I don’t know why but I often get a craving for scones when I have been working around the house. Whether its gardening or housework, scones are a popular after work snack. However, as much as I love scones, sometimes I get a bit lazy and can’t be bothered making them. Often 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, now I’ll make sure that I have some cream and lemonade available too!
More Delicious Variations on this Recipe
Update to Make this Recipe Even Easier!
Since posting this recipe I have had many comments about how wet and sticky the dough is for this recipe. So I thought that I would post a tip that I have learnt after making these many times.
If you don’t want/haven’t got time to work with a very sticky dough start by only add half of the carbonated lemonade/soda pop. Mix the ingredients well and then add more lemonade/soda pop as required. Making this adjustment give you one or two less scones but the quality of the scones is not affected.
Print
Quick and Easy Scone Recipe
- Yield: 20
- Category: Dessert, Snack
- Cuisine: Scone, Afternoon Tea,
Description
This easy scone recipe only requires 3 ingredients; self raising flour, cream and lemonade – that’s it! Better still, these scones are so good that you will never make scones the hard way again
Ingredients
- 3 cups (450g) of self raising flour
- 1 cup of thickened cream / heavy cream*
- 1 cup of lemonade (like Sprite)
Instructions
- 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.
Notes
I have made these scones several times now and have found that they keep very well in the freezer. Once thawed you can pop one in the microwave for a few seconds and it is just like it has been freshly baked!
I also use sugar free lemonade and find that it works just fine.
*Heavy cream or whipping cream is called thickened cream in Australia.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 59g
- Calories: 130
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 275mg
- Fat: 4.6g
- Saturated Fat: 2.8g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 20g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 16mg
Hi, I'm Kaylene, and I'm a keen gardener,budding baker and wannabe DIYer!
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!
Thickened cream is available in Australia, called just that.
There is a Mexican product called crema or table cream that comes in a squeeze bottle that has a consistency that is half way between that of heavy whipping cream and sour cream that I think would be perfect for this recipe. It is widely available in grocery stores. I’m going to try it next time. This recipe is aaaaaaamaaaaaaazzzzing!
Sounds like Mexican crema would be good Sable. I don’t think it is available here in Australia but after a quick search online I see that you can make your own from cream, sour cream, and buttermilk. Might have to give it a try!
Hi there. Could the recipe be half cup cream and half cup milk?
Hi Kiki, I haven’t tried making these with half cream and half milk so I can’t say exactly how they would turn out. I think that the fat content in the cream helps to make these scones light and fluffy. I have made them using low fat cream and they were quite noticeably drier. That being said, I have read online that others have made these with milk instead of cream! So you probably could make these with half milk and half cream but the texture of the scones might be a little different. I hope this helps!
Hi in the UK WE HAVE SINGKE CREAM, double and whipping. You need to buy double cream for this recipe and lemonade if your from uk. I’ve tried it it’s great x
Thanks for the feedback Jan, I’m glad you like them!
Thick clotted cream.Lovely stuff from Devon and Cornwall in UK.
Can I use chilled Greek yogurt instead of heavy cream?
Hi Cheche, I haven’t used Greek yogurt myself so I can’t say how they would turn out. I think that the fat content in the cream helps to make these scones light and fluffy. The Greek yogurt might not have enough fat for this recipe. I have made them using low fat cream and they were quite noticeably drier. That being said, I have read online that others have made these with milk instead of cream so maybe Greek yogurt would work!
Dollop cream = thick and pre whipped ready to place on top of dessert or scones
Thickened cream = thick ready to whip or pour over desserts
Pure cream = thinner pouring cream delicious on desserts and also for curry’s etc
All available in Australia
I personally use thickened cream as it has the best consistency to hold scones together… yum
I live in Australia and it is just thickened cream. Sold everywhere. I had my own cafe for 14 years and these are all I ever made. They are perfect.
Is there any chance you could give the quantities of cream and lemonade in Mils instead of cups please.
Hi Joanne, you will need 250ml each of cream and lemonade for this recipe.
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!
I’m with you. I live in Ohio and these do not look like scones. They look like biscuits.
Biscuits do not have those ingredients. Scones, just diff shape. We have “Americanized,” then by changing them to triangles.
I’m from PA and scones here in my neck of the woods are cut in triangles. However, English scones are round (like our biscuits.) I’m sure the scones made from the recipe could be cut either way.
Hi Joan, I’m in Australia we cut our scones round like the English ones. I should try cutting them into triangles one day, I’m sure they would still work out just fine!
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.
In NZ I use ordinary cream. You can also substitute the lemonade with other fizz such as raspberry which gives a pretty pink colour. I use this recipe all the time and it is a bit sticky but just add more flour when on the board if required. Never fails
Thanks Mary, what a great idea to make pink ones using raspberry soda! I’ll have to try that next time!
Hi Juwaya,,im also from SA im using Ultra Mel cream in a box! Also clover cream, it works 4 me!
Hi I lived in South Africa before moving to Germany. The desert cream in the tin is quite close to what we call double 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!
I used double cream but to be honest I found the recipe very messy
It can be a bit messy Margaret, but I find the results are worth it. I sometimes lessen the messy stickiness of the dough by decreasing the liquid a bit. If you use a bit less lemonade the mixture is not quite as sticky and therefore not quite as messy. You wont get quite as many scones but it is a handy cheat if you need to avoid the soft sticky dough!
Likewise, so I did them up by dumping dough into a prepared 9 inch cake tin and scored in wedges down to the bottom. They came out perfect.
That’s good to know Sable, thanks for the tip!
Thick cream is what we call in England Double cream
I’m in Canada and I make this recipe using 36% Whipping Cream and Lime Bubly sparkling water…works like a charm.
Thanks for the recipe. So quick, easy and tasty!
Thanks for the feedback Emily, glad you like them!
