Amazing Cinnamon Chip Scones {Best Basic Scone Recipe} (2024)

These cinnamon chip buttermilk scones are tender, buttery and perfect, plus, the base scone recipe can be used for endless scone possibilities!

If you follow me on Instagram, you’ll know why I made these buttermilk scones four times before being willing to post them.

Not that I have anything against blobby, spreading scones (they were terribly delicious), because I don’t, but I wanted a foolproof and pretty recipe to give you, and it took a few tries to get the measurements just right.

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Can we pause for a quick lectureabout why a kitchen scale is so tremendously useful in the kitchen?

It truly marks the line between experimental baking and no-fail recipes. I used to think only professional chefs, big baking nerds, or people with too much time on their hands had use for a kitchen scale.

Boy was I wrong.

Several years ago my frustration over inconsistent baking recipes mounted high enough that after screaming in my pillow too many times to count over failed cookies, a kitchen scale ended up in my kitchen, and it’s definitely one of my most prized kitchen tools.

Inexpensive, useful and essential – if you don’t have a kitchen scale, get one! (This is the one I have and highly recommend it.)

Amazing Cinnamon Chip Scones {Best Basic Scone Recipe} (2)

I include weight measures for most of my baking recipes and rarely use a recipe online or in cookbooks that doesn’t include weights, because, call me crazy, I kind of like it when recipes turn out perfectly the first time, don’t you?

If you are morally opposed to using a kitchen scale, please, please, please read this post on how to measure flouraccurately.

Ok, phew! Rant over (for now).

Amazing Cinnamon Chip Scones {Best Basic Scone Recipe} (3)

Today’s all-purpose buttermilk scone recipe (that I should be talking about instead of lecturing about scales) is infinitely adaptable.

If you don’t have cinnamon chips, use mini chocolate chips! Or play around with other flavors – maybe lemon or orange zest with an accompanying glaze?

The base buttermilk recipe is so fantastic, it deserves to be put to work.

But I will say that the cinnamon version is absolutely magical. The little cinnamon morselssoften just a bitwhile baking, leaving behind pockets of sweet, cinnamon flavor with every bite.

King Arthur Flour used to carry cinnamon chips but no longer do (although their cinnamon bits might work just as well). You can find the small cinnamon chips on Amazon or at Orson Gygi.

I included a few step-by-step photos ; sometimes a quick visual helps, especially if you haven’t made or perfected the almighty scone method. It is similar to a biscuit with the cardinal rule: DON’T OVERWORK THE DOUGH!

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Sorry to shout, butin the interest of avoiding tough, dry scones, it seemed necessary.

Having made these buttermilk scones about a bajillion times over the last month, I can honestly say as a very proud and vocal scone lover that these are some of the best scones I’ve ever had.

I’ll be using this base recipe for just about every scone event from here on out. I’ll also be encouraging my family to strongly think about making these for Mother’s Day; although just between you and me, I’m not above making my own food on Mother’s Day as a means to a very happy end for everyone.

Amazing Cinnamon Chip Scones {Best Basic Scone Recipe} (5)

One Year Ago: Mexican Chopped Salad with Simple Honey Vinaigrette
Two Years Ago: Oatmeal Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bars
Three Years Ago: Outrageous Eskimo Bars

Amazing Cinnamon Chip Scones {Best Basic Scone Recipe} (6)

Cinnamon Chip Scones {Best Basic Scone Recipe}

Yield: 12 Scones

Prep Time: 15 minutes mins

Cook Time: 15 minutes mins

Total Time: 30 minutes mins

4.71 stars (227 ratings)

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Ingredients

  • 3 ½ cups (497 g) all-purpose flour (see note about whole wheat flour)
  • cup (71 g) sugar
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¾ cup (170 g) salted butter, cut into tablespoon-sized chunks
  • 1 cup cold buttermilk
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ¾ cup (128 g) cinnamon chips (see note)
  • 2 tablespoons butter, melted
  • Granulated sugar for sprinkling

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

  • In a food processor (see note if you don’t have one), combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Pulse to combine. Add the butter and pulse until the butter is cut into smaller pieces – don’t overprocess here; the butter should be no smaller than pea-sized pieces.

  • Add the buttermilk and vanilla and pulse a couple of times until the dough starts to come together; don’t overmix – it’s ok if there are dry, crumbly spots here and there. Remove the blade and add the chips, using your hands to knead them in a bit. Turn the dough out onto a surface dusted with 1-2 tablespoons flour and combine the dough and chips together with your hands, kneading briefly, just 2-3 times, until it comes together. Pat and lightly press the dough into a long rectangle, about 15X3-inches.

  • Cut the length of dough into triangular wedges, about 12-14 and place on the baking sheet, about an inch apart. Brush the tops with melted butter and sprinkle with sugar.

  • Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes until just lightly golden brown and no longer doughy in the center.

Notes

Flour: I have subbed half of the all-purpose flour with white whole wheat flour with pretty good results.

Cinnamon Chips: the variety of cinnamon chips I use are on the miniature spectrum (similar to a mini chocolate chip) which means they easily find their way into all the nooks and crannies of the scone dough. If you use the cinnamon chips from your every day grocery store (similar to regular-sized chocolate chips), you might want to increase the amount and add 1 1/2 cups since they won’t distribute as evenly as the mini ones.

