I realize that there is not a dearth of scone or biscuit recipes on this site, the internet, or cookbook shelves at large — they’re easy to make, and the good ones are, to me, a revelation. Still, I had not planned on adding to the category. I confess I’d been attempting to thin my cookbook collection a few months ago when I flipped through the cookbook that brought us these great early summer strawberry-rhubarb crisp bars bars and zoomed in on these stunners. How had I missed them? I made them for breakfast on son’s 10th birthday last week and the apartment smelled so blissful and fall-like, I decided to share them immediately on the site, haha just kidding.
No, I decided to mess with them. First, I tried them without an egg, using more of a cream scone formula. It works, but the shape was kind of a mess, nothing like charming open-book layers you see here, so fitting for a bookworm’s birthday. I considered making a pumpkin scone with the same cinnamon layers instead, but cannot bear to open a can of pumpkin while it’s still September. I thought about using browned butter (because of course I did) to deepen the flavor, but it didn’t do that much. Then I decided it would be fun to make them kind of rugelach-y, with jam, chopped nuts, and maybe even dried fruit between the layers. But finally, I remembered the name (One Bowl Baking) and the energy (simple) of the book and came back to my senses, because while all of these things would be good, none of them would be as much of a cinch to whip up. Like, now. With a strong cup of tea or coffee.
Previously
Six months ago: Extra-Flaky Pie Crust and Extra-Billowy Dutch Baby Pancake
One year ago: Breakfast Burritos
Two years ago: Marbled Banana Bread
Three years ago: Piri Piri Chicken and Chocolate Pavlova
Four years ago: Oat and Wheat Sandwich Bread
Five years ago: Cauliflower Slaw, Cucumber Lemonade, and Sunken Apple and Honey Cake
Six years ago: Fudgy Chocolate Sheet Cake and Frico Grilled Cheese Sandwich
Seven years ago: Roasted Apple Spice Sheet Cake and Homemade Wheat Thins
Eight years ago: Roasted Tomato Soup with Broiled Cheddar and Apple and Honey Challah
Nine years ago: Monkey Cake and Beef Chili + Sour Cream and Cheddar Biscuits
Ten years ago: Grilled Lamb Kebabs + Tzatziki and Snickerdoodles
Eleven years ago: Spinach Quiche, Bread Without A Timetable and Black-and-White Cookies
Twelve years ago: Tortilla de Patatas and Chocolate Babka
Thirteen years ago: Orange Chocolate Chunk Cake
Cinnamon Sugar Scones
- 1 3/4 cups (230 grams) all-purpose flour, plus more for counter
- 6 tablespoons (75 grams) granulated sugar, divided
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 8 tablespoons (4 ounces or 115 grams) unsalted butter, cold, diced
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) half-and-half or 2 tablespoons each milk and heavy cream, cold
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, divided
In a large bowl, combine the flour, 3 tablespoons of the sugar, baking powder, and salt. Pinch the butter into the dry mixture with your fingers or cut it in (with a pastry blender; I use this one) until it resembles coarse cornmeal. Make a well (clear area) in the center and pour in the half-and-half, then the egg. Use a fork to gently combine the egg and cream in the center, then use it to combine everything into a rough mass. Dip your hands into the bowl and knead the mixture a few times into an even mass.
On a lightly floured counter, roll the dough to roughly a 10-by-6-inch rectangle (think: a piece of paper but a little smaller). Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of the remaining sugar and 1 teaspoon of the cinnamon over half of the rectangle (it will seem like too much but trust me, these scones do not end up overly sweet), then fold it in half. Roll the dough out again into an 8-by-6-inch rectangle; sprinkle another of the remaining tablespoons of sugar and the last teaspoon of cinnamon over half, then fold in half again. Do not roll again, just pat the dough into roughly a 6-inch circle and cut with a sharp knife into 6 wedges. Evenly space the wedges on the pan, sprinkle with final tablespoon of sugar, and bake until slightly golden at the edges, 15 to 17 minutes.
Do ahead: Really, scones are better the first day, freshly baked. You can rewarm them in the oven briefly on the second, but it’s always a bit more dry. You could make them and freeze them until needed instead. You’ll probably need 4 to 5 extra minutes in the oven if baking them from frozen.
These look like weekend perfection! Your dreamy creamy scones are my all-time favorite – and I’ve made a LOT of scones. Can’t wait to try these!
Can the dough be made ahead of time and refrigerated? Or have you found it’s better to bake same day?
Can you easily double the recipe?
Easily — but I’d make each into its own packet of 6 scones.
Which pastry blender do you use?
I would love to make these, is it possible to sub the quarter cup of milk/cream with water? Or would be using an extra egg be better? I never have milk in the house as I’m lactose intolerant, I have goat butter which I tolerate so I can add extra butter if I need more fat? These look amazing and I’d love to try and make them.
Could you try coconut or almond milk?
I have thought of that, but I would hate to buy something or open a package just to use such a small amount. I don’t use it that stuff for most other things… But I guess I could freeze some leftovers?
Canned milk? Also I have used my coffee creamer. I usually have both of these either because of baking or because I drink coffee daily.We either have milk or we do not. I personally do not drink it because of issues with it.
Kim, not sure they’d work since butter and cream are so important in scones. I’d suggest learning to make your own almond milk and coconut milk, though. So easy to do and you keep the dry ingredients in the cabinets ’til you need to make it. Not a lot of waste that way. Maybe very rich coconut milk would do. Good luck.
Hi Patrick, sorry for the late reply, I do appreciate your comments. I haven’t thought about making my own nut milk, I understand almond milk is pretty easy, but I’ve never heard of making your own coconut milk? I will have to Google that! thx! I want diffusing water for the scones, and they were delicious! But I imagine if I used nut milk it would add more body. As I tolerate goat milk products I did use goat butter, so I did have a decent fat in there.
Way late here, but cream doesn’t actually have lactose in it. Anything with zero carbs (blocks of cheese, butter, cream, etc.) has no lactose, as it is a milk sugar and would show up as a carb.
All cow milk cheeses, cream and butter have lactose Nancy. Aged cheeses and butter have much less but saying they and cream have none is completely incorrect.
Kim, I have the same problem with wanting to use small amounts of milk substitute and not wanting to make a batch myself. I found these little juice box size boxes of almond and coconut milk. It is more packaging, but less overall waste.
Kim, posting this late, so I don’t know if you’ll see it, but I am also extremely lactose intolerant, and sub water in most things, including scones, with no problem, so I doubt it would be a problem here. For me, water has worked better than alternative milks in baked goods and things like pancakes.
Another thing you could try if you want, is to add lacteeze drops to cream a day or two ahead of time. It’s available online. But I seldom bother, except for something really special, like homemade ricotta, because I get some annoying effects even with “lactose-free” items, if I’m not careful, and am guessing it’s the same for you.
Hi NM, sorry for the late reply… I really appreciate your comments, because I always wondered what other people thought of those supposedly lactose free products, LOL. I could never understand how milk for example could be sold as lactose free, when the actual bottle of the medicine says things like take 1 to 3 tablets every time you eat and adjust as necessary, so how did the manufacturers of these dairy products know how much to put in? And the medicine is so frightfully expensive, I just don’t bother. so again I appreciate your thoughts on that. I did wind up making the scones, I used water and they were great. I seem to tolerate goat dairy products fairly well, so I used goat butter, and it seem to be OK. Not that I eat a lot of the scones every day, so my risk is minimal. Good to know I can use water as a substitute for other things, I never thought of that!
I always substitute lactose-free milk for regular milk in recipes (it’s worth noting also that the higher the fat content in a dairy product, the lower the amount of lactose; e.g. butter).
My extra late comment is oat milk is the easiest of all varieties to make and goes great with almost any baked goods. It’s also the most economical substitute.
use lactaid or take digestive enzyme (lactase) the milk fat does a lovely chemistry thing to the dough for this one, in my experience
Made these today for afternoon tea with a friend. Super tasty! I added cardamom(just about a teaspoon overall) I just enjoy it with cinnamon…love the recipe! Thank you!
Don’t make the dough in advance unless you’re freezing the scones unbaked — directions at the end. Once baking powder is mixed, it’s working.
I just made these for Easter breakfast! Milk is scarce during quarantine, so I mixed some (slightly expired) sour cream with water instead. They were delicious!
Whoa! I came here because I wanted something sweet with my coffee and was going to make my go-to, Dreamy Cream Scones. But now I’ll be making these! Never stop, Deb.
Update: I made these and our home smells like heaven. They are amazing with my coffee!
I LOVE this book! After you it’s my go to when I MUST bake. Great for my 14 year old
British Bake Off obsessed daughter. Thank you for always being generous with calling out others.
