Buttermilk Scones
Posted Nov 25, 2024
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These buttermilk scones are moist, flavorful, crispy on the outside and soft in the center. They’re easy to make with 8 ingredients in 30 minutes and are perfect with a cup of coffee or hot chocolate.
Buttermilk scones are a classic, delicious breakfast treat. They’re easy to make with 8 ingredients in 30 minutes, and can be prepared in advance!
These buttermilk scones are moist and perfectly sweet, buttery with hints of vanilla. Serve them for breakfast or brunch, warm slathered with some cinnamon honey butter!
Buttermilk Scones: Ingredients & Substitutions
- All-purpose flour. You can substitute a 1:1 all-purpose gluten-free baking flour to make them gluten-free.
- Granulated sugar. organic cane sugar or white sugar are great choices.
- Salted Butter. Both salted and unsalted butter work well in this scone recipe. TIP: we use frozen butter to make these scones – so be sure to put a stick in the freezer.
- Buttermilk. the namesake ingredient – I don’t recommend making substitutions.
- Vanilla extract. For different flavors, substitute ½ tsp vanilla extract for different extracts (almond, orange, lemon etc.)
- Add-ins. You can add mix-ins if you’d like. Some suggestions include (but are not limited to) fresh or dried fruit, spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, etc.), baking chips (chocolate, cinnamon, etc), nuts, etc. Also, try our other scone recipes: chocolate chip scones, pumpkin scones, cinnamon scones, and mocha chocolate scones.
How to Make Buttermilk Scones
We’ll walk through this buttermilk scones recipe together, and don’t forget to watch the video.
Begin by combining the dry ingredients in a large bowl – this is the bowl you will mix the entire recipe in so make sure it’s large enough!
Then, grate the frozen butter – I usually do this directly into the mixing bowl or on a cutting board.
Grate the frozen butter into the dry mixture and stir to combine. I find this way easier than mixing with a pastry cutter or fork.
Then, add the buttermilk, egg and vanilla extract and stir until combined. The dough will look crumbly initially but will clump together when squeezed between your fingers.
Next, turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and form it into a disc.
Cut the disc into either 8 or 12 pieces depending on how large you’d like the scones.
Then, evenly space the buttermilk cones on a baking sheet.
If you would like, brush the scones with half and half or milk and sprinkle with raw sugar. This is optional, but gives them a delicious, crunchy, sugary top!
To prepare in advance
Make the dough and form it in a circle.
Then wrap it tightly with plastic wrap and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator overnight.
In the morning, preheat the oven, slice and bake fresh.
Then, bake the buttermilk scones in the preheated oven for 14 to 15 minutes, or until the scones look set.
When they’re done, remove the scones from the oven and transfer them to a wire cooling rack to cool, or serve warm (which I highly recommend).
Make the Glaze
If you’d like to add glaze to these buttermilk scones, it’s really simple. Just whisk together the glaze ingredients and drizzle it over the scones.
Let the glazed buttermilk scones sit at room temperature until the glaze is hardened.
Serve
I suggest serving buttermilk scones at room temperature or slightly warm (my preference).
Serve them with a dollop of cinnamon butter, homemade apple butter, pumpkin butter, or nut butter for an extra special touch.
Store/Freeze
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months.
Buttermilk Scones Recipe FAQS
You can mix ½ cup whole milk with ½ Tablespoon white vinegar and let it sit for 5 minutes to use in place of buttermilk.
Avoid these things to make the perfect scones:
Don’t use warm ingredients.
Do not over-mix the batter.
Be careful not to over-bake the scones.
Yes, you can double the recipe easily and bake the scones on 2 baking sheets.
I suggest making the dough and forming it in a circle. Then wrap it tightly with plastic wrap and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator overnight. In the morning, slice and bake fresh.
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Buttermilk Scones
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ½ cup salted butter (frozen)
- ½ cup buttermilk
- 1 large egg
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Optional: 1 cup mix-ins
Topping (Optional)
- 1 tablespoon half and half
- 2 tablespoon raw turbinado sugar
Glaze (optional)
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon whole milk
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Make the Buttermilk Scones
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper, set aside.
- In a large bowl add flour, sugar, baking powder and sea salt. Stir to combine.
- Grate the frozen butter into the dry mixture and stir to combine. (This is the trick that I find makes these scones light, fluffy and irresistible! You can, of course, cut the cold butter in with a fork or pastry cutter, if you prefer.)
- Add half and half, egg and vanilla extract and stir until combined. The dough will look crumbly initially but will clump together when squeezed between your fingers and should easily form a circle.
- Add desired mix-ins and stir until evenly distributed.
- Turn dough out onto a well-floured surface (or pastry slab) and form into a round circle about 8-9” in diameter. *see notes for instructions on making these the night before.
- Cut into 8 equal pieces. Start by cutting the circle in half from top to bottom. Then cut it in half from side to side. Then cut the remaining pieces in half diagonally. (see video)
- Carefully separate the scones and spread them out evenly on the prepared baking sheet.
- Lightly brush the top of the dough with half and half, sprinkle with raw sugar and gently press it into the top of the scones.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 14 to 17 minutes, or until the scones look set.
- Remove from the oven and transfer scones to a baking sheet to cool, or serve warm (which I highly recommend).
Make the Glaze
- In a small bowl, whisk together powdered sugar, milk and vanilla until smooth.
- Immediately drizzle it over cooled sones.
- Let sit at room temperature until hardened (about 30-60 minutes).
- Serve at room temperature.
Video
Notes
- All-purpose flour. You can substitute a 1:1 all-purpose gluten-free baking flour to make them gluten-free.
- Granulated sugar. organic cane sugar or white sugar are great choices.
- Salted Butter. Both salted and unsalted butter work well in this scone recipe. TIP: we use frozen butter to make these scones – so be sure to put a stick in the freezer.
- Buttermilk. the namesake ingredient – I don’t recommend making substitutions.
- Vanilla extract. For different flavors, substitute ½ tsp vanilla extract for different extracts (almond, orange, lemon etc.)
- Add-ins. You can add mix-ins if you’d like. Some suggestions include (but are not limited to) fresh or dried fruit, spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, etc.), baking chips (chocolate, cinnamon, etc), nuts, etc. Also, try our other scone recipes:chocolate chip scones, pumpkin scones, cinnamon scones, and mocha chocolate scones.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
