Cinnamon Sugar Scones
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There’s something incredibly cozy about the classic blend of cinnamon and sugar. It’s one of my all-time favorite flavor combinations, and it works perfectly in these big, buttery, flaky scones.
A lot of people seem to be intimidated by the idea of baking scones, but trust me, they’re much easier than you think. With just a handful of pantry staples and a few simple steps, you can have fresh, homemade scones in under an hour. The key? Keep your ingredients cold and be careful not to over-mix the dough.
Just follow along with my easy instructions and helpful tips, and you’ll be baking up these cinnamon sugar scones in no time! They’re perfect for a grab-and-go breakfast, cozy afternoon snack, or even a sweet treat after dinner.
If you love all things cinnamon, try my Cinnamon Banana Bread, Sheet Pan Cinnamon Rolls, Cinnamon Crumb Cake, or Apple Cinnamon Monkey Bread.
Table Talk with Tawnie
Scones are one of my favorite sweet breakfast treats! Any time I make scones someone always mentions how they don’t really like scones & how they’re always dry and gross. But that’s not the case for my recipes! 😉 They’re surprisingly easy to make, have a soft, tender crumb, and are perfect alongside a warm cup of coffee or tea. Plus, they’re so versatile. Enjoy them for a sweet breakfast, brunch, or cozy afternoon treat.
- All-purpose flour: Ensure accurate measurement by spooning the flour into the measuring cup and leveling it off. Too much flour can make the scones dry and dense. You can also make these scones using a combination of all-purpose flour and cake flour for an ultra-tender scone.
- Granulated sugar: The sugar adds sweetness, tenderness, and a fine texture to the scones. You can adjust the amount of sugar depending on how sweet you like your scones. You’ll also need sugar for the cinnamon/sugar mixture.
- Baking powder: Make sure your baking powder is fresh (opened for less than 3 months) so your scones get a beautiful rise.
- Unsalted butter: Make sure your butter is COLD and cut into cubes. Cubing the cold butter makes it easier to cut into the flour mixture. The cold butter helps with the rise of the scones, along with being responsible for the crisp edges, golden brown top, and wonderful buttery flakiness. You can cube the butter, then pop it back in the fridge/freezer until right before you’re ready to use it to help keep it cold.
- Cinnamon: The star flavor of these scones. These scones have notes of cinnamon throughout the dough and are also topped with a sweet, cinnamon-sugar mixture!
Step by Step Directions
(For the full recipe, scroll down to the recipe card below)
Mix dry ingredients and cut in butter
Sift the flour and mix together all of the dry ingredients. Then, using a pastry blender, cut in the butter.
Combine wet and dry ingredients
Pour the heavy cream and vanilla into the dry ingredients and stir until a soft, shaggy dough forms.
Form dough and cut into wedges
Turn the dough onto a floured surface and gently knead until combined. Form dough into a circle and cut into 8 wedges. Place wedges on a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze for 15-20 minutes. Cold dough = best scones.
Add topping and bake
Brush the chilled scones with heavy cream and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until the tops are a light golden brown color.
Glaze and enjoy!
Whisk together the glaze. Drizzle over the scones and sprinkle with any remaining cinnamon sugar. Allow to cool, then ENJOY!!
Expert Tips
- Cold ingredients: Cold butter and heavy cream are a MUST for scones. Using cold ingredients prevents the butter from melting before the scones are baked, so that the butter can melt in the oven and create ultra-flaky, tender, soft scones.
- Chill the scones before baking: Chilling the scones for 15-20 minutes before baking helps to ensure the dough stays cold so the butter doesn’t melt. Trust me, the extra step is worth it! Be sure to clear some space before you carry the baking sheet to the freezer.
- Work quickly: Try to work as quickly as possible with the dough so that the butter stays cold.
- Don’t over-mix: Mix the dough until just combined. Don’t over-mix! Overworking the dough will result in tough, flat scones.
- Make in advance: You can make the dough in advance and refrigerate it overnight, then add the heavy cream and cinnamon sugar topping and bake fresh in the morning.
Storage / Freezing
- Store: Store scones in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days.
- Freezing instructions after baking: Let scones cool to room temperature. Freeze cooled scones without glaze in a plastic baggie for up to 3 months.