Should the egg be cold? Is that a silly question?
These are so easy and good – thanks for a great way to start off a Monday!
I made these today, and they have a really bitter aftertaste. Is 1 T of baking powder really correct? I think I would try next time with 1 t instead. They taste good otherwise, but the aftertaste is really off!
There are two factors with a metallic taste, usually. One is if you’re at an altitude, you might find you need less baking powder to get the right rise (and excess baking powder will leave that chemical taste). A second is more my personal preference; I prefer aluminum-free baking powders (Rumson and other brands; I think I use Bob’s Red Mill these day). I find they have less of a metallic taste, even if there’s too much.
Thanks so much for the feedback! I made them again today with 2 t non-aluminum baking powder, and they’re perfect! (I am not at high altitude.)
Love the layered approach. So many possibilities. Do you think a pear and gruyere version would work or would the cheese just all melt out?
Would a light egg wash on top help these to brown a bit more or help the sugar to adhere better? They look absolutely amazing as is, just curious as other recipes sometimes suggest that. Thanks!
It will probably help a little — or maybe just an egg yolk wash.
You had to go and mention pumpkin and now I’m a little obsessed…. how much pumpkin would you add? With the wet ingredients?
I’d probably start here and use 3/4 cup pumpkin puree instead of sweet potato. Let me know how it goes!
Quick question: do you think it’d work to make a single batch but split into two rectangles so that it ends up making 12 mini scones? These look AMAZING and would love to make them for my daughter’s brunchy birthday party. Thank you for sharing!
I was ready to jump in the kitchen but I only have whole milk, not half and half or heavy cream! Any thoughts about whether that would ruin the whole thing??!
Love your name. I am MamaKass to my kids’ friends even those these kids are now all in their 20’s.
Probably won’t ruin it or anything. :)
I was in the same boat. I had success with mixing plain whole milk Greek yogurt in with the whole milk just to thicken the milk up a bit more. They came out great!
Truly the easiest scones ever! I just made these, and, since I’m lazy and lack a pastry cutter, used my food processor. Worked fine! I did end up leaving them in for 18 mins because they weren’t quite ready at 15-17.
These look wonderful and will make soon but really writing because I can’t believe your boy is double digits already.
I woke up this morning to this post, and needed to get them in the oven. Like right away. Before I even had coffee (because I knew my coffee would taste better with a scone, right?). Because I needed to make these “right away” that meant I didn’t have time to go to the store for half and half or heavy cream. I substituted a mixture of whole milk and plain, full fat Greek yogurt (approximately equal parts, but just keep adjusting until it sort of resembles heavy cream). The scones came out beautifully!
These scones are quick and easy — there’s enough time to clean up the mess AND make your coffee just in time for them to come out of the oven.
I do this trick all the time! I always have plain full-fat Greek yoghurt in the house, but rarely cream. It works a treat for lots of things, and occasionally I even sub the milk for water or almond milk with no issues. The only change I make is to sub Chinese 5 Spice powder for cinnamon.
Thanks for the reminder that these will be great without the cream and I’m going to get them in the oven in 5… 4… 3…
I made these this morning but I had an awful time getting the dough to not stick to everything but its self!!
Same here! Sticky mess. In the oven now…
Given that those strawberry rhubarb thingies are law in this house (think I’ll be making peach/cherry this weekend), these just seem like a must-do. (And I probably need that cookbook)
I made these! Very easy and delicious (and I am not at all much of a baker). Perfect scone texture – not too dry but crumbly. The layers are amazing. The sugar on top doesn’t pick up color which probably only surprised me since, again – not a baker. But it sticks to the top better than I expected. Really highly recommend. Will be making these making more times.
Ooh. My mom always made baking powder biscuit dough (recipe from a disintegrating copy of a Better Homes & Gardens bread cookbook) that she spiraled around cinnamon sugar and chopped apples as a weekend treat. It’s one of the very first things I learned to bake but I haven’t made them in forever. As perfect as this recipe sounds, I need to mash it up with some apples as soon as possible!
Update: the apples may have prevented the beautiful “opening book” rise by poking through a few layers of dough, but the scones still tasted delicious!
So I woke up, checked here (not a typical move first thing in the morning), and saw these! They’re in the oven now, and I’ve replaced the cinnamon with cardamom (preference). However, I found that the layers wanted to fall apart really easily. Do you think that I needed to add a little bit more liquid to the dough? It was fairly dry (not Sahara, but more like crisp autumn day?). Or is that just something that’s normal? Maybe dependent on the specific sugar (I used organic granulated)?
Either way, excited to have these in the next hour!
The layers will naturally want to separate — just be sure not to overbake these, because the more the layers separate, the faster it will bake.
Made this last night and am so pleased. I did swap the white sugar for the same weight in brown sugar and I highly recommend it for extra flavor depth. These MUST cool before cutting though. Don’t trick yourself into thinking otherwise ;)
Oh my good lord these were fantastic. The dough did seem slightly drier than id like but it came together fine. I used a scale—wonder if folks who found the scones dry maybe didn’t use a scale or overcooked the scones?
I am an avid baker—I make awesome biscuits, cakes, waffles, pies, cinnamon rolls, croissants, you make it. These were awesome!!!! We added some apple butter to the leftover scones mid afternoon and practically fainted. Hubby said it was the best baked good I’ve made this whole year. And so easy!
Oh gosh. These look amazing. I’m on the hunt for an opportunity to make them already. Is it bad I want to drizzle glaze all over them?
I was thinking that myself!
Kristin, I say we go for it!
OOOOH! Cannot wait to make these. I’m glad to know they came from One Bowl Baking. I have that book but cannot seem to get further than the peanut butter and jelly bars, which are so good that I have to make them every time I pick up the book. Because with all that protein from the peanut butter they’re practically healthy and definitely appropriate fuel for breakfast, or lunch, or anytime…right?
These look amazing! Do you think coconut milk could sub out the dairy? Thanks!
Wondering the same. Or oat milk? We can’t have dairy in this household, but would LOVE to make these.
I can sub out butter for vegan butter and the egg for an egg replacer( also can’t have eggs:().
What do you use for egg in recipes like this? I usually go with the golden flax egg with the ratio of 3tbs hot water to 1tbs golden flax meal. Have you tried many egg replacement variations? Any that are good for baked goods using 2 eggs?
I’ve successfully used full fat coconut milk (the organic green one with tons of cream) for cream or half-and-half in scone recipes.
Thinking about making these for a work breakfast meeting- do you think I could make tiny rounds and get 12 mini scones instead of 6 full-sized ones?
Instead of rounds, shape it into a longer rectangle and cut 12 smaller triangles from that (like zigzag pattern)
Yes.
In the past when I’ve started in on baking only to realize I’m out of eggs, or that I’m one egg short, I whisk together two tablespoons of water, a teaspoon of vegetable oil and two teaspoons of baking powder. Since this recipe only calls for one egg, I’d try it here if you don’t have another egg sub available! It’s worked perfectly for me in brownies and cookies.
Thanks, Sarah!
These are delish!!!
Is there a way to add pumpkin to the dough for less of the other liquid? It sounds like a good combo to me but I’m not sure how to execute.
These were beautiful! My issue is they tasted like ‘metal’, maybe too much baking powder? I used th Tbl called for. I used salted butter but I don’t think that would give it the strange taste. Any ideas/suggestions?
No idea if it could be a factor, but if you’ve had COVID-19 some baked goods may smell/taste like metal for some time.
Very late response! But maybe you’ll see? I’ve had that metallic taste in baking powder as well. Since using aluminum-free BP, I haven’t noticed. But I have read that adding a small amount of baking soda (1/2 tsp) will counteract some of that metallic taste. Worth more googling bc I don’t trust my memory!
I just made a batch with oat milk and they came out fine! Also used pumpkin pie spice rather than cinnamon, because why not?
Did you use just oat milk? Or did you add something extra to subsitute the fatness of the half-and-half?
Probably. Use some of the fat from it, so it’s not too lean.
Thanks!!
Laying in bed this morning…checking my Facebook feed…and THIS pops up. Flour, sugar, butter? Check, check, check.
In the oven now…..
My kids love cinnamon, so I had a feeling they would love these. They did!
These scones are literally perfect. I bought the book after seeing it mentioned here in an earlier post. We first tried the scones in 2017, while baking our way through Hurricane Irma cabin fever —fending off boredom eating with boredom cooking— and trying to use up the butter before the inevitable power loss. They were so memorable, and they will forever be known as “storm scones” in our house. Thanks for a great recommendation!
Mimi – I can totally relate to this comment. Recently relieved storm stress by making Hurricane Dorian carrot cake – with carrots I had hurriedly harvested before the inevitable flooding tide… :D
Thinking about these with some chocolate pieces in between the layers. Sort of the scone version of your chocolate coffee cake.