Thanks Emily! I was wondering about a lemon flavored sparkling soda! I make lemonade with real lemons and a lots of sugar. Also, Sprite, a soda, is awfully sweet to me. I would think it’s the carbonation reacting with the baking soda in the self-rising flour that would make it rise. Can’t see plain lemonade doing that.
OMG, was just wondering about using Bubly. That is all I have. Thanks
According to ‘dairy.com/au’ the fat content of ‘thickened cream’ is 36.8%.
The closest US equivalent to this is heavy cream which has a fat content of 36%. In the US some creams have the label, heavy whipping cream but most creams sold with the label ‘whipping cream’ have a fat content that varies between 30-36%.
Can I use seltzer water instead of soda?
Hi Siobhan, I’ve seen this recipe made using soda water so your seltzer water should work. As long as it is carbonated it should work. You might need to add a little bit of sugar though as the lemonade (Sprite) is sweetened.
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!
Just read this – Bought lemonade in England is carbonated. It is also carbonated in South Africa. Homemade lemonade can be made and not carbonated.
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!
In the Netherlands we also call it lemonade (almost all non-alcoholic cold drinks are called lemonade)
I think I will try these soon. I’m looking for quick and easy recipes for a high tea party.
We call clear carbonated drinks lemonade but we also call all non-alcoholic cold drinks ‘soft drink’ here in Australia. I think it’s so interesting that each country has a slightly different way of naming the same thing!
I hope you do try these, they would be great for a high tea party!
What cream did you use
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 don’t know about scones, but when I needed beer for making fish n chips batter, all we had was unsweetened lime soda water, so that’s what I used. I think it would work in the scone recipe, just have to add sugar. Also, every scone recipe I’ve seen has eggs in it, and are described as crunchy on the outside, and sturdy. (Those are supposedly British recipes). Are Australian scones different than British scones?
Hi Cindy, yes I’m sure that the lime soda water would work in this recipe, many people have commented that they use soda water with great success. Even with Sprite these are not very sweet on their own. But it really depends on how you want to eat them as to whether or not you need to add sugar. We usually top ours with jam or lemon curd and cream. The toppings add plenty of sweetness! I think that Australian scones are pretty similar to British scones. I wouldn’t describe them as crunchy on the outside though, just a bit of a light crust, especially on the top and the bottom. I haven’t made scones any other way for a long time but I didn’t have eggs in my old recipe, perhaps British scones use eggs?
Would this method to make self rising flour work with King Arthur’s glutton free flour, please?
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.
https://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!
Yes, depending on what is available where you are. Heavy cream or whipping cream. Half and half will also work (just not a low fat version)
Someone has mentioned buttermilk. That would work but the flavor would be just a tad different. I might try it with buttermilk and toss in some blueberries or raspberries.
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!
Not quite. We have heavy cream or whipping cream, basically the same thing. Then we have what is called “cool whip”, it is a non dairy whipped topping (made with oil). Or you can get ready made whipped cream (daity) in a spray can.
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!
Exactlly, Sherzell !! Born in the USA
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!
I use soda water instead of lemonade to reduce sugar content. Works well
That would be a great way to cut down on sugar, thanks for the suggestion Christine!
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!
What if I don’t have self-rising flour but Just the plain one?
Hi Dalila, unfortunately you can’t use plain flour in this recipe. I accidentally used the wrong flour once and they turned out small and hard as rocks! If you don’t have self raising flour then you can add some baking powder to the plain flour. Blend together 2 teaspoons of baking powder per cup of plain flour (so for this recipe you will need 6 teaspoons of baking powder). If you add the baking powder you should get nice soft fluffy scones! I hope this helps.
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 😉
Wow lol I think this is probably something that varies by country and region.
My mother bakes a buttermilk biscuit that is light fluffy and not at all dry. Her scones are some of the best I’ve ever eaten and I’ve eaten a lot. She used room temp butter for both. It’s all in how she works her dough.
Her basic scone recipe came from Ireland with her grandmother. Her biscuit recipe was my paternal grandmother’s from the midwest. In the midwest, back in my grandmother’s day, what they called scones was actually a fried bread dough lol.
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!
Hi, may I know how much cheese did you add in the ingredients. I love cheese scones. Thanks.
Hi Nancy, I haven’t made a cheese version of these scones for a while now. I think that I added about one cup of grated cheese. I also added a similar amount of cooked mashed pumpkin. You can also add some bacon or herbs if you like. Sorry I can’t be for specific about quantities!
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!
https://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!
Coconut cream is butter as it’s replacing the fat content being the butter in normal scones. I have used coconut cream they are a little denser but still fluffy..
Yes I agree Lindi, the cream provides the fat content instead of butter. I tried using low fat cream once and the scones were a bit dry.
Do you think Coconut Cream would be better than the milk? What else can be used if you can’t have Dairy?
Hi Shaz, I haven’t made them with coconut cream but I’m pretty sure it would work. Someone else mentioned a while back that they used coconut cream in theirs and they said they were a bit denser but still fluffy. These scones seem to need a cream with a fair amount of fat (because there is no butter used) so coconut cream should work fine.
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!
Funny to hear the comments of scones vs biscuits. I’ve lived all over but my mom was a southern cook. Biscuits are drier usually made with lard or butter in the old days and buttermilk making them crisp and flaky. Scones are lighter and fluffier usually made with butter and whipping cream. I’ve made lots of biscuits. One recipe I love uses self rising flour and just plain whipping cream. The cream has the fat you need by itself and they are sweet and melt in your mouth. Thanks for this recipe. I even altered this one a bit more cause I am a fermented kefir fan. VERY HEALTHY!!! I used half and half milk along with lemon flavored water kefir (fermented and bubbly). They turned out wonderful. The whipping cream in this recipe supplies the fat like butter would. The half and half milk (half whip cream and half whole milk) did just fine. Love the recipe. My husband wants them made with fruit added and icing so I intend on trying that too.
