Irresistible Cinnamon Scones: Your Ultimate Guide to Perfectly Moist & Flavorful Homemade Treats
Imagine the comforting aroma of freshly baked cinnamon rolls filling your kitchen, but in a much quicker, easier-to-make form. That’s exactly what these incredible Cinnamon Scones deliver! They are the quintessential special occasion breakfast, transforming the beloved flavors of butter, brown sugar, and warm cinnamon into tender, flaky, and utterly delicious scones. If you’ve ever enjoyed my Chocolate Chip Scones, you already know how truly delightful homemade scones can be, and these cinnamon-infused beauties are no exception. Prepare to fall in love with a pastry that’s buttery, moist, and wonderfully tender, all crowned with a luscious vanilla glaze.
Forget the dry, tough scones you might encounter at some bakeries or coffee shops. A truly well-made scone should be a revelation of tender crumbs and rich flavor. This recipe is designed to help you achieve just that—a moist, buttery texture that melts in your mouth, enhanced by the sweet, warm spice of cinnamon. The final touch? A delicate vanilla glaze that elevates these scones from delicious to absolutely extraordinary, making them a perfect accompaniment to your morning coffee or tea, or a standout addition to any brunch spread.
The Secrets to Baking Perfectly Tender and Flaky Scones
Crafting a superior scone isn’t complicated, but it does hinge on a few key techniques. Mastering these will ensure your scones are always moist, tender, and rise beautifully every time, leaving you with results far superior to any store-bought alternative.
- Embrace Cold Butter: The Foundation of Flakiness – This is arguably the most critical component for tender, flaky scones. When butter is cold, it creates tiny pockets of steam during baking, which in turn lifts the dough and forms those coveted flaky layers. I highly recommend using a box grater to quickly grate very cold butter directly into your flour mixture. This method ensures small, even pieces of butter that are easily distributed without overworking. Once grated, pop the butter-flour mixture back into the fridge (or even the freezer for a few minutes) while you prepare other ingredients. This keeps the butter from melting prematurely. After shaping and cutting your scones, returning them to the fridge while your oven preheats further guarantees the butter stays solid, ready to work its magic.
- Do Not Overwork the Dough: The Key to Tenderness – Overworking the dough is the enemy of a tender scone. When you mix flour and water, gluten begins to develop. The more you work the dough, the more gluten forms, leading to a tough, chewy texture. For light and airy scones, mix the dough just until the ingredients are barely combined and moistened. A shaggy, somewhat crumbly dough is ideal – resist the urge to knead it into a smooth, uniform ball. This principle also applies to other baked goods like my Easy Biscuit Recipe; less handling translates to higher rise, more tenderness, and delightful flakiness.
- High Heat for a Quick Rise: Scones benefit from a hot oven. Baking at a higher temperature initially helps the butter melt rapidly, creating steam that contributes to their lift and flaky texture before the crust sets too firmly.
- Don’t Twist the Cutter: When cutting your scones, press straight down with your knife or cutter and lift straight up. Twisting can seal the edges of the dough, preventing an optimal rise.
Essential Ingredients for Your Cinnamon Scones
For precise measurements and detailed instructions, scroll to the bottom of the post for the FULL PRINTABLE recipe card.
Creating these delightful cinnamon scones requires a selection of common pantry staples, ensuring that these homemade treats are both accessible and incredibly satisfying. Here’s what you’ll need to gather:
- All-Purpose Flour: The foundation of our scone dough, providing structure.
- Granulated Sugar: For sweetness in the scone itself.
- Baking Powder: The primary leavening agent that helps the scones rise beautifully. Ensure it’s fresh for best results.
- Cinnamon: The star spice, delivering that signature warm, inviting flavor.
- Salt: A crucial ingredient to balance the sweetness and enhance all the other flavors.
- Butter (COLD!): Unsalted butter is preferred, cut into small pieces or grated, as discussed above.
- Heavy Cream: Provides richness and moisture to the dough, contributing to its tender texture.
- Brown Sugar: Adds a deeper, molasses-rich sweetness to the dough, complementing the cinnamon.
- Egg: Acts as a binder and adds richness.
- Vanilla Extract: Enhances the overall flavor profile of the scones and especially the glaze.
For the irresistible topping, you’ll need a little extra heavy cream for brushing, along with more brown sugar and cinnamon for that sweet, spicy crunch. And for the final flourish, the simple yet decadent vanilla glaze calls for powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract.
