The Ultimate Easy Scone Recipe – Plus 5 Delicious Variations You’ll Love

If there’s one recipe that never fails to deliver comfort and smiles, it’s a batch of fresh, warm scones. You might want a savoury snack. Maybe you’re craving a sweet treat. Perhaps you need a lunchbox filler. This basic scone recipe has become a staple in my kitchen—and for good reason. It’s quick, fuss-free, incredibly affordable, and endlessly versatile.

Let’s start with the base recipe:

Basic Scone Dough

3 cups plain flour
5 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
75g butter
1 1/4 cups milk

Mix your dry ingredients together. Grating the butter will give you light and fluffy scones. Pour in the milk and gently combine until you have a soft dough. That’s it! From here, you can shape, cut, and bake—or get a little creative with your flavours (more on that below!).

Five Irresistible Scone Variations

The beauty of this recipe is that you can take it in so many directions. You can do this just by adding a few ingredients into the dough. Here are my top five tried-and-tested favourites:

1. Cheese & Onion Scones

Add 1 cup grated cheese and 1/4 cup finely diced onion to the dough. These are wonderfully savoury and perfect with a spread of butter or alongside a bowl of soup.

2. Sundried Tomato, Cheese & Herb Scones

Mix in 1/4 cup diced sundried tomatoes. Add 1/2 cup grated cheese. Include a generous pinch of dried herbs like oregano or basil. The combo is flavour-packed—great for picnics or lunchboxes.

3. Pizza Scroll Scones

Think pizza but scone-style. Add 1/4 cup chopped sundried tomatoes, 1/4 cup chopped ham, 1 cup grated cheese, and a sprinkle of Italian herbs. Roll out the dough, spread the fillings, roll it up and slice like scrolls. Bake and enjoy the cheesy, savoury swirls.

4. Lemon Scones with Lemon Icing

Add 3 tbsp caster sugar and the zest of 1 lemon to the dough. Once baked, drizzle with a simple icing made from icing sugar, a little lemon zest, and a splash of lemon juice. These are bright, zesty, and perfect with tea.

5. Date Scones

Stir in 3 tbsp caster sugar and about 1/2 cup chopped dates. The natural sweetness of dates makes these perfect for an easy morning tea snack.

Freezer Friendly & Foolproof: The Cold Oven Trick

In the spirit of meal-prepping (and avoiding early-morning kitchen chaos), I started experimenting with freezing the unbaked scone dough. I shaped the scones, froze them on a tray, and then popped them straight into the oven the next day.

Here’s the trick: don’t preheat the oven. Instead, put the frozen scones on a tray. Place them into a cold oven. Then, set the temperature to 170°C Fan-bake for about 27 minutes. As the oven heats gradually, the scones rise slowly, resulting in beautifully fluffy, soft centers and crisp tops. Perfect every time!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

✅ Quick & easy – No special equipment, no fancy steps. Just mix, shape, and bake.
✅ Budget-friendly – Basic pantry staples that cost just cents per serve.
✅ Kid-approved – Ideal for kindergarten or school lunchboxes.
✅ Perfect for teatime – Whether it’s morning tea, afternoon tea, or a last-minute snack when guests pop over.
✅ Freezer-ready – Make ahead, bake fresh. Win-win!

There’s something undeniably comforting about a warm scone straight from the oven. This is especially true when it’s homemade and easy. It’s filled with your favourite flavours. You might stick with the classic. Or, you could try a fun variation. Either way, this recipe is sure to become a go-to in your kitchen too.

Happy baking! 🧁
Let me know which version you try first—or if you invent a new one of your own!

Prep Time:5

Cook Time:12

Total Time:17

Ingredients

3 cups flour
5 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
75 g cold butter grated
1¼ cups milk

Instructions

Preheat oven to 180°C Fan-bake (unless baking from frozen – more on that below!).
In a large bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, and salt.
Grate the butter into the flour. Stir with a knife to combine.
Pour in the milk and gently mix until just combined.
Turn out the dough onto a floured surface, knead lightly, and shape or cut as desired. Add a wash of plain milk over the tops of the scones before baking.
Bake for around 12-15 minutes, or until golden and cooked through.
Serve warm or allow to cool before storing.

Notes

💡 Flavour Variations – Just add to the basic dough!

Cheese & Onion Scones:
Add 1 cup grated cheese and 1/4 cup finely diced onion for a savoury twist.
Sundried Tomato, Cheese & Herb Scones:
Mix in 1/4 cup chopped sundried tomatoes, 1/2 cup grated cheese, and 1 tsp dried herbs (like oregano or basil).
Pizza Scroll Scones:
After making the dough, roll it into a rectangle. Add 1/4 cup chopped sundried tomatoes, 1/4 cup diced ham, 1/2 cup grated cheese, and 1 tsp Italian herbs. Roll up, slice into scrolls, and bake.
Lemon Scones with Lemon Icing:
Add 3 tbsp caster sugar and the zest of 1 lemon. After baking, drizzle with icing made from 1/2 cup icing sugar, lemon zest, and a splash of lemon juice.
Date Scones:
Add 3 tbsp caster sugar and 1/2 cup chopped dates for a sweet morning tea option.

🧊 Freezer Tip: Bake from Frozen!
You can shape the scones and freeze them unbaked. When ready to bake:

Place frozen scones onto a tray.
Put them into a cold oven.
Set oven to 170°C Fan-bake and bake for about 27 minutes.
This slow warm-up gives the scones a beautiful, fluffy rise and perfect texture.

Servings: servings

Author: Farmers Wife Homestead

The Ultimate Easy Scone Recipe + 5 Delicious Variations (Freezer-Friendly!)