This was absolutely on my agenda! I even worked sour cream into an audition.
What’s the difference between an (American) biscuit and a scone? I’ve never been able to figure that out.
Nobody knows. :) (Someone will say they know, but there’s no rule. Here, scones are usually sweeter and more rich, biscuits are more savory, but you’ll find many recipes that contradict this.)
I am not the authority on all biscuits, but in the American South a biscuit is mostly savory (some recipes may have a tiny bit of sugar, but sweet is not the dominant flavor), and they are a lot fluffier than a scone. I think of scones as being sweet and dense, biscuits as being savory/buttery and fluffy.
I agree with this statement! ^
This recipe had the shortest amount of time between when it was posted, I read it, and then made it. So so so good on a Saturday morning and a quick recipe that made me look like a star to my family. Thanks, Deb!
Hi Deb! My pastry cutter blew into pieces a while back and I’ve been looking for the perfect, sturdy one, to replace it. You mention “I use this one” in your recipe, but there’s no link. Strange that I care, I know, … but right now I’m actually caring! Thanks so much for being awesome – J
I found this one linked in another SK recipe (for pastry crust): https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000QJE48O?ie=UTF8&tag=smitten-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000QJE48O
Ha! Whoops; now added. It’s this, by the way.
Looks good! If I don’t have fine sea salt, do you think I would be better off subbing regular table salt or coarse sea salt? Will it matter much?
Table salt if you want to use it measure for measure, if coarse salt, you can double it.
Good googly moogly those are SO GOOOOOOD. saw the recipe, walked to the kitchen. Pronounced by all the best ever.
These look amazing. I am going to surprise my husband with these for breakfast for tomorrow because he loves cinnamon anything.
I don’t know if I somehow did something wrong but mine came out very dry. It seems maybe brushing some butter prior to adding the sugar and cinnamon would moisten them a little.
I own that book. Probably read about it your site? Anyway, thanks for reminding me…I’ve got some of these in my freezer! Whipped up a batch a few weeks ago when a friend was coming for coffee. And, mine actually look like your picture! They’re delicious too.
These came together in about 20 minutes. They are delicious but a bit dry. I added a few extra splashes of milk to help the dough come together. I did more patting than rolling because parts of the dough were really sticky. My family loved them and I added butter to mine at the table. Super tasty!
I have another version of this where, instead of layering the dough, you roll it into a log and then slice it into pinwheels. Yumm!!
Quick question: do you think it’d work to make a single batch but split into two rectangles so that it ends up making 12 mini scones? These look AMAZING and would love to make them for my daughter’s brunchy birthday party. Thank you for sharing! (Sorry I am reposting, I got lost in mobile format!)
That should work. I also feel like, and I haven’t worked out the folding yet, there’s potential to make a long, narrower rectangle and then do angled cuts to make triangles from it.
I’m thinking if the first roll was into a square, then in half, then in half the long skinny way, that should do it. It’s what I’m going to try for my oldest’s 13 birthday… I love having a kid who loves baked goods!
Made these this morning. A hit with the kids, but they didn’t ask for seconds. The dough is nice but combined with the cinnamon/sugar filling, I thought the scones were a touch dry. Might try again with a wetter filling, or at least top with an egg wash and turbinado sugar (instead of granulated.)
So easy and so light and delicious! It’s going to be hard to stop myself from making these every day…
Those look amazing and I’m totally making them today!
Question: I kinda want to mix in a bit of cocoa powder with the cinnamon.. Do you think that would work?
It might work, although I bet that finely grated dark chocolate could have more impact.
Thanks Deb! I ended doing half Pumpin pie spices and half unsweetened cocoa, it worked really well. Suggestion for finely grated dark chocolate is duly noted for next time!! And thanks again for the recipe, these are the best scones I ever made. My partner, who really doesn’t like scones usually, absolutely fell in love with those. Not dry at all, perfectly crumbly and so easy to make!!
made twice. my dough was very dry and crumbly both times, though they did bake up pretty good. was careful with the flour even weighed it one time. i guess i could/should add some extra liquid when that happens. any thoughts? thanks!
OK I can’t do another thing until I get these scones in my oven!
My goodness, I can’t believe your son is 10 years old!! You’ve been emailing me blogs and recipes all these years, long before you were pregnant. I also have both cookbooks. Thank you for taking the time to share your life and love of food with us. You have been enjoyed. Can’t wait to try these cinnamon sugar scones.
These are superb!
The other things I cooked yesterday (a cold avocado/cucumber soup, and white fish) were overwhelmingly meh, so these were the highlight. Bonus: since I froze most of the triangles, I had another this morning for breakfast!
Things I did differently: I patted out the dough instead of rolling it (lazy me), and forgot the final sugar sprinkle.
More musings: I really like the book-like ‘leaves’ of these scones. Next time, I may experiment with cutting from a rectangle, rather than a square, to have little blissful cinnamon-y ‘books’ instead of triangles.
Wow, these are perfect for this quiet, rainy Sunday morning. I was looking for something to go with the motherlode of peach jam we just made but these scones stand alone!
TENTH birthday??? Wow, time flies (I’m sure you don’t need to be told). I remember the announcement of his birth on here – still following! Happy birthday!
Made with half butter/half shortening, and coconut milk in place of the half n’ half, to reduce the dairy. Success! Fluffy and delicious.
Sorry sorry, I know I’m wasting valuable comment space, but HOW is Jacob 10 already? He was just born, I tell you, with that tiny comb for his tiny curls!
What kind of birthday cake did we make him this year?
And the scones do look lovely, and I will be trying them, most definitely with pumpkin.
I know! It’s very upsetting! I kind of borked his cake this year, not that anyone cared, it was just with family. It was a small peanut butter ice cream cake with oreo-ish icebox cookie discs but the ice cream wasn’t firm enough and the cookies didn’t fully soften. I’ll myself out!
Oh Deb, you are wonderful. An melty peanut butter ice cream chocolate wafer cake sounds tremendous!
Just had these for breakfast with coffee. Perfection, I will definitely be making them again.
Thanks Deb
Ps we have both your books and absolutely love your attention to detail.
Made these this morning for Sunday coffee and a sweet (most often something scones or fruit/topping based). Made as in recipe, I LOVE cinnamon anything!!, by the ingredients should have known it would be most biscuity..and it was. Still good. I’m dying to use the same dough with a poppy seed filling or a jam I’ve made plus nuts. Then again, might as well go over to your rugelach recipe and make those!!! but I know those taste better when cream cheese melds in the baked item, and this recipe is better right out of oven!
Just made these and subbed plain kefir for the half and half and swapped in half a cup of whole wheat flour. Used turbinado sugar on top. I messed up with my board and pin not being well floured so stuff got sticky and didn’t fold quite right but still look and taste delicious!
Perfect way to start Fall! Didn’t have milk/cream so I used 1/2 cup of unsweetened almond milk. The dough came together perfectly – not too dry or wet.
Can I somehow make them nondairy (without butter)? Do they freeze well?
Oh. Baby. These are so simple and so delicious. I used whole milk with no trouble, used salted butter, and only put in a tiny bit of extra salt. I cut 12 mini triangles for the final product. Instead of the initial 10×6 rectangle, I made two rectangles measuring just under 7×5 inches each. I found it hard to form it into a nice circle and my triangles aren’t as picturesque (my work space may have had too much flour?), but hot damn these are delightful. I only cooked 2 and froze the rest- planning to serve at a brunch party along with other little bites.
Another great recipe! Thank you deb! My dough was a bit drier than yours looked. i was using a farm fresh egg and i think that sometimes effects moisture especially in this small of a batch. I tipped another TBS of cream in and it was exactly like yours. Lovely workable dough. Insanely easy. Moist,tender and Delicious!
Subbed the half and half for half oat milk, half greek yogurt, and came out just wonderful!
Snap – I made a very similar scone recipe with cinnamon sugar filling on the weekend but it was rolled out and then rolled up into scrolls or pinwheels – I have just blogged about my cinnamon scroll scones too!
What a wonderful way to celebrate your son’s birthday both with a yummy bake and filling your house with a cinnamon aroma. (I wanted to make mine with pumpkin but sadly my daughter wont eat pumpkin.)
Made these this morning. They were the most incredible scones i have ever made. I do always find that i use a lot more liquid than ever called for in a scone recipe…this one included. Still it was awesome!!! Thank you, Deb!
This looks like genius! I will try it this weekend!
I’ve got to make these, but don’t have fine – or any – sea salt. Can Morton’s table salt be substituted? Would the measurement change?