Step-by-Step: Crafting Your Perfect Cinnamon Scones
Making these cinnamon scones is an enjoyable process that yields truly impressive results. Follow these steps carefully to ensure your scones are tender, flavorful, and perfectly glazed.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients: all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, ground cinnamon, and salt. Whisk them together until they are thoroughly blended and evenly distributed.
- Prepare your butter: Take very cold butter and use a box grater to grate it into the flour mixture. This technique ensures uniform pieces and keeps the butter cold. For extra chill, place the bowl with the flour and grated butter back into the freezer for 5-10 minutes.
- Using a pastry cutter or your fingertips, quickly cut the cold butter into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized pieces of butter still visible. Avoid overworking. Return the mixture to the fridge while you prepare the wet ingredients.
- In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the heavy cream, brown sugar, egg, and vanilla extract until the mixture is smooth and well combined.
- Pour the wet heavy cream mixture into the dry flour and butter mixture. Gently mix with a spoon or spatula until everything just comes together and is moistened. The dough should still look a bit shaggy, not perfectly smooth.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Use your hands to very gently bring the dough together into a cohesive ball. If the dough feels too sticky, add a tiny bit more flour. If it seems too dry or crumbly, incorporate an additional tablespoon of heavy cream. Press the dough ball into an 8-inch disk, ensuring it’s about 1 inch thick.
- Using a sharp knife, cut the dough disk into 8 uniform wedges, much like slicing a pizza.
- Carefully transfer the scone wedges onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Brush the tops of the scones with the remaining heavy cream (about 1 tablespoon).
- In a small bowl, prepare the topping by mixing together the granulated sugar, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Sprinkle this mixture generously over the top of each scone. Place the baking sheet with the prepared scones in the fridge for 15-20 minutes while your oven preheats to 400°F (200°C). This final chill helps the butter stay cold and promotes a better rise.
- Bake the scones in the preheated oven for 20-22 minutes, or until their edges are lightly golden brown and the tops are beautifully set.
- Once baked, remove the scones from the oven and let them cool on the baking sheet for at least a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool further.
- While the scones are cooling, prepare the sweet vanilla glaze. In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract until smooth and easily drizzle-able. Adjust consistency by adding more milk (for a thinner glaze) or more powdered sugar (for a thicker glaze) as needed.
- Drizzle the luscious vanilla glaze generously over the slightly cooled (or completely cooled) cinnamon scones just before serving. Enjoy!
Storage Solutions for Your Homemade Cinnamon Scones
While cinnamon scones are undeniably at their absolute best when served fresh, warm from the oven, you can certainly store them to enjoy later. Proper storage ensures they retain as much of their delightful texture and flavor as possible.
Once completely cooled, store your baked cinnamon scones in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. To refresh them, a quick reheat in a toaster oven or microwave can bring back some of their initial tenderness. Avoid refrigerating baked scones, as the cold air can dry them out and make them tough.
Freezing for Future Enjoyment
Scones are surprisingly freezer-friendly, allowing you to prepare them in advance and bake them fresh whenever a craving strikes!
Freezing Unbaked Scones: This is my preferred method for make-ahead convenience. After you’ve shaped and cut your scone wedges, arrange them on a baking sheet, making sure they aren’t touching. Freeze them solid for 1-2 hours. Once firm, transfer the frozen scones into a freezer-safe food storage bag or container, removing as much air as possible. They can be frozen for up to a month. When you’re ready to bake, remove the desired number of scones from the freezer and let them thaw on the counter for 1-2 hours. Then, brush with heavy cream, add the cinnamon-sugar topping, and bake as directed, potentially adding a couple of extra minutes to the baking time to ensure they cook through.
Freezing Already Baked Scones: You can also freeze baked scones. Allow them to cool completely. Arrange them on a baking sheet and freeze until solid. Once frozen, transfer them to a freezer-safe bag or container. They will keep well for about a month. To serve, remove them from the freezer and let them thaw at room temperature. You can gently warm them in a low oven for a few minutes before adding the glaze, which is best drizzled just before serving for the freshest taste.
Creative Recipe Variations to Customize Your Scones
While these cinnamon scones are perfect as is, they also offer a fantastic canvas for culinary creativity. Feel free to experiment with these delicious variations to suit your taste:
- Add Cinnamon Chips: For an extra burst of cinnamon flavor, fold in about 1 cup of cinnamon baking chips into the dough when you add the heavy cream mixture. These little morsels melt slightly during baking, creating pockets of intense spice.