Mixing the Dough: I almost always use a food processor to mix up scone or biscuit dough. It’s an awesome tool to avoid overmixing the dough. If you don’t have a food processor, cut the butter into the dry ingredients using a pastry blender or two butter knives. If doing so, you’ll want to get the butter/flour mixture incorporated together until the butter is in pea-sized or slightly smaller pieces before stirring in the buttermilk with a wooden spoon or large spatula. It’s definitely doable to make these without a food processor so don’t let that be a deal breaker.

Serving: 1 Scone, Calories: 322kcal, Carbohydrates: 39g, Protein: 5g, Fat: 17g, Saturated Fat: 10g, Cholesterol: 40mg, Sodium: 356mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 11g

Follow @MelsKitchenCafe on Instagram and show me the recipes you are making from my blog using the hashtag #melskitchencafe. I love seeing all the goodness you are whipping up in your kitchens!

Recipe Source: adapted slightly from a recipe a faithful reader, Emily B, sent me by way of Taste of Home

Other Recipes Like This:

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Scones
Glazed Chocolate Chip Scones
Strawberries and Cream Scones
Triple Chocolate Scones

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Amazing Cinnamon Chip Scones {Best Basic Scone Recipe} (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret to a good scone? ›

But frozen grated butter is the real key to success. Like with pie crust, work the cold butter into the dry ingredients to create crumbs. The butter/flour crumbs melt as the scones bake, releasing steam and creating air pockets. These pockets create a flaky center while keeping the edges crumbly and crisp.

What is the secret to making scones rise? ›

Once you've cut out your scone shapes, flip them over and place upside down on the baking tray. This will help them rise evenly and counteract any 'squashing' that happened when you cut out the dough. Perfect scones should rise to about 2 inches high.

Is it better to make scones with butter or oil? ›

For example, if you substitute oil for butter or margarine, you can significantly reduce the amount of saturated fat in your baked goods. This streamlined recipe for Light Scones uses just 3 tablespoons of canola oil, which contains a fraction of the saturated fat found in butter or margarine.

Should you rest scones before baking? ›

The explanation is simple: As with other doughs, including pizza dough, resting lets scone dough's gluten relax completely, so that it doesn't snap back during shaping or baking.

What to avoid when making scones? ›

5 Mistakes to Avoid When Baking Scones
  1. Using anything but cold ingredients. The secret to the flakiest scones is to start with cold ingredients — cold butter, cold eggs, and cold cream. ...
  2. Only using all-purpose flour. ...
  3. Overmixing the dough. ...
  4. Not chilling the dough before baking. ...
  5. Baking them ahead of time.
May 1, 2019

What type of flour is best for scones? ›

We recommend using all-purpose flour. There is some debate as to what flour one should use to go around achieving the perfect scone. This is because within different flours comes different levels of protein.

Why don't my scones rise high? ›

To ensure taller scones, start with a thicker dough disc and place the scones on a tray with sides, allowing them to slightly touch one another. This arrangement encourages the scones to push against the pan and each other, promoting height.

What are the differences between American style scones and British style scones? ›

American scones use much more butter than British scones, and they usually have quite a bit more sugar. The extra butter is what makes them so much denser. This is not really a good or bad thing, as British scones pile on plenty of sugar (in the form of preserves/jam) and butter or clotted cream as toppings.

Should scones be baked touching? ›

Scones like to cosy up to one another in the baking tray. This helps them to rise evenly in the cooking process. When placing the scones in the baking tray they need to be touching.

Why are my scones heavy and dense? ›

Over-kneading your dough will result in scones and biscuits that are tough, dense, or rubbery. The longer you knead the dough, the stronger the gluten network will be. We want just enough gluten for the scones to hold their shape, but not so much that we sacrifice the light and flaky texture.

Why are my scones not fluffy? ›

If your scones barely rise in the oven, reconsider the amount of water you've added. You might want to add more. Otherwise, increase the amount of baking powder/soda. If you're using baking soda, take care that you've added at least one sour ingredient (e.g. buttermilk).

Why do my scones fall apart when I cut them? ›

Remove the baked scones from the oven, and cut them up.

Too hot, and the scones tend to crumble around the edges. Too cool, same thing: they crumble at the edge. Just right – warm, but not piping hot – you can slice through scones with minimal crumbling.

What are the qualities of a perfect scone? ›

Among the myriad baked goods in the breakfast pastry canon, scones are uniquely delicious in their humble simplicity. The best scones have a crisp, slightly caramelized exterior and a tender, buttery, just-sweet interior. They can be dressed up with a glaze, studded with fruit or nuts, or gently spiced.

Why aren t my scones light and fluffy? ›

Overworking the dough: when you overwork your dough, your scones can come out tough and chewy, rather than that desired light, crumbly texture. The trick is to use light pressure and only the work the dough until it just comes together.

Why do you want your butter cold when making a scone? ›

Butter must be COLD from the very start to when the dough enters the oven. The cold butter melts upon entering the oven and the water content in butter evaporates in steam. As the steam escapes, it bursts up and creates that beautiful tall, flaky, fluffy texture.

Why do my scones spread out and not rise? ›

You may have used too little raising agent or over handled the dough before it was baked. The oven may have been too cool.

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