Use half the suggested amount of salt
Oh my gosh, I cannot wait to make these!! Absolutely beautiful! And if in October or November you’d like to add a note at the bottom about how you’d adapt for a pumpkin version, I wouldn’t hate 😂
These are amazing!! As promised, super easy, delicious and also very fancy-looking!!!
I keep coming back to look at these scones but I really want to smother them in cream cheese icing drizzle. This is what I shall try!
Wonderfully superb. I’m at high altitude and these still worked, always a gamble. I used just whole milk, but otherwise kept it true to the recipe ! I made it my 3 year old and they still came out. So simple and scrumptious. I would say half way between pie crust and a cinnamon roll. Made a quick glaze with powdered sugar, milk and vanilla and drizzled on top. Gonna keep the dough recipe for my go-to scone recipe and fill the layers with any of the things! (Nutella?! Savory ham and cheese!? Jam!? Lemon curd !? Endless possibilities !)
I quit coffee and tea for a month (needed to reduce my addicting to caffeine!) I can finally have coffee again starting Friday. I now know what I am going to make/eat with my first cup. I can’t wait. These look divine!!!!!
I just made these and they are wonderful. I did a flax egg with 1 tbs flax to 3 tbs water. My layers didn’t fuse well during rolling them out so I had to be extra careful moving them, but they are just fine after baking.
I also used ceylon cinnamon cause that’s what I had and it is just on the verge of being too much so if you tend to add extra cinnamon to recipes I would not for this one. I just sorta sprinkled it from my teaspoon, but for the next time I will try sifting the cinnamon on for a more even distribution. I will be doing these again very soon.
I often use 2/3 of the cinnamon level when using Vietnamese cinnamon, which might be similar in its intensity, if not the same.
So good! Easy to make dough and forgiving when your folds don’t look as tidy as you’d hope. Definitely use all the sugar, though maybe more inside and less on top since some fell off. Yum!
When I made these the dough was way too liquid. A nightmare to roll out and the dough kept ripping and breaking when I would fold it to achieve the cinnamon sugar layers. What did I do wrong?
what can I substitute the egg with?
I read this post on Tuesday and then I baked these scones on Tuesday. They were amazing. The perfect combination of scones and the piecrust scrap cookies my mom taught me to make when making pie. Very easy for how neat the results looked. My kids know to rush in after school if they hear me say, “Well, there was this new Smitten Kitchen recipe…”
I made this with Silk Coconut creamer and a mix of white and whole spelt, arrowroot & whole wheat pastry flour and it was perfect. Puffed up very well and soft and dry (in a good way!) like a british scone. But the dimensions of rolling it out didn’t make sense to me. It was way too short to fold in the ways Deb says. Not sure what else they could be?
Does it matter which orientation the dough is in when I fold it? Am I always to fold it to divide the longest sides in half?
Made these with the “help” :) of my 3-year-old this afternoon and am now enjoying one with a cup of tea while she’s watching a show and the baby is napping. The perfect afternoon escape before the witching hour begins! So easy to make and they’re the perfect texture (and we’re in London so I’ve done a lot of scone research). I think I’ll pick up some clotted cream for the rest. Thanks for another great recipe!
Made these last night- quite easy, considering that I used a few kitchen tools that I don’t normally have to whip out (pastry cutter, rolling pin – obvs not a pie maker, here). Used whole wheat pasty flour and the dough was quite wet, so I needed my bench scraper to help with the folding. Still, turned out nice and tender – not too dry. Next time I think I’ll sub brown sugar for the layers and raw sugar on top for added moisture and crunch.
Can I just query the amount of baking powder required? I made these the other day, and one tablespoon of baking powder seemed a *lot* – they tasted good, but they also tasted quite a bit like baking powder, and so I’m not sure if I’m missing anything.
Are you sure you used baking powder and not soda?
I had the same experience with mine. They also rose quite a bit more than Deb’s did. I wonder if maybe mine was *too* fresh? I might adjust to 2 tsp next time.
I also wondered about the amount of baking powder called for…especially when I could really taste the baking powder in the scones (never welcome). The dough was quite puffy, so I think I’ll use a bit less next time (2t?) and see what happens.
Saw it. Baked it. Wrote this comment. In 45 minutes. (this includes “help” from my kids AND a run to the store because we didn’t have an egg.) Thank you for making something so good and easy (it really was one bowl! even recipes that promise that are usually lying). This is what my fall needed.
I randomly came to this site not knowing I wanted scones. Then, 45 minutes later, I was eating delicious scones. What a great easy recipe!
I love your recipes but i really admire you trying to mimic something. Years ago, in Doylestown, PA there was a 1-woman shop cranking out scones. She sold them as “J-scones” and these reminded me of them a bit. They’re flaky and layer-y and totally delicious. But not quite the same. Has anyone ever had J-Scones? or have a recipe for them? or tried to copy them?
Never heard of J Scones, but if they taste anything like these, I highly recommend them!
Should I spray the baking sheet if I don’t have parchment paper?
Despite a sunny fall day, I found myself in a real funk today (after reading too much news) and needed something to get me off the couch and away from Sudoku. These looked tricky to me (kinda croissant-type anxiety) but I plunged in and tried them. They are truly heavenly! I know I will make these often! The only thing I will do differently next time is use Penzey’s Cinnamon, and do the rolling/folding/filling/cutting part on lightly floured parchment. Thanks, Deb! My mood is hugely improved. I could eat 2-3 of these at one time!
So beautiful!
These were great! Pretty, easy, and quick. My knitting group ate them up!
Oh my goodness these are amazing! I made a double batch and ran out of cinnamon so the second batch I did with cardamom and fresh orange zest. Both were unreal. So light and fluffy.
Sunday morning breakfast success. These were pretty easy to make and like most scones, work just fine with whole milk and using a stand mixer. I had some slippage of the layers but mostly on the skinnier wedges I cut. I’ll try to smoosh things a bit more next time. Delicious!
I printed this recipe last night and left it out for my 10 year old and her sleepover friend who made them first thing this morning while I slept in. (😊!!) They didn’t get the folding thing and just cut them into rectangles after the first fold but the scones still worked wonderfully. Great consistency, easy to make, and super tasty.
Made these on this dreary rainey morning. They were so easy and so yummy. They looked just like the photo. This recipe is a real keeper!!!
Made these to bring to work last weekend. They were gone immediately! Even people who said they didn’t like scones said they’ve changed their minds if these are what scones are. (I live in Upstate NY and it’s apple picking time so I made a batch of apple butter and spread a thin swipe on what would be the middle fold before baking. So delicious.)
love that idea!!
These are delicious and almost like a cross between a cinnamon roll and a scone. so many craggy yummy edges!! Another Winner!! Thanks so much Deb!!
Love this recipe as it did not scare me to make it first thing in the morning when I’m not at my best :-) as with an earlier Baker I too was devastated when I awoke to fine I did not have any half-and-half. So I took her advice and substituted yogurt and they came out amazing. So amazing I’m making them again this weekend while my daughter is home from college!
I’ve made these three times now, and while delicious, I find they all kid of topple over and flay out when they puff up during baking. How did you keep them in need little stacks??
I made these this morning following the recipe exactly, but after stirring in the milk and egg it was too dry to come together into a mass so I added a splash ( maybe 1tsp) more of cream and that did the trick. The humidity is very low right now so perhaps that was the issue. I did my rolling on lightly floured parchment since everything sticks to our counters. Baked for 16 minutes and they came out perfect and tender. So quick from start to finish and now the house smells like cinnamon! I’ll make these again next time I want cinnamon rolls or bread but don’t want to deal with the time those take to make.
I made these. And since I’m at 6500 ft, they really puffed up, and then toppled over. Oopsie.
I added a tiny bit more liquid, but next time I’ll cut the baking powder to 2 tsp instead of the full tablespoon.
So did mine! And I’m at sea level. They also tasted quite a bit of baking powder… I’m thinking of adjusting to 2 tsp next time as well. Still SO delicious though.
these were a quick, easy afternoon scone. tastes like a cinnamon roll. I added pecans.
I’ve made these twice now as a pumpkin version- I omit two tablespoons of butter and two tablespoons of milk and sub in 1/4 cup of pumpkin. It makes a softer scone but very tasty!
These were delicious and as Deb said, not as sweet as you think. Living in the UK, half and half is hard to come by so I took a tip from a fellow commentor and mixed whole milk and a bit of greek yogurt and all turned out well.
They were a bit wetter than I expected when I was mixing so I dusted it with a lot more flour to keep it malleable but otherwise definitely a repeat recipe!
Made a double batch this morning, they turned out delish! I did add a basic sugar glaze which made them extra indulgent.
