This is a fabulous sweet cinnamon scone that bakes to a golden brown, has a soft interior and has a delectable sugar glaze drizzle that should not be overlooked. I retested this recipe due to reader feedback and made some tweaks, so I hope you try them; they're better than ever. You can plan ahead and freeze them until they're ready to be baked.
Perfect Fall bake
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 something about making and eating them.
It's all in the details.
This (and most) scone recipe is simple and uses everyday ingredients, but it needs you to pay attention to specific instructions, like using cold ingredients.
Ingredient Notes
Quantities are listed in the recipe card towards the end of this post. The Ingredients page has more details and lists the brands we use.
- Milk: whole or reduced-fat.
- Heavy cream: whipping cream or heavy whipping cream also work.
- All-purpose flour: or use part cake flour, 50/50.
- Baking powder: Make sure it hasn't expired.
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: toss 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 scones and biscuits
- Baking powder: It's essential to help the scones rise, so make sure it's not expired.
- Very cold ingredients: I'm not kidding when I say very cold butter. I cut it and put the pieces in the freezer for 5 minutes before using it. And don't take the liquid ingredients out before you start mixing the scones. They belong in the fridge until you need them.
- Don't work the dough much. It should come together but might still have floury patches. You don't need to work it until it's smooth, like pie dough. It is uneven, with dry spots sometimes, and that's good for flakiness later.
- A rather high oven is necessary: they need that extra heat (and baking powder) to rise. If you happen to forget 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, 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. 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. 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 possible, 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 tracking 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 time 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 can 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 ¼ cups all-purpose or pastry flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 4 tablespoons white sugar
- 3 tablespoons light brown sugar
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into cubes, very cold
- ⅓ cup heavy cream, very cold
- ½ cup whole milk, very cold
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract, optional
- 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 2 ¼ cups all-purpose or pastry flour, 1 tablespoon baking powder, ¼ teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 4 tablespoons white sugar and 3 tablespoons light brown sugar in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Pulse a few times to mix. Scatter the frozen 6 tablespoons unsalted 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 (2 ¼ cups all-purpose or pastry flour, 1 tablespoon baking powder, ¼ teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 4 tablespoons white sugar and 3 tablespoons light brown sugar) to a large bowl and combine them well with a spoon or rubber spatula. Scatter the cold 6 tablespoons unsalted butter pieces on top and integrate by hand or with a. The pieces of butter should be the size of peas and beans. It will be irregular.
- For both methods, drizzle ⅓ cup heavy cream and ½ cup whole milk with ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract (is using) 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 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 extra 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.
For the glaze:
- Mix 1 cup powdered sugar, ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon and 2 to 3 tablespoons milk in a medium bowl until smooth and lump-free. It should be like thick honey.
- Drizzle over the cooled scones and let dry before eating.
- 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.
Tina says
These are the best scones I’ve ever eaten!
Jamie says
Where are the images that that the blog portion is referring to in the section titled "Forming the scone dough"? Reference is made to images 5 and 6 but I don't see images for this process?
Paula Montenegro says
Hi Jamie, it's a typo and references old process shots that I removed as they were redundant and didn't add much value. Thanks for the heads-up.
Brooke says
The best scone recipe I've come across. I don't have a food processor, so I just use a pastry cutter. I also make them mini and bake them at 400 degrees F for 15 minutes. The milk and cream make them so light and fluffy. I will use this recipe for all of my future scones, thank you!!
Julie says
I was confused by the 6 oz of butter. I used 12 Tablespoons. I only baked them for the first 15 min and they were cooked all the way through. The 1 Tablespoon of baking powder may be a bit much. I could taste it.
broccoli says
made these today and they came out so good! i used 1c whole wheat pastry flour, then used all-purpose for the remaining amount. i misread the recipe and used 6 tablespoons of butter instead of 6 ounces. Is it supposed to be marked in ounces? I'm so used to butter being marked as tablespoons in recipes!
The scones still turned out great though so I can't imagine using double that amount of butter (which is what 6oz of butter converts to).
Janelle says
Delicious! Light and flaky. I think I will work the dough a little bit more than I did because it was a bit dry and crumbly.
Susan Sares says
These scones came out great! Love the texture.
Paula Montenegro says
Thank you Susan! The recipe was slightly tweaked, so I'm happy it worked out well. Have a great week.
Pamela Tasny says
How big around should the circle be before you start cutting the dough into triangles?
Paula Montenegro says
Hi Pamela! It's more about the thickness. The circle should be between 1 1/2 and 2 inches thick before you cut the triangles.
Kelly says
These came out very dry & after I put the ingredients away, I realized it didn’t say to use the vanilla I’d laid out prior to starting. My ingredients were fresh & I measured them precisely. Maybe I’ll try it again.
Paula Montenegro says
Hi Kelly! Thank you for the honest comment. It really helps to correct mistakes and avoid future ones. I retested the recipe and made some tweaks as per your feedback, as I think you were right. I sent you an email. Have a great week.
Kelly says
I loved these the second time, but I’m not the best baker. I thought the glaze was the best I’ve ever tasted, but I did use the HWC…yum!
Paula Montenegro says
I'm so glad to hear this Kelly! Thanks for letting me know.
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.