These easy homemade Strawberry Scones are tender and buttery, just barely sweet, and studded with juicy, fresh strawberries. A vanilla glaze is the perfect finish – add a little or a lot!
Ever since I fell in love with Blueberry Scones many years ago (so easy, satisfying, and delicious!), I’ve been on a mission to enjoy more scones. These Strawberry Scones are especially lovely when local strawberries are luscious and plentiful during spring and summer – but you can bet that I’m making this recipe year ’round, whenever I come upon exceptional berries!
Why I Can’t Get Enough of These Strawberry Scones
Before this recipe, I had always shied away from adding fresh strawberries to scones. I thought that the delicate berries would get smushed and ruin the tender texture of the scones to a gooey mess. But this recipe proves that thinking wrong. These scones are delightful! Here’s what makes them so good:
- Tender and moist and flaky. A common complaint about scones is that they can be dry and hard and overly crumbly, but I promise you that this is not the case here. The scones are buttery, tender, melt-in-your-mouth perfection.
- Jammy strawberry bites. These fresh strawberry scones are not kneaded at all; only gently folded to preserve those juicy bites of berry (rather than smushing them, as I was nervous about).
- Balanced sweetness. The scones themselves are just barely sweetened, so the simple vanilla glaze is a wonderful way to finish them. I drizzle the glaze over the tops of the scones in big, droopy spoonfuls, to let those strawberry bites peek through. But if you prefer even more sweetness, just dip the scone tops wholly into the glaze.
- Lovely for brunch. This recipe is not your typical brunch baked good, plus it just makes people smile. I think it’s so fun to treat people to something special. For extra flair, offer my Strawberry Freezer Jam to slather onto the scones — this is another recipe that always makes people smile!
What You’ll Need
Besides fresh strawberries, the ingredients in this recipe are all very common. Scroll down to the printable recipe card to find the exact ingredient quantities and recipe instructions.
For the scones:
- Strawberries – When you can get your hands on them, use in-season homegrown or locally grown strawberries. They are a real treat, with a sweeter, more vibrant flavor, plus a more tender texture, than grocery store berries.
- Flour – All-purpose flour provides the structure.
- Baking powder – This gives the scones a little rise.
- Sugar – A small amount of sugar gives the scones just a touch of sweetness.
- Salt – This adds a little contrast to the sweet, and enhances all the flavors.
- Butter – Use unsalted butter, make sure it’s very chilled, and cut it into cubes.
- Half & half – This binds the dough together and adds flavor.
For the glaze:
- Powdered sugar – This sweetens the smooth glaze, without adding a grainy texture like granulated sugar would.
- Half & half – Use a bit less or a bit more, to achieve the perfect consistency for drizzling the glaze over the scones.
- Vanilla extract – Pure vanilla extract is the perfect complement to these strawberry scones. Almond extract would be lovely as well.
How to Make Strawberry Scones
This is a visual guide to the steps in making these strawberry scones, but you can find the full instructions below in the recipe card.
- Prepare. Preheat your oven to 425°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Lay a second sheet of parchment paper onto your kitchen counter and set a cooling rack on top.
- Cut the strawberries. For average-sized strawberries, cut them into 8 pieces (more pieces for larger berries, less pieces for smaller berries). Set them aside for later.
- Start the dough. Whisk the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt in a bowl and cut in the butter until the mixture forms coarse crumbs.
- Add the berries and half & half. Gently fold in the strawberries. Then drizzle the half & half over the dough mixture and gently fold until you have a shaggy dough (not quite fully incorporated, with small amounts of dry flour spots showing).
- Form the scones. Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently pat the dough into a 10″x5″ rectangle. Cut the dough rectangle into 6 even squares, then cut each square on the diagonal, to equal 12 triangles total.
- Bake. Set the scones on the prepared baking sheet, leaving an inch between each. Bake for 14 to 16 minutes, or until golden. Set the scones onto the wire cooling rack.
- Add the glaze. Whisk the powdered sugar, half & half, and vanilla extract in a bowl until smooth and drizzle-able. Dip the tops of the scones into the glaze or drizzle the glaze over the top with a spoon. Set the scones back on the wire rack to let the glaze set.
Tips & Variations
When it comes to baking, I don’t like to mess with success – which means I don’t often make big variations to recipes that work. But little ones? They can be a fun way to change things up a bit. I’ve also got a few tips for you.
