A fabulous sweet cinnamon scone recipe that bakes to a golden brown, has a soft interior and a delectable sugar glaze drizzle. You can plan them ahead and keep them frozen until they're ready to be baked. All my tips and tricks for making the best homemade scones are in the post.
I've been on a cinnamon bender this year, and these yummy scones are our latest addition to a group that already has cinnamon cupcakes and fabulous cinnamon bundt cake, to name a few.
Though the glaze can be optional, it really isn't. Think of it as a complete outfit. So make sure to drizzle the cinnamon icing on top.
Scones are a big part of my heritage and I can tell you a thing or two about making and eating them, lol.
It's all in the details.
This (and most) scone recipe is simple and uses everyday ingredients, but needs you to pay attention to specific instructions, like using cold ingredients.
Ingredient list
- Ground cinnamon.
- Milk.
- Heavy cream.
- Unsalted butter.
- All-purpose flour: or use part cake flour, 50/50.
- Baking powder: make sure it hasn't expired.
- Salt.
- White granulated sugar.
- Light brown sugar.
- Unsalted butter.
- Vanilla extract.
- Powdered sugar.
See the recipe card towards the end of this post for quantities. Check the Ingredients page for more details and the brands I use.
Variations & substitutions
- Cinnamon chips: add ½ cup to the dough or melt them to use as the top drizzle instead of the cinnamon glaze.
- Chocolate chips: mix them in the dough and make chocolate chip cinnamon scones.
- Boozy glaze: use a liqueur instead of milk or cream for the glaze. Fireball has cinnamon tones, Frangelico is hazelnut-based and Smirnoff has a cinna-twist vodka.
- Vanilla extract: use a small amount mixed with the milk or cream in the dough. It will add mellowness and warmth to the cinnamon flavor.
Tips for making scones
Scones have simple everyday ingredients, but a few pointers should be followed if you want soft, tender ones that are nicely risen.
- Very cold ingredients. I measure but leave the ingredients in the fridge until it's time to use them. Don't take the cream for half an hour before mixing the scones. Butter, milk cream and other wet ingredients belong in the fridge until you need to scatter and pour them.
- Handle the dough lightly. Don't overwork the dough. It needs to remain cold so the butter doesn't start to melt. It's the way to get soft, tender scones that rise well.
- A rather high oven. They need that extra heat to rise however they can despite all that butter and cream. And if you forgot to turn the oven on before you start mixing, please don't leave the baking sheet with the cut scones waiting on the counter. Put them in the fridge or freezer for the ten or fifteen minutes it takes for the oven to reach its temperature.
Mixing the cinnamon dough
- By hand: this recipe is not a large one, so it's easy to use a pastry cutter and integrate the butter with the dry ingredients by hand.
- Using the food processor: it's a great appliance for cutting the butter into the sugar and flour mixture. Make sure you don't over process it.
Forming the scone dough
Working surface: the dough will have dry patches (image 5)so don't flour it from the beginning.
Dough scraper: it's a great little tool to help you fold the shaggy mass onto itself so it slowly comes together (image 6). With each fold, it will be more formed. Pat the dough into a circle, but do not overwork it! You can also use a metal spatula to help you with the dough.
Cutting the disc of dough: I cut it into 8 triangles with the dough scraper or a large kitchen knife (image 7). But you can use a cookie cutter and make rounds like the orange cream scones.
Sugar on top: it's a nice addition as it gives them an extra crunch.
Baking scones
- Cold scones before baking: it's imperative for them to grow as they should and be tender that you freeze or refrigerate them before baking. Freezing is faster.
- Make sure they're fully baked: though we don't want overbaked scones (the crust tends to become too crunchy and dry), make sure there are no wet traces of dough. Carefully lift a piece of scone when the baking time is up and check that the interior is completely dry and baked.
Cinnamon powdered sugar glaze
Cinnamon glaze: more of this popular spice is added to the glaze for an extra sweet flavor. It's truly perfect and complements the scones beautifully. Think of both as an ensemble, an outfit that can't have one without the other.
Simply mix powdered sugar (also called icing sugar or confectioners' sugar, depending on the country) with a liquid.
For this recipe, we're using cream or milk.
