The best EVER Homemade Cinnamon Scones Recipe (with Cinnamon Chips)! These cinnamon chip scones are buttery & moist, easy to make for breakfast or brunch, and are even better than Starbucks & Panera! Perfect to enjoy with a cup of coffee in the morning!
This Cinnamon Scones Recipe holds an extra special place in my heart. They are the best scones ever, they’re easy to make, and are the perfect companion to a cup of warm coffee!
Plus, for me these cinnamon scones come with a side of nostalgia! If you didn’t know, I swam my entire life, and when I got old enough, coached my summer team. One of the parents would regularly bring the coaches containers full of these warm, fresh-from-the-oven cinnamon chip scones.
Those were always the best mornings, and she was kind enough to share her recipe with me (oh so many years ago). And much like back then, these cinnamon scones are always devoured the second they come out of the oven, and my entire family absolutely adores them.
How do you make Cinnamon Scones?
So let’s not delay, and jump right into discussing how to make these cinnamon scones! They come together easily, but I will share a few tips and tricks with you that will ensure your success (plus you can watch the video)!
To make the best scones EVER, start by making the scone dough.
Step 1: Mix the dry ingredients.
Simply add all the dry ingredients to a large mixing bowl and stir until they’re combined and the mixture is homogenous (uniform throughout).
Step 2: Cut in COLD butter
It’s important that the butter is cold when added to the dry ingredients. I often cut up the butter and place it in the fridge before I gather the rest of the ingredients and finish step one. This ensures it is very cold when it’s time to be added to the dough.
To cut the butter into the dry ingredients use a fork, a pastry cutter, or your hands. I opted for my hands this time around, but have used all three methods with success. Just be careful not to over-mix the ingredients (because that will cause the butter to melt)!
Why should butter (and the rest of the wet ingredients) be cold when you make scones?
It is important that the butter and the rest of the ingredients are cold in the cinnamon scone dough because then you end up with little “chunks” of cold butter throughout the dough.
The cold butter chunks begin to melt when baking in the oven the oven, which creates flaky layers and pockets in the cinnamon chip scones…leading to the perfect homemade scone!
Step 3: Add the rest of the wet ingredients & mix
Next, add the rest of the wet ingredients to the cinnamon scone dough. Be sure that the milk and eggs are cold so the butter doesn’t melt when they are added. Use a spatula to mix the cinnamon scone dough until the mixture is homogenous (uniform throughout).
At this point the scone dough will look crumbly, that is normal. To know if it’s the correct consistency, try to pinch a chunk with your fingers.
If you can pinch the dough together easily, it’s good to go (as pictured below). If it doesn’t hold together and remains powdery, add more half and half 1 tsp at a time until the correct consistency is achieved.
Step 4: Add the Cinnamon Chips & Mix again
Once the dough is uniform throughout and the correct consistency has been achieved, add the cinnamon chips and mix until they are evenly distributed.
Step 5: Turn dough out onto a clean surface & shape into a circle
Dump the cinnamon scone dough out onto a clean surface or pastry slab. Please note the texture in the photo below! The dough WILL be crumbly but moist!
Step 6: Shape the dough into a 10″ Circle
Use your hands to shape the dough into a 10″ circle. It should hold together very well as it’s shaped, and be a solid circle when you’re finished.
Try to minimize cracks in the cinnamon chip scone dough, because any cracks present at this stage will remain through baking! Check out that circle of dough, complete with beautiful chunks of butter throughout. YUM.
Step 7: Transfer to a baking sheet & Sprinkle with sugar
Transfer the dough circle to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Sprinkle the cinnamon scone dough circle with raw sugar. I recommend patting it down slightly so that the sugar sticks to the dough!
Step 8: Cut and spread apart.
After you’ve sprinkled the dough with sugar, cut the dough into eight 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 two pieces in half diagonally Separate the scones and spread them out evenly on the baking sheet.
This best scone recipe will not rise or spread very much, but it’s still important that there is plenty of space between the scones to ensure even baking.
Step 9: Bake & Cool
Bake the cinnamon chip scones for 16-20 minutes or until they look set. You will notice that the tops don’t really brown but the bottoms do!
Transfer them to a wire cooling rack to cool slightly, then serve warm!
Cinnamon Scones Serving Suggestions
I highly recommend serving these cinnamon chip scones warm. They are just irresistible fresh from the oven! Serve with a dollop of cinnamon butter, nut butter or add a drizzle of glaze for an extra special touch!