These are so good! I’ve made them 3 times, twice with milk only and once with half and half, and for some reason just milk came out better. Also, forgot the sugar on top for the first, put it on for the second, and left it off for the 3rd and just did an egg white wash on top to give them some shine. Such a great recipe!
The scones were lovely and reminded me of a recipe my mom would make when I was a kid. She made a biscuit dough, rolled it into a large rectangle, combined butter, cinnamon and sugar and slathered that onto the dough. She then rolled the dough jelly roll style and cut them into rounds like a cinnamon roll. Baked them in a muffin tin and they were delicious! I’m sure she made them when my dad and I would beg her for cinnamon rolls and she didn’t have the time. Thanks for the stroll down memory lane and another winner recipe.
This is now the only scone recipe I will ever use. I pretty much always have these ingredients on hand so I think I will make them again this weekend. I might add a touch of nutmeg and brown sugar.
I made these on a whim this morning and they are delicious! A great cross between a scone and cinnamon bun. Spouse reports that they are delicious with a very pleasant texture, and that they might stick together a bit more when they cool down (we couldn’t help but eat them right after their exit from the oven).
My dough came out sticky but nothing that a flour dusting couldn’t fix. I also was half paying attention to the folding and sugar/cinnamon sprinkling directions yet it still came out wonderfully. A forgiving recipe!
Just made these this morning and they were delicious! Followed the whole recipe exactly with two exceptions. First, I had to add another tablespoon of milk to get the dough to come together. Second, I poured a glaze of powdered sugar, vanilla bean paste and maple syrup over the top after baking. They tasted like cinnamon pop tarts in the BEST possible way.
Please after preparing mine was too moist than it appeared in the picture please what could be my mistake?
These came out delicious. My dough was not dry at all, rather moist. I used a scale, NOT a cup to measure the flour accurately. My family asked for more so I am making a double batch today for weekday breakfasts/snacks.
INCREDIBLY DISAPPOINTING. I was so looking forward to making these scones, but they did not hold together, even with the addition of more liquid. It would also be better to mix the cinnamon and sugar together, the cinnamon would be better distributed. Unfortunately, this recipe is not a keeper in my book.
These were delicious! I saw a few comments where people were out of half and half or didn’t have cream and I was in the same boat, so I substituted the milk component with a 1/8 cup of Greek yogurt and 1/8 cup of oat milk. They baked up well and tasted amazing. Simple and easy and a great way to warm up the house on a Sunday morning – great accompaniment to my cup of coffee too! Can’t wait to try the recipe with the correct ingredients :)
I’m so grateful, always, for your explanations and notes at the beginning — especially here, as I had some of the exact same thoughts myself (“how about using the dough for her dreamy cream scones recipe instead?” “ugh, ‘real scones’ haven’t an egg.” etc.) so I shall do as you instruct — you have never ever led me wrong! — and make as written!
This time, at least ;)
This recipe has become a staple in my home! I probably made this at least four to five times in the past two weeks. In fact, I just finished making a batch for the freezer so the family can easily bake them when I’m not around. Thanks for sharing!
I came across this recipe when searching for afternoon tea recipes for after school for the kids. These sounds sweet and amazing. Thanks for sharing!!!
Cinnamon sugar scones are my favorite sweet treat at the coffee shop but I’ve never tried to make them at home. I’m sure they’ll be so much better fresh from the oven! Thanks for sharing!
This looks delicious! Would it still work if I substituted the milk for a dairy free milk?
Made these today. They were so easy and so good. Great recipe
I made this and it was delicious. You were absolutely right that it looks like too much sugar and cinnamon but then totally isn’t. I also re-tried this with a technique I learned from America’s test kitchen which was rather than dicing the butter and pinching it, using frozen butter and grating it with a coarse cheese grater. Makes perfectly shaped bits of cold butter every time and I it works great. Have you ever tried that?
Perfect in every way! I used a cheese grater to grate the butter, which was super easy. These are absolutely a make again.
This is a wonderful recipe. We thank you.
Um, yum! These came out great. Came together easily. Clean up done before they were done baking. Sunday morning perfection. I may not share. Haha.
These are super tasty and extremely easy to make. I like to prepare the dough ahead of time and freeze the the scones so that I can bake them off one or two at a time. The only tricky thing when baking from frozen is that it can be difficult for me to tell when the scones are fully baked. Even when the edges are golden, I sometimes find that the insides are still underdone. So with my freezer-to-oven situation, I now add closer to 10 minutes in additional bake time.
Any suggestions for someone who is consistently getting dough that is both crumbly and hard to roll?
Use a little less flour. Are you weighing? Cups work but are less consistent.
Thank you!
These are amazing! I have made them once, and they are on my mind ALL the time. I will make them again, today.
This is (apparently, I don’t make the rules) my year of re-learning how to bake–with celiac disease. And this is one of the first bakes of my new year! For anyone trying to follow my breadcrumbs, I used a generic bulk bin 1:1 gluten-free flour from Winco, which on an ingredients level looked not dissimilar to the same ones in Bob’s Red Mill 1:1, ie rice flours predominant. The dough was unsurprisingly not as robust as hoped for being rolled out and flopped about, but it did all right. Next time I will chill it a bit before rolling out, I think this may help. It at least did not stick to everything (unlike the last gf bake I attempted).
They came out pretty good but there’s something… missing, and I suspect I’ll have to tinker a few more times to figure it out. There’s a kind of dryness to them that I don’t like, like maybe gluten helps trap more steam inside of the dough as it’s baking? Maybe I over-floured while rolling, to keep it from sticking? I’m wondering if next time brushing some melted butter on before each sugar/cinnamon layer would help or if this will introduce new problems.
Anyway, they were more than edible, I’ll polish these ones off and try again sometime.
Have you tried again with a gf flour? Did you make any other adjustments? I’m attempting to do them gf! Thanks!
I have made this twice just as written and they are so delicious!! Crisp and tender and just the right amount of cinnamon and sugar. They warm up perfectly the next day, but I usually eat two right from the oven. Reminds me of the Leftover pie crusts rolled with cinnamon and sugar. Thanks for the recipe
These are utterly superb! I made a double batch because six scones is just a tease for a family of three. Also sprinkled some coarse sugar on top instead of regular granular because extra lux.
Very fun and easy to make :)
A bit late to the party but I made these for a special breakfast this morning as my husband and I have been stuck at home all week – they were absolutely divine! We made in the evening and refrigerated overnight, then popped in the oven for 17 minutes exactly.
I would suggest sifting the flour and baking powder together prior to cutting in the butter, I think this made for a really light and fluffy texture.
To make ahead, would you recommend baking off then freezing or freezing prepared then bake off as needed?
Bake off as needed
How could I replace the egg as you had mentioned with cream? My daughter has an allergy. Thanks!
Emily, I am wondering the same thing. My daughter has an egg allergy, and baking is always a challenge! I have scone recipes that have no egg, so I think it is probably possible to recreate this one with no egg. These just look so good!!
I made a version of these with these Dreamy Cream Scones. It works! It doesn’t hold the layered shape as well, was my only concern.
These were delicious! Perfect amount of sweetness. Thank you
Very easy to make (also, I cheated and used my food processor). Heavenly smell that will draw all of your littles out of their beds. Beautiful and rustic. Best of all, they are scrumptious with a cup of hot tea. Mmmmmm!
Seriously, these were amazing! They are going in our classics folder! I’ve been in search of a recipe like this for awhile and I wouldn’t change a thing! Thank you!
Made this today. Went down a treat but I was aware of the taste of the baking powder which was a shame. Would a mix of baking soda and bicarbonate of soda help with that?
I keep coming back to these as they’re absolutely lovely, but I have to stay away from/minimize cinnamon. What would you think of a brown sugar or maple and brown sugar variety? What would that look like in terms of changes to the recipe?
Perhaps nutmeg would be a nice addition with the brown or maple sugar? I suspect that the sugars could be simply substituted, with going slightly scant on a wet ingredient to make up for the wetness of the molasses in the brown sugar.
Thank you thank you thank you! These were a fantastic treat on our first day of social distancing/ homeschooling/ teleworking! My 8 year old enjoyed making them and they were delicious.
I subbed White Lily flour for the AP, because AP is out of stock EVERYwhere (thank you crazy people hoarding) and I figured softer flour would be okay. I did not get as nice layering as the picture, most likely due to the substitution. But AMAZING flavor, light as a feather in the mouth. No need to add butter when eaten! Thanks for a yummy recipe!
I’ve now made these several times and still love them. I make them with a gluten free flour and also dairy free (such great options out there now). Thank you for the delicious recipe!
Are you using any additional ingredients or just substituting the gluten-free flour? How are you making it dairy-free? Thanks for the help!
