Amazing Cinnamon Chip Scones {Best Basic Scone Recipe}
These cinnamon chip buttermilk scones are tender, buttery and perfect, plus, the base scone recipe can be used for endless scone possibilities!
If you follow me on Instagram, you’ll know why I made these buttermilk scones four times before being willing to post them.
Not that I have anything against blobby, spreading scones (they were terribly delicious), because I don’t, but I wanted a foolproof and pretty recipe to give you, and it took a few tries to get the measurements just right.
Can we pause for a quick lecture about why a kitchen scale is so tremendously useful in the kitchen?
It truly marks the line between experimental baking and no-fail recipes. I used to think only professional chefs, big baking nerds, or people with too much time on their hands had use for a kitchen scale.
Boy was I wrong.
Several years ago my frustration over inconsistent baking recipes mounted high enough that after screaming in my pillow too many times to count over failed cookies, a kitchen scale ended up in my kitchen, and it’s definitely one of my most prized kitchen tools.
Inexpensive, useful and essential – if you don’t have a kitchen scale, get one! (This is the one I have and highly recommend it.)
I include weight measures for most of my baking recipes and rarely use a recipe online or in cookbooks that doesn’t include weights, because, call me crazy, I kind of like it when recipes turn out perfectly the first time, don’t you?
If you are morally opposed to using a kitchen scale, please, please, please read this post on how to measure flour accurately.
Ok, phew! Rant over (for now).
Today’s all-purpose buttermilk scone recipe (that I should be talking about instead of lecturing about scales) is infinitely adaptable.
If you don’t have cinnamon chips, use mini chocolate chips! Or play around with other flavors – maybe lemon or orange zest with an accompanying glaze?
The base buttermilk recipe is so fantastic, it deserves to be put to work.
But I will say that the cinnamon version is absolutely magical. The little cinnamon morsels soften just a bit while baking, leaving behind pockets of sweet, cinnamon flavor with every bite.
King Arthur Flour used to carry cinnamon chips but no longer do (although their cinnamon bits might work just as well). You can find the small cinnamon chips on Amazon or at Orson Gygi.
I included a few step-by-step photos ; sometimes a quick visual helps, especially if you haven’t made or perfected the almighty scone method. It is similar to a biscuit with the cardinal rule: DON’T OVERWORK THE DOUGH!
Sorry to shout, but in the interest of avoiding tough, dry scones, it seemed necessary.
Having made these buttermilk scones about a bajillion times over the last month, I can honestly say as a very proud and vocal scone lover that these are some of the best scones I’ve ever had.
I’ll be using this base recipe for just about every scone event from here on out. I’ll also be encouraging my family to strongly think about making these for Mother’s Day; although just between you and me, I’m not above making my own food on Mother’s Day as a means to a very happy end for everyone.
One Year Ago: Mexican Chopped Salad with Simple Honey Vinaigrette
Two Years Ago: Oatmeal Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bars
Three Years Ago: Outrageous Eskimo Bars
Cinnamon Chip Scones {Best Basic Scone Recipe}
Ingredients
- 3 ½ cups (497 g) all-purpose flour (see note about whole wheat flour)
- ⅓ cup (71 g) sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup (170 g) salted butter, cut into tablespoon-sized chunks
- 1 cup cold buttermilk
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ cup (128 g) cinnamon chips (see note)
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted
- Granulated sugar for sprinkling
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a food processor (see note if you don’t have one), combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Pulse to combine. Add the butter and pulse until the butter is cut into smaller pieces – don’t overprocess here; the butter should be no smaller than pea-sized pieces.
- Add the buttermilk and vanilla and pulse a couple of times until the dough starts to come together; don’t overmix – it’s ok if there are dry, crumbly spots here and there. Remove the blade and add the chips, using your hands to knead them in a bit. Turn the dough out onto a surface dusted with 1-2 tablespoons flour and combine the dough and chips together with your hands, kneading briefly, just 2-3 times, until it comes together. Pat and lightly press the dough into a long rectangle, about 15X3-inches.
- Cut the length of dough into triangular wedges, about 12-14 and place on the baking sheet, about an inch apart. Brush the tops with melted butter and sprinkle with sugar.
- Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes until just lightly golden brown and no longer doughy in the center.