- Don’t overwork the dough. To get that wonderful flaky texture we all love about a good scone, it’s important to make sure those little bits of butter in the dough stay intact (you don’t want them completely incorporated). Once you add the half & half, do not mix too vigorously, which will over-develop the gluten and give you tough scones.
- Cut the scone dough correctly. Use a sharp-edged stainless steel bench scraper or large sharp non-serrated knife, and press straight down into the dough, then pull it straight back up. Do not saw or cut back and forth horizontally. This method preserves the folds and layers in the dough, which give the flaky texture.
- Add some zest. Stir some finely grated orange or lemon zest into the dough or the glaze for a little fresh, zingy flavor.
- Swap the glaze for sugar. For a less sweet-and-sticky topping, you can sprinkle coarse sugar (like Turbinado or coarse sanding sugar) over the scones before baking. It’ll give your scones a crunchy topping and some subtle sweetness – and make them sparkly!
- Or just skip the glaze. The scones are beautiful (photo above) and perfectly delicious without the glaze, too.
Serving Suggestions
A cup of coffee (or Lavender Latte, or Iced Chai Latte, if regular coffee’s not your thing) with a freshly baked scone is the perfect light breakfast.
If I’m making these strawberry scones for a brunch get-together, I like to pair them with something savory like Crustless Quiche or Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole.
How to Store
As with most scones, these strawberry scones are best enjoyed the day they are baked. I highly recommend eating them while they’re still just a bit warm from the oven. If you do need to store them, they keep well for a day or two at cool room temperature, or you can freeze them for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature before eating.
More Scones Recipes
Strawberry Scones
Ingredients
Strawberry Scones
- 12 average-sized strawberries, hulled
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 5 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter, cut into ¼" cubes
- ¾ cup half & half
Glaze
- 1½ cups powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons half & half (use a bit more if needed)
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
Strawberry Scones
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. Place a sheet of parchment paper on the counter work surface and set a cooling rack over it.
- Slice each strawberry into 8 pieces by first quartering the berry and then slicing each piece in half. You should have about 1⅓ cups of strawberry pieces. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt. Add butter and cut it in with a rigid pastry cutter until mixture resembles crumbs.
- Add strawberries to the flour/butter mixture and fold gently to evenly coat the berries, without crushing them.
- Drizzle half & half over everything, and fold gently until mixture just begins to come together. You should have soft, yet shaggy dough. If needed, sprinkle a bit more half & half over the dough to get it to come together. Do not knead or over-mix the dough, as this will cause the scones to become dense. Try to handle the dough as little as possible, to not smash the strawberries.
- Turn dough out onto a floured surface and pat into a 1" thick rectangle – the rectangle should be about 10" x 5" in size. With a sharp-edged stainless steel bench scraper or large sharp non-serrated knife, cut dough rectangle into 6 even squares. When cutting, press straight down with the bench scraper, then pull it straight back up. Do not saw or cut back and forth horizontally. Then cut each square on the diagonal, to equal 12 triangles.
- Place scones on prepared baking sheet, leaving at least 1" in between each scone. Bake for 14-16 minutes, or until baked through and golden. Remove scones from the pan to the cooling rack set over parchment paper. Let cool for 10 minutes.
Glaze
- In a medium bowl, whisk powdered sugar, half & half, and vanilla extract until smooth and slightly runny, adding a bit more half & half if needed. Either dip the top side of each scone wholly into the glaze – or use a spoon to drizzle glaze over the top of each scone. Allow the glaze to drip down the sides of the scones onto the parchment paper below the cooling rack. The glaze will firm up as the scones cool.
Notes
Nutrition Information:
This post was first published in 2018, then updated in 2025. I received a copy of The Alaska From Scratch Cookbook for my use and review. All opinions are 100% my own.
Wonderful recipe. Scones come out light and flaky and just a hint of sweetness! Thank you for sharing!
I LOVE to hear this! Thank you for coming back here to let me know + rate the recipe! ENJOY!!! :)
oh my, love these flavors and the texture of a scone instead of something like puff pastry, feels more healthy too, also like the strawberry chunks, thank you for this recipe
Thanks, Sabrina – I love those strawberry chunks too!
Would love to have one of these warm strawberry scones with you.
I’d love that, too. xo
hey girl- these scones look so amazing!
Hello Shawnna – thank you!
These look insanely delicious!!
Thanks, Lauren!
I am a sucker for ANY scone. But these? YEP. I NEED.
Those strawberry bites!!! Thanks, Taylor.