I have made these twice- first time I made two batches and froze one, baked one. I ended up baking the second immediately after because these were so great. This second batch I have cut them into tiny sized scones for tea- we are having ourselves a quarantine aperitivo hour (#quarantino) each day, and these will be excellent with tea!
Are you using any additional ingredients or just substituting the gluten-free flour? How are you making it dairy-free? Thanks for the help!
These are absolutely wonderful! Thanks for sharing this and so many other amazing recipes. :)
I shared this recipe on fb and my neighbor made them this morning, OMG she dropped one at my door (coronavirus) still warm from the oven….it was absolutely heaven. They are so good :)
I have made these a couple of times now and they turn out beautifully. But I was reminded this morning when making them that mine always require at least an additional tablespoon of milk to be able to come together.
I made these this morning, and they were so light and flaky! Like other commenters, I needed to add some additional milk to hold the dough together. The only other changes I made was to cut the dough into 8 wedges to be more conducive to serving four, and to sprinkle coarse sugar on top. Perfect for a stay-at-home Sunday morning!
These are really great. I made them yesterday, exactly as posted (using the heavy cream and whole milk combo instead of half and half), and I wouldn’t change a thing. We’re a family of three, so the yield was perfect as well. They come together quickly from ingredients that I pretty much always have on hand, so I suspect they’ll become regulars in the weekend rotation.
I’ve made these twice now and they are true perfection for a lazy baker. Question – dealing with an all purpose flour shortage during the pandemic, and I’m wondering if any adjustments should be made if I were to use whole wheat flour instead? Would hate to lose the beautiful crumb, but alas, desperate times.
You can use it but it will be more sturdy and coarse.
I made these this morning. They came together quickly and simply. They are delicious and the texture is perfect. Thanks for another winning recipe!
These are the only scones I’ve ever had any luck with. They rise tall and are shockingly light. I use Speculaas spice in lieu of cinnamon for a more complex flavor, and they’re incredible. Thinking of doing a springtime version next week using some ground up freeze dried raspberries and lemon zest in lieu of cinnamon. Will report back!
These are perfect same-day, but Deb’s comment about them going stale quickly had me concerned. As a household of two I wanted to be able to eat them all week, so I sliced the leftovers in half so they’d fit in the toaster and then froze them. They revive perfectly after three minutes in the toaster, though they’re small and I have to retrieve them carefully if they slide down too far. Nevertheless, I am now off to make a double batch with the last of my flour (curse you, flour hoarders!); half with cinnamon and half with chocolate chips.
Just made another batch substituting lemon juice for the cream and sprinkling in raisins and a pinch of cardamom, and they are fantastic. This is the perfect scone recipe.
These taste amazing but my texture was a little drier almost like pie crust…! Maybe add a little more cream? I’ve made your cranberry lemon scones and not had the same issue… maybe I baked a bit too long?
You might be able to take them out sooner. Here, there are thin layers and sometimes they separate a bit in the oven and sometimes they don’t. When they do, the scone will bake faster.
I want to eat nothing but these scones until the end of my days. Thank you for this recipe! I wanted to add that I used 1/4 cup water instead of half and half/milk + heavy cream (I didn’t have any in the fridge, never do) and they still came out really delicious.
All I have to say is: YUM. This and your raspberry ricotta scones are two of my favorites recipes I’ve EVER baked. And I’ve been baking a long time. My kids also cannot get enough. Thank you!
Found these beautiful and delicious but a bit dry— next time I will add some butter to the cinnamon sugar layers
Want to make these, but am in a quarantined-dilemma…would the work with ricotta instead of milk? Or would soy milk be a better substitute?
Just made these before work, and was pleased they were so quick and delicious. Hubby has already said, “you can make those again!”
I don’t have a pastry blender. Can I use a food processor instead? Thanks!
This is my first take on scones, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. They turned out allright visually, but the whole Family agreed there is way too much baking powder, leaving bad aftertaste. And I already cut the dose in half! I will try again with much less powder.
Interesting. That proportion of powder to flour is actually about on par with some pancake recipes I’ve seen and is the same as many biscuit recipes.
These were amazing! So easy and quick, and a perfect dry-not-too-dry scone texture. I didn’t even roll the dough, I just patted it into shape. Thanks for the great recipe – I will definitely make these regularly.
Delicious! I’ve made these twice and they were a hit both times. I got distracted while cutting the last batch and ended up with eight. Baked them for 12 min and they were perfect!
thoughts on making this GF and DF? like a nice GF blend and then non dairy cream? or coocnut milk? or Oat Milk? hmmmm
These look awesome and I really want to make them. However, dairy allergy here. What non dairy options would you recommend replacing the butter and milk/ cream with??
I haven’t made these dairy-free, but here are two comments from people who have:
https://smittenkitchen.com/2019/09/cinnamon-sugar-scones/#comment-1453362
https://smittenkitchen.com/2019/09/cinnamon-sugar-scones/#comment-1528862
These were so easy to quickly make and have ready for Sunday morning coffee. Yum!
I made these this morning, here in Berkeley,CA. After a month of bad air quality and an especially bad past week, making these scones brought me a few minutes of peace and normalcy and filled my house with a little bit of joy. Thank you.
i just saw my own comment when i made these 1 year ago. they are in the oven now baking. the house smells amazing. mmmm.
Omg These are so delicious. I don’t often have any milk products richer than 1-2% milk. So I just use what I have. And dang are these fantastic. So delicate. The flavor makes me think of a brown sugar pop tart but intensely better. Made these three times in six months. Should be more often.
Made these scones for the first day of real online school this morning. They were super easy to get in the oven and they are delicious. There’s nothing like a fresh scone. :) (Plus my 10yo is learning, little by little, about how to cook for real. Thanks, Deb!)
Although I’m a big SK fan, this was the shortest lapsed time between reading a post and eating the finished product. These scones are as easy and as delicious, and even as good looking as advertised. Now I’m savoring one the next day (stored them in a closed container) and it’s every bit as good as yesterday. The dough didn’t come together completely by mixing, but a small amount of kneading did the trick and probably contributed to the scones holding together nicely when eating. I didn’t bother forming the finished dough layers into a circle, just cut the rectangle into sixths. They baked well and they look good–like large rugelach, of which there can never be too many.
Can someone walk me through (or point me in the right direction?) of how to take the rectangle of dough and roll it to a circle? My spatial reasoning is my worst enemy. lol
Just pat it into a rounder shape, tapping in from the corners.
I’ve been pondering making mini scones wit this recipe. . .my daughter’s high school is quite small (only 25 students in 9th & 10th grade) and I thought it would be fun for their morning coffee/hot choc break. . . would it work to cut each normal scone into thirds before baking OR do they need the outside sealed edge to stay together?
Been enjoying your recipes! Thanks for your work.
They need to be sealed to stay together. I think most important if you make minis is to roll it thinner. At the same thickness, they’ll flop over if smaller. Baking time will be quick.
Made these back in March for my first official pandemic bake. Literal perfection. Would not change a thing.
Could full fat sour cream be used?
I might use 3T sour cream + 1T milk or water, just for a similar consistency.
Thank you! I will try that…
I made this yesterday, and it was AMAZING, and the remaining scones are still softish this afternoon. Totally going in our “Keeper” binder.
Next time I make it I think I will mix up the cinnamon & sugar spreads in batches, when I folded the dough the cinnamon foofed out the sides.
I love these scones as is! They have a great texture! Have you tried them with pumpkin yet? I was thinking about adding a little spice mix (cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, etc) into the dough and then using the rest for the layers.
I made this except I used your cream scone recipe because I didn’t want to go to the store for eggs, and I put yoghurt instead of cream because I didn’t want to go to the store for cream either. I also used gluten free flour.
They turned out really well
Glad it came out well! I tested this technique with that recipe as well, because I love its tender texture, but I found the shape didn’t hold as nicely. Did you have this problem?
Hi! I made them again so that I could take pictures for you. https://i.imgur.com/wuONMEd.jpg and https://i.imgur.com/s6JxLyi.jpg
I folded them a few times but i guess i folded them any which way which is why only one of the layers appears to show up. I wound up using a bit more flour so it wouldn’t be sticky while I was folding it. They tasted good and I think the shape was okay, but it’s hard for me to compare it.
These scones have become our weekend routine and this week I tried a pumpkin version in the spirit of October! I subbed half a can of pumpkin (~160g) for the egg and 2T of the butter. I also swapped yogurt for 2T of milk, subbed some rye flour, and used pumpkin spices in place of just cinnamon.
They came out pretty well! The dough was a bit wet and the texture of the final scones was softer and less flakey than usual (but still delicious). Next time I might go down to 150g of pumpkin (or maybe try the Half Baked Harvest hack of using less wet/more concentrated pumpkin butter?) and maybe will add a little more flour. Thanks for another rockstar recipe!
