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These Strawberry Scones are tender, buttery, and packed with juicy fresh strawberries, all finished with a sweet vanilla glaze. They taste like they came from a bakery but come together in one bowl with simple ingredients. I love them with coffee on a slow weekend morning, right alongside our blueberry cream cheese muffins for a pretty brunch spread.
With cold butter, tangy buttermilk, and a generous handful of fresh strawberries, these scones bake up flaky on the outside and soft inside, then get drizzled with a simple vanilla glaze.
Strawberry Scones Quick Look
- 🕒 Prep Time: 20 minutes
- 🌡️ Cook Time: 20 minutes
- ⏳ Total Time: 40 minutes
- 🍽️ Serving: 8 scones
- ⚡ Calories: 374kcal
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: Tender, buttery scones bursting with fresh strawberries
- ✋ Difficulty: Easy
Quick Answer
To make strawberry scones, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, then cut in cold butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in a mix of buttermilk, brown sugar, and vanilla until almost combined, then gently fold in chopped fresh strawberries. Pat the dough into an 8-inch circle, cut it into 8 triangles, and chill briefly. Brush with buttermilk, sprinkle with coarse sugar, and bake at 400 degrees until golden. Drizzle with a simple vanilla glaze and serve.
Jump to:
- Strawberry Scones Quick Look
- Quick Answer
- Why This Recipe Works
- Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Key Ingredients
- Variations and Substitutions
- How to Make Strawberry Scones
- Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Serving Ideas and Suggestions
- Strawberry Scones FAQs
- Other Recommended Breakfast and Brunch Bakes
- Fresh Strawberry Scones Recipe
Why This Recipe Works
Click to see the technique science
- Cold butter makes them flaky. Keeping the butter cold and cutting it into pea-size pieces creates little pockets of steam as they bake, giving the scones their tender, flaky layers.
- Buttermilk adds tenderness and tang. The acidity in buttermilk reacts with the leavening for a soft, light crumb and a subtle tang that balances the sweet strawberries.
- Fresh strawberries keep them juicy. Folding in chopped fresh strawberries adds bursts of bright, jammy flavor in every bite.
- Chilling helps them hold their shape. A quick rest in the fridge firms up the butter so the scones bake up tall instead of spreading flat.
- Coarse sugar adds sparkle and crunch. A sprinkle of decorator sugar before baking gives the tops a pretty, crackly, bakery-style finish.
- A simple glaze ties it together. A quick vanilla glaze adds the perfect touch of sweetness and makes them look irresistible.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- They are tender, buttery, and bursting with juicy fresh strawberries.
- They come together in one bowl with simple, everyday ingredients.
- They are the perfect bakery-style treat for breakfast or brunch, especially with our lemon blueberry coffee cake.
Key Ingredients
Here is everything you need to make these fresh strawberry scones and their vanilla glaze. A few baking staples and ripe strawberries are all it takes.
- Flour: All-purpose flour gives the scones structure while keeping them tender.
- Baking Powder and Baking Soda: The leavening duo that helps the scones rise tall and light.
- Cold Butter: Keep it cold and cut it into the flour for those signature flaky layers.
- Buttermilk: Adds moisture, tenderness, and a gentle tang. It also brushes the tops for a golden finish.
- Brown Sugar and Vanilla: Sweeten the dough with a warm, caramel-like depth.
- Fresh Strawberries: Chopped and folded in for juicy bursts of berry in every bite.
- Decorator Sugar: Coarse sugar sprinkled on top for a sparkly, crunchy crust.
- Powdered Sugar and Heavy Cream: Whisked with vanilla into the simple glaze that finishes the scones.
See recipe card for exact quantities.
Variations and Substitutions
These strawberry scones are easy to make your own. Here are a few favorite ways to switch them up.
- Use frozen strawberries: Fold them in straight from the freezer, unthawed, so they do not bleed into the dough.
- Try other berries: Swap in blueberries, raspberries, or chopped blackberries, or do a mix.
- Add lemon: Stir lemon zest into the dough and the glaze for a bright strawberry-lemon flavor.
- Make them chocolate: Fold in white or dark chocolate chips along with the strawberries, like a twist on our chocolate chip cake donuts.
- Add a streusel: Top with a quick brown sugar streusel before baking for extra crunch.
- Make mini scones: Cut the circle into 12 to 16 smaller wedges and reduce the baking time slightly.
How to Make Strawberry Scones
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the cold diced butter and cut it in with a pastry cutter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
- In a small bowl, whisk together 1 cup of buttermilk, the brown sugar, and vanilla. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir until almost combined.
- Gently fold in the chopped fresh strawberries until just combined. The dough will be a little sticky.
- Turn the dough out onto a floured surface, pat it into an 8-inch circle, and cut it into 8 triangles. Place them on a lined sheet tray and chill for 15 minutes.
- Brush the tops with the remaining buttermilk and sprinkle with coarse sugar. Bake at 400 degrees for 17 to 20 minutes until lightly golden, then cool.
- Whisk together the powdered sugar, heavy cream, and vanilla until smooth, then drizzle the glaze over the cooled scones and serve.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Keep everything cold; cold butter and buttermilk are the secret to flaky, tall scones.
- Do not overmix the dough; stir just until combined so the scones stay tender, not tough.
- Chill before baking; the 15-minute rest firms the butter so the scones hold their shape.
- Use a sharp bench scraper to cut clean triangles without dragging or squishing the dough.
- Pat in the strawberries gently so they do not break down and turn the dough pink.
