I don’t know why but I often get a craving for scones when I have been working around the house, either doing housework or out in the garden. But as much as I love scones sometimes I get a bit lazy and can’t be bothered because it just seems like too much trouble. When you’re really busy and you get a scone craving you need an easy scone recipe, don’t you? Well now I have that easy scone recipe and I want you to know about it to!
This recipe, which I found here at Cooking Crusade, could not be any easier, and it makes THE BEST SCONES that you will ever taste! Even my mum has admitted that the scones made using this recipe are better than any she has ever made! That is high praise because my mum is a really good cook!
Speaking of mums this recipe would be great for mother’s day which is coming up next weekend. Your mum won’t be able to say no to these yummy scones with jam and cream? And with this easy scone recipe you can whip up a batch in no time at all. It only has three ingredients; self raising flour, cream and lemonade – that’s it!
We usually have self raising flour in the pantry but now that I have found this easy scone recipe I always make sure that I have some cream and lemonade in the house too!
- 3 cups of self raising flour
- 1 cup of thickened cream / heavy cream*
- 1 cup of lemonade (like Sprite)
- Preheat oven to 200 °C (400 °F).
- Place flour in a large mixing bowl.
- Add cream and lemonade and mix to combine.
- Turn the mixture out onto a well-floured board and knead with extra flour until smooth (mixture is very sticky initially).
- Use your hand to flatten the scone dough out to about 2 -3 cm (1 inch) thick and then cut into rounds with floured scone cutter.
- Place scones onto a lined baking tray so that they are just touching and then bake for 15 to 20 minutes.
- Scones are cooked when they are golden brown and can be easily pulled apart where they are joined.
I also use sugar free lemonade and find that it works just fine.
*Heavy cream or whipping cream is called thickened cream in Australia.
If you liked this Easy Scone Recipe you are going to want to try my Easy Fruit Scones! They’re packed with fruit, simple to make, and you only need 5 ingredients!
i call sprite soda pop not lemonade so you explained that but please what is your version of Thickened cream ? Do you mean whipping cream in the carton ?
Thanks for asking that question Kathy, until now I did not know that thickened cream is an Australian product and not necessarily the same everywhere. I think that the whipping cream in the carton would probably be very similar. In Australia, thickened cream is cream with gelatine added. It is of a thick pouring consistency and it is used in baking, for whipping, and for pouring over desserts. I am sure that this recipe would work fine with whipping cream, let me know how it goes!
I’m actually thinking that the “thickened cream” may be what we call sour cream in the US. What do you think?
No I don’t think that it would be sour cream. I think it would be whipping cream because it can be whipped and used in desserts. I would be interested to see if sour cream works too though! Definitely let me know if you try it with sour cream!
Hi Kaylene, thanks for the recipe. Australia = thickened cream/ England = Double cream 😉
Your welcome Sarah, thanks for the info and for visiting!
Here in the States of PA, NY, NC, VA, etc, these ingredient Scones as you call them are Biscuits here. Pur s ones have butter, cream, flour and are a free style,drop shape or in round with the scones cut in triangles. A light sugar cinnamon dusting, or thin glaze drizzled lightly. I never saw a scone looking like a biscuit.
Yes isn’t it interesting how a scone can vary from place to place. I have always had these traditional English scones so I find the ones that are cut into triangles a bit strange, although I am keen to try them one day! Funnily enough where I come from we call a cookie or cracker a biscuit!
Thank you for this recipe, Kaylene! I’ve battled flat, crumbly scones for years, so I’m looking forward to trying it! I will make them this Sunday using our US version of heavy cream/aka whipping cream (40% milk fat) and will let you know.
Biscuit vs. Scone: Grandmother was from Georgia, nephew a chef in Seattle, and big brother was born, raised, and grew old in Hereford, UK. We went around and around with the subject of biscuit vs. scone. I originally thought like Trackmom – that they were the same – but was proved very wrong.
In the U.S., scones are typically made with dairy fat (cream or butter), while our biscuits are made with vegetable or animal fat (shortening or lard). Although some scones are savory, most are on the sweet side and are enjoyed as breakfast, dessert, or afternoon tea. Biscuits are usually savory (salty) and typically eaten with breakfast or supper/dinner – hardly ever as dessert…unless topped with butter and chocolate…yum!
