    375 ml milk
  • Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Gently press out into a flat 2 cm / 1 in thick circle.
  • Transfer dough onto a lined baking sheet and cut into 8 equal pieces just like a pizza. OR use a scone or cookie cutter to cut into shapes. Dust the cutter each time before pressing, and don’t twist when pulling it out. Transfer to the baking tray.
  • Lightly brush the top of each scone with milk to glaze. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Optional: Serve with jam, cream and butter.
    Jam, thickened cream / heavy cream, Butter

Video

YouTube video

Recipe Notes

  • Self Raising Flour – We use self-raising flour so there’s no need to add baking powder in separately. It results in more even textured scones as the raising agent is more evenly mixed through the flour. Sub with plain flour and sift in 4 tsp baking powder if you need. 
  • Butter & Milk – You can use salted or unsalted butter, it’s up to you. Full cream milk or buttermilk will give you light and fluffy scones. Both ingredients should be cold when you start working with them, so only take them out of the fridge right before you use them.
  • Don’t Over-Knead – There’s almost no kneading required for scones. Simple ‘cutting’ the flour with a butter knife or dough scraper is the key technique in this recipe. It helps ‘pull’ everything together, resulting in that fluffy scone texture you know and love.
  • Shaping the Scones – You can use a scone cutter / cookie cutter to get the right shape. Lightly dust it in flour before each press to stop the dough sticking. Avoid twisting when pulling the cutter out as this can make them go lopsided while baking. 
  • Extra Tall Scones – Arrange them close together on the baking tray. This way they all support each other as they rise, and the steam released will keep the insides extra moist and fluffy as they’re baking.
  • Keep Fresh – Wrap scones in a towel after baking to trap in a little moisture but still allow them to breathe.
  • Variations:
    • Play With Shapes – While you might typically think of scones having a roughly rounded shape, there are no hard and fast rules. Make them squares, rectangles, triangles or any shape you desire.
    • Add Fruit – Once you’ve incorporated the butter but before you add the milk, you can add a handful of currants, raisins, dried cranberries, chopped dates or even frozen berries and mix them into the dough. 
    • Flavour Ideas – Try them with a tbsp of fresh lemon zest, orange zest, vanilla extract or almond extract.
    • Spice it Up – Add a sprinkling of cinnamon or pumpkin spice (cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg & cloves) in with the dry ingredients.
    • Make it Savoury – Omit the sugar and add fresh herbs such as rosemary, oregano or dill. 
    • For Chocolate Lovers – Add a handful of dark, milk or white chocolate chips.
    • Add Texture – Stir though toasted coconut, chopped almonds, walnuts or pecans.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts
Grandma’s Scones – Easy Scone Recipe
Amount per Serving
Calories
293
% Daily Value*
Fat
 
12
g
18
%
Saturated Fat
 
7
g
44
%
Cholesterol
 
31
mg
10
%
Sodium
 
255
mg
11
%
Potassium
 
111
mg
3
%
Carbohydrates
 
39
g
13
%
Fiber
 
1
g
4
%
Sugar
 
4
g
4
%
Protein
 
6
g
12
%
Vitamin A
 
386
IU
8
%
Calcium
 
62
mg
6
%
Iron
 
2
mg
11
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Hey hey – Did you make this recipe?We’d love it if you could give a star rating below ★★★★★ and show us your creations on Instagram! Snap a pic and tag @wandercooks / #Wandercooks

Grandma’s Scones - Easy Scone Recipe
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16 Comments

  • Reply
    Deb Thomas
    14/05/2023 at 1:36 pm

    4 stars
    These are terrific. I just made them and served with my home made mulberry jam and cream and a fresh pot of tea. I love the buttery taste. Thanks so much.

    • Reply
      Wandercooks
      16/05/2023 at 11:17 am

      Oh wow, sounds like a magical combo with homemade mulberry jam! We make that too from my parents’ trees. One of the best jam flavours!