Hi Jan I’m glad you liked the recipe and thanks for all your feedback. I have never used kefir but it’s great to hear that you had good results using it! I’m not sure if you noticed but I have a fruit version of this recipe too!(There’s a link at the end of this post) I added a little bit of sugar to my fruit version and that seems to make them sweet enough without having to add any extra icing. I make these quite regularly and keep a few in the freezer because they thaw out well – if you warm them slightly you would never know they weren’t freshly baked! Thanks again for your feedback!
I have been making the lemonade scones for over twenty years, I inherited the recipe when I took over ownership of a cafe, I tweeked it and added a bunch of different flavours the most popular was a cheese scone, it sold very well, I changed the amounts to 4, 2, 1 it was a little wetter but the scones are so very light and big and fluffy. If you are interested in my cheese recipe let me know……
Hi Lindi this is my all time favourite recipe just because it’s so easy and can be tweaked to get different flavours! I don’t know if you noticed but I have a fruit and a chocolate chip version of these scones. I have played around with making a pumpkin and cheese version, and they were okay. It sounds as if your cheese ones are pretty good! I’d love to get a copy of your cheese scone recipe if your happy to share!
The lemonade scone recipe swap out lemonade for soda water not sparkling mineral water not enough bubbles. 1 big hand full of your favourite cheese grated into flour, then make as usual, top with melted butter and cheese mix and bake as normal..
Melted butter
Grated cheese
Smoked Paprika
Curry Powder
Mustard Powder
I don’t have measurements as it depends on how many I make. I mix altogether then add melted to make a good spreading on top of the scones…
Have also made them with semi dried tomatoes and gorgonzola….I hope this made sense, I’m a bit of this and a bit of that type of cook I really should write down my creations and quantities l probably have enough for a book swimming around my head…..lol
Thanks for the information about your cheese scones Lindi, I’ll have to have a go at making some. Don’t worry about not having any measurements, just having your ideas is enough. I can have fun trying out different amounts!
By the way, recipes that consist of a little bit of this and that are often the best. You probably do have the makings of a great cookbook if you could write it all down! Thanks again!
Made a beer, cheese and Keene mustard powder scone, mixed all in scone mixture and left the tops plain, they kind of reminded me of a Welsh rebit my Mum used to make when we were kids..These scones were so popular the other day I have made several more batches for some of my that were here, so this combo is a keeper….
I have started writing down all my combos, so far have remembered 11 versions, just thought another I have made is frozen Raspberries and white choc chips….
Wow it seems as if the flavour variations are endless with these scones!
Just was i was looking for! thanks for sharing
Hi Kaylene: I’ve had your recipe for a while but hadn’t ventured to make them until today. I had a craving for a nice scone like the ones I got while visiting Ireland. I went through two recipes that turned out flat and crumbly. Yuck! So I thought I’d give one more try and kept looking at your post. How easy could it be? I didn’t have heavy cream so I used half and half (which is half cream/ half milk) and added two TB melted butter. The liquid was thinner than cream so it took more flour to come together. I was really afraid these would go to the trash with the others. Surprisingly they came out tall, light and tender. Though they are more like a biscuit we are familiar with in the South. I had hoped the Sprite would add sweetness but it didn’t. Perhaps because I had more flour. Wonder if adding a bit of sugar would change it too much? I do like the tenderness and height. I’m going to keep this recipe and use it for biscuits as well. They are easy and perfect. Thanks!
I’m glad you like the recipe Deborah. I agree that these are not very sweet but here in Australia they are traditionally topped with jam and cream so that makes them sweet enough. If you want to make them sweeter you could try adding some icing/powdered sugar. I have a fruit version of this recipe and I add icing sugar to the mixture to make them sweeter. I find that the icing sugar adds sweetness without effecting the texture of the scone! You can see the fruit version here: https://thelinkssite.com/2016/04/08/easy-fruit-scones-5-ingredients/
Very sad to see that you have discontinued the e-mail subscriptions….
these scones sound so good & the picture is beautiful…. can’t wait to make these.
Thank You so much for sharing them !
Hi Abby, thanks for the comment I hope you enjoy these scones. Also thanks for the feedback about the email subscriptions, it should be up and running again now. I think I might have accidentally turned subscriptions off when playing with some settings the other day! Thanks for pointing it out, I hope you have a great day!
Amazing recipe. Thank you so much for sharing it.
You’re welcome Tasnim, glad you liked it!
I didn’t have enough cream for the recipe so used 1/2 cream, 1/2 buttermilk they still turned out beautifully.
Thanks for the feedback Veronica, good to know that a mixture of cream and buttermilk will still work!
Can the cream be replaced with coconut cream?
Hi Moka, I haven’t made them with coconut cream but I’m fairly sure that it will work. Actually someone else mentioned a while back that they used coconut cream in theirs and they said they were a bit denser but still fluffy. You seem to need a cream with a fair amount of fat (because there is no butter used) so coconut cream should work fine. I hope you enjoy them Moka!
4 cups Self Raising flour + 1 tub 150gm sour cream + about 1/2 large bottle of soda water -mix well with fork =wet mixture turn onto floured board and knead lightly -press out with palm of hand and cut out with cutter -onto baking paper tray )large ) makes 24 scones ,Cook in hot 180degc oven for 10-13mins till brown on top and seeing scones starting to separate.I cook these for Mens Shed as many are diabetic ,strawberry jam and cream .Sultanas go down well also with the members -for a change have used ginger beer /coca cola /lemonade/but soad water is cheap !
Easy great recipe so versatile
Thanks for the suggestion Jan! I’ve never tried making these using sour cream, I’ll have to give it a go! I agree this is such a versatile recipe!
I have been making these lemonade scones for many many many years, I have found the stickiness of the mixture works in the scones favour, my recipe is 3 flour 2 lemonade and 1 cream, so mine is wetter. I have been supplying Cafe’s, Tea places and icecream parlours for years with them..