Hope this helps clarify the “Is it a scone? Is it a biscuit?” mystery.
Thanks for the explanation of the difference between biscuits and scones Trina, I hope you enjoy this recipe!
I definitely agree.
Hey Kalene,
I’ve just discovered your recipe. I can’t wait to try it. I’ve had my mum’s recipe for years – she use to put a “forkful” of custard powder in hers. Anyway, I have never been able to have them rise as well as Mum’s – probably because I live in Mississippi these days!
But I’m going to see if this recipe works, because I miss my Mum’s scones.
On one of the previous messages, they mentioned sour cream – I think they might have meant buttermilk, which is sour milk that is used in making biscuits. And biscuits are not scones, in my opinion! Biscuits don’t get as light and fluffy as scones.
So I’ll let you know how the recipe works.
Hi Gina,
I love this recipe because my scones always turn out wonderfully light and fluffy! Actually I never make scones any other way now! I hope you have success too and do let me know how you go!
Hi I can never find dubble cream in cape town SA but we have dessert cream in a tin and idealmilk witch is also that we can cook with
Hi
I used the whipping cream here from PicknPay here in RSA and Sprite, and I also added half teaspoon salt, turn out perfect every time.
Happy baking!
Thanks for adding that information Crissy!
Hi. Woolworths has a double thick cream.
I know I’m a bit late in adding this, but thickened cream is not the same as whipping cream even in Australia. Thickened cream has gelatine added to make it hold its shape somewhat without whipping. Everyone I know who makes a similar recipe uses unthickened whipping cream at whatever fat content (usually about 35% fat), and some omit the ‘lemonade’ entirely. It is clear that this is a forgiving recipe that can have ingredient adjusted to suit the cook and the pantry.
I changed the recipe up a bit, I used 3 cups self rising flour, 1 cup heavy whipping cream, and one cup beer! Oh my Oh my these were as delicious!!!!
Oh wow, I have never thought of trying these with beer! Thanks for the great suggestion Jennifer!
Hi there…I’m a late commenter on the scones too!!! I add ginger beer instead of lemonade for a change and chopped preserved ginger…also when camping I use a tin of reduced cream (no need to refrigerate) so I really dont think it matters as long as you have a liquid and fat content in the same quantity approx. 200mls…cheers and enjoy these scones with whatever you choose to add….Merrilyn
Thanks for the suggestion about the tin of cream Merrilyn, I’ll have to give that a try! Also I love the idea of using ginger beer and preserved ginger!
while these sound great my question is about the “lemonade”. You mention Sprite, which is a carbonated soda, where lemonade isn’t carbonated. Is the carbonation necessary to this recipe?
I will probably give them a try anyway but I was wondering.
Hi Peggy, thanks for the question. We call carbonated soda such as Sprite “lemonade” here in Australia. The carbonation is necessary in this recipe as it helps to give the scones their light and fluffy texture. It also adds some sweetness.
I hope this helps!
Thanks! I am going to try these. I tried something siimilar several years ago called 7-up bread. Same principal—carbonation helps w/ rising instead of yeast
Yes Dee they are a really light and soft texture, it’s amazing how the lemonade works! The 7 up bread sounds interesting too, I’ll have to look it up!
thank you for sharing this recipe, baked some today, delicious. If anyone interested I used the English Double Cream straight from the carton.
Glad you enjoyed them Beverly, and thanks for sharing the cream that you used.
I think clotted cream might be a good substitute as well. For those in the US, Cost Plus World market carries it in their food section. If nothing else, put it on your scone as a topping
Thanks Linda, and I agree you have to have cream as a topping for your scone! 😉
These sound great! Do these have a strong lemon taste?
Hi Danielle, there is no lemon flavour with these scones because the lemonade is a sweet fizzy drink like Sprite. It may be what you know as soda pop. In Australia a soda pop like Sprite is called lemonade! I hope that helps 🙂
I didnt know ahead of time about the lemonade! Here in KY lemonade is not carbonated. I wil in the future use Sprite. But I have already made these with reg. lemonade will just see how they turn out and will post to let you know.
Oh Judy what a shame about the confusion, it is funny how we call Sprite lemonade here in Australia but I believe it is called Soda Pop in other parts of the world! Please do let me know how they turn out!
