Classic English Scones are tender, buttery British pastries made with currants and a hint of lemon zest. Perfect for afternoon tea, breakfast, or brunch with jam and clotted cream.
Classic English Scones
If you think scones are only the giant triangular pastries from coffee shops, these Classic English Scones are here to change your mind.
English scones are delicate, lightly sweet, and made to be split open and topped with jam, clotted cream, crème fraîche, or whipped cream. They are soft, buttery, and perfect with tea or coffee.
Each bite has a tender crumb, a little sweetness from the currants, and a hint of lemon zest that makes them feel extra special.
What Makes English Scones Different?
Unlike American scones, which are usually sweeter, larger, and often shaped into triangles, classic English scones are smaller, round, and less sweet.
They are designed to be served warm and topped. Think of them as the perfect blank canvas for jam and cream. Very civilized, very charming, and very dangerous because one is never enough.
Perfect for Afternoon Tea
I have always been fascinated by proper afternoon tea. The loose-leaf tea, little sandwiches, mini pastries, and of course, warm scones with cream and jam. It feels fancy without being fussy.
These scones bring that tea-time feeling right into your kitchen, no plane ticket to London required.
Can You Make These Gluten Free?
Yes! I made two batches, one with regular all-purpose flour and one gluten-free for my mom. Both turned out beautifully.
If using gluten-free flour, choose a good 1:1 baking blend for best results.
How to Serve English Scones
Serve these scones warm, split in half, and topped with your favorite jam and cream. Strawberry jam is classic, but raspberry, blackberry, or lemon curd would be delicious too.
I like mine with crème fraîche or unsweetened whipped cream when I do not have clotted cream on hand.
Tips for the Best Scones
- Do not overmix the dough; this keeps the scones tender
- Use cold butter for the best texture
- Cut straight down with your cutter; do not twist
- Serve warm for the best flavor
- Add currants, raisins, or leave them plain
Once you try these Classic English Scones, your morning coffee or afternoon tea will officially need a sidekick.
So cheerio, mate! Fancy a scone?
I hope you can try these delicious Classic English Scones at home. If you do, tag me on Instagram @Livingsweetmoments or use the hashtag #LivingSweet.
Classic English Scones
Ingredients
For Scones
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup + 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 8 tablespoons cold unsalted butter cubed
- 1 cup dried currants
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup milk
For Brushing Tops
- 2 tablespoons reserved egg-milk mixture
For Serving
- Jam
- Clotted cream crème fraîche, or whipped cream
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a food processor, combine flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, and lemon zest. Pulse to combine.
- Add cold butter cubes and pulse until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
- Transfer mixture to a bowl and stir in currants.
- In a measuring cup, whisk eggs and milk until combined.
- Reserve 2 tablespoons of the mixture for brushing tops later.
- Pour remaining liquid into dry ingredients and gently mix until dough just comes together. Do not overmix.
- Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface. Pat to 1-inch thickness.
- Cut rounds using a biscuit cutter or glass. Do not twist cutter.
- Place scones on prepared baking sheet. Gather scraps and repeat.
- Brush tops with reserved egg mixture.
- Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly golden.
- Cool slightly and serve warm with jam and clotted cream.
Notes
- Keep butter cold for flaky, tender scones.
- Do not overwork the dough, or scones will become tough.
- You can substitute raisins for currants.
- Freeze unbaked scones and bake from frozen.
- Best served warm the same day.
Nutrition
You May Also Like
Cranberry Cinnamon Scones
Delectable Hazelnut Madeleines
These look so good. can’t wait to make this
Thank you Deborah! If you make them, please let me know how they came out!
Tiffany, when does the lemon zest get into the recipe? Thanks.
Hi Kathy, forgot to add it! Just corrected the recipe. It’s in step 1
Mmmmm and they look way better than the ones at Starbucks!! I will have to try these as a weekend breakfast treat for my family!! They look amazing!!
They are much better than Starbucks! specially if you top them with jelly and creme fraiche! Try them and let me know what you think!
Thank you for the information. This looks delicious
you’re very welcome Denise!
These look so good. I would love to try them!
Thanks Patricia, they truly are! if you try them, please let me know how they came out!
Mm these sound really good!
Thanks Theda!!
I had a craving for a scone all week, so I finally made these this morning before work, and they were delicious! I brought some into work with some devonshire cream and jam, and they were a hit, and a really nice treat for those who had to work the weekend. I brought some for my parents too, and they are going to enjoy them for Sunday morning breakfast! 🙂 Great recipe, and so easy, and yummy!
Oh devonshire cream sounds delicious Adrienne! I am very glad you and your parents liked them!
Wow! These are DELICIOUS! I used half raisins and half currants, just because I had both. My initial batch went in the oven at 325 (oops) and I baked them for about 15 mins before realizing my error. I cranked it up to 425 for another 4+ mins. Wasn’t a total loss! In fact, they seemed (and tasted) perfect! The second set went in at the proper temp, and they puffed up quite a bit. Not sure why, but they tasted the same. True test will come tomorrow morning when I give them to my English coworkers!
Hi Paula! thank you so much for your feedback! I am so sorry that the first batch didn’t work out. At least it’s a good excuse to make so more!
Please let me know what your British co-workers think. I’m intrigued. 🙂
Have a great day!
They were very well received! The man who is very difficult to please suggested that it not be so dense (That was less a critique of the recipe but more pointing out the error on my part of the temperature of my butter/temperature of my oven!) yet ultimately gave it a 9 out of 10–and requested that the next batch have more currants to achieve perfection 🙂 Word spread quickly about them and they disappeared rather fast. I’ve been requested to make more–which I will oblige next week. Looking forward to setting the temperature appropriately this time! 🙂
Oh wow! I am so glad they liked them Paula! They are the experts! 🙂 Thank you for the feedback and follow-up! Have a great day
This recipe looks a treat, and I will be making it today, for service tomorrow at a tea party. Thank you so much for sharing! 🙂
Also, you might wish to be aware that “I added a hint of lemon zest to compliment the acidity of the clotted cream. It really goes well with the jam and the currants.” appears twice in the recipe.
Let me know how they come out! and thanks for letting me know. I’ll fix that ASAP