I just wanted to say thanks for this recipe! I have made it countless times—it’s just about my favorite scone ever.
I have made these scones dozens of times but as delicious as they are they generally take longer to bake and melt out of shape. Today I baked them at 425F instead of 375F and they were gorgeous.
My oven thermometer confirmed the temp too.
I love these guys.
These were divine! Made them about 3 hours ago – they did not last.
I really love recipes like this that don’t demand unusual ingredients, that I can make on a whim from ordinary stuff I have in my fridge & pantry, that are also SO MUCH MORE than the sum of their parts.
This recipe is going on the “make it again” list. Thanks so much!
Second time making these cinnamon scones. Made a different recipe last week and threw a dozen scones in the trash..yuk. These are easy to make. Since I make all different types of scones, I often have buttermilk, cream, half n half, sour cream, etc. in the fridge. Each time, I’ve followed the recipe, however, I have substituted using whole milk with the heavy cream. Fortunately, it has turned cold here in No. CA, so the marble I use to roll out this recipe works well with an occasional dusting of flour on the turns. I only had salted butter so I reduced the salt measurement a bit. I will say reading the directions for the entire recipe is essential, otherwise, you’ll end up measuring out the six tablespoons of sugar in the flour, then you’ll need to start all over. This will now be my “go to” cinnamon scone recipe. How can I print this recipe, please?
Glad it was a hit. There is a print icon that leads to a print template at the bottom of each recipe, where it says “DO MORE:” You can also click CTRL or ⌘ + P from any recipe post and it will take you to a streamlined print template.
I have made these quite a few times and each time I do I am reminded that I end up adding at least 2 extra tablespoons of cream. And then they finally come together. Do yours come together with just the 1/4 cup and the egg?
Same. Twice I’ve needed almost a half a cup of half and half or cream.
I love these! Have made them a couple of times and can’t get enough. I woke up today craving pain au chocolat and because these scones are so easy, I’m wondering if there’s a way of making them… chocolatey?? Would adding cocoa powder instead of cinnamon make them too dry? Nutella in the layers perhaps? Or chocolate chips in the dough? Help a pregnant lady out please!
I might put Nutella on the layers, before the cinnamon sugar.
Thanks Deb!
These are delicious — rolled them out into a log and slightly flattened them, which made it a little easer to section into triangles.
However, I was surprised at the 1T of baking powder, and sure enough I could taste it. Will cut back to 2t for the next one.
I reheated successfully by putting them inside tin foil and heating them in the oven!
These were the best scones I have ever tried, and very simple to make! I was concerned they would be tough because I had to kneed the dough a lot more than I expected to incorporate all the dry, but they were still almost creamy in their lightness. I used fat free half and half, and they were still great.
These are, quite simply, stunning. The aroma, taste and texture – and the
ease of preparation make these a winner in our home.
Deb,
Is it possible to substitute Greek yogurt for the heavy cream? If I did, would I need some baking soda? I try to keep away from heavy cream, because of lactose intolerance. Or would this ruin the recipe?
Easy and a perfect for a last minute change in breakfast/dessert plans. We’ve been making them since we were first tempted with the gorgeous photo last summer. Always a hit around here. Thank you!
I assume since these can be mixed up and then frozen, one could also let them sit in the refrigerator over night to be baked in the morning?
From the freezer should be fine too.
I would freeze vs store in fridge. Bake in the am. I always freeze my scones at least 15 minutes prior to baking. You could take the scones out of the freezer while your oven is heating. Because they would be frozen the scones might take a bit longer to bake.
lovely and light, with unanimous household approval! thank you so much!
but the cinnamon falls out the sides in a way that it doesn’t with cinnamon rolls because of all the butter. wasting cinnamon (or blueberries!) in our house is frowned upon. any suggestions? it doesn’t bake long enough to really melt and caramelise. i may try a brushing of butter on the surface to be sprinkled next time.
also, 6 was not enough :) will definitely double now that we know how tasty these are! also considering a few thin slices of apple in strategic places. also, considering trying one more folding. did you try that and find two was best?
I made these yesterday as a Sunday, mid-morning treat and they were so easy and so delicious, and made the perfect amount! Deviated from the recipe just a little, and used demerara sugar on the top with a milk baste. Perfectly sweet and absolutely glorious with a cup of coffee.
I love these! Each time I’ve made them I’ve had to substantially increase the half and half to maybe 1/2 cup. Same was true when I made them with heavy cream. My new favorite scone and excuse for use up the giant container of Costco cinnamon!
We LOVED these. I cant believe it took me so long to make them. It was just the 4 of us so one batch was perfect but if we had a guest then I would definitely want to double it. Thanks for another great recipe!
We tried these for the first time tonight – amazing and such a tender scone! I grated in frozen butter rather than battle my pastry blender.
These were delicious and Beautiful !!! I’ve made other cinnamon scones but these are so much easier than others I’ve made. I used self control … barely and waited until after dinner to start eating them. My husband is having one with scotch for dessert.
What are the other 5 tablespoons of butter for?
There are 8 tablespoons of butter in the dough. There are 6 tablespoons sugar in the recipe; 3 go int the dough and 3 get mixed with cinnamon to sprinkle between the layers.
These are amazing!! Whipped them up this morning while my husband was still sleeping. The house smelled amazing between these and coffee brewing. I just love you Smittekitchen. I feel like your recipes are made for my soul! Everything I’ve made of yours is 100% awesome.
These are fabulous! Mine looked exactly like the photo, perhaps a bit shaggier. Next time I will be more careful to get cinnamon and sugar to the very edges of the dough. I did need another tablespoon of milk to bring the dough together. That seems to happen with all my scones and biscuits…
Oh my! I love scones and struggle to find any good ones locally. I made these this morning. I was a bit nervous as my dough was a bit slow to come together “en masse”, but ultimately they came out perfectly. Not too sweet, not too soft, not too crisp, and rose beautifully. I ate them warm from the oven with a smear of honey fig spread. With how easy these were, I’m going to experiment using this “base” recipe and changing up what’s used in between layers. Thank you for a great, simple recipe!
I kinda felt like these tasted strongly of baking powder. 1 tbsp is a lot for such a small batch of scones. But there’s nothing else in there to help them rise so I get why it’s needed. For me, I’d rather just make a cinnamon roll or a buttermilk scone as these hybrids left me wanting in both cases. Cinnamon makes it difficult to tell when they’re fully baked but I would have preferred a little longer in the oven, maybe 19 to 20 min (my oven runs hot).
I have made these 3 times in the last 2 weeks, they are delicious! In fact, I made them last night & this morning, everyone loves them, they disappear quickly. Your recipes never disappoint, thank you.
Super easy scone and the layers made it different than a typical scone. Making the layers was much easier than I thought! Scones are the best bc you don’t need room temp ingredients!
I have tons of sourdough discard. My family loves these scones, and I’d like to modify them to include sourdough discard. Any thoughts on how I’d do that? Love your site & recipes!
I made these this morning and I liked how quick it was to put together. I weighed my dry ingredients and cut my butter in with a food processor. I thought the dough was a bit dry when I was kneading it but didn’t mess with it. I sprinkled the top with raw cane sugar. I baked them for 17 minutes. I checked them at 15 minutes but thought they could have more color. My scones came out fine, but they were a touch dry (although I possibly overbaked them). I enjoyed them with an iced latte. I’d make these again, they look great and aren’t too sweet. I’m going to try making another batch with cardamom and pearl sugar for a kardemummabullar vibe.
These are fantastic and so quick to make. The ROI here is high since they’re fast and easy but so impressive looking and delicious!!
Highly recommend using a scale and the gram measurements to avoid the dough getting too dry or too sticky.
These have been a go-to recipe in my house for a while now. They’re easy, delicious, and we usually have everything on hand. For the sugar that goes in the cinnamon layers and on top, I use vanilla-bean infused sugar for an extra nice touch.
I usually end up using a bit more of the cream/milk combo than the recipe calls for – an extra 1-2 tablespoons – otherwise I don’t end up with enough liquid to keep it even roughly together.
Today I made them with my homemade fall baking spice mix (aka pumpkin spice) in place of the plain cinnamon, and I think they’re my best batch bet!
I’ve had my eye on this recipe for a long time and finally made it this morning. I cut mine into 8’s, baked 4, put 4 in the freezer for another time. I agree with the comments from others about tasting the baking powder. If I make again, I would reduce the amount a bit. I needed a little more 1/2 & 1/2 to bring the dough together. Just had one warm from the oven and it was a delicious treat!
Here two years later because YUM!
