Bakery-style cinnamon scones are easier to make at home than you might think. With cold butter, gentle mixing, and a simple glaze, these bake up tender, flaky, and full of cozy cinnamon flavor.
Want to save this recipe?
Enter your email below and get it sent straight to your inbox. Plus, I'll send you easy and delicious recipes every week!
*This recipe was originally published as cinnamon raisin scones, but I have since updated it to a more classic cinnamon scone recipe without the raisins.
These cinnamon scones are tender, flaky, and packed with warm cinnamon flavor, with a simple glaze that makes them feel bakery-worthy without much extra effort. They key to a good scone is keeping the butter cold and working the dough as little as possible, which gives you that light, buttery crumb instead of a dense or dry texture.
For more breakfast recipes, try my chocolate chip sourdough scones, Cinnabon dupe cinnamon rolls, and almond poppy seed muffins with almond paste streusel!
Jump to:
⭐️ Why These Cinnamon Scones are the Best
- Tender, flaky texture from very cold butter and gentle mixing
- Warm cinnamon flavor in every bite, with a simple glaze for extra sweetness
- Easy to make at home with basic baking ingredients
- Great for make-ahead baking because the scones freeze well before or after baking
🌾 Key Ingredients
- Cold butter: This is essential for creating steam pockets in the oven, which helps give the scones their flaky texture.
- Ground cinnamon: Adds warm flavor throughout the dough.
- Flour: Measure it carefully so the dough stays tender and does not turn dry or heavy.
- Milk or cream: Adds moisture and richness while helping the dough come together.
- Powdered sugar: Used for a simple glaze that adds sweetness without weighing the scones down.
📝 Variations and Substitutions
- Skip the glaze and use cinnamon sugar for a slightly crisp, bakery-style finish.
- Add chopped pecans or walnuts for a little crunch and nuttiness.
- Add golden raisins for a slightly sweeter cinnamon-raisin version.
- Vegan/dairy-free scones: Substitute vegan butter and plant-based milk. I've made them several times using almond milk and vegan butter, and they are delicious!
- Gluten-free scones: Swap all-purpose gluten-free flour using a 1:1 ratio.
🔪 How To Make Cinnamon Scones
*See recipe card below for printable instructions.
Make the Scones
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place parchment paper onto baking sheet and set aside. In a medium bowl, add the all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, brown sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt, and whisk to combine.
Use a pastry cutter, fork, or your hands to press and squish the butter into the dry mixture, until it resembles pea-sized crumbs.
Add vanilla extract and 1 cup of milk, and stir just until combined. If dough is still really dry, add more milk 1 Tablespoon at a time (you want dough that is tacky, slightly sticky, and not dry).
Place a piece of parchment on the counter and lightly dust with flour. Turn the dough out onto the counter and use your hands to bring it together.
Lightly dust the top of the dough with flour and use a rolling pin to roll out your dough to make a 9-inch circle. Use a sharp knife and cut dough into 8 wedges.
Place wedges onto parchment-lined baking sheet and brush with 1 tablespoon of milk. Bake for 20 minutes, or until lightly golden. Transfer scones to a cooling rack.
Make the Cinnamon Icing
In a small bowl, stir together the confectioner's sugar, cinnamon, vanilla extract, milk, and salt. Drizzle over cinnamon raisin scones after they have cooled for at least 15 minutes.
👩🏼🍳 Expert Tips for Flaky, Tender Scones
- Start with very cold butter. Warm butter blends too easily into the dough and can prevent the scones from baking up flaky.
- Mix the dough just until combined (it will still look shaggy). Over-mixing develops too much gluten and can make the scones tough.
- Do not over-flour the dough. A slightly tacky dough is normal and usually leads to a more tender result.
- Chill the shaped scones before baking if your kitchen is warm or the dough has softened.
- Cut the butter in evenly. Smaller, evenly sized pieces help create a more consistent crumb. One of my favorite hacks for working in cold butter to scones or biscuits is to use a cheese grater. It creates smaller pieces of butter, leaving you with very little work mixing it into your flour mixture.
- Let the scones cool slightly before glazing so the glaze sits on top instead of soaking in.
👩🏼🍳 Storage & Freezing
- Store leftover scones in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 to 4 days.
- Freeze baked scones for up to 3 months and thaw as needed.
- Freeze unbaked scones for an easy make-ahead option; bake straight from frozen and add a few extra minutes to the bake time.
- Glaze after reheating or cooling for the best texture and appearance.
💬 Frequently Asked Questions
There are a few tricks to making great scones, including using very cold butter, not overworking the dough, and not over-flouring.
Absolutely! Freeze unbaked scones for an easy make-ahead option; bake straight from frozen and add a few extra minutes to the bake time.
Dry scones are often caused by overworking the dough, which builds up gluten and creates a tough and chewy texture; adding too much flour, or over-baking.
☕️ More Breakfast Recipes
Tried this recipe? Please leave a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page. You can also stay in touch with us through social media by following us on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook or by subscribing to our newsletter.
Cinnamon Scones Recipe
Ingredients
For the Scones:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup whole wheat flour
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 Tablespoon baking powder
- 1-½ teaspoons cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
- 1 ½ cups + 1 Tablespoon whole milk, divided
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the Cinnamon Icing:
- ½ cup confectioner's sugar
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 Tablespoon whole milk
- pinch of salt
Instructions
Make the Scones
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place parchment paper onto baking sheet and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, add the all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, brown sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt, and whisk to combine.
- Use a pastry cutter, fork, or your hands to press and squish the butter into the dry mixture, until it resembles pea-sized crumbs.
- Add vanilla extract and 1 cup of milk, and stir just until dough comes together. If dough is still really dry, add more milk 1 Tablespoon at a time (you want dough that is tacky, slightly sticky, and not dry).
- Place a piece of parchment on the counter and lightly dust with flour. Turn the dough out onto the paper-lined counter and use your hands to bring it together.
- Lightly dust the top of the dough with flour and use a rolling pin to roll out your dough to make a 9-inch circle. Use a sharp knife and cut dough into 8 wedges.
- Place wedges onto parchment-lined baking sheet and brush with 1 tablespoon of milk. Bake for 20 minutes, or until lightly golden. Transfer scones to a cooling rack.
Make the Cinnamon Icing
- In a small bowl, stir together the confectioner's sugar, cinnamon, vanilla extract, milk, and salt. Drizzle over scones after they have cooled for at least 15 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
- Start with very cold butter. Warm butter blends too easily into the dough and can prevent the scones from baking up flaky.
- Mix the dough just until combined (it will still look shaggy). Over-mixing develops too much gluten and can make the scones tough.
- Do not over-flour the dough. A slightly tacky dough is normal and usually leads to a more tender result.
- Chill the shaped scones before baking if your kitchen is warm or the dough has softened.
Janelle says
I made these for a breakfast meeting a few weeks ago, and they were a hit! I used golden raisins since it's what I had in my pantry. Next time I will double the recipe and put some in my freezer!
Gastronotherapy says
So happy to hear that they were a hit, Janelle! I love making these scones with golden raisins. I've also made them with just a pinch of cardamom. And they do freeze well, so you should for sure double the batch next time! 🙂
faith says
do i have to use wheat flour? or can i use regular flour in place of wheat? =)
MaryAnne says
Hi Faith - you can use all-purpose flour in place of whole wheat and they will turn out great!