Wow Lindi that would be a wet mix if you use double the lemonade! I haven’t made them with that much lemonade but I do agree that a wetter mix gives the best results. I sometimes cheat and cut the lemonade back so the dough is easier to work with – they’re still pretty good!
Can I add some mashed pumpkin to this scone mixture? How much?
I have made these lemonade scones – they turned out great!
I have made these once before with pumpkin but I didn’t write down how much I added unfortunately. I think it would have been around 1 cup of mashed pumpkin. I also added some Parmesan cheese and some chopped fresh chives. They turned out quite nice from what I remember! I hope that helps Mary!
Thank you for your reply – I will try with the pumpkin, love pumpkin scones!
Mary
Thank you for this easy recipe I love to bake but could not make scones until I tried your easy recipe. I live in Northern Ireland and love pinterest for all the articles that everyone has to post they are really helpful. Thanks again.
Glad to hear that you had success with this recipe Jackie! And I agree Pinterest is great for finding good recipes!
My grandson and I made these and they turned out wonderful. We are going to try pumpkin spice ingredients next. We used mini chocolate chips in the first batch.
I’m glad to hear that you and your grandson enjoyed them Carole. A pumpkin spice version sound good too!
Hi Kaylene, I have commented on here a few times before, I have been making these scones for 20 plus years with lots of very different versions well I have come up with another one thought you might like, it#s another cheese one. Diced bacon lightly fried remove and cool a fine diced onion lightly fried in bacon pan then cooled. Sift flour with a nice salt and smoked paprika keep a litter flour and toss bacon and onion and grated cheese inflour and add to bowl then add cream (l used sour cream) and swapped lemonade for beer cook as normal.. I sometimes sprinkle grated cheese on top. These are now my new cheese favourite. I have had so much fun with this recipe… Hope you enjoy it too.
Wow these do sound nice Lindi, I’ll have to give them a try. I’m not a beer drinker though so I was wondering if the beer flavour is very strong?
These were Amazing!! So simple and Delicious! They could easily double as buscuits. I never can get my baking soda/powder ratio rite. Then i always taste a hint of one or the other. These were perfect. I did add chocolate chips. Yummmm!!!
Glad you liked them Carolyn. I make the fruit ones all the time!
I just made these as stated. In US, so used heavy cream. Three cups flour and two cups liquid was runny and impossible to knead without adding at least another cup of flour…maybe more. Are you to whip the cream first and use one cup of whipped heavy cream….after adding the extra flour they came out ok, but do not look anything like yours….
Hi Karen, sorry to hear that your scones didn’t turn our as expected. I’m not sure what might have gone wrong, you definitely don’t have to whip the cream first. Also you shouldn’t have to add a cup or more of extra flour. Maybe up to half a cup but no more than that. It sounds as though you had the right ratios; 3 cups of flour plus one cup of cream and one cup of soda/Sprite (we call it lemonade in Australia).
As suggested in my post you can reduce the amount of liquid without affecting the quality of the scones. Just try adding half of the Sprite and mix, then add more Sprite as required to get a slightly sticky dough. If you don’t add as much Sprite you will most likely get one or two less scones but they will still turn out just fine. I have made them many times this way when I’m in a hurry! 🙂 I hope this helps you Karen and that you are able to have success with this recipe!
Is buttermilk same with sour cream or heavy cream? We don’t have such cream here in Kiribati but i was not really sure from all the comments whether buttermilk is still the same with heavy or sour cream. I used to make my buttermilk (one cup of milk and 1 teaspoon of vinegar). Will that work well in replacement of sour cream?
Hi Gwen, I have found that you need to use full fat cream in order to get the best results in this recipe. Others have said that they have used sour cream but I haven’t tried that as yet. I don’t think that buttermilk would work in this recipe because it has a fat content that is much lower than cream. I tried using low fat cream once and found the scones to be drier and not as fluffy. I fear that you would end up with very dry scones if you used buttermilk. Perhaps you could try rubbing in some butter to your flour before adding the other ingredients – that would boost the fat content of your mixture. Another option would be to use coconut milk or coconut cream as both of these would have a higher fat content than buttermilk. I hope that helps!
Great, i will try this and let you know of the result. Thanks very much
Could yoghurt be used instead of cream
Hi Janet, I haven’t tried using yoghurt but you could probably use it instead of the cream. The scones might not be as soft and fluffy because the fat content is generally not as high in yoghurt compared to cream. When I used low fat cream I found that they turned out okay but they were a bit drier. I hope that helps!
Could I use tonic water instead of lemonade?
Hi Nola, yes you can use tonic water instead of lemonade. This recipe seems to work with any carbonated soft drink! I think most tonic waters are sweetened but if yours is not you could add a small amount of sugar to the mix. I hope you enjoy them!
Hi I would love the recipe you inherited when you took over your cafe.thankyou.from 71 year old in northern Ireland.never baked in my life before.corona virus given me time for me.grandchildren in lockdown,so I have oodles of time to explore.
Hi Henrietta, I believe you are asking about Lindi’s cheese scone recipe that she made in her cafe. It sounds like Lindi uses this same 3 ingredient scone recipe as the base and then makes her variations. Here is a copy of Lindi’s comment with her cheese scone variation:
Lindi said
“The lemonade scone recipe swap out lemonade for soda water not sparkling mineral water not enough bubbles. 1 big hand full of your favourite cheese grated into flour, then make as usual, top with melted butter and cheese mix and bake as normal..
Melted butter
Grated cheese
Smoked Paprika
Curry Powder
Mustard Powder
I don’t have measurements as it depends on how many I make. I mix altogether then add melted to make a good spreading on top of the scones…
Have also made them with semi dried tomatoes and gorgonzola….I hope this made sense, I’m a bit of this and a bit of that type of cook I really should write down my creations and quantities l probably have enough for a book swimming around my head…..lol”
Great recipe! I added 525 grams of SR flour which I found just right for the liquids. Scones are just as good a few days later! (If they’re not eaten before then ).
