The Best Homemade Cherry Scones

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These cherry scones are the perfect way to start your day. They're light, fluffy, and loaded with delicious cherry flavor. Plus, they're topped with a sweet glaze that's sure to satisfy your cravings. Whether you're looking for a quick breakfast on the go or a tasty snack to enjoy in the afternoon, these scones are sure to hit the spot.

stacks of scones on white table with dried cherries beside them

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Homemade Cherry Scones
Ingredients
Handy Kitchen Tools
How to Make a Cherry Scone
Frequently Asked Questions
More Easy Breakfast Recipes
📖 Recipe

Homemade Cherry Scones

Homemade cherry scones are the perfect treat for any occasion. They’re tender, sweet, and delicious. The tartness of the cherries with the hint of sweetness in the scones make this an incredible treat. You won’t believe how easy it is to make these scrumptious treats at home. You’ll have fresh homemade cherry scones in no time!

If you've always thought it was too hard to make, let this recipe turn that around! It is an easy-to-follow recipe that gives you the perfect balance of soft and moistness without being overly dry.

If you like a sweet breakfast or treat, you might like this list of sweet breads recipes that are ideal for serving at breakfast, as a snack, or even for dessert.

glazed cherry scones with dry cherries on top in large white bowl

Ingredients

½cup dried cherries
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
⅓ cup unsalted butter
2 eggs
¾ cup heavy whipping cream
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

For Topping Scones

2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons sugar
¼ cup dried cherries

glass bowls of flour butter and eggs on white table by pastry cutter

Handy Kitchen Tools

stack of scones with bite taken out of it

How to Make a Cherry Scone

Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a small bowl, cover the dried cherries with boiling water to soften. Let this stand for 5 minutes, then drain and set them aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.

Cut in the butter then blend using a fork or pastry cutter until the mixture becomes coarse crumbs.

pastry cutter in bowl with butter and flour

In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, the whipping cream, vanilla extract, and the now drained cherries.

Create a small well in the center of the flour and butter mixture.

Then, fold in the wet ingredients using a rubber spatula, until the flour is all moistened.

wet ingredients in middle of flour in bowl

Lightly flour your hands then form the dough into a ball.

Cut the dough ball in half, then shape each half into a circle around 6" in diameter and bat down evenly.

two rounds of scone dough on baking sheet

Cut each circle into 6 triangle pieces.

round of dough on baking sheet cut into 6 triangles

Pace the triangles on the parchment-lined baking sheet then.

scones cut into triangles on baking sheet

Brush the top with heavy cream.

orange pastry brush brushing cream over top of scones

Sprinkle the top of the triangle scones with sugar.

raw scones with heavy cream on top on baking sheet

Bake for 15 minutes.

baked scones on parchment lined baking sheet

Then remove and sprinkle additional dried cherries on top if desired.

Frequently Asked Questions

What’s the Secret to a Good Scone?

Use cold butter. The colder the better. You can even freeze the butter. As the butter melts it changes the texture of the scones. You can even make sure the bowl is cold.

Don't overmix the dough. This breaks down the butter, warming it up. It is important that you don't overmix, so it is ok that there are lumps.

While you can use all-purpose flour, using pastry flour is best. It makes the lightest scones.

Chill the scones before baking. This will relax the gluten in the dough and that will give you a more tender, flaky scone.

What Does the Heavy Cream Do for Scones?

Heavy cream is very important when you are making cherry scones. It is what helps to make the dough light and fluffy. It also gives it a little more richness and flavor. You can’t leave it out if you want the perfect scone.

While there are things you can use in the substitution of cream, I do not recommend it. Your cherry scones will not have the richness and the perfect flakiness you are looking for.

What Other Additions Can I Put in My Scones?

There is no end to things that you can put in your scones. With the cherry scones, you can add chocolate chips or white chocolate chips. You can change the fruit completely. You can use other types of fruits that are cut into the same size. Raspberries, strawberries, blueberries are all tasty choices. You can add other types of chips, like caramel or toffee. There are endless possibilities. Just stick to no more than an additional ¼ cup of extra additions.

How Long are Scones Good For?

Cherry scones are great to have for a few days. As long as the scones are stored properly, they will last for up to 5 days. They are best when they are first made and will start to taste drier over the next few days, even while they are still good to eat.

Can I Make Scones Ahead of Time to Freeze?

You can make the scones ahead of time and freeze them. You will want to make them and let them cool completely. Do not glaze the scones. You want to wait until you take them from the freezer to glaze them. Then you will want to wrap them well in plastic wrap.

Remove the scones from the freezer and allow them to thaw at room temperature for about 4 hours. Then make the glaze and add it to the cherry scones. The scones will last for about 2 months in the freezer.

stack of glazed cherry scones on white table

More Easy Breakfast Recipes

These are such a great addition to your breakfast (or dessert) menu. If you want some more ideas, then check out some of our other favorite easy breakfast ideas that are fun to make and delicious. Make sure to bookmark these recipes, print them out, or pin them to your favorite Pinterest boards.

📖 Recipe

Yield: 12