Just tried these with making my own self rising flour (3c flour, 4 1/2 tsp baking powder & 1 1/2 tsp salt), whipping cream and I used mango pop (as we had no Sprite & don’t like the mango pop).
Turned out surprisingly terrific! Nice & fluffy and no mango flavour – just needs the carbonated pop to make them fluffy. Will definitely try again! Maybe add some fruit next time. Yum. Thank you from Canada.
Hi Kallie, I’m glad you had success with the mango pop! I had wondered about using flavoured carbonated drinks but I haven’t tried any yet. I love this recipe and I’m also keen to have a go at a fruity version!
I got the lemonade issue solved, but Im still not clear on the cream. Anyone here in the U.S.? Tell me if it’s heavy cream that we would whip onto ” whipped cream” or something else. I think that’s the only cream we have that’s pourable.
Hi Tanya, from what I can read what you call heavy cream in the U.S. is very close to what we call thickened cream here in Australia. It is what we use when we want to whip it and get whipped cream. I think that heavy cream would work perfectly fine in this recipe.
Here is a link that I found that explains the difference between thickened cream and heavy cream.
http://www.differencebetween.com/difference-between-heavy-cream-and-vs-thickened-cream/
I hope this helps because this is such a great recipe!
Hi from Canada
We have a cream here called creme fraiche
You can find it online and make your own or purchase from your dairy. Delicous with both scones and tea biscuits
Thanks for the info Monique!
I used heavy whipping cream and club soda…then added orange flavoring, topped it off with an orange glaze….wonderful
Thanks for the feedback Lynn. What a great idea to add some orange flavoring and glaze, I’ll have to give it a try!
In Australia we call whipping cream and in America they call it cool it. Hope it helps
Cool Whip (cool it) is a pre-made whipped topping that has very little cream and a whole lot of junk in it. It is found in plastic containers in the freezer section. Heavy whipping cream, on the other hand, is in the dairy section in cartons and only contains cream – straight from the cow.
That’s cool whip not cool it. That means it calm down!
About how many scones does one batch make?
Hi Sarah, I get 20 scones when I make up a batch of these.
I’m making these tomorrow for a baby shower but since I’ve never made scones, I thought I’d better make a test batch today. These are incredibly easy and so delicious! I mixed half a batch together, used a canning jar lid to cut them out because I don’t have a scone cutter, then cut them into fourths with a knife to make mini scones. Turned out perfect. Thanks for the great recipe!
I’m glad you had success Sarah, and I love the idea of mini scones! I hope you have a great baby shower!
In the photo above is that butter and jam/jelly you put on top the scones? They look so delicious I’m going to make this this afternoon. Thanks for sharing this recipe.
Hi Betty, the scones pictured here are topped with jam and whipped cream. But you could use butter and jam if you prefer! I really hope that you like this recipe, it is one of my all time favorites!
They are in the oven as I speak…Im crossing fingers that they come out ok.
Waiting for them to cook is the most exciting part Nomfundo! I hope you enjoy them!
Hi all after reading your comments I came a conclusion on what the USA ingredients are. Please correct me if I’m wrong.
AUSSIEs-Thickening cream
USA- whipping cream/heavy cream
Aussie- lemonade
USA- can of sprite
Yes Sherzell I think you’re right! It’s funny how we have different names for similar things!
Scottish girl living in the US, these are the best scones I have ever eaten, and I’ve had a few lol. Just wanted to say thanks so much 🙂
Your welcome Fiona, I’m glad you enjoyed the scones! I have to say this is my favorite scone recipe now, I’ve lost count of the number of times I have used it!
I am so looking forward to making these scones in the next few days! One question – does it make any difference if the lemonade is from the fridge or cupboard?
Hi Linda, I have used room temperature lemonade from the cupboard and chilled lemonade from the fridge and it doesn’t seem to make any difference to the recipe. As long as the lemonade still has plenty of fizz (not flat) then it should work fine. I hope you enjoy them!
My first batch just came out of the oven. Used lemonade from the cupboard. Brilliant. Will never make them the old way again.
I’m so glad that you liked them Linda, I will never make them the old way again either!