Glad you like these Lilly! I pop any leftovers into the freezer and they defrost really well if you give them a few seconds in the microwave!
I made your scone recipe for Sunday morning breakfast and I was shocked to see the end result! I have always hated the authentic recipes where the butter has to be rubbed into the flour but this recipe is a definite keeper. It came out high, light and fluffy, a very fine texture and the taste was amazing!!! Thanks for sharing and lots of love from South Africa where we are currently still in lock-down because of Covid 19….
Glad you liked them Madelein!
I love this recipe too, I never make them any other way now! There’s also a fruit version on my blog and I make them all the time. Plus a chocolate chip version you might also like!
Stay safe Madelein, we are slowly coming out of lock-down here in Australia so fingers crossed it goes well!
I just made my first batch..left out lemonade and used combo of cooking cream (Philadelphia brand is great) and whole milk. Sticky dough easily came together with a light needing
They were super light and fluffy and with some cream and fresh berry compote were divine. Because the scones were unsweetened l split a couple onto bowl of hot veggie soup covered with cheese and grilled till bubbly. Really yummy..all gone!
Wow that sounds delicious Janet! I’ll have to give it a go using milk and cream!
You can definitely use whipping cream for this recipe. Also you can use other flavours of fizzy drink-Fanta or ginger beer will give different tastes.
To fix the wet sticky nature, I sprinkle more flour on top when I have tipped out the dough onto a floured board
Thanks for the tips Tracey! I have tried using a stronger flavoured lemon fizzy drink but I didn’t get much extra lemon flavour. I’ll have to give Fanta a try!
Hi can I make scones with cheese and chives .
Hi Fiona, yes you can make these scones with cheese and chives. I can’t advise of exact amounts as it is a few years since I made a savoury version of these. Perhaps add a cup of grated cheese and some fresh or dried chives. I hope they work for you.
I just baked your wonderful scones. However mine did not rise as much as yours, where did I go wrong?
Hi Silvana, I can’t say exactly why your scones didn’t rise as much as mine, but there might be a couple of things I can suggest. Firstly I always open a fresh bottle/can of lemonade so that there is plenty of fizz as the carbonation seems to help them rise. Also I try not to add too much flour when I am kneading them. The dough seems to rise better if it is still a bit wet and sticky. You want the scones to feel quite soft in your hands as they are being transferred to the baking tray. They should be able to hold their shape but the dough should still be very soft and delicate. I hope these suggestions help you Silvana and that you do try making them again! I make these scones quite often, especially my fruit scone version, a link to that recipe can be found under this recipe!
I make your regular and chocolate chip scones all the time and they are delicious. I use heavy cream and Sprite. Perfect every time!!!
Glad to hear that you like them Ann! My favorite are the fruit ones, I have a batch of those in the freezer quite often and heat one up for my breakfast!
I use whipping cream and Sprite… perfect scones!
Thanks for a great recipe… family and friends love it!
Yes I love this recipe too Suzette! I make these and the fruit version quite often. Glad to hear that they are a hit with your family and friends! Have a great Christmas!
Cripes – just made these and they are amazing. This lockdown I seem to be obsessed with baking the perfect scone as with a house full of kids and everyone working from home I am constantly dealing with requests for food.
As we don’t drink lemonade I used tonic water and 2 tablespoons of sugar along with a splash of vanilla. They are so lovely and light and I found the dough really nice to work with. Living in Cornwall we have plenty of access to clotted cream so I’ve piled them with that (Summer is the time for diets – not winter) and lovely raspberry jam – delish! Thank you so much.
Glad to hear you liked them Kat, I never make scones any other way now. I also have a fruit and a chocolate chip version that I make quite often. I love the fruit ones fresh out of the oven in winter with some butter on top!
In re-reading the recipe and the contents, I see that I made a LOT of mistakes in my first batch. Instead of using a 200C oven, I used a 200 Fahrenheit++BIG mistake.
I also used all-purpose flour instead of self-rising. Foolish me. Tomorrow, I will buy some self-rising flour (rather than make my own) and proceed to follow the recipe correctly.
Thanks again.
You’re welcome Joan, best of luck with the next batch!
I’ve been playing with this recipe for a while now, ever since I made my first batch according to the directions. Right now, in the oven, is a fragrantly rising batch made with Dr. Pepper with the addition of a half cup of brown sugar, about a cup of cranberry and pecan mixture, a teaspoon of vanilla and cinnamon and a half teaspoon of nutmeg. I’ve done some gingerbread ones using ginger ale, ginger, nutmeg and cloves and candied ginger bits, a batch with Orange Crush, white choco chips and grated orange peel and another batch of cream soda with vanilla and choco chips. I do add a half cup of sugar or brown sugar just because we like them sweeter. They all have turned out brilliantly I’ve got plenty of ideas for future combinations. I just love this recipe.
I love this recipe too Diane, I never make scones any other way now! Great to hear that you’ve had success with other flavour variations, I wouldn’t mind trying the gingerbread ones myself! I also make a dried fruit version and a chocolate chip version – they’re on the blog too if you search for scones. When I sweeten mine I use icing/powdered sugar because I think that helps to keep them nice and light and fluffy. If you’re having success with regular sugar and brown sugar that’s also good to know!
Ooo, I hadn’t thought of using powdered sugar. I’ll give it a try.
These look amazing, im going to try them this weekend to get the tall biscuit like scone did you just make a ball, or a spoonful and bake on a cookie sheet ?
Hi Jodi, to ge the round scones I flatten the dough out to about 2 -3 cm (1 inch) thick and then cut into rounds with a floured scone cutter. A scone cutter is similar to a round cookie cutter but the sides are taller. The scone cutter I used to make these had a diameter of 6cm or 2 and one third inches. If you don’t have a scone cutter you could try using a small drinking glass. Just make sure not to twist the glass/cutter as you push it down or the scones won’t rise as well. I hope this helps!