- Freezing scones before baking: Freeze the unbaked scone wedges on a plate or baking sheet for 1 hour. Then layer them in a freezer-friendly bag or container. Bake from frozen, adding a few minutes to the bake time or thaw overnight in the fridge and bake as directed.
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Cinnamon Sugar Scones
Ingredients
For the dough:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar (use 1/2 cup for a sweeter scone)
- 1 Tbsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp. kosher salt ( or 1/2 tsp. table salt)
- 8 Tbsp. cold, unsalted butter (cut into cubes (1/2 cup))
- 2/3 cup cold heavy cream
- 1 tsp. vanilla
For brushing on top:
- 1 Tbsp. heavy cream
- 1 Tbsp. sugar
- 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
For the glaze:
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1-2 Tbsp. heavy cream
- 1/2 tsp. vanilla
Last step! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.
Instructions
- Sift: Sift the flour into a medium-sized mixing bowl. Then whisk in the sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.2 cups all-purpose flour, 1/3 cup granulated sugar, 1 tsp. ground cinnamon, 1 tsp. kosher salt, 1 Tbsp. baking powder
- Cut in butter: Using a pastry blender, cut the butter into the flour. Alternatively, you can use your fingertips to flatten each butter piece between them. Continue smashing and rubbing until the butter looks like a coarse meal.8 Tbsp. cold, unsalted butter
- Cinnamon chips (Optional): Feel free to add 1/2 cup of cinnamon chips in this step.
- Combine wet and dry: Pour the heavy cream and vanilla into the dry ingredients and stir until a soft, shaggy dough forms.2/3 cup cold heavy cream, 1 tsp. vanilla
- Form dough: Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Gently knead and fold just until combined so you can bring it into a circle, about 3/4 inch thickness. Pat the dough around the edges to make the circle neat.
- Cut into wedges: Cut into 8 wedges with a chef’s knife or bench scraper. (Cut into 6 if you prefer a larger scone).
- Chill: Make sure you have space in your freezer, then place a piece of parchment paper on a baking sheet and place scones on parchment. Freeze for 15-20 minutes Start Timer. Cold dough = best scones.
- Preheat: While the scones chill, preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Add topping: Brush the chilled scones with heavy cream. Combine cinnamon and sugar and sprinkle over the tops of each scone.1 Tbsp. heavy cream, 1 Tbsp. sugar, 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
- Bake: Bake the scones for 18-20 minutes Start Timer or until the tops are a light golden brown color. They should look puffed/risen and golden.
- Make the glaze: Whisk together the ingredients for the glaze.1/2 cup powdered sugar, 1-2 Tbsp. heavy cream, 1/2 tsp. vanilla
- Top the scones: Drizzle over the scones or spread a layer on top of each scone. Sprinkle with any remaining cinnamon/sugar mixture.
- Cool: Allow to cool on a wire rack, then enjoy.
Notes
- Store: Store scones in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days.
- Freezing instructions after baking: Let scones cool to room temperature. Freeze cooled scones without glaze in a plastic baggie for up to 3 months.
- Freezing scones before baking: Freeze the unbaked scone wedges on a plate or baking sheet for 1 hour. Then layer them in a freezer-friendly bag or container. Bake from frozen, adding a few minutes to the bake time or thaw overnight in the fridge and bake as directed.
- Mini scones: To make mini scones, divide the dough in half and make 2 circles. Cut each circle into 8 triangles so now you have 16 mini scones. Bake at 400°F for ~10-12 minutes.
Nutrition Information
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is automatically calculated. It should only be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. Ingredients can vary and Kroll’s Korner can’t make any guarantees to the accuracy of this information.
📸 Photos by Megan McKeehan of The Broke Girl Table
This was the perfect thing to make on a chilly and cloudy morning!
We added some caramel chips since we didn’t have cinnamon and did the glaze like the pumpkin scones as those are one of our favorites…year round, haha. My husband had closed eyes while trying one and said how amazing it was and our 4 year old asked how it was so delish?! and I said, Tawnie just has amazing recipes! She agreed with adding you must have super powers! We’ve loved every recipe we’ve tried ~ thank you!
That is so cute, you just made my day! hehe thank you Meagan! 🙂