- Brush with buttermilk and add coarse sugar for a golden, sparkly, bakery-style top.
- Let the scones cool before glazing so the glaze sets instead of melting and sliding off.
Serving Ideas and Suggestions
These strawberry scones are best served slightly warm or at room temperature, with the vanilla glaze freshly drizzled on top. They are perfect with a hot cup of coffee or tea for a cozy breakfast or brunch.
Build a beautiful brunch spread by serving them with our blueberry cream cheese muffins and a slice of lemon blueberry coffee cake.
For a bigger crowd, add a batch of banana nut muffins or a sour cream coffee cake so there is something for everyone.
They also freeze well, so make a double batch and pull them out for an easy treat whenever a strawberry craving strikes.
Strawberry Scones FAQs
Yes, you can use frozen strawberries. Chop them while still frozen and fold them in straight from the freezer without thawing. This keeps them from bleeding too much color and moisture into the dough. You may need to add a minute or two to the baking time.
Flat scones usually mean the butter got too warm or the dough was overworked. Keep the butter and buttermilk cold, handle the dough as little as possible, and do not skip the 15-minute chill before baking. Cold dough going into a hot oven is the key to tall, flaky scones.
Store cooled scones in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two days, or in the refrigerator for up to four days. Because of the fresh strawberries and glaze, they keep best chilled. Let them come to room temperature or warm them slightly before serving.
Absolutely. You can shape the scones, place them on a tray, and refrigerate overnight, then bake them fresh in the morning. You can also freeze the unbaked, shaped scones and bake straight from frozen, adding a few extra minutes to the time.
Yes, these scones freeze beautifully. Freeze them baked and unglazed in an airtight container for up to three months. Thaw at room temperature and warm briefly in the oven, then add the glaze just before serving for the freshest taste and texture.
If you do not have buttermilk, make a quick substitute by stirring 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar into 1 cup of regular milk and letting it sit for 5 minutes. Plain yogurt thinned with a little milk also works well in this recipe.
Craving more cozy brunch bakes? Try our lemon blueberry coffee cake next.
Love easy breakfast bakes? Our cream cheese danish uses store-bought puff pastry.
Love a sweet brunch bite? Try our dainty strawberry tea sandwiches.
Our air fryer vanilla munchkins are another fun bite sized breakfast the kids love dipping.
Our fresh strawberry scones are a lovely addition to any brunch.
For a cozy fall breakfast bake, my caramel apple donuts sit right next to a batch of these fresh strawberry scones.
Round out the brunch table with our Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake.
For the donut lovers, my vanilla glazed baked donut holes skip the fryer entirely.
Our cream cheese crumb cake is a perfect brunch bake.
Fresh Strawberry Scones Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup cold unsalted butter small diced
- 1 cup + 1 tablespoon buttermilk
- ¼ cup light brown sugar packed
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup chopped fresh strawberries
- 2 tablespoons coarse decorators sugar
For the glaze:
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar
- 3 tablespoons heavy cream
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Line a sheet tray with parchment paper, set aside.
- In a large bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.2 ½ cups all-purpose flour, 1 tablespoon baking powder, ¼ teaspoon baking soda, ¼ teaspoon salt
- Add the cold butter to the bowl and using a pastry cutter, cut in the butter with the flour mixture until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs smaller than peas, set aside.½ cup cold unsalted butter
- In a small bowl, whisk together 1 cup of buttermilk, brown sugar, and vanilla until combined.1 cup + 1 tablespoon buttermilk, ¼ cup light brown sugar, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir it together with a spoon until it is almost all the way mixed in.
- Add the strawberries and stir them in until fully combined, the mixture may be a little sticky from the strawberries.1 cup chopped fresh strawberries
- On a lightly dusted clean work surface, form the mixture into a ball and flatten out the top. Dust lightly with flour and roll it out into an 8-inch circle.
- Cut the circle into 8 triangles, I like to use a bench scraper for this. Place the triangles on the prepared sheet tray, 2-3 inches apart. Place the sheet tray in the fridge for 15 minutes.
- While the scones are resting, preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Brush the remaining 1 tablespoon of buttermilk on the tops of the scones with a pastry brush. Sprinkle the decorator’s sugar on top of the scones evenly.2 tablespoons coarse decorators sugar
- Bake for 17-20 minutes until lightly golden brown. Let cool for 10 minutes on the sheet tray and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- While the scones are cooling, make the glaze by stirring together the powdered sugar, heavy cream, and vanilla until smooth.3/4 cup powdered sugar, 3 tablespoons heavy cream, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Place a piece of parchment paper until the cooling scones and drizzle the glaze on top. Serve warm or room temperature.
Notes
- Cut in the Butter Properly: Use a pastry cutter or food processor to break down the cold butter into coarse crumbs. This step is the key to flaky scones.
- Don’t Overmix: Once you add the wet ingredients, stir just until combined. Overmixing can lead to tough scones.
- Chill Before Baking: Popping the formed scones in the fridge for a few minutes helps keep the butter cold, which leads to better lift in the oven.
- Watch the Baking Time: Keep an eye on your scones to ensure they turn golden brown but don’t burn. Every oven is different, so be ready to adjust by a minute or two.
- Try Lemon Zest: Adding a little lemon zest into the dough or glaze can bring out the flavor of the fresh strawberries.
- Enjoy at Room Temperature or Warm: These delicious scones taste fantastic either way, but a quick warm-up makes them feel extra fresh.
Nutrition
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