These Tart Cherry Scones will be the perfect addition to your weekend routine! Sweet and light, with a delicious balance of tartness from the dried cherries and richness from cream.
Why You Will Love This Recipe
With just 7 minutes of prep time and 20 minutes baking, there’s no excuse not to whip up these tart cherry scones for your family any day of the week!
This cherry scones recipe is super fast and easy. You can mix in a bowl or use your fingers to mix and shape the dough right on a rolling board. From start to finish, it takes less than 30 minutes for hot and flaky scones on your breakfast table. Wait until you see the smiles at your table though!
The best part is though, you can change the dried cherries for anything you like! How about chocolate chip scones?
Jump to:
- Why You Will Love This Recipe
- Cream Scones Ingredients
- How To Make These Tart Cherry Scones
- Serving Suggestions
- Related Recipes
- Substitutions and Variations
- Equipment
- Storage
- Tips for Success
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Food Safety
- Some Other Recipes We Are Sure You Will Love
- 📖 Recipe
- Connect with Smells Like Delish!
Cream Scones Ingredients
Most likely, you already have everything you need to make this cherry scones recipe in your pantry. If you don't have the tart dried cherries, you can use any other dried or diced fresh fruit. Or, make them plain and dress them up with strawberry jam and butter!
- Flour - if you use Self Rising flour, be sure to omit the baking powder, and salt below, as self rising flour already has that in it.
- Sugar
- Salt
- Baking powder
- Butter
- Vanilla extract
- Egg - room temperature.
- Heavy Cream
- Tart Dried Cherries - I used Tart Montmorency Cherries from Costco.
- Chocolate Chips - Optional, only if you want to make Chocolate Cherry Scones.
Full ingredient amounts and preparation instructions are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
How To Make These Tart Cherry Scones
From start to finish, calculate about 27 to 35 minutes to have these scrumptious scones on your table! This scones recipe is so adaptable to whatever you have on hand, that you can make fresh scones just about any time you want them. No need to pay a fortune for dry scones from the popular bakeries anymore!
- Preheat your oven to 400 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set it aside.
Whisk the Dry Ingredients Together
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder.
Cut In the Butter
- Use either the soft butter mixing method, or the frozen grated butter method of combining the butter into the dry ingredients.
Soft Butter Method: Use your fingers or a pastry cutter to cut in the softened butter into the flour until it is pea size crumbly.
Grated Butter Method: Freeze the butter, then grate it like cheese. Add it to the flour and simply toss and coat the butter well with flour. I use this method in the Green Tea Matcha Scones recipe.
Stir In Wet Ingredients
- Mix the egg, cream, and vanilla together in a small bowl. Make a well in the center of the bowl with the dry ingredients with the cut in butter. Add the dried tart cherries to the well, then pour in the cream and egg mixture.
If making chocolate cherry scones, be sure to add the chocolate chips now also.
Combine Until Just Moistened
- Mix with your hands or a spatula until everything is just moistened, scraping down the sides of the mixing bowl to combine everything.
Shape into Wedges
- Tip the dough out onto a floured surface. Using your hands, pull everything into a rough ball, using a little flour to smooth out the surface. Press down on the ball until the dough becomes an 8" disc.
Lay the disc on the prepared baking sheet and using a knife, cut into 8 wedges. Spread the wedges apart about 2" from each other. I use the flat of the knife to move them. - Brush the tops of the scone wedges with a little cream, and sprinkle with some sanding sugar or granulated sugar. Bake for 18 - 23 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden brown on top. Serve while hot, or cool and drizzle with icing.
Serving Suggestions
Wait until you taste these homemade, tart cherry scones! These buttery, lightly sweetened treats are filled with tart cherries and perhaps chocolate chips if you chose that option.
The result is an indulgent, yet light snack that's perfect for serving family and friends. Serve these scrumptious cherry scones for breakfast, or an afternoon treat with hot coffee or tea.
For more delicious Brunch and Breakfast recipes see our:
- Raspberry Pancakes
- Banana Sheet Pancakes
- Bacon, Egg, and Cheddar Breakfast Roll Ups
- Dairy Free Blueberry Muffins
- Summer Berry Salad
Full ingredient amounts and preparation instructions are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Related Recipes
Substitutions and Variations
Any fruit can be a perfect substitution. You can add ¼ cup of pureed pumpkin, reduce the cream and replace with equal parts lemon juice for some other amazing scones variations.