I just made these scones and although they look good, due to the lack of butter the taste was too bland and I will stick with my other recipe which has better flavour.
Sorry to hear that you didn’t like these scones Amy. I guess we all like different flavors and wont always agree on what is nice! 🙂
I made these scones today turned out great but I used a mixture of wholewheat and white flour we love them
I love the idea of using some wholewheat flour for these, glad you liked them Bernita!
I was thinking to substitute wholewheat for the entire mix? Could that work? I’m particularly interested in this recipe. As a diabetic I can use the Diet Sprite and wholewheat won’t spike the sugar as fast as white.
I’m not speaking from experience but I think that you could try using wholewheat in this recipe. The scones might lose some of their light and fluffy texture but I’m sure that they would still taste great. Maybe someone who has used all wholewheat flour will reply and let us know! I’d love to know how you go if you do try making them with all wholewheat Elaine!
That’s a Bisquit not a scone…..
Here in Australia this is called a scone actually, a biscuit here is more like a cracker or cookie! It’s funny how some parts of the world use the same name for different things. These scones are similar to traditional English scones, that are usually served with fruit jam and cream for afternoon tea!
I can’t take it! I really can’t. Everyone is going around trying to explain the difference between a biscuit and a scone and it’s driving me crazy. This is for everyone in the USA. One lady was claiming to have chefs in her family and she KNOWS! She didn’t. The difference between a biscuit and a scone is the texture. Scones come in savory or sweet too. I think the confusion comes in when people make “scones” from biscuit dough and call it a scone when they add fruit to it. A biscuit texture is more dry and crumbly. A scone is not. You hear descriptions of a scone being soft and pillowy and that isn’t a biscuit. A biscuit is harder then that (yes even the good ones. They can rise great and all, but the outside will still be crumbly and dry, inside is more on the flakey side). When making a biscuit you are using cold butter that you work into the flour mixture until it’s crumbly, being careful not to have it to fine. When using butter with scones it’s often room temperature and you mix it to a fine sand. You don’t even use butter in this recipe and biscuits would NEVER be made without some kind of fat: cold butter, lard, or shortening so you can get the flour mixture to that crumbly state. Even mixing the wet ingredients in, with biscuits you aren’t wanting to break up the crumb you developed previously which is why you are careful. Its different with scones. I think with them you don’t want to activate the gluten in the flour. It’s all about the texture people! 😉 Some of you are confused about the shape. Don’t. Often times biscuits are round but they can take whatever shape they are made into. Just like scones. Hope that helps! I am trying this recipe today to see how it turns out. There are too many positive comments not to.
I’m glad a biscuit and a scone are definitely very different things here in Australia! Whatever you want to call these I hope you enjoy them 😉
I’ve just baked a batch of the scones..ohhhmyy!!!! I added some grated cheese!! Simply the best scones EVER!!! THANK YOU – I’ll be circulating your recipe!
Thanks for the feedback Leigh, I’m so glad you enjoyed them. Wonderful idea to add some cheese too!
Used double cream and tonic water and 2 Tbsp caster sugar. Didn’t have any other carbonated drinks! Turned out beautiful. Val
Very handy to know that tonic water and some sugar will work if you don’t have any Sprite – thanks for the feedback Val!
I made these scones for a brunch. They created quite the feeding frenzy. I would have loved to have acted as if I had painstakingly produced them. Unfortunately to many asked for the recipe and my cover was blown. Thanks for the shortcut recipe, it’s great! Leslie
I’m glad they were a hit Leslie! I also have a fruit version of these scones which is very easy too and delicious!
http://thelinkssite.com/2016/04/08/easy-fruit-scones-5-ingredients/
I am a bit confused mine came out rather damp in the middle and didn’t rise very well. Normal scones don’t need kneading?? Do you mean just gently combine the ingredients before cutting them out? I followed your instructions but I think that’s why they’re a bit flat??
Hi Stacy, sorry to hear that yours didn’t turn out right! You do have to add more flour and knead the dough a bit because the mixture is very wet and sticky at first. Perhaps you didn’t add enough extra flour. The scone dough should form a smooth ball and only be slightly sticky before you cut the scones.
