Cherry Scones Recipe with Rich Vanilla Cream

This is the perfect cherry scones recipe, yielding scones that are soft and tender inside, crisp and golden outside with bursts of sweet cherries and a subtle vanilla aroma. You can use either fresh or dried cherries to make them!

I have always loved tea parties.

I remember being a little girl and playing make-believe tea time with my best dolls arranged around a little table.

I’d wear a hat, gloves, dress, and high-heeled shoes spirited away from my mom’s closet. And of course I always gracefully (haha!) tripped all over the place because of the shoes and too long dress. I only served water and crackers, but with a very proper (at least to my five year old ears) British accent, it always felt nothing short of elegant.

To this day I still love tea time! (You can take a peak at my Royal Tea at Peacock Alley in the Waldorf Astoria Orlando if you’re interested.) I was pretty excited when I found out that this month’s 5 Star Makeover theme is tea party.

I set out thinking about what I wanted to make, and finger sandwiches came to mind. But really, my favorite part of afternoon tea is scones!

Steaming hot from the oven, crisp on the outside, tender and soft inside. There is nothing better than splitting a scone in half and spreading it generously with jam and cream. Or cream and jam, as the case may be; I won’t get into the cream/jam ordering debate though, lol!

My favorite way to enjoy scones is in the morning for breakfast with tea or coffee and fresh fruit. The scone dough can be chilled overnight so the only thing to do in the morning is bake them. Since they’re easy to whip up but really impressive (and make the whole house smell amazing), they are especially lovely to make if you have guests staying over.

These beautiful golden scones are perfectly soft, fluffy, and sweetly scented. I think they may be my favorite scones yet, but my recipe for Olive Oil Scones with Cinnamon Figgie Butter is a pretty close second.

The Best Cherry Scones Recipe (With Fresh or Dried Cherries)

In this section I discuss the ingredients and give substitution ideas. For the full recipe (including ingredient amounts), please see the recipe card below.

Cherry Scone Ingredients

• Egg – acts as a wet ingredient and binder in this recipe, helps us achieve the right fluffy texture, and gives our cherry scones a pretty golden hue
• Sour cream – sour cream helps create the most tender scones with a rich flavor
• Vanilla bean paste – you can use vanilla extract instead
• Almond extract – this adds a touch of almond flavor that pairs really well with cherries; however, if you don’t have almond extract, you can add more vanilla instead
• Flour – we use all-purpose flour for this recipe
• Baking powder – one of the leavening agents in this recipe
• Baking soda – in addition to baking powder, we use baking soda to help these scones rise because we’re using an acidic ingredient (which is sour cream)
• Salt – to enhance the flavor
• Sugar – we use regular granulated white sugar as the sweetener in this scone recipe; if you like your baked goods on the sweeter side, increase the amount of sugar to 1/2 cup
• Unsalted butter – make sure it’s chilled and cut into small cubes
• Dried cherries – If you like raisins or currants in your scones, you’re going to love dried cherries; however, you can use up to 1 1/2 cups of pitted chopped fresh cherries instead if you prefer
• Egg lightly beaten with water – this is for the eggwash that we brush on top of the scones; it helps them bake up to a gorgeous golden color

How to Make Cherry Scones

Step 1: Make the Dough:

In a small bowl, whisk together egg, sour cream, vanilla bean paste, and almond extract.

Add the following to the bowl of a food processor: 2 cups flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar; pulse to combine. Add the butter and pulse a few times until it looks like coarse meal and you have a few pieces the size of peas. Gradually stream in egg mixture while pulsing, being careful not to over-mix (the dough will be a sticky). (Alternatively, you can make the dough by hand. Whisk together the dry ingredients, cut the butter in with a fork, and then stir in the wet ingredients.)  

Step 2: Knead in the Cherries:

Turn the dough out into a large bowl and sprinkle the remaining 2 tablespoons flour and the cherries on top; gently knead the dough just a couple times to incorporate the cherries. (See the recipe card below for instructions on using fresh cherries instead of dried cherries.)

Step 3: Chill the Dough:

Shape the dough into a ball and flatten it slightly into a disk. Wrap the disk of dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled, about 2 hours (up to 3 days is fine).  

Step 4: Bake the Cherry Scones:

Preheat the oven to 425F and line a large baking tray with a silpat baking mat.

Turn the dough out a lightly floured surface and flatten it into a 3/4 inch-thick circle. Use a floured 2 1/2 inch cookie cutter to stamp out the scones, then gather up the dough scraps and repeat (you should get about 8 scones total).

Transfer the scones to the prepared baking sheet and lightly brush the tops with eggwash. Bake until light golden brown, about 14 to 16 minutes. 

Step 5: Enjoy:

Serve warm with the vanilla cream and cherry jam.

Storage

Like most homemade scones, these are best served the same day they’re made. However, you can store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

After the first day, I recommend reheating scones before serving. You can do this in a preheated 350F oven for 5 to 7 minutes, or in a preheated air fryer at 350F for 3 minutes.

Variations on this Recipe

• You can use fresh cherries instead of dried cherries to make these scones.
• For a little sparkle and extra sweetness, sprinkle 1 tablespoon of sugar on top of the scones after you brush them with eggwash before baking.

Cherry Scones FAQs

What is the Secret to Making Good Scones?

Don’t over-mix the dough! Other than that, it’s just a matter of measuring out all the ingredients correctly (this is where a kitchen scale comes in handy, which you can find affordably on Amazon).

What is Eggwash?

Eggwash is a mixture of egg and water that’s lightly beaten together. We brush a little eggwash on top of the scones before baking to help give them beautiful golden-colored shiny tops.

