Cherry Scones Recipe

Easy to make cherry scones using fresh cherries, lemon and orange zest, with additional flavor notes of vanilla and almond. Enjoy these homemade scones full of cherries for breakfast or a simple sweet treat.

These delicious scones remind me of the end of summer. The days are still long but slowly getting shorter. I'm spending as much time as I can having breakfast outside. Cherries are showing up at the farmer's markets and baking with citrus zest compliments the sweetness. I suggest making a batch, then find a spot to sit in the grass, and just lay around looking at the clouds and snacking on the last warm days of the year.

🌿 Ingredients You Need & Why

1. Fresh Cherries
   • Opt for ripe, sweet cherries like Bing or Rainier to impart natural sweetness and juiciness to the scones.
   • The firmness of these varieties helps maintain their shape during baking, preventing excessive bleeding into the dough.
   • If using frozen cherries, ensure they are thawed and patted dry with paper towels to minimize added moisture, which can affect the scone's final texture.
2. Fresh Lemon and Orange Zest
   • I love the combo of both lemon and orange zest for bright, aromatic citrus notes that complement the sweet cherries.
3. Pure Vanilla Extract and Almond Extract
   • Vanilla extract adds a warm, sweet undertone that enhances the richness of the scone, while almond extract introduces a subtle nutty flavor that pairs exceptionally well with cherries, reminiscent of classic cherry almond desserts.
4. Heavy Cream
   • Heavy cream with a high fat content of 33-35% creates a lovely moist and tender crumb.
   • Brushing the tops of the scones with heavy cream before baking gives them a golden-brown finish without the need of egg wash.

How To Make Cherry Scones

Before making the dough, let's prep the cherries. Tos the slices cherries with a tablespoon of sugar in a small bowl. The sugar will activate the fruit to start releasing juices. Let them sit for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Then strain out the juice.

Scones are an easy mix and bake quick bread, that can be made in a large bowl and shaped by hand. Start by working the butter into the flour with a pastry cutter or your fingertips until the texture resembles cornmeal. Some of the butter can stay the size of peas.

Add in the wet ingredients and mix with a wooden spoon or a silicone spatula to form a shaggy dough. Hand knead in the chopped cherries then transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface. Shape the dough into either a rectangle or a thick circle using a rolling pin or by patting with your hands. Cut the dough into squares or even triangles with a bench scraper or sharp knife.

Transfer the scones to a parchment paper lined baking tray. Brush the tops with a thin coating of heavy cream and top with a sprinkle of coarse sugar, like sparkling or turbinado sugar. I use heavy cream instead of an egg wash to prevent over browning of the tops. Finally, bake on the middle oven rack until golden brown.

What Kind of Cherries To Use

Fresh Cherry Scones

Fresh red sweet cherries also known as "bing cherries" and work best for this scone dough. Use ripe cherries, make sure to remove the stem and pit.

Frozen Cherry Scones

Frozen cherries can have extra moisture and may make the dough too soggy. To remove some of the added water from the ice and condensation, let the frozen cherries thaw to room temperature on paper towels before adding them into the mix. The paper towels will help soak up any additional moisture.

Tips for Cherry Scones

1. Use ripe sweet cherries for fresh fruit flavor in every bite.
2. Let the cherry juices drain and toss them in a little flour before adding to them to the dough.
3. Pick up a cherry pitter, to make removing the pits so much easier.
4. If you like sour cherries, give them a try or mix them half and half with the sweet cherries.
5. Make sure the heavy cream, egg, egg yolk, and butter are cold when adding them to the scone dough.
6. Knead the dough lightly with floured hands 1-2 times to shape and pack in the cherries. Don't overwork the dough or it will be tough and the cherries will bleed too much and make everything soggy.
7. Dress up your scones by adding in ¼ cup of chopped dark chocolate for chocolate cherry scones.
8. Hand shape the dough into a circle and slice for even triangle scones.
9. After you brush the tops with heavy cream, add a few sliced almonds for a crunchy nut topping.
10. Line your baking tray with two layers of parchment paper to absorb juices and prevent the bottom of the scones from over browning.

storage & leftovers

Store cooled scones in an air tight container at room temperature for 2-3 days. You can also wrap them in aluminum foil and refrigerate for up to 5 days.

To freeze scones, allow them to completely before placing them in a freezer safe air tight plastic bag with a piece of parchment paper between them to prevent then from sticking to each other. Scones will stay fresh in freezer for up to 3 months.

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