Greetings from Kentucky! I made these today for Thanksgiving. I used heavy cream and seltzer water (carbonated water) with 2 tablespoons sugar. The dough was rather wet when I poured it onto my large cutting board. I kneaded about 3/4 cup flour into it and made a soft dough that held its shape but was still a bit sticky. I used a 2 inch cutter dipped in flour to cut out 22 scones. They rose well. Had slight sweet taste that paired well with homemade cranberry butter. Very easy and tasty, thanks for sharing!
Hi Lee, thanks for your feedback on this recipe and I’m glad you enjoyed the scones. Happy Thanksgiving to you from Australia!
Hi just made these and they’re perfect,didn’t have cream so I used full fat soft cheese and it worked a dream, thank you
Hi Andrea, great to hear that they turned out okay using soft cheese!
I’m so glad I stumbled upon your recipe!!!
I’m a “Yank” living in Australia and I’m always on the lookout for Aussie recipes I can make for my husband, as he is from here. 🙂
The recipe couldn’t have been easier, and they turned out great. The taste and texture are very similar to a recipe I use for “Angel Biscuits”. I’ll be using this recipe instead from now on. I had never had Aussie scones before, and was a bit unsure of what they were supposed to look and taste like, so the one thing I unintentionally did a bit different from the traditional scones, was that I rolled them out to the same thickness I would have made biscuits. I understand that scones here are actually quiet a bit taller than the U.S. biscuits. They were still great, and most importantly, my husband was pleased.
A little side note about the cream issue, even though I see it’s been pretty thoroughly addressed in previous comments…
Heavy cream in Australia is a bit thicker than USA whipping cream, but I have found them to be interchangeable. Aussie cream also has a bit stronger flavour than the mild cream we have in the U.S.
Thanks again for sharing this recipe, and Merry Christmas!
Hi Liz, until I wrote this recipe I didn’t realize that there was such a difference between U.S. and Aussie scones! I’m so glad that both you and your husband liked them. Also thanks for the extra info on the cream! I hope your having a Merry Christmas all the best for the New Year!
Thanks Kaylene can’t wait to try out with cream soda, I have no lemonade and will use sour milk instead. Will let you know how it turns out. From Johannesburg.
I hope they work for you Kgomotso – I never make scones any other way now! Do let me know how you go!
Wow…everyone loved them. I love fhe fluffyness , I could never get that kind of soft scones before.
Thanks.
Oh I’m so glad to hear that they turned out Kgomotso! I love how fluffy they are too 🙂
Can you use sugar free (diet) sprite?
Yes you can use sugar free Sprite Daryl. I actually use sugar free most of the time!
I don’t use dairy, is it possible to use coconut milk do you think?
Hi Joy, I haven’t used coconut milk before but I think that it would probably work in this recipe. Maybe you could try halving the ingredients and making a smaller batch to check (you should still get about 10 scones). You would probably get scones with some coconut flavor but that would be nice – let me know how you get on!
Sounds wonderful, I would just like to make them less fattey!
How did they turn out Joy?
I made these and they turned out fine. Not as flaky as in the photo above, but they do taste just like my traditional biscuits and maybe at a lower cost, due to the price of butter. One question, will carbonated water work just as well? Is it the carbonation that helps to raise them? I will be making these for my daughter’s baby shower coming up. Will make 2 batches, one batch will be mini BLT’s and the other batch will be strawberries and a bit of whipped cream. Thanks for the recipe! It sure was easy!
Hi Mellie, yes I think it is the carbonation that helps these scones to rise. I have not tried making them with carbonated water but I’m pretty sure it would work. They might have a little less sweetness if you use carbonated water. Not that they’re overly sweet on their own, even with the sweetener in the Sprite! I’m glad you liked the recipe and I hope you have a great time at your daughter’s baby shower!
I tried them with tonic water as I didn’t have any lemonade. I might add a dash of gin next time!
I just googled gin and tonic scones because I didn’t know they existed until now! Thanks for leaving that suggestion!
Had to add a lot more self rising flour because it was sooo watery. Also the scones did not rise at all. Probably because I had to add so much more flour. The taste was ok but didn’t look at all like your picture.
The mixture should be quite sticky before you knead it Terry, it but it shouldn’t be watery! Sorry to hear that you had this problem. One thing you could try is mixing the flour and the cream together first and then only add half of the Sprite. Then you can slowly add some more Sprite if the mixture is too dry. Let me know if you do try it again!