Kitchen notes
- Organization: read the recipe first and ensure you have enough workspace, the ingredients at the correct temperature and other equipment you need. This will make the process so much easier.
- Baking time: consider that all ovens and pans are different, even if they look similar. The baking time in my recipes is as accurate as it can be, but it might take you more or less time. You can use a thermometer(like the OXO oven thermometer) to check that your oven is at the right temperature. I recommend you keep track of how your oven works and what tiny details you might need to adjust.
- Different shape:you can make classic round scones using a 2-inch round cookie cutter. Check baking times as they may take less to fully bake.
- Freezing scones: cut them and put them on a baking sheet. Freeze until solid and transfer to a freezer-safe container or bag for two months (so you liberate the tray and have more space in the freezer). When ready to bake, take as many as you want and bake directly as instructed in the recipe card below.
Related recipes you might like:
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Glazed Cinnamon Scones
Ingredients
- 2 ¾ cups all-purpose or pastry flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- Large pinch of salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 4 tablespoons granulated white sugar
- 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
- 6 oz unsalted butter, cut into cubes, very cold
- ½ cup cream, very cold
- ¼ cup whole milk, very cold
- Extra sugar, for sprinkling (brown, turbinado or cinnamon sugar)
For the glaze:
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 to 3 tablespoons milk or cream
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400ºF (200ºC).
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or grease the bottom.
- Food processor: place flour, baking powder, salt, both sugars and 1 teaspoon cinnamon in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Pulse a few times to mix. Scatter the frozen butter cubes on top, and process on low until the mixture is grainy and the butter the size of peas. Don't overprocess. Transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl.
- By hand: add the dry ingredients (flour, cinnamon, sugars, salt and baking powder) to a large bowl and combine them well with a spoon or rubber spatula. Scatter the cold butter pieces on top and integrate by hand or with a pastry cutter or pastry blender. The pieces of butter should be the size of peas and beans. It will be irregular.
- For both methods, drizzle the buttermilk and cream over the flour mixture. Mix with a fork until it barely comes together, but don't mix too much or the scones will be tough and flat.
- Transfer the shaggy dough to a lightly floured surface. Fold it unto itself a few times (I use a dough scraper or dough cutter, also called bench scraper, to help me), and pat it together until you have a circle of dough that holds together. It will still be irregular in places. Don't be tempted to overwork it as you would a pie crust. I don't use a rolling pin, but if you want to, roll it very lightly, you don't want to press it down, simply pat it so it holds together.
- Make a circle with the dough, about 2 inches high.
- Cut it in half, and then cut each half into 4 triangles. You should have 8 pieces or triangles.
- At this point, they can be frozen, well covered, for up to a month, and baked directly from the freezer. They might take a few more minutes.
- Transfer to the prepared baking sheet, and sprinkle the tops with additional sugar.
- Bake for 15 minutes, turn down the oven temperature to 350°F (180°C), and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes, until golden, dry, and quite firm. If you need to check, with the tip of a fork lift the top of a scone and see if the inside is dry. Depending on the size and height, the bake time might vary, so start checking at the 25-minute mark.
- Let them cool completely on a wire rack before glazing.
- I recommend eating them within a few hours of being baked.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container for a day, maybe two, but the texture is much better the day they're baked.
Notes
- Baking time: consider that all ovens and pans are different, even if they look similar. The baking time in my recipes is as accurate as it can be, but it might take you more or less time. You can use a thermometer(like the OXO oven thermometer) to check that your oven is at the right temperature. I recommend you keep track of how your oven works and what tiny details you might need to adjust.
- Different shape: these are pretty large scones. You can make smaller, classic round scones using a round cookie cutter (2-inches is a good size). Use a smaller cutter to make mini scones. Check baking times as they may take less time to bake fully depending on the size.
- Freezing scones: cut them and put them on a baking sheet. Freeze until solid and transfer to a freezer-safe container or bag for two months (so you liberate the tray and have more space in the freezer). When ready to bake, take as many as you want and bake directly as instructed in the recipe card below.
Deb says
Oh my goodness, these looks fabulous. Kinda of link churros from the State Fair in scone form. What a treat! Looks like I'll be doing some baking this weekend, mmmm.