  • Reply
    Ellen
    29/04/2021 at 1:16 am

    I am going to try to make these scones just now, only to learn the recipe has no quantities that I can use. It would very nice of you to give us Americans the ingredients in volumes. That’s how most of us still bake. I haven’t the slightest clue how much of anything to use. It doesn’t seem like just guessing is a very smart way to bake. 🙁

    • Reply
      Wandercooks
      29/04/2021 at 8:44 am

      Hey Ellen! There’s a button under the ingredients list that switches the recipe from metric to US ounces and pints. 🙂 I’ve just added the US amounts into the notes section though for each ingredient, so it’s easier for you to see. Let me know if that’s better. 🙂

  • Reply
    plasterer bristol
    11/07/2016 at 3:19 pm

    Wow these look irrestistible, will be giving these a go for sure. Simon

    • Reply
      Wandercooks
      14/07/2016 at 4:11 pm

      Awesome to hear Simon – would love to know how you go! Enjoy, and don’t eat them too quick haha 🙂

  • Reply
    Victoria
    18/05/2016 at 2:04 am

    5 stars
    I love this recipe! I just finished making them, and they turned out awesome, if a little chewy (i probably kneaded them too much)

    • Reply
      Wandercooks
      18/05/2016 at 9:53 pm

      Yay! That’s great Victoria, so glad you enjoyed them. In regard to the chewyness, it may indeed be from kneading it. We just used the knife to ‘cut’ through the mixture until it was combined before pressing it lightly into a ball, so it was almost not kneaded at all. Also, depending on your oven, try cooking them a liiiittle bit longer to see if that dries them out a bit more. Hope that helps for your next batch!

  • Reply
    Kristy @ Southern In Law
    29/04/2016 at 6:18 pm

    I feel like everyone needs a great homemade scone recipe – and these look PERFECT!

    • Reply
      Wandercooks
      29/04/2016 at 6:38 pm

      Thanks Kristy! 100% agree too haha 🙂

  • Reply
    Christina @ Banner Printing
    29/04/2016 at 5:06 pm

    5 stars
    The dish is just filled with your grandma’s affection & blessings rather than the basic ingredients of which it has been made… Thank you so much for sharing this wonderful recipe!!!

    • Reply
      Wandercooks
      29/04/2016 at 5:10 pm

      Thanks Christina! You’ve made our day with such a lovely comment – it’s definitely the love that makes it taste that much better. 🙂

  • Reply
    Martin @ The Why Chef
    28/04/2016 at 10:54 pm

    5 stars
    Emma and I love scones! We made hundreds of them for our guests at our wedding as a canapé when everyone arrived (although I hated them a little after making 200 of them…)! We also made homemade jam to slather on top!

    But we have a HUGE bone of contention between the two of us – does it go jam then clotted cream, or clotted cream then jam?!? Emma doesn’t even butter the scone, which is quite clearly wrong.

    • Reply
      Wandercooks
      29/04/2016 at 8:01 am

      Wow that’s a lot of scones, what a delicious idea for a wedding. 😀 Also homemade jam is so much better too – what flavour did you make?

      P.S. Sorry Emma, I think we’ll have to side with Martin on this one, at least when it come to the butter. In terms of order of deliciousness though? Can you believe we’ve only ever tried it jam first, then cream? Had never even imagined it going the other way!

      • Reply
        Martin @ The Why Chef
        29/04/2016 at 7:11 pm

        We went fruit picking and made a whole bunch – strawberry, blackberry, raspberry, blackcurrant, and a bodge of all of them as mixed berry!

        Haha I’m the cream first but I think that’s because you can get twice as much on the scone if it goes on first…. High five on the buttering! 😛

        • Reply
          Wandercooks
          02/05/2016 at 9:03 am

          Wow that sounds like so much fun! Can’t get much fresher flavour than that can you!

          Well now we really must try the cream first shenanigans. Always keen if that means we can pack on extra hahah.

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