FAQs about making the BEST scones recipe!
Can scones be made ahead?
Yes! You can make the dough the night before and bake in the morning! Simply make the scone dough according to the instructions, but do not cut it (leave it as a round 10″ circle). Then wrap it tightly with plastic wrap and put it in an airtight container. Simply cut and bake the cinnamon scones in the morning! This is a great way to save time in the mornings when you’re groggy before you’ve had your coffee!
How do you store homemade scones?
Store these cinnamon scones in an airtight container wrapped in plastic wrap (to retain moisture) at room temperature.
Can you freeze scones?
Yes! Simply wrap them tightly in plastic wrap and put them in an airtight container or freezer-safe bag.
How long do scones last?
Stored at room temperature, scones last 1-2 days without drying out. They can be frozen for up to two months.
How do you reheat & freshen up scones?
There are two ways to reheat these cinnamon chip scones:
- In the microwave. Simply warm scones in the microwave for 15-30 seconds (depending on the power of your microwave and the number of scones you are heating up). Then enjoy!
- In the oven. Wrap scones in foil (to prevent drying out) and warm in the oven preheated to 300 degrees F for 10-15 minutes!
Best Scones Recipe: Ingredients & Substitutions
While there are a few possible substitutions in this recipe, these truly are the BEST scones ever, and I do not recommend making changes!
- All-purpose flour. I honestly have not tried making these scones with any other flour besides unbleached all-purpose flour. If you try using an all-purpose gluten-free flour or another flour substitute, please report back and let me know how it goes.
- Granulated sugar. I always bake with organic cane sugar, but any granulated sugar works well.
- Ground Cinnamon. Not all ground cinnamon is created equally. Choose a quality variety of cinnamon for the best results!
- Butter. Again, I have not tried making these cinnamon scones with anything other than butter. Both salted and unsalted butter works well! I usually use salted, so if you opt for unsalted you may need to increase the amount of salt in the recipe by 1/4 tsp.
- Half and Half. This is the only ingredient I have played around with. I have used whole milk and they turn out fabulous. I have also tried using heavy whipping cream, but I needed to add an extra 1 TBS of cream to get the dough to stick together (they still tasted perfect).
- Cinnamon Chips. These are optional, but not really! 😉 Cinnamon Chips are a baking staple in my house, but they can be hard to find. This year I had to resort to buying them online because I couldn’t find them in any local stores. I have had luck at Walmart, Meyer, and Smith’s in the past.
- Raw Turbinado sugar. I use organic raw turbinado sugar to sprinkle on top of the scones, I find it works the best!
Do you need eggs in scones?
In this recipe the answer is yes! Using egg in this scone recipe makes them have a richer taste and an amazing texture. It also adds to the rise of the scone.
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The Best Cinnamon Scones (with Cinnamon Chips)
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 TBS granulated sugar
- 1 TBS baking powder
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp sea salt
- 6 TBS salted butter cold
- ½ cup half and half
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup cinnamon chips
- 1-2 TBS raw turbinado sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper, set aside.
- In a large bowl add flour, sugar, baking powder cinnamon and sea salt. Stir to combine.
- Add butter and using a fork, pastry cutter or your hands, cut the butter into the dry ingredients until there are coarse crumbs. (You want little chunks of butter)!
- Add half and half, egg and vanilla extract and stir until combined. The dough will look crumbly, but should clump together when squeezed between your fingers.
- Add cinnamon chips and stir until evenly distributed.
- Turn dough out onto a well-floured surface (or pastry slab) and form into a round circle about 10” in diameter.
- Transfer the circle of scone dough to the prepared baking sheet.
- Cut into eight 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 two pieces in half diagonally. (see video)
- Sprinkle the top with raw sugar and gently press it into the top of the scones.
- Carefully separate the scones and spread them out evenly on your baking sheet.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 16-20 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).
Video
Nutrition
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Bryan Martinez
I tried a blueberry scone recipe last week and I loved it. I’ll have to give this cinnamon recipe a try now too! Thank youi
Laura
Scones are the best!! <3
Emily Swanson
Making these tonight! 🙂 Thank you for sharing Laura. They’re so pretty. I had to do apple instead of cinnamon chips, but I’m sure they’ll still be lovely.