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

I could go on and on about my never-ending love for scones, but I'll save that for another day. But, honestly, one of the best parts about scones is the customizability. You can make them savory by tossing in some ham and cheese, or you can add fresh berries to them in the summertime. The possibilities are endless!

These snickerdoodle scones have both a cinnamon sugar topping AND a cinnamon glaze, which honestly makes them superior over normal snickerdoodle cookies anyways. Try them out for yourself to see what you think!

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Tips for Making These Scones
Common Questions About These Scones
Watch How to Make This Recipe
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Snickerdoodle Scones

Tips for Making These 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. When making your scones, keep the butter in the fridge (or even freezer) right up to the moment that you need to use it.
Don't overmix your dough. Overmixing your dough leaves 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.

Common Questions About These Scones

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, cutting the butter, and wipe the cutter every so often.

How long do these scones stay fresh?

After they’ve completely cooled, you can keep these scones in an airtight container for up to 2-3 days at room temperature. You can also wrap them in plastic and keep them in the freezer for up to 3 months.

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 that the butter is as cold as possible. By using very cold butter, it stays solid until it hits the heat of the oven. Then, it melts in the oven, creating flaky layers and helping the scones rise.

Watch How to Make This Recipe

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Author: Leslie Jeon
Prep Time: 35 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Yield: 8 scones 1x
Category: Breakfast
Method: Bake
Cuisine: British

Print Recipe

Description

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.

Ingredients

Scale

Snickerdoodle Scones:

2 ¼ cups (270g) all-purpose flour
⅓ cup (60g) light brown sugar
1 teaspoon (5g) baking soda
1 teaspoon (5g) cream of tartar
½ teaspoon (4g) salt
1/ 2 cup (113g) unsalted butter, cubed
1 large egg (50g)
¾ cup (180g) heavy cream + extra for brushing
1 ½ teaspoons (5g) vanilla extract
¼ cup (50g) turbinado sugar
2 teaspoons (4g) ground cinnamon

Cinnamon Glaze:

1 cup (120g) powdered sugar
1 teaspoon (2g) ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons (30g) milk

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400°F (204.4°C). Line a sheet tray with parchment paper and set aside.
Make the scones: In a large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, light brown sugar, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt. Then, use a pastry cutter or a fork to cut in the butter until the butter is about lentil-sized. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg, ¾ cup heavy cream, and vanilla extract. Add the liquids to the flour mixture and mix until just combined.
Transfer the dough to the 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 so that there is space in between each scone.
Freeze the scones for at least 30 minutes. This allows the gluten to relax and helps them firm up before baking.
In a small bowl, mix together the turbinado sugar and ground cinnamon. Remove the scones from the freezer, then brush the tops with heavy cream. Sprinkle the tops with the sugar-cinnamon mixture.
Bake the scones in the preheated oven for 25-28 minutes, or until they’re golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the middle of one comes out clean.
Make the cinnamon glaze: When the scones have just come out of the oven, whisk together the powdered sugar, ground cinnamon, and milk. While they are still warm, drizzle the glaze over the scones and serve.
Wrap any leftovers in an airtight container, and store at room temperature for 2-3 days.