Hi Kaylene,
After reading many of the comments, I made your recipe with just a few changes. First, I cut it in half because there are only two of us here. Then, to avoid having really sticky dough I used 1.5 cups of flour with 1/3 cup each of cream and soda, with a very little extra soda. I tossed in a nice handful of golden raisins, too. The dough was not any stickier than others I’ve made, so it was easy to make it come together with only a little handling — not kneading — which I think preserves the leavening provided by the bubbly soda. I patted the dough into a rectangle and cut it into squares, then very gently patted the corners round, put them on a baking sheet, and that was all. They’re rising beautifully and smell heavenly.
To go with this, everyone should search for the recipes for “Instant Pot Clotted Cream,” which also yields a fantastic result. Your scones will thank you. You just have to make it the day before.
Oh! I just took them out of the oven, and they’re perfect. Thank you!!
Glad to hear that you enjoyed them J. These freeze really well so if you do want to make a full batch you can put half in the freezer for later. I haven’t got an Instant Pot (yet) but it sounds like the clotted cream recipe would go great with these scones!
Sorry but these were a flop, dough was so hard to work with, didn’t rise anywhere near your pic. No taste at all.
Sorry to hear that this recipe didn’t work out for you Pam. I make these quite often and they always turn out for me so I’m not sure what happened. The scones don’t have a lot of taste if eaten plain. We always top them with something sweet. Traditional here in Australia they are served with jam and cream for afternoon tea!
Hi Kaylene,
Fellow Aussie here. I just made the scones this afternoon, but since I’m a tad lazy & i couldn’t be bothered to pat the dough down, use a scone cutter & then bake them in the oven, i used a Piemaker to make them. I also used a small icecream scoop to scoop the dough into the piemaker wells. They turned out amazing & i got 16 scones out of the recipe. Hubby was crazy about them, he even said they were much lighter & fluffier than his grandmother’s!!!
Thank you for this simple but wonderful recipe.
With kindest regards
Reet
Oh wow I would never have thought to try making these scones in a piemaker! Thanks for giving us that tip Reet, I might have to try it out for myself!
I am from the USA. Is the Piemaker you are using the same as a muffin pan here in the USA?
Hi Judy, no a pie maker is not the same as a muffin pan, it is a machine that is designed to cook mini pies. It is designed to cook small pies filled with meat or apples etc. The base cavity is lined with pasty then the filling is added and a pastry top is placed on the pie. The lid is lowered and the pie is cooked. Many people here in Australia use them for making other things though, such as donuts and scones etc. Not sure if they are avaiable in the US but they’re very popular here in Australia!
Hi Kaylene,
Fellow Aussie here, I made the scones this afternoon & because I’m a tad lazy & didn’t want to flour a board, pat the dough down, use a scone cutter & bake them in the oven, I used a piemaker to make them. I used a small icecteam scoop to scoop the dough into the piemaker wells. The scones turned out amazing. Hubby went crazy for them, he even said they were lighter & fluffier than his grandmother’s!!!
Thank you again for a simple but truly wonderful recipe.
With kindest regards
Reet
I tried to read as many of the comments as I could as I was very interested in this conversation having recently live chatted with a gentleman from Australia regarding scones there and biscuits here in the U.S. that he wanted to try to make. There are so many different recipes to make the U.S. biscuit; in particular a Southern States biscuit. A very traditional recipe for Southern Biscuits often has Crisco (a solid vegetable oil product) for the fat, Buttermilk for added flavor, and may have cut in or grated real Butter. However, there is also what is becoming popular recipe known as the Two Ingredient Biscuit. It has simply 2 cups of Self Rising Flour and 1 cup of Heavy Cream. I noted many comments on exactly what constitutes Cream to be used in your Recipe, too. Our U.S.Two Ingredient Biscuit you use Heavy Cream which is the same product that when whipped with sugar added becomes Whipping Cream to top desserts. The cream serves as the fat in this simple Biscuit recipe, and the Self Rising Flour already contains the salt and Baking Powder needed for the rise. Two Ingredient Biscuits have a beautiful, high fluffy rise when baked. As best as I can tell the added Lemonade as you refer to it, being what we would call a Lemon-Lime Soda such as Sprite would add a sweetness that our Southern Biscuits don’t have. Thank you for this very informative discussion and sharing your Aussie Scone with us all.
Hi Sammie, thanks for adding to the discussion! Many say that the addition of the soda/Sprite adds to the rise due to the carbonation. But if you can get high fluffy Two Ingredient Biscuits then perhaps this is not entirely correct! The sprite does add some sweetness but on their own they are not very sweet. I like to top mine with some raspberry jam and whipped cream!
I made this recipe tonight. It was so sticky that it was almost impossible to handle. How much extra flour would you work in? Should the worked-in flour be more of the self-raising flour or just regular all purpose flour? I am in the USA, so I used Sprite because lemonade here is an entirely different drink than lemonade is in Aus. At any rate, they were a huge flop. No flavour to speak of. Should have had a bit of salt in my opinion. They were nothing like the photos here. And while they were not heavy, they were not flaky by any stretch of the imagination. I binned the entire batch. So disappointed.
Hi Wanda, sorry to hear that this recipe didn’t turn out for you. I normally have to add around an extra half a cup of self-raising flour to get the dough to a workable consistancy. I have added an update to this post that suggests that you only add half of the sprite at first and then add more as needed. That seems to help with the sticky dough situation. As for the flavour, these scones are never eaten on their own here in Australia. They would be very bland without any toppings. We usually cut them in half and top them with jam and cream. Or even lemon curd and cream! Again, I’m sorry you were disappointed with this recipe.
LOL! That reminds me of the time I tried my sister’s Bread & Butter Pickles and like them so much that I asked for the recipe. A couple of weeks later, she asked how my pickles were. I said they were not nearly as good as hers. She said well, I used brown sugar instead of white sugar like the recipe calls for, and I use cider vinegar instead of white vinegar and I add more onions than the recipe calls for… In other words the recipe she gave me was not the recipe she used. That said, while I would always put something on scones like you do, I feel they should be tasty and flaky in their own right. But thank you for your reply, just the same.
