Snickerdoodle Scones

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All the delicious flavor of a snickerdoodle cookie wrapped up in a scone! Drizzled with a cinnamon glaze, these snickerdoodle scones make an irresistible breakfast.

Snickerdoodle scone on a plate next to a fork

Snickerdoodle cookies but in scone form... what could be better?

And the best part? These snickerdoodle scones have both a cinnamon sugar topping and a cinnamon glaze, which honestly makes them superior over a normal snickerdoodle cookie anyways.

They're pretty easy to make, and in this post, I'm also sharing some of the best tips I've learned over the years to bake perfect scones. Let's get into it!

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What You'll Need
How to Make These Scones
Tips to Make Perfect Scones
Common Questions About This Recipe
How to Store & Freeze
Snickerdoodle Scones
Comments

What You'll Need

Here's a quick overview of some of the key ingredients and tools needed to make these scones. The full recipe can be found at the bottom of the post!

Ingredients

Cream of tartar - The acid in cream of tartar gives snickerdoodle cookies their distinct tangy flavor, so we'll be using it in this recipe as well.
Unsalted butter - I always recommend baking with unsalted butter instead of salted. That way, you have more control over the total amount of salt in the recipe. And when making scones, you want your butter to be as cold as possible, so keep it in the fridge or freezer right up until the moment you add it to the recipe.
Heavy cream - For this recipe, we'll use heavy cream in two places: to make the dough and to brush on top of the scones before baking.
Turbinado sugar - Before baking the scones, we'll mix turbinado sugar (raw sugar) with a bit of cinnamon and sprinkle that on top of the scones. This'll give the scones a delicious extra crunch!

Equipment

Pastry cutter - If you don't have a handheld pastry cutter, I'd definitely recommend picking one up for this recipe. You can use it to easily cut the butter into the dry ingredients. If you don't have one, you can also use a fork to do this, but it just might take a bit longer.
Bench scraper - I like to use a bench scraper to cut the scones into 8 wedges before baking. You can also use a knife, but I prefer using a bench scraper to avoid damaging my baking sheet.

Close-up shot of a snickerdoodle scone surrounded by other scones

How to Make These Scones

Got everything handy? Let's walk through how to make these scones from start to finish!

Steps of making snickerdoodle scones labeled 1, 2, 3, 4

Start by mixing together all the dry ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, light brown sugar, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt. (Image 1)

Time to add in the butter! Then, use a pastry cutter or a fork to cut in the butter until the butter is about lentil-sized. You still want some large chunks of butter to be visible; the butter will melt while the scones are baking and create beautiful, flaky layers. (Image 2)

In a separate bowl, mix together the liquid ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg, ¾ cup heavy cream, and vanilla extract. Then, add the liquids to the flour and butter mixture and mix until just combined. (Image 3 and Image 4)

Steps of making snickerdoodle scones labeled 5, 6, 7, 8

Shape the scones. Transfer the dough to a parchment paper-lined sheet tray and pat into a circle. If the dough is sticky, sprinkle a bit of flour on the dough. Continue patting the dough until it is about an 8-inch disk, then use a bench scraper or knife to cut the circle into 8 wedges. Pull the wedges out a bit to leave space in between each scone. Then, freeze the scones for at least 30 minutes before baking. (Image 5)

Prepare the scones for baking. In a small bowl, mix together the turbinado sugar and ground cinnamon. Remove the scones from the freezer, then brush the tops with a little bit of heavy cream and sprinkle the cinnamon-sugar mixture on top. Bake the scones at 400°F for 25-28 minutes, or until they’re golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the middle of one comes out clean. (Image 6)

Make the cinnamon glaze. While the scones are baking, whisk together the powdered sugar, ground cinnamon, and milk. Feel free to leave the glaze in the fridge until the scones have come out of the oven. (Image 7)

Glaze the scones and serve. After removing the scones from the oven, let them cool for 5-10 minutes, then drizzle the cinnamon glaze on top and serve. (Image 8)

Tips to Make Perfect Scones

Here are a few tricks to get perfect scones every time. No dry scones allowed here!

Keep your butter as cold as possible. When you cut cold butter into your mixture, it stays solid until it goes into the oven. Once the scones start to bake, the butter melts and creates those flaky layers that we all love. That's why I recommend keeping your butter in the fridge (or even the freezer) right up to the moment that you need to use it when making this recipe.
Don't overmix your dough. Overmixing your dough leads to tough and chewy scones, which nobody wants! After adding in your liquid ingredients, make sure to only mix until just combined.
Chill your scones in the freezer before baking. Chilling the scones in the freezer for at least 30 minutes before baking lets them firm up and helps the gluten relax. This also helps keep the butter cold, which enhances those beautiful layers.
Drizzle the glaze on the scones while they're still a bit hot. Don't drizzle the glaze immediately after the scones come out of the oven, but don't wait too long either. If the scones are still a bit warm, they will soak up the glaze and taste just that much more delicious. I usually like to let the scones cool for 5-10 minutes before glazing.

Three snickerdoodle scones in a line on parchment paper

Common Questions About This Recipe

These are some questions I frequently hear about these scones. If you have a question that isn't answered below, feel free to leave it in the comments.

What’s the best way to cut the butter into the dry ingredients?

While you can cut the butter into the dry ingredients with a mixer, I personally recommend using a pastry cutter. If you don’t have one on hand, you can use a fork instead, but it will take a bit longer. Simply press the pastry cutter into the butter chunks, cut the butter, and wipe the cutter every so often.

What gives these scones the characteristic snickerdoodle flavor?

To achieve that perfect snickerdoodle flavor, these scones have cream of tartar, which provides a distinct tang. The cinnamon-sugar mixture sprinkled on top also makes them taste like snickerdoodles, as well as the cinnamon glaze.

Does the butter temperature matter when making scones?

Yes! When making scones, it’s essential to keep the butter as cold as possible. Cold butter stays solid until it hits the heat of the oven. Then, it melts in the oven, creating flaky layers and helping the scones rise.

How to Store & Freeze

To store: Cover and store these scones in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2-3 days.

To freeze: Let the scones cool completely at room temperature, then place them in a freezer-proof container or bag and freeze for up to 2 months. I'd recommend freezing them unglazed and adding the glaze after thawing them.

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