- Elevate the Icing: The vanilla glaze is classic, but you can easily mix it up!
- Spiced Vanilla Glaze: Add a pinch (1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon) of ground cinnamon to your vanilla glaze for an extra layer of warmth.
- Coffee Glaze: Replace the milk in the glaze with an equal amount of leftover cooled coffee. This creates a delightful coffee icing that pairs beautifully with the cinnamon, reminiscent of enjoying a cinnamon roll with a freshly brewed cup of joe!
- Cream Cheese Glaze: For a richer, tangier topping, whisk softened cream cheese with powdered sugar, a splash of milk, and vanilla extract until smooth. This makes them even more like cinnamon rolls!
- Introduce Nuts or Dried Fruit: Roughly chop about 1/2 cup of pecans or walnuts and fold them into the dough along with the cinnamon chips (if using) for added texture and nutty flavor. Alternatively, a handful of dried cranberries or golden raisins can add a touch of fruity sweetness.
- Orange Zest Infusion: Add 1 teaspoon of orange zest to the dry ingredients for a bright, citrusy note that beautifully complements the cinnamon.
These fluffy, buttery cinnamon scones are more than just a recipe; they’re an experience. They make an ideal weekend brunch showstopper, a comforting afternoon snack with a cup of coffee, or a special treat to share with loved ones. And trust me, despite their impressive appearance, scones are significantly easier to make than you might think. Once you taste these homemade delights, you’ll agree they surpass any coffee shop offering you’ve tried before.
More Tasty Breakfast Recipes to Try
If you’ve enjoyed these Cinnamon Scones, you’re sure to love these other delicious breakfast and brunch ideas from my kitchen. Each recipe offers a unique way to start your day with flavor and comfort!
- Cinnamon Roll Pancakes: The classic cinnamon roll flavor infused into fluffy pancakes.
- Monkey Bread Muffins: Individual portions of sweet, pull-apart monkey bread.
- Cinnamon Roll Muffins: All the taste of cinnamon rolls in a convenient muffin form.
- Sourdough French Toast: A sophisticated take on a breakfast classic with tangy sourdough.
- Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake: A rich and moist cake studded with chocolate chips, perfect for pairing with coffee.
Cinnamon Scones
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Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 Tablespoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup cold butter
- 2/3 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 whole large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Topping
- 1 Tablespoons heavy cream
- 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 Tablespoon brown sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
Icing
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 Tablespoon milk
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
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In a large bowl mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt until it is well blended.2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, 1 Tablespoon baking powder, 2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon salt
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Use a box grater to grate your butter. You can put this in the freezer for a few minutes after it is grated to get it nice and cold again.1/2 cup cold butter
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Add butter to the flour mixture and use a pastry cutter to cut in the butter and have the mixture come together with pea-sized crumbs. Place in the fridge while you measure the next ingredients.
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In a separate bowl whisk together 2/3 cup heavy cream, brown sugar, egg and vanilla until nice and smooth.2/3 cup heavy cream, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1 whole large egg, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
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Pour the heavy cream mixture into the flour mixture and gently mix until everything appears to be blended and moist.
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Turn batter onto a lightly floured surface and use your hands to work the dough into a ball. If it is too sticky add a tiny bit more flour. If it is very dry, add a tablespoon more of heavy cream. Press the ball into an 8-inch disk that is about 1 inch thick.
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Use a sharp knife to cut the disk into 8 wedges.
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Place the wedges onto a lined baking sheet and brush with 1 Tablespoons heavy cream. Mix together sugar, brown sugar and cinnamon for the topping and sprinkle over each scone Put the baking sheet in the fridge for 15 minutes while you preheat the oven.1 Tablespoons heavy cream, 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar, 1 Tablespoon brown sugar, 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
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Preheat oven to 400º F.
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Bake scones for 20-22 minutes until the edges and top are lightly golden brown. Remove from the oven and let them cool for at least a few minutes.
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Make the icing by mixing the ingredients together until it is smooth and drizzle-able. Add more milk or sugar if necessary to get the right consistency.1 cup powdered sugar, 1 Tablespoon milk, 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
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Drizzle icing over scones to serve.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Additional Info
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