Snickerdoodle Scones Recipe

Side view of a partial scone on. a small plate.

5 from 2 votes

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! Best served with a cup of coffee and enjoyed with friends!

Course Breakfast, Snack

Cuisine American

Keyword best snickerdoodle scones, crumbly snickerdoodles

Prep Time 25

Cook Time 15

Total Time 40

Servings scones

Calories 496kcal

Author Sue Ringsdorf

Ingredients

For the scone dough:

2.5 cups all-purpose flour (300 grams)
1/3 cup granulated sugar (66 grams)
1 1/2 Tablespoons baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 cup frozen unsalted butter - shredded
1 large egg - cold
3/4 cup heavy cream - cold
2 teaspoons vanilla

For the topping:

1 Tablespoon milk
sparkling sugar and cinnamon

For the drizzle:

1 Tablespoon unsalted butter
2 Tablespoons half and half
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup powdered sugar

Instructions

Prep the butter. Use a box grater to shred the frozen butter. Keep it in the freezer until ready to use. You can do this in advance of making scones.
Combine the dry ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, kosher salt, cream of tartar, and cinnamon. Mix well with a spoon.
2.5 cups all-purpose flour (300 grams), 1/3 cup granulated sugar (66 grams), 1 1/2 Tablespoons baking powder, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1 teaspoon cream of tartar, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Combine the wet ingredients. In a measuring cup, combine the egg, heavy cream, and vanilla. Store in the refrigerator until ready to use (to keep it cold).
1 large egg, 3/4 cup heavy cream, 2 teaspoons vanilla
Make the dough. Add the frozen butter to the dry ingredients and use 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 a large ball.
3/4 cup frozen unsalted butter
Shape the dough. On a baking mat or flat surface, spread a little bit of flour. Place dough on top and shape into a large round, about 3/4 inch thick. Slice the dough into eight equal triangles.
Add topping. Transfer each triangle to a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. (I normally use two pans to avoid crowding.) Brush a light coating of milk on the top of each piece of dough. Then add the sparkling sugar and cinnamon to the top.
1 Tablespoon milk, sparkling sugar and cinnamon
Bake. Bake in a 375-degree preheated oven for approximately 15 minutes, or until the tops turn slightly golden. Remove from the oven to a wire cooling rack.
Make the icing. In a medium bowl, combine the melted butter, vanilla, half and half, and powdered sugar. Mix until well combined.
1 Tablespoon unsalted butter, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 2 Tablespoons half and half, 1 cup powdered sugar
Drizzle the icing. Drizzle the icing over cooled scones.

Notes

Make sure you have everything out on your kitchen counter and ready to go, before the step where you add the butter.
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).

OPTIONAL: I often 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!

Nutrition