Do you have a easy recipe for Pumpkin Scones.
At the moment we have over supply of pumpkin and my husband wanted some pumpkin scones .
Hi Barbara, I have made these scones once before with added pumpkin but I didn’t write down how much I added unfortunately. I think it would have been around 1 cup of cooked, mashed pumpkin. I also added some grated Parmesan cheese and some chopped fresh chives. They turned out quite nice from what I remember! I hope that helps!
Hello Kaylene!
In Canada what would you suggest? I think i would use 1 cup of sprite (pop)
but i don’t know if i should take heavy cream, sour cream, plain yogourt?????
Txs!
Hi Louise, I would use heavy cream for these scones. I think that the fat content in the cream helps to make these scones light and fluffy. I have made them using low fat cream and they were quite noticeably drier. So the lower fat content in the sour cream and yoghurt could make them drier. I hope that helps!
I don’t know what i did wrong, but i somehow ended up with tiny breads instead of scones 🙁
Oh no, what a shame Ashley! Did you use self raising flour? I have accidently used plain flour once or twice and they don’t rise at all – very disappointing when that happens. Otherwise I’m not sure what could have given you that result.
The only thing that I want to say is that you are the real MVP for thoughtfully, kindly, and intelligently answering all of these comments for YEARS!!! Service for a purchased product doesn’t come with customer support for this long, yet you faithfully respond. Kudos! I have read every comment and will be making the scones. I know they’ll be awesome because if you have patience with cooking like you have patience with people then they’ll be INCREDIBLE! Be blessed and thank you
Thanks for your kind words Brandi! I try to answer all the comments that people leave because I do appreciate people taking the time to give me feedback.
I don’t know if you have seen my fruit version of these scones but that is just as good as these. These plain ones are great with jam and cream but I make the fruit ones all the time because they can be eaten without any extra toppings. Anyway I hope you enjoy them!
Would prefer ingredients by weight not cup size.
OMG….I was scared to try these as they sounded so simple…..This recipe is fantastic!!! I added lemon zest tocthe mix with about 2 tbsp of sugar and typed them with a lemon glaze, absolutely delicious!!
Thank you for sharing the recipe.
Glad you enjoyed them Maggie!
Hi kaylene , i made these scones today and came out perfect ,i used single cream still sooo good thanks for the easy recipe one question though would i store them in the fridge as it is hot and humid here in malta
Hi Anna, I probably would recommend storing them in the fridge if your weather is hot and humid. They are best eaten within two or three days anyway, because they tend to dry out and become tougher if stored for too long. I can say that they do freeze very well. I often make a batch and put half in the freezer (in an airtight container) and just lift one or two out as needed. You can allow them to return to room temperature naturally or a few seconds in the microwave with thaw them and warm them slightly. I hope that helps, enjoy!
I have made this recipe twice and both were remarkably good. Here in Ontario, Canada our whipping cream is 35% butter fat. It may be different in other provinces such as Quebec.
As far as “Is it a scone or a biscuit?” I don’t care. I use a round cutter and we refer to them as tea biscuits probably because that is what my grandmother called them.
Thanks for the feedback Winnifred. It is interesting to hear that you call them tea biscuits. We call them scones but they are typically served for afternoon tea. In the US they seem to call them biscuits. Perhaps tea biscuits is a blend of the two names!
Hello! I tried your recipe w whole cream and self rising flour substitutes and the scones didnt rise as much as yours! Actually they kinda didnt rise at all haha, are substitutions a no no in this recipe?
Hi Khadija, I have seen these scones made with plain flour and added baking powder instead of self raising flour. If this is what you used as a substitute it should have been okay. I always just use store bought self raising flour so I can’t offer any more help than that!
Do you have a recipe for the cream/clotted cream and/or jelly in the first picture of the served scones? I searched the site but couldn’t find it
Hi Alana, the scones in the picture were just topped with store bought raspberry (I think) jam and some regular whipped cream. The cream was just a thick pouring cream that was whipped with a small amount of added sugar.
Thanks so much
Quick and easy. I didn’t have trouble with the dough being too sticky. I mixed in a large bowl with a fork and turned it out onto a lightly floured surface then very lightly floured my hands. Beading the dough went quickly and no sticky mess.
They have what many Americans would relate to as a biscuit texture. You could definitely get away with calling them either in the US. I formed mine into two 1 inch thick rounds and used a greased pizza cutter to cut into triangles. I also patted the points of each triangle to round them off.
Adding sugar and fruit into the dough (coat the fruit with a little flour first) and topping with a lemon drizzle would make them like the American integration of a scone. Either way Kaylene has a simple and easy and very quick recipe.
I don’t know what I keep getting different pictures each time I comment, Lol. I must have used a different email address each time LOL
Ha ha, yes the Gravatar changes with each email address!
Thanks for the rating Alana, I’m glad you enjoyed them. I do have a version where I add powdered sugar and some dried fruit and they are delicious. Once you have this base recipe they are quite versatile. I also have a chocolate chip version! Some people even add pumpkin and cheese to make a savoury version!
I made these scones today, I added 1 cup of grated cheese, 1 tsp of dry mustard powder then brushed the tops with milk and grated cheese on top of the milk .
They were very scrummy. Thank you .
Oh they sound delicious Carol, I’ll have to give that a try!
I gave this a 5 star as I REALLY wanted this to work. I am at 6000+ feet in the mountains of Colorado. I should have used self rising flour…next time. Mine did not rise even a little bit. I will not give up!
I am still taking them over to my grand loves to try.
Hi Lynn, sorry to hear that your scones didn’t rise. A couple of times I have used plain flour instead of SR flour by accident. They always turn out flat and inedible unfortunately. Sounds as though they still need a bit of raising agent even at your high altitute. I hope they turn out for you next time!
