I originally published this recipe in 2015 and have since added new photos and a few more success tips. I learned how to make absolutely delicious scones 10 years ago when I attended a cooking event in a test kitchen. Turns out that I had been making all the wrong scones up until that point! Since that fateful afternoon, I’ve perfected chocolate chip scones, blueberry scones, and even ham & cheese scones. I use the same basic recipe for each flavor and you can find that base recipe here: scones recipe. It’s my trusted formula to produce the tastiest scones. Readers have loved it for years.
Grab These Ingredients:
Frozen Grated Butter
I’ve learned that frozen grated butter is key to scone success.
Sweet crisp-crumbly edges Soft and moist yet flaky centers Crunchy golden brown exterior Cinnamon & brown sugar flavors An overflow of juicy apples Drizzles of salted caramel on top—just how we like our apple turnovers, too!
Like when we make pie crust, work the cold butter into the dry ingredients. The cold butter coats the flour. When the buttery flour crumbs melt as the scones bake, they release steam, which creates pockets of air. These pockets add a flaky center, while keeping the edges crumbly and crisp. Refrigerated butter might melt in the dough as you work it, but frozen butter will hold out until the oven. Timing is KEY! And the finer the pieces of cold butter, the less the scones spread and the quicker the butter mixes into the dry ingredients. Remember, you don’t want to over-work scone dough. I recommend grating the frozen butter with a box grater.
In Photos: How to Make Apple Cinnamon Scones
Because there’s no yeast, these apple cinnamon scones go from the mixing bowl to the oven relatively quickly. First, mix the dry ingredients together. Second, cut shredded butter into the dry ingredients. You can use a pastry cutter, 2 forks, or your hands for this step. A food processor works too. To avoid overly dense scones, work the dough as little as possible. I always use a pastry cutter. Next, whisk the wet ingredients together. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, add the apples, then gently mix together. Form the dough into a disc, then cut into 8 wedges. To obtain a flaky center and a crumbly exterior, scone dough must remain cold. Cold dough won’t over-spread, either. Therefore, I highly recommend refrigerating the shaped scones for at least 15 minutes prior to baking. You can even refrigerate overnight for a quick breakfast in the morning. Before baking, brush the scones with heavy cream and sprinkle with coarse sugar. These extras add a lovely golden sheen with a bakery-style crunch. After that, bake the scones until golden brown. The scones are INCREDIBLE right out of the oven, but taste even better with salted caramel on top. 🙂 What doesn’t?! Other topping options: You can certainly keep the scones plain or dust with confectioners’ sugar. Or try the maple icing from these maple brown sugar cookies, the brown butter icing from these pumpkin oatmeal cookies, or simply vanilla icing.
More Apple Recipes
Apple Cinnamon Baked Oatmeal Cups Apple Crumb Cake Baked Apple Cider Donuts Apple Cupcakes with Salted Caramel Frosting Easy Baked Apples Apple Bundt Cake & Apple Cake
