Whole Wheat Raspberry Drop Scones
Moist in the inside with a thin, crackly raw sugar crust, these Whole Wheat Raspberry Drop Scones are a sweet (but not too sweet) summer joy! Enjoy as an easy grab-and-go breakfast or simple dessert all summer long.
An Easy Raspberry Scone Recipe
We’ve been picking raspberries like crazy from our garden for the past week or so – about a half gallon per day. And while this is a hugely delicious thing, it does take some creativity to make sure that none of those berries are wasted. That’s a lot of berries to eat!
I like to start out my day with a small bowl of yogurt or cottage cheese, piled with berries. And you can usually find a bowl of raspberries on our kitchen counter, for everyone to eat from throughout the day. Our girls made a batch of raspberry freezer jam over the weekend, and they like to add the berries to smoothies. And what we can’t consume gets tucked away in the freezer for another time.
Many years ago, all those berries led to this recipe for raspberry scones. Because the berries are so tender and giving, it took me a number of tries to come up with a dough that wasn’t a sloppy mess and that baked up with a nice form.
The final recipe method resulted from an “aha moment” while I was using one of my beloved baking scoops to fill muffin tins with batter. I got excited at the prospect of scooping the raspberry scones dough straight from the mixing bowl, rather than patting the dough out on the countertop, and then cutting it into individual portions.
This scoop method worked PERFECTLY!! (Here’s the scoop I use.)
You will absolutely LOVE how EASY it is to make these fresh raspberry scones!
If you’ve ever been intimidated by the idea of making perfectly shaped scones, give these drop scones a try. With bits of raspberry in every bite, they are the perfect summer treat.
What You’ll Need
There are less than 10 ingredients in these easy raspberry scones. Most are pantry staples too.
- Flour – I use equal amounts of whole wheat flour and all-purpose flour.
- Baking powder – Allows the scones to rise and fluff up nicely.
- Salt – Just a pinch.
- Sugar – To make these just sweet enough, without over-doing it.
- Unsalted butter – You’ll want cold, not room temperature, butter.
- Raspberries – What a beautiful way to enjoy all of those fresh, sweet summer berries!
- Buttermilk – It’s essential to use buttermilk when making scones, do not use a substitute.
- Egg – You’ll use one egg plus an additional egg white.
- Raw sugar – I love the large granules that create a crackly outer crust.
How to Make Raspberry Drop Scones
These might be the easiest scones ever! There’s no worrying about making perfectly formed scones when the scoop does all the work.
- Preheat oven. Preheat the oven to 425° F and line the baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Make the pastry dough. Stir together all dry ingredients. Cut in butter with a pastry blender. Gently fold in raspberries, then add buttermilk and egg. Stir to combine.
- Make the scones. Coat your hands with flour and knead the gently knead the dough, just 2 to 3 times. With a large scoop, transfer scones to the pan in 9 equal portions. Brush the scones with egg white and sprinkle with raw sugar.
- Bake. Bake until the scones are golden brown. Allow to cool and then serve warm or at room temperature.
Tips for Success
While these drop scones are super easy to make, there are a few things to keep in mind.
- Compress the dough when scooping. It works best to slightly compress the dough into the scoop, pressing the scoop against the inside of the bowl, so the dough is compact.
- Use cold butter. For the light texture, the butter needs to soften and melt in the oven – not on the counter. Keep your butter in the fridge until you’re ready to use it.
- Don’t substitute buttermilk. Buttermilk is a key ingredient in scones and should not be skipped or substituted.
- Use other berries. Don’t have fresh raspberries on hand? You can also make these easy drop scones with blueberries or blackberries!
Serving Suggestions
I like to enjoy these raspberry drop scones warm with a cup of coffee. They make a special morning treat and are perfect for a quick breakfast-on-the-go. Our kids love these in the morning as a special weekend treat and no one has ever turned them down at a brunch either!
Of course, scones aren’t just for breakfast – they’re perfect for a simple dessert too!
How to Store
These are definitely best when eaten the same day. If you have leftovers, store them in an airtight container on the counter or in the fridge.
And a great trick for eating them the next day? Simply preheat a baking stone in a 300° F oven and then set already baked scones onto the stone for 3 to 5 minutes. The scones will be almost like fresh baked!
Can I Freeze These?
Yes, you can freeze your raspberry drop scones. Allow them to cool completely, then freeze on a baking sheet. Once they’re solid, transfer them to a freezer bag and seal tightly. You may also want to wrap them individually in plastic wrap.
Just pull one from the freezer when the craving strikes and allow it to defrost on the counter. If you want, pop it in the microwave to warm it up a bit. Or use the baking stone method I just talked about in the previous “How to Store” section.
Whole Wheat Raspberry Drop Scones
Ingredients
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ cup sugar
- 4 tablespoon cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2” pieces
- ¾ cup fresh raspberries
- ½ cup buttermilk
- 1 large egg lightly beaten
- 1 egg white
- 2 tablespoon raw sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, stir together flours, baking powder, salt, and sugar.
- With a rigid pastry cutter, cut in butter until mixture resembles a coarse meal with larger pea size pieces. Add raspberries and fold gently to coat. Make a well in the center and then add buttermilk and egg. Stir just until combined, taking care to not over mix. The dough will be very soft.
- Put a bit of flour in a bowl and coat your hands. Gently knead the dough 2 or 3 times, right in the bowl, coating your hands with additional flour as needed. The dough will be very loose. Using a large scoop, transfer scones to prepared pan, dividing into 9 equal portions in big rounded scoops. It works best to slightly compress the dough into the scoop using the side of the bowl, so the dough is compact.
- Brush tops of dough with egg white and sprinkle generously with raw sugar. Bake until scones are golden brown, about 13 minutes. Let cool on pan for 5 minutes and then remove to a wire rack. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature.
Notes
Nutrition Information:
More Raspberry Recipes:
- Frozen White Chocolate and Raspberry Dessert
- Lemon Baby Cakes with Fresh Raspberry Buttercream
- Raspberry Sorbet
- Raspberry Rhubarb Skillet Coffee Cake
Like this recipe? Save it to Pinterest!
This post was originally published in 2013. Photographs and some of the text were updated in 2021.
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Cupcakes & muffins & Melons and Ice cream scooping. Peanut Butter & Jelly scraping!!
Cookies, Filling cupcake liners, Filling muffin tins, Candies,
Muffins, cookies, drop biscuits, etc.:)