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These cherry scones are loaded with fresh cherries and have the perfect buttery texture, making for a great breakfast or afternoon snack.
I can't get enough scones these days, from raspberry and white chocolate scones to cheese and chive scones to blueberry scones to jam scones.
If you've never had scones, they are very similar to the American version of biscuits. They can be both sweet or savory, but today I wanted to take advantage of some fresh cherries.
Why This Recipe Works
- Easy - In less than 10 minutes, you can effortlessly prep the scones and have them ready to bake in no time.
- Flaky - You achieve the desired flakiness by incorporating shredded butter and carefully folding it into the mixture, resulting in delectable pockets of butter throughout the scones that deliver the perfect texture.
- Flavorful - Although the base is simple to prepare, it's the burst of fresh cherries exploding in your mouth with every bite that make these cherry scones hard to top.
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Ingredient Notes
- Baking powder/soda - Super important as it helps the scones rise.
- Unsalted butter - By shredding the butter you get bits throughout the flour which help creates the flaky crust you expect.
- Cherries - You want fresh cherries if possible so you get that burst of flavor. Frozen can be used as well.
- Buttermilk - The acidity reacts with the leaveners and creates a nice rise.
Ingredient Swaps
Like any recipe, you can mix up some of the ingredients if needed. Some variations include:
- While I use all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour can be substituted.
- I use granulated sugar in the dough and to top the scones, but raw can sugar or coconut sugar work too.
- It is a cherry scones recipe for a reason, but you can sub with another fruit like blackberries, blueberries or strawberries.
Step-by-Step Photos
Please note full ingredient list and instructions can be found in recipe card below.
Mix together the dry ingredients in a large bowl then use a cheese grater to shred the cold butter.
Add the butter to the flour mixture and use a pastry cutter or 2 knifes to mix in and then fold in the cherries.
Mix the buttermilk and extracts into the dry ingredients until just incorporated. Then place the dough on a floured surface and form into a disc about 1 ½ inches thick. Cut into 8-10 slices.
Place the blueberry scones on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Brush with buttermilk and sprinkle some sugar. Bake at 400°F for 20-22 minutes or until golden brown on top.
FAQs
The distinction between scones and biscuits is nuanced. Traditionally, British scones contain eggs, while American biscuits do not.
Nevertheless, I've adapted these homemade scones, removing the egg to achieve a light and flaky texture, offering you a delightful American twist.
Don't fret if you lack buttermilk as you can create your own at home. Just combine 1 tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice with 1 cup of milk, let it sit at room temperature for 10 minutes, and voila! Your homemade buttermilk is ready to use.
Yes. If using frozen, no need to thaw them. If using dried cherries, just reduce the amount to ¾ cup.
As mentioned above, eggs are commonly in scones as it gives it a richer mouthfeel. However I like a flakier scone so I omit the egg.
You can break one open to check for doneness. The interior shouldn't be doughy or wet, but slightly moist.
The Key to Light and Flaky Scones
When working with the dough, it's crucial not to overwork it, just like any other baking recipe. Use a pastry cutter or knives to transform the cold butter into fine crumbs.
Next, shape and gently pat the dough into a disc using your hands. Yes, it may get messy, but the final result is worth the effort.
Freezing Instructions
You can either freeze the cherry scones before baking or after baking.
- Freeze Before Baking: After cutting the scone dough into wedges, arrange them on a baking sheet and freeze for 1 hour. Once frozen, you can stack in a bag or container for storage. When baking from frozen, simply extend the bake time slightly, or alternatively, thaw the scones overnight and follow the original baking instructions.
- Freeze After Baking: Once the scones have been baked and cooled, arrange them on a baking sheet and freeze for a minimum of 1 hour. Afterward, you can neatly stack them in a bag or container. To thaw, leave the scone on the counter or refrigerate overnight. For a warm treat, microwave them for 30 seconds or place them on a baking sheet at 300°F for 10 minutes.
Equipment
The equipment you use is important to how the recipe turns out. What is needed is the following:
- Box grater - Gives you shredded butter.
- Large bowl - Used to mix the ingredients.
- Pastry cutter - Helps blend the butter with the flour.
- Baking sheet - What you bake the scones on.
Pro Tips/Recipe Notes
- Use cold or even frozen butter. The cold butter coats the flour which creates crumbs that melt and steam, thus creating that flakiness you expect in scones.
- Do not overwork the dough. Mix everything until just combined or you will have tough scones.
- If you want even more almond flavor, fold in ½ cup of slivered almonds.
- Leftover cherry scones will keep at room temperature for 2 days or in the fridge for 5 days.
Other Scone Recipes
If you’ve tried this cherry scones recipe or any other recipe on Chisel & Fork, please let me know how it turned out in the comments below! You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube to see more tasty meals and anything else I'm up to.
Cherry Scones
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter, cold
- 1 cup bing cherries, pitted and cut in quarters
- ⅔ cup buttermilk
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.
- Grate the cold butter using a cheese grater. This is an easy way to get it into small pieces to incorporate in the dry ingredients. If you do not have a cheese grater, you can just cut into small cubes. Blend the grated butter in with the flour mixture using a pastry cutter or 2 knives. The mixture should be clumpy and look like course crumbs. Mix in the cherries.
- In a small measuring cup, mix together the buttermilk, vanilla extract and almond extract. Mix into the flour mixture until JUST incorporated. DO NOT over mix, this will make the scones too dense.
- Put a small amount of flour onto a clean surface and knead the dough briefly. Shape the dough into a circle that is about 1 ½ inches thick. Cut the circle in half and then each half into 4-5 wedges (depending on how big you want your scones).
- Put the wedges on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper. Brush the tops with a little bit of buttermilk and then lightly sprinkle with sugar.
- Bake for 20-22 minutes until tops are golden brown and toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.
Notes
- Use cold or even frozen butter. The cold butter coats the flour which creates crumbs that melt and steam, thus creating that flakiness you expect in scones.
- Do not overwork the dough. Mix everything until just combined or you will have tough scones.
- If you want even more almond flavor, fold in ½ cup of slivered almonds.
- Leftover scones will keep at room temperature for 2 days or in the fridge for 5 days.
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