Buttermilk Scones

No ratings yet

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.

Prep Time5

Cook Time15

Total Time20

Course: Breakfast, brunch

Cuisine: American

Diet: Vegetarian

Servings: Scones

Author: Laura

Cost: $5

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

US Customary - Metric

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

Ingredient Substitution 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.

How to Make in Advance

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.

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.

Nutrition