Do I Need to Chill Scone Dough Before Baking?

Yes. Chilling scone dough before baking will result in the best scones! This is for a couple of reasons.

Firstly, letting the scone dough rest allows the gluten to relax, yielding a softer scone.

Also, remember when we worked the butter into the dough, we left some larger bits of butter? When the dough (and butter pieces in it) are chilled and then immediately baked, those small cold butter lumps create steam and help make our scones flaky. YUM.

Are Scones Supposed to be Dry or Moist?

Scones should be crisp outside, and soft and tender inside. This cherry scones recipe yields the perfect scone!

More Delicious Scone Recipe to Make

• Christmas Morning Scones (aka Vanilla Bean, Nutmeg, and Rosemary-Scented Scones)
• Christmas Eve Scones (Orange, Clove, and Rosemary-Scented Scones)
• Spiced Gingerbread Scones

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Cherry Scones Recipe with Vanilla Cream and Cherry Jam

By: Faith Gorsky

Prep TimePrep Time: 25 minutes minutes

Cook TimeCook Time: 15 minutes minutes

Other TimeTime For the Dough to Chill in the Fridge 2 hours hours

Yields: 8 scones

This is the perfect cherry scones recipe, yielding scones that are soft and tender inside, crisp and golden outside with bursts of sweet cherries and a subtle vanilla aroma. You can use either fresh or dried cherries to make them!

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Ingredients

 

1x2x3x

Vanilla Cream (optional):

• ▢ 2 tablespoons salted butter softened slightly
• ▢ 6 tablespoons sour cream
• ▢ 1 tablespoon powdered sugar
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
• ▢ 1/4 teaspoon almond extract

Cherry Scones:

• ▢ 1 large egg
• ▢ 1/2 cup sour cream
• ▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
• ▢ 1 teaspoon almond extract
• ▢ 262 grams all-purpose flour divided (262 grams of flour is about 2 cups + 1 1/2 tablespoons; you will also need a little more to roll out the dough)
• ▢ 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ▢ 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon salt
• ▢ 6 tablespoons sugar
• ▢ 1/2 cup unsalted butter chilled and cubed
• ▢ 1/2 cup dried cherries chopped (see Note for using fresh cherries instead)
• ▢ 1 egg lightly beaten with 2 teaspoons water, for eggwash

Other:

• ▢ Cherry jam for serving (optional)

US CustomaryMetric

Instructions

 

For the Vanilla Cream:

• Mix together all ingredients, leaving a few lumps if desired to resemble clotted cream. Cover and refrigerate until using (up to 3 days).

For the Scones:

• In a small bowl, whisk together egg, sour cream, vanilla bean paste, and almond extract.
• Add the following to the bowl of a food processor: 2 cups flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar; pulse to combine. Add the butter and pulse a few times until it looks like coarse meal and you have a few pieces the size of peas. Gradually stream in egg mixture while pulsing, being careful not to over-mix (the dough will be a sticky). (Alternatively, you can make the dough by hand. Whisk together the dry ingredients, cut the butter in with a fork, and then stir in the wet ingredients.)
• Turn the dough out into a large bowl and sprinkle the remaining 2 tablespoons flour and the cherries on top; gently knead the dough just a couple times to incorporate the cherries. Shape the dough into a ball and flatten it slightly into a disk. Wrap the disk of dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled, about 2 hours (up to 3 days is fine).
• Preheat the oven to 425F and line a large baking tray with a silpat baking mat.
• Turn the dough out a lightly floured surface and flatten it into a 3/4 inch-thick circle. Use a floured 2 1/2 inch cookie cutter to stamp out the scones, then gather up the dough scraps and repeat (you should get about 8 scones total).
• Transfer the scones to the prepared baking sheet and lightly brush the tops with eggwash. Bake until light golden brown, about 14 to 16 minutes.
• Serve warm with the vanilla cream and cherry jam.

Notes

• To Use Fresh Cherries Instead of Dried Cherries: Use up to 1 1/2 cups of fresh sweet cherries that are pitted and quartered. Once you have the cherries chopped, place them on a paper towel-lined plate and pat them with another paper towel to remove excess moisture.
• Chilling the Dough: If you’re pressed for time, you can freeze the dough for 15 minutes instead of refrigerating it for 2 hours. Or you can make the dough up to 3 days in advance.
• Sugaring the Tops: For a little sparkle and extra sweetness, sprinkle 1 tablespoon of sugar on top of the scones after you brush them with eggwash before baking.
• Vanilla Cream: The vanilla cream is completely optional. If you prefer, you can serve these scones with clotted cream, whipped cream, or butter instead.
• Storage: Like most homemade scones, these are best served the same day they’re made. However, you can store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. After the first day, I recommend reheating scones before serving. You can do this in a preheated 350F oven for 5 to 7 minutes, or in a preheated air fryer at 350F for 3 minutes.
• Nutrition Information: The nutritional information for this recipe was calculated including the scones with vanilla cream, but not including the optional cherry jam for serving.

Nutrition

Serving: 1scone with vanilla cream | Calories: 364kcal | Carbohydrates: 42g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 72mg | Sodium: 324mg | Potassium: 177mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin A: 886IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 86mg | Iron: 2mg

Nutritional information is automatically calculated and should be used as an approximate.

Course: Bread, Breakfast, Brunch

Cuisine: British

Keyword: Cherry Scones, Cherry Scones Recipe

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I’m the writer, recipe developer, photographer, and food stylist behind this blog. I love finding the human connection through something we all do every day: eat! Food is a common ground that we can all relate to, and our tables tell a story. It’s my goal to inspire you to get in the kitchen, try something new, and find a favorite you didn’t know you had.

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