- Orange Cranberry Scones - Instead of dried cherries use dried cranberries and use some orange juice to replace some of the cream.
- Lemon Poppy Seed Scones - Our Lemon Poppy Seed Scones recipe is a perfect breakfast treat!
Equipment
Equipment can have a big impact on how a recipe turns out. Below are some of my favorite pieces of equipment that I use when making this dish.
Storage
Store uneaten scones on a covered cake plate, in a air tight bag or container, or simply freeze them for later.
Tips for Success
- Freezing and grating the butter is the fastest and most mess free method of incorporating butter into dry ingredients. Use it for scones, biscuits, and pie crusts!
- Use can use a beaten egg instead of cream for brushing the scones with before baking, it it's up to you. I use cream for sweet scones, beaten egg for savory scones.
Frequently Asked Questions
Leftover scones keep well at room temperature for 2 days or in the refrigerator for 5 days.
You can use the air fryer at 200 F for 4 minutes, or the microwave for 15 seconds.
Yes, you can either freeze right after shaping before baking (I used to buy them from Trader Joe's this way!) or after baking. Wrap them with plastic wrap either way, and freeze up to 3 months. Make sure to let the unbaked scones defrost overnight in your refrigerator before baking, and add an extra minute or two bake time, because of how cold they are.
Yes, feel free to adapt this cherry scones recipe and use any mix-in's you prefer. That could be raisins and some cinnamon, just chocolate chips, or perhaps even blueberries.
Food Safety
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
- Wash hands after touching raw meat
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
See more guidelines at USDA.gov.
Some Other Recipes We Are Sure You Will Love
📖 Recipe
Tart Cherry Scones
Ingredients
- 2 cup flour if you use Self Rising flour, be sure to omit the baking powder, and salt below, as self rising flour already has that in it.
- ½ cup sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ cup butter room temperature, or frozen and grated, see notes in recipe for either method.
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 egg beaten
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1 cup dried cherries Tart Montmorency Cherries
- chocolate chips OPTIONAL for chocolate cherry scones only, use ½ cup.
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set it aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder.2 cup flour, ½ cup sugar, ½ teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon baking powder
- Use either the soft butter mixing method, or the frozen grated butter method of combining the butter into the dry ingredients. Soft Butter Method: Use your fingers or a pastry cutter to cut in the softened butter into the flour until it is pea size crumbly.Grated Butter Method: Freeze the butter, then grate it like cheese. Add it to the flour and simply toss and coat the butter well with flour. I use this method in the Green Tea Matcha Scones recipe.½ cup butter
- Mix the egg, cream, and vanilla together in a small bowl. Make a well in the center of the bowl with the dry ingredients with the cut in butter. Add the dried cherries to the well, then pour in the cream and egg mixture. If making chocolate cherry scones, be sure to add the chocolate chips now also.1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 egg, ½ cup heavy cream, 1 cup dried cherries, chocolate chips
- Mix with your hands or a spatula until everything is just moistened, scraping down the sides of the mixing bowl to combine everything.
- Tip the dough out onto a floured surface. Using your hands, pull everything into a rough ball, using a little flour to smooth out the surface. Press down on the ball until the dough becomes an 8" disc. Lay the disc on the prepared baking sheet and using a knife, cut into 8 wedges. Spread the wedges apart about 2" from each other. I use the flat of the knife to move them.
- Brush the tops of the scone wedges with a little cream, and sprinkle with some sanding sugar or granulated sugar. Bake for 18 - 23 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden brown on top. Serve while hot, or cool and drizzle with icing.
Notes
- Freezing and grating the butter is the fastest and most mess free method of incorporating butter into dry ingredients. Use it for scones, biscuits, and pie crusts!
- Use can use a beaten egg instead of cream for brushing the scones with before baking, it it's up to you. I use cream for sweet scones, beaten egg for savory scones.
- Be sure to bake the scones at least 2" apart, as they will spread as they rise.
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