I used light cream and diet lemonade for those who want to cut down on the sugar and fat and they were so good.
Thanks for the info, I will try using light cream next time!
At school in South Africa, fruit scones cut into triangles were called Breakfast scones, round ones were tea scones. I think a scone is a scone no matter its shape. As long as it is tasty and enjoyable.
I agree Sharon, it doesn’t matter what shape they are as long as they taste good!
Has anyone tried to convert this recipe into UK ounces. I see loads of recipes that sound nice, but it’s all cups.
I love that this thread is from 2015! I also love these scones. Used heavy cream and Sprite and they were great! But, they are so pale. Do you brush the tops with something? butter?
Hi Barbara, I’m not sure why your scones are pale because I don’t brush the tops of mine with anything! Sounds like they taste alright so perhaps you could just brush them with a little bit of melted butter before they go in the oven to get the tops nice and brown! Also thanks for adding to this thread! 🙂
I will and carry on!
I am keen to try these.
I’m wondering if you think a can of full fat coconut cream would work in place of the thick/heavy cream?
I’m thinking using cream soda instead of Sprite and coconut cream would give them a unique flavor.
Hi Jenny, I have seen dairy free and vegan versions of this recipe and they use coconut cream in place of the thickened/heavy cream. So you should have no problems making these with coconut cream. That might give you a nice flavour when you combine it with the cream soda – I’d love to hear how they turn out!
Hi there,
I just wanted to say thanks for the terrific recipe! I have made both the plain and fruit scones a number of times and am beginning to get a little brave with the ingredients. Cheese turns out great. Today I made them with cranberries and orange rind and they are delish! Thanks again Kaylene!
I’m so glad you like them Lisa, the fruit ones are my favourite and I make them quite often. I also like to experiment with other flavours and I’m hoping to publish another version soon. Your cheese idea sounds good, as do the cranberry and orange ones! Thanks for the feedback!
A friend from New Zealand gave me this recipe and I was thrilled to find it here too! We added a drop of lemon curd on top and whipped cream just now. Lovely!
Ooh I haven’t tried these with lemon curd yet Cindy, can’t wait to make another batch and try it!
This recipe never fails. Thankyou. Prepared, cooked and on the table in less than half an hr.
You’re very welcome Georgie! Everyone should know about this recipe – it’s the best!
Made these this morning they were so soft and fluffy I wonder if it will work the same for gluten free as My gluten free are very hard
Hi Elizabeth, I haven’t tried a gluten free version of this recipe but I have seen others make them with gluten free SR flour so it should work. Maybe you could try making a half batch first? Let me know how you go if you do try it!
Hello, I just made these! Only had half a cup of cream so I halved the recipe and made tiny scones…..4 1/2 cm cutter. Omg how good are they? And btw, I used slightly “off” cream as instructed by my dear godmother……makes the BEST scones. A very easy recipe.
Thankyou for the recipe.
You’re welcome Lynette! These are the best scones in my opinion, I never make them any other way. I haven’t tried using slightly “off” cream, but I will whip up a batch if I have some cream in the fridge that is getting very close to the use by date! I find that just as good an excuse as any to make a batch of scones! 😉
Hi Kaylene..I make these scones all the time…in fact I cook about 30 and freeze them in lots of six. So handy if someone calls in for a cuppa. Just put them frozen in mod oven. I have used gassy lemon when out of lemonade, they are lovely, one day I’m going to try ginger beer, my hubby loves it.
I freeze some of mine too Jackie, there so handy to have if you need something quick for afternoon tea! I’m a bit impatient so I thaw mine out with a quick burst in the microwave! I hope the ginger beer ones turn out for you!
Use beer instead of Sprite and add 1/2 cup finely shredded cheddar and a dash of cayenne pepper. Serve with a hearty soup of chili! Delish!
Great suggestion Liz, I’ll have to give that a try!
I tried these,did not look anything like the picture,did not rise,thank you
Hi Janette, sorry to hear that your scones did not turn out okay for you. Could you have mistakenly used plain flour instead of self raising flour? I did that once and they didn’t rise and were hard and awful, I was so disappointed I could have cried!