Best Snickerdoodle Scones
This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share a commission.
The Best Snickerdoodle Scones combine my base recipe with a dash of cream of tartar, a cinnamon and sugar topping, and a drizzle of icing. These taste like a snickerdoodle cookie, but with a crumbly texture – just like a good scone should have! Best served with a cup of coffee and enjoyed with friends!
Oh the scones scones scones! Y’all know I’m obsessed with these little pastries. Mike and I love going to cute little coffee shops, and I ALWAYS order a scone. Sometimes we get good ones, sometimes not so much. So I’ve been fine-tuning my scone skills for several years now. Coffee and scones at home is a weekend tradition, for sure!
My idea of a perfect scone is slightly crisp on the outside, and flaky and tender on the inside. It’s also pretty nice to enjoy them with someone you love (or even like). 😀
Ingredients needed for the Best Snickerdoodle Scones:
Once you prep the categories below, the scone process is very quick to make. Preparation is key so that the ingredients can be kept cold. The process of cutting the fat into the flour mixture is important because it evenly distributes pieces of fat (butter) throughout the dough. The flaky texture is produced because those little pieces of fat create pockets of steam during the baking process.
- Dry Ingredients – All-purpose flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, cream of tartar, and cinnamon.
- Butter – COLD butter. Dice it into small cubes and freeze.
- Wet Ingredients – An egg, heavy cream, and vanilla.
- For the Topping – A bit of milk, and then a mixture of sugar and cinnamon.
- For the Drizzle – A combo of heavy cream, vanilla, powdered sugar, and a pinch of cinnamon.
How to make the Best Snickerdoodle Scones:
- Dice the butter. Take some cold butter, and dice it up into small little cubes. (You can also use a box grater to grate frozen butter.) Keep the diced butter in the freezer for at least 30 minutes prior to using.
- Combine the dry ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, kosher salt, cream of tartar, and cinnamon.
- Combine the wet ingredients. In a measuring cup, combine the egg, heavy cream, and vanilla. Store in the refrigerator until ready to use.
- Make the dough. Add the COLD butter to the dry ingredients. Use a pastry cutter (or your hands) to mix it in well. You should see small bits of butter. Be careful to not overwork the dough. Then pour in the COLD wet ingredients, and mix with a spoon. Use your hands to work it into two equal pieces. If the dough is too try, add a bit more heavy cream.
- Shape the dough. On a baking mat or flat surface, spread a little bit of flour. Place dough on top and shape into two round shapes, about 1/2 inch thick. Slice each round into about 8 triangles. Transfer each piece to two baking sheets (lined with parchment paper).
- Add topping. Brush a light coating of milk on the top of each piece of dough. Then combine the sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over the scones.
- OPTIONAL. I like to freeze (or refrigerate) scones for about 30 minutes prior to baking. You can also refrigerate overnight and bake in the morning. The important thing is to make sure they are as cold as possible!
- Bake. Bake in a 400-degree preheated oven for approximately 15 – 18 minutes, or until the tops turn slightly golden. Remove from the oven to cooling racks.
- Drizzle the icing. Combine the icing ingredients (heavy cream, vanilla, powdered sugar, and cinnamon) and drizzle over cooled scones.
History of the scone:
Nobody knows the original country that invented the scone but is connected traditionally with England, Scotland, and Ireland. The scones were originally round and flat, cooked on a griddle, and usually as large as a medium-sized plate. It was baked and then sliced into triangles. When baking powder (the leavener) became available, scones began to be baked in the oven.
In Europe, scones are usually plain but served with thick cream and jam. Here in the U.S., scones are often filled with a variety of fruits, chocolates, and nuts – and are often topped with icing.
Other scone recipes on the blog:
- Seriously Crumbly Chocolate Chip Scones – Probably the easiest scone recipe on the blog.
- Petite Vanilla Scones – Zach’s favorite scone.
- Mini Glazed Pumpkin Scones – I can eat pumpkin ANY time of year.
- Maple Oat Pecan Scones – Mike’s fav, and the first scone recipe I ever made!
Kitchen Tools used for this recipe: (Affiliate Links)
Make this scone recipe next: Mini Chocolate Chip Scones
xoxo ~Sue
Best Snickerdoodle Scones
Ingredients
For the scone dough:
- 2.5 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 cup COLD unsalted butter – diced in small cubes
- 1 large egg COLD
- 3/4 cup heavy cream COLD
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
For the topping:
- 1 Tablespoon milk
- 3 teaspoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
For the drizzle:
- 1 1/2 Tablespoon heavy cream
- 10 Tablespoons powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
- Dice up the cold butter into tiny cubes. Place in a bowl and store in the freezer for at least 30 minutes before using. (I sometimes do this the day before.)
- In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients – flour, sugar, baking powder, kosher salt, cream of tartar, and cinnamon.
- Combine the egg, heavy cream, and vanilla in a measuring cup. Store in the refrigerator until ready to use.
- Cut the cold butter into the dry ingredients using a pastry cutter or your hands. You should see small bits of butter, but be careful to avoid over-working the dough. Then pour the cold wet ingredients into the bowl and stir with a spoon. Use your hands to work the dough into two equal pieces.
- Using a baking mat or a flat surface, spread a little bit of flour. Place dough on top and shape into two round shapes, each about 1/2 inch thick. Slice each round into 8 triangles and transfer to baking sheets (lined with parchment paper).
- Brush a light coating of milk (or cream) over each piece of dough. Sprinkle with a mixture of cinnamon and sugar.
- * OPTIONAL – I like to place the baking sheets into the freezer for about 30 minutes before baking. You can also refrigerate overnight. This is to make sure the scone dough is COLD, which will yield a flakier scone.
- Bake in a 400 degree preheated oven for 15-18 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown. Remove to cooling racks.
- Combine the icing ingredients, and then drizzle over the cooled scones. Enjoy!
Notes
- Make sure you have everything out on your kitchen counter and ready to go, before the step where you add the butter.
- The butter should be COLD when you cut it in with a pastry cutter
. I usually chop frozen butter and then stick it back in the freezer while I’m getting everything else ready to go. - When you mix the wet ingredients with the dry, be careful to add JUST enough so that the dough is somewhat dry. If your dough is too wet, the scone will not be crumbly. It will be more like a muffin.
- If the dough gets too wet, add more flour. If the dough is too dry and won’t stay together, add more cream VERY slowly (just a few drops at a time).
. I usually chop frozen butter and then stick it back in the freezer while I’m getting everything else ready to go.
Scones are my favorite breakfast treat, and these are great for the holidays!
So delicious with a cup of coffee!