Love how these look! I’m gonna try the make my rugelagh with this fold. 🤞🏻
These are super easy and fantastic. I love the simplistic but so good! Keeping this recipe to try it with another spice to see how it is
Delicious! But next time I’ll roll it out a little bigger (and make the final circle a little bigger), since mine were a little too tall (well, compared to those in the pictures) and easily unfolded during baking.
And I made it again today (to give a batch to a friend). Making it a little thinner did help, but the layers still separated easily, and the vast majority of the sugar on top just fell off after baking. So maybe next time, a little less sugar in between, and a lot less on top. (Looking forward to next time!)
These were as good as they look (and then some). I didn’t have half-and-half, so I subbed with 2 tbsp whole milk + 2 tbsp coconut cream. It all came together quickly and easily! I added a few drops of milk here and there to fully hydrate the flour and help it come together as I was kneading. Not dry at all, perfectly balance of sweetness, crumb and buttery-ness. Great recipe to turn to when you have an urgent need for scones! Thank you, Deb!
These are the best. We’ve made them several times with great success, and then this morning I forgot to put the last tablespoon of sugar on top before putting them in the oven. So I made a quick glaze with powdered sugar and milk and just drizzled a little on each one after they had cooled a little. This took them close to cinnamon bun magic land — What. The. Heck. So good!
These were really good. However I cut into 8 instead of 6 and only needed 14 minutes (because I prefer smaller baked goods). However if I do this next time I will roll the dough.out to 8 inches to give them a wider base sine they rise a lot.
I made these, kind of on a whim, after searching for a way to use up some half and half. Im so glad this recipe is what i found! The layers make them look and taste like they took hours to bake, but in reality they were in the oven in about 15 minutes.
I’ll definitely make these again. I served them with honey butter glaze on the side, and a hot cup of coffee. Heaven.
Just made your recipe for Cinnamon Sugar Scones exactly as written. Outstanding! I made in a flash when I heard friends were stopping by for coffee. They were so impressed – as was I. Terrific recipe as is. Thank you.
Initially, I thought it would be difficult to prepare, considering that I am from Africa. I made it past weekend as a surprise meal, and my kids loved it. I did three eggs and followed your guide word for words. Thank you so much. I’ll check for more recipes. Could you recommend?
We love to make these but sometimes they rise and sometimes they don’t. Any ideas?
I made them today!
These scones are super quick, easy AND delicious.
I replaced the cream/milk with oat milk and it worked just fine.
I will make them again and again.
So good and easy! Delicious!! Pretty too! Only change I made was to use turbinado sugar on top. I might make a simple glaze next time. Thanks!
Saw the post… immediately needed them. They were amazing! I also did not have cream so a mixture of almond milk and yogurt did the trick! Perfection!!
So if I’m reading this correctly, the recipe “serves” 6, but are best eaten same day. Therefore it serves two. I would hate to have my husband or I eat sub-par scones. Saw this at 8 am and eating delicious scones by 9! TBD if there will be reheated ones for tomorrow…
What a yummy recipe! Made the recipe as is with just a smidge less baking powder because we live at high altitude. The taste and texture was amazing. A month later I’m making these again, but rolled the dough into a larger rectangle, sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar, then rolled into a log and sliced before baking for a cinnamon roll variation. Drizzled with a touch of powdered sugar glaze. This recipe is a keeper either way. Thanks!
Emily Schuman reminded me about these scones and I made them the next day. I made one batch substituting the zest of one lemon instead of the cinnamon since I was making them for someone who doesn’t really like cinnamon and omg they were freaking good.
This was a sticky mess and impossible to get to fold.
These are perfection. Super easy, clear directions which I followed exactly. My dough was a bit dry- but it came together. Flaky, fabulous! Cannot wait to make again. Easter morning- all loved.
I have made this recipe a number of times and because I’m lazy, I’ve streamlined it a little more. I add all the dry ingredients in my food processor, then very quickly pulse the diced cold butter into the dry ingredients. Then I add the wet ingredients and do another quick pulse. I turn it out onto lightly floured parchment paper and just pat it flat and shape it per instructions.
I also replace the granulated sugar in the cinnamon mixture with demerara sugar. Because the scones are best the first day and I’m just baking for myself and my husband, I cut the round into wedges, bake 2 pieces on parchment paper in my toaster oven (so convenient!), wrap the remaining pieces in parchment paper and stash them in the freezer. Then I pull them out of the freezer as needed and bake the frozen wedges a few minutes longer just as you recommended.
On the days that I’ve feeling particularly decadent I mix up a fast vanilla frosting with room temperature butter, a splash of vanilla, a pinch of kosher salt, and however much powdered sugar I need to bring it to the right consistency. I never measure anything and it always turns out great.
I tried to get more scones out of the batch, which was a mistake! With the second batch I made them bigger and they didn’t fall over!
Delicious! Wonderful texture.
These are delicious & make a fantastic gift with rave reviews! I’ve made them several times all the way through cutting them into wedges & sprinkling with sugar- then I place the whole cut circle onto a plate, pop the plate into a gallon ziplock & freeze. Write down the directions of how to “bake from frozen” & be everyone’s new best friend…❤️
Why did I decide to make these right before dinner? I have never made scones before but your Instagram image hooked me in, and this recipe is great. I have to hide them somehow so they last til breakfast.
I made these with Nutella and my God they were good. Super easy to make compared to other scone recipes I’ve used in the past. Everyone loved these!
These are delicious and easy to make. I was unsure about the amount of sugar but it turns out it was the perfect amount.
High altitude adjustments (7000 ft). Used an extra 2 tbs half & half, and decreased baking powder to 1/2 tbs. Increased temperature to 385 and cook time to 25 minutes. PERFECTION *chef’s kiss* Stored the leftovers in a sealed plastic bag and they were moist and delicious the next day. Can’t wait for the weekend to make these again… I make a lot of scones but these are solidly in first place now. Oh, I also folded in quarters each time instead of in half. Wound up with beautiful delicious layers.
I love these scones! I’ve made them three times with different fillings. This time I used a lot less sugar and used pesto and Parmesan cheese. They always come out flaky and delicious!!
These are now a family favorite! I’ve made them about 5 times and they turn out great every time.
I solved the falling-apart problem, and thereby made it flavorful enough to not need jam or glaze or any accompaniment! I did the first fold as directed. Then I rolled it much longer, to about 15×6. Then I applied some cinnamon sugar to the MIDDLE THIRD and folded the messier-looking third inward to cover the sugar. I applied more cinnamon sugar on top of that (the now folded-over part) and folded the nicer-looking third over to form the top. Whatever sugar had fallen out, I swept up and sprinkled on top— that was plenty for us so I didn’t add additional plain sugar on top. In total I used probably 4 tbsp white sugar and 2.75 tsp cinnamon. Now, following advice that Yvonne Ruperti herself suggested in response to comments on Serious Eats, I actually did roll it out some more to help the layers adhere. I went for about a 10.5×6 rectangle. I cut that into thirds (~3.5×6) and cut diagonally across each one to form wedges.
Benefits: Every wedge has at least 2 folded edges holding it together: the short side (the 3.5in side), and the pointy bit! You still get the book page effect but it’s not flopping open completely, and there are actually more pretty flaky layers. Every site that makes the original recipe only photographs 4 scones (lol, it’s funny once you notice) but you’ll be able to photograph all 6! The extra cinnamon sugar was good for us Cinnamon Toast Crunch addicts.
Flavor-wise, I went wild with spices: added 1/2 tsp ground cloves and 1/2 tsp ground cardamom to the dry ingredients. And I actually didn’t use plain cinnamon for the filling—it was all Chinese Five Spice, which is mostly cinnamon by volume.
Other commenter’s modifications that I incorporated: I used only whole milk instead of half and half. I grated frozen butter. But I should have used the bigger holes because it took forever, defeating the purpose. Next time I might just do the butter cubes as directed. Yvonne suggests thick-bladed pastry cutters but I feel like I’ll be fine with my normal whisk-wire style pastry cutter. Also, I decreased the baking powder to 2 tsp as mine contains aluminum and that was fine for the moderate amount of rise needed here.
A few clarifications: I couldn’t find any guidance anywhere online on whether the egg should be beaten/whisked until combined before pouring it into the well. Because I was nervous, I cracked the egg into the well, beat it with a fork a little, then added the dairy and beat that some more before stirring the flour in a little at a time. That worked fine. And I was loathe to knead by hand and risk melting the butter pockets or forming more gluten so I quickly brought the dough fully together with the fork and dumped it onto my floured work surface. I used more flour as needed to keep it from sticking to the board or my rolling pin, trying to touch the dough with bare hands as little as possible while folding.
Overall I would make my version of this recipe again, as it looks and tastes very impressive. I’m excited to try more flavor/filling variations now that I have a process that won’t fall apart.