Hi Kaylene, I would like to try your recipe, just wondering if its possible to halve the ingredients as I just want to make a few scones. Will the recipe still work out?
Thanks
Hi Debbie, yes you certainly can make just a half batch of these scones. I have done it a few times when I only have half a cup of cream!
I used heavy whipping cream which we have here in the states, ive also added a little sugar if i wanted a sweeter scone, as well as vanilla bean!
I love this recipe! It has been my go to and everyone is shocked when i tell them it only takes 3 ingredients! Thankyou for sharing this with us all!!
Glad you like the recipe Mandy, adding some sugar and vanilla sounds nice!
This recipe has been my go to since I don’t know when. I am dairy intolerant so I sub out the cream for either soy or coconut yoghurt. It works exactly the same. I’ve even used plain soda water and the recipe works. My main reason for using this recipe was I was disillusioned that I couldn’t make scones as good as my father’s.
My father has been in catering since he was a boy. He makes his scones with three ingredients too – SR flour, cold cubes of butter and milk. He would just do it all on the cleaned bench – no bowl. He used a glass milk bottle for a rolling pin. He’d roll his mixture to about half an inch or less and the scones would rise in the oven to be tall, proud and divine. I couldn’t achieve this and it took almost 40 years to work out why. Dad’s hands are cold. If your hands are too warm (fingertips particularly), then you aren’t going to get the butter rubbed in right. It’s why margarine fails most of the time in the recipe : it doesn’t stay cold enough for long enough. And why a lot of us can’t make puff pastry from scratch!
This weekend I had another go at making scones the old fashioned way. To keep my naturally warm hands cold, I grabbed an ice brick from the freezer and kept my fingers cooled with it. I did use margarine and soy milk so that I could eat them and, although I didn’t get the big rise because it was margarine and not butter, rise they did and were perfect with my homemade apricot jam.
Everyone should have a go at least once at making them the old fashioned way. But in a pinch, the lemonade and cream or yoghurt version is a speedy way to get a batch on the table with a lovely cup of tea.
Delish, has any one made them using cola or other flavoured fizzy drinks?
Hi Cassie, I tried using a lemon flavoured fizzy drink once but I couldn’t taste any lemon. I have heard of others that use beer and add cheese to make a savoury version, I’m not sure how that would turn out!
Sour cream in the US is not pourable so I don’t think that is the same as what is used in her recipe. However, it might work as a substitute.
Hi Gammacate, yes you can use sour cream as a substitute. I haven’t tried it myself but I have seen other similar recipes that use it. Sour cream does have a lower fat content than a pure cream so it would probably result in drier scones. When I used low fat cream the scones turned out much drier.
Thank you !! so so much for being Australian Kaylene. Finally I can get and enjoy recipes in grams, and ml …. There are zillions of American recipes and not many Australian recipes, so I am over the moon ! YAY whoohooooo I live in Warrnambool VIC xoxo Your recipes are devine ♥
You’re welcome Petra! It can be a bit annoying when you have to convert imperial recipe measurements over to metric. That said, I do get a few complaints from overseas because they like their recipes in cups and ounces! I have tried to include both measurements for my later recipes, just to keep everyone happy! 😉
Hi Kaylene, Would I need to make adjustments to this recipe due to living in a very arid environment (Arizona, USA)?
Hi Linda, I don’t have any experience in baking in arid conditions but I guess you have to worry about things drying out to much? These scones turn out best if you can keep the dough as wet as possible. You need to be able to shape the dough but it should be a bit sticky too. Perhaps you could try to make sure that you keep any extra flour for kneading to a bare minimum. If you have the scone dough as sticky as possible it might compensate for your dry environment. I hope that helps and that you enjoy these scones!
Hi Kaylene, thanks for your recipe but do I have to sift the flour ? Thanks, Sandii
Hi Sandii, you can sift the flour if you want to but I never do. They still turn out nice and fluffy!
So easy and so good!! They were absolutely amazing !!! Hello from Mississippi!!
Thanks for the feedback Courtney, I’m glad you liked them!
I am so happy i found your recipe. Thank you for sharing.
I made the SRF using the recipe in one of the comments, whipping cream and beer( i had ginger ale and thought it would affect it too much as i made cheddar cheese scones). I had to bake them for a total of 19min as 17 seemed a little too pale and not fully baked. They came out amazing. Still hot, my husband ate 2 of the bigger ones craving for more. He did not even add butter which is so unusual. Your recipe is a keeper!
Glad you enjoyed them Maya! Thanks for letting me know that they turned out so good using beer, I’ll have to give that a try one day!
Made these so many times now and I was old school as in me being 68 and made them the old fashioned way but tried these and will never go back to traditional methods. I’ve also made them with fruit and they are spectacular too.
Yes I’m the same Gilly, I will never go back to the old way of making scones either! My favourite are the fruit ones, I make them quite often!
I have been making these scones for years, also adding – 2 crushed Violet Crumble Bars, finely grated orange zest and use Fanta instead of plain lemonade, crushed peppermint crisps are interesting also.
Oh wow Margaret, that variation sounds awesome! I will definately be giving that a try!
Hi, Just tried made some today, they went down a treat, a big treat. I did 3 variations : raisins, strawberries and cheese&ham. Shall certainly be making more of these. Friends even asked for the recipe to which I have give them you web link. Thanks so much for sharing your superb recipe
Glad to hear that you and your friends enjoyed them Amy! I love the sound of your variations, especially the cheese and ham one! This recipe is great for adding your own flavours. I have a dried fruit version that I make quite often, and a chocolate chip one that I also love. They’re also on the blog if you want to try them.
Hello, making these scones now. I didn’t have whipping cream so I used 1/2 sourcream and 1/2 milk. Hope they turn out. Thank you for sharing your recipe
I hope you enjoy them Jodi! Let us know how it goes using sour cream and milk.