Soft, buttery cherry scones made with fresh, frozen, or canned cherries. A quick bake that's perfect with coffee or tea.
This easy cherry scone recipe is made with fresh cherries, but frozen or canned cherries work just as well.
I mentioned several times that we have a huge cherry tree in the garden. It's older than me, taller than our house, and every summer it gives us more cherries than we could ever eat fresh.
So I preserve jars and jars of cherries, make plenty of Candied Cherries, and bake as many cherry cakes as I can. These cherry scones are one of the quickest recipes I make.
If you still have cherries left, have a look at my Cherry Recipes collection or make these Easy Cherry Turnovers or Fluffy German Cherry Cake.
Ingredients: 8 + salt | Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 2 minutes | Servings: 8 scones | Difficulty: Easy
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What are scones?
Scones are small baked goods made with flour, butter, and baking powder. They originated in Britain but are now popular in many other countries.
British scones are lightly sweetened and usually served with butter, jam, or clotted cream. American-style scones tend to be sweeter and richer, often filled with fruit or chocolate.
These cherry scones are somewhere in between. They're tender, loaded with cherries, and only lightly sweetened. We often eat them plain, but they're also delicious with a little Cherry Butter the next day.
Recipe ingredients
Cherries: Fresh cherries are my favorite, but frozen or canned cherries work just as well.
- Fresh: Pit and chop them.
- Frozen: Thaw completely and pat dry.
- Canned: Drain very well and pat dry before using.
Butter: Use cold butter straight from the fridge and cube it before rubbing it into the flour. Small butter pieces help create tender, flaky scones.
- This Sweet Swiss Cherry Pie is also very special.
Milk: Whole milk is best, but semi-skimmed works too.
Almond extract (optional): A few drops of almond extract pair beautifully with cherries, but don't overdo it - it can easily overpower the fruit.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to make cherry scones?
Remove the pit from the cherries. This cherry pitter is great for the purpose.
Step #1: Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt into a large bowl. Stir in the sugar. Rub the cold butter cubes into the flour mixture with your fingertips until it resembles coarse breadcrumbs.
Step #2: Toss in the chopped cherries.
Step #3: Lightly beat one egg and reserve about ½ for brushing the scones. Whisk the remaining egg with the milk.
Step #4: Stir the milk into the flour mixture with a spoon until the dough just comes together.
Step #5: Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently shape it into a circle about 1 inch/ 2.5 cm thick and 9 inches/ 22 cm wide. Don't knead the dough.
Step #6: Cut into 8 wedges, flouring the knife if necessary. Place them on the baking sheet, brush with the reserved egg, sprinkle with brown sugar, and bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool on a wire rack.
Can you freeze scones?
Freeze before baking
Wrap the unbaked scones individually and freeze them on a flat tray until solid. Transfer them to freezer bags and freeze for up to 3 months.
Bake straight from the freezer while the oven preheats, adding a few extra minutes if needed.
Freeze after baking
Let the scones cool completely, freeze them in airtight bags or containers with parchment between the layers, and keep them for up to 3 months.
Thaw at room temperature and warm briefly in the oven before serving.
Tips
- Don't overmix or knead the dough.
- Keep the butter and milk cold.
- If the dough is sticky, dust the work surface lightly with flour.
- Bake as soon as you've shaped the scones.
How to serve scones?
These cherry scones are delicious warm or at room temperature.
Enjoy them plain with coffee or tea, or serve them with whipped cream, cherry butter, jam, or Lemon Curd. They're best on the day they're baked, but leftovers are lovely with a little jam the next morning.
Cherry Scones
Equipment
- Baking sheet
Ingredients
- 15-20 fresh cherries depending on size
- 3¾ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- pinch of salt
- â…“ cup granulated sugar
- â…“ cup unsalted butter
- 2 medium eggs
- ¾ cup + 2 tablespoons whole milk
- 1-2 tablespoons brown sugar as needed
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 460°F/ 240°C. Line the baking sheet with baking paper.
- Stone and chop the cherries. Set aside.15-20 fresh cherries
- Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt in a wide bowl. Lightly stir in the sugar.3¾ cup all-purpose flour + 2 teaspoons baking powder + pinch of salt + ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- Cut the butter into cubes and rub it into the flour mixture with your fingertips until the mixture resembles crumbs. Stir in the chopped cherries.â…“ cup unsalted butter
- You will need about 1 ½ egg for the dough and ½ egg for the egg wash. Break one egg in a cup. Whisk lightly. Pour ½ of the egg into another bowl and set it aside for brushing the scones before baking.2 medium eggs
- Combine dough: Mix the second egg and the half egg in the bowl. Add the milk and whisk together. Pour the egg-milk mixture into the flour mixture. Stir to mix with a spoon. The dough will be rather soft.¾ cup + 2 tablespoons whole milk
- Cut scones: Turn the dough onto a floured surface and shape with your hands into a round shape, about 9 inches/ 22 cm diameter and 1 inch/ 2.5 cm thick. Cut into 8 triangles, flouring the knife, if necessary.
- Brush: Transfer the scones to the prepared baking sheet and brush them with the remaining egg in the bowl. Sprinkle with brown sugar.1-2 tablespoons brown sugar
- Bake for about 12 minutes or until golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool.
Notes
- Measurements: A digital kitchen scale will give you the most precise measure, ensuring the best bake possible.
- Serve warm or cooled with clotted cream, whipped cream, jam, or Thermomix lemon curd.
grace says
i love all things cherry! these scones look perfect.
mjskitchen says
Thank you for sharing this recipe! A local bakery that used to make cherry scones shutdown about 2 years ago and I haven't had one since. They are my favorite and yours look so light and quite delicious.
Evi says
I really love fresh cherries at the moment, and these scones look super delicious! Also, the pictures are gorgeous, pinned 😉
angiesrecipes says
We adore scones 🙂 They are great even without all the jam and cream. These would make a perfect breakfast with some tea.
Anca says
Scones originate from Scotland, this is something that I discovered on my holiday in Scotland this year. Your recipe sounds very much like the British scones I make.
Scones are served with clotted cream and jam, anything else is just strange and frowned upon by scones enthusiasts. There is even a debate, if you put jam first (Cornwall way) or clotted cream first (Devon way). I prefer the former, while my husband the latter.