Notes
Recommended Products
Recipe Source: adapted slightly from a recipe a faithful reader, Emily B, sent me by way of Taste of Home
202 Comments on “Amazing Cinnamon Chip Scones {Best Basic Scone Recipe}”
Love these scones! I’ve made them a few times and they’re easy to make. Also gives me an excuse to use my food processor. 🙂
this really is the best scone recipe! i’ve tried many others from other websites/blogs and they don’t compare. super easy to make, using the food processor. they have a lovely tender crumb and i love the sugary, crunchy topping (we used turbinado sugar). yum!!!
My favorite scone recipe for blueberry scones…well who am I kidding….for all my scone variations!! Lol thank you.
These are absolutely delicious. I’ve made them 3 times in 2 weeks with rave reviews!! So easy in the food processor. I tried it with huckleberries the 3rd time and made a huckleberry glaze for the top (powdered sugar, butter, cream, and mashed huckleberries) and they were “next level”. Thank you so much for another delicious winner!
I have been meaning to try these for for years, and finally ordered some cinnamon chips on Amazon. They are INCREDIBLE! My whole family loves them. I wish I would have started making them years ago :). I used the Hershey’s brand mini cinnamon chips and I think they’re great – but I’ll try the ones you suggested next time.
The KAF cinnamon chips were the best and I was a loyal buyer, but they discontinued them a long time ago. What do you use now? The Hershey ones were disgusting.
Hi Ashley, I’ve used both the Prepared Pantry ones (https://www.preparedpantry.com/products/cinnamon-chips-11-oz?_pos=2&_sid=b2579d4f2&_ss=r) and the ones they sell at Orson Gygi (https://www.gygi.com/Cinnamon-Baking-Chips-2-Lb.-Bag) both are delicious!
Can you correct the link in the recipe? I thought I was buying the KAF cinnamon chips but it was a link for “cinnamon bits” and I didn’t notice.
Yes, will do. The cinnamon bits will likely work really well in this recipe, too.
These were outstanding. I would totally make these again. These tasted like the cinnamon scones Starbucks used to make years and years ago but so much better!
Thank you so much for this recipe! It turned out perfectly. I don’t have a large enough food processor, so I used my stand mixer with the paddle attachment. I added the super cold butter in cube by cube and then added the buttermilk slowly to the dry mixture. It came together flawlessly. The only thing I may change when I make these again is using unsalted butter instead to cut back on the saltiness. (My preference) Family approved!! Thanks
Mel – would it work to sub 1/2 cup sour cream plus 1/2 cup of whole milk for the buttermilk? I seem to recall that you do a sub like that in one of your bread or muffin recipes and it worked fine….? Or maybe I’m wrong
Yes, that would work great! I use that sub all the time for buttermilk.
I’m so excited to give these a try! Then after I try the cinnamon version I’m dying to try a white chocolate raspberry version. I had a neighbor a long time ago that made them and I’ve been wanting a copy cat version for years! Here’s to experimenting in the kitchen!
Simply the best! Thank you for another outstanding recipe!
Cannot get cinnamon chips in Canada! Why not?
I have no clue but I made these with homemade cinnamon chips and they were next level. Google it. Super easy to make and so much better.
This recipe is incredible. These scones have become the most requested thing I bring to events or give as a gift.
If you were to make these with sourdough discard, would you do 1 cup discard, 3 cups flour, and 1/2 cup buttermilk?
Yes, that’s exactly what I’d do! And then I’d add a bit more buttermilk if needed (if the dough is dry)
I love these! They are my go-to scone recipe. Finding cinnamon chips is the issue. I have just ordered from Amazon – so I have them on hand. Not too sweet, light and fluffy. Thank you!
Love these scones. On Pintrest, I found a wonderful cinnamon chip recipe. “A Few Shortcuts.com” Homemade Cinnamon Chips. Super easy
I need a lot long to bake these 24 min. Am I doing something wrong? I’ve checked my oven temp and that is fine.
Hi Kristin – it could be the size of the scones. How many are you getting out of the batch? Also, are you using convection bake or standard bake?
This is my go to scone recipe. I love that there are no eggs in this version so family that have egg allergy can enjoy them. They are very easy, perfect texture and easy to change out the chips for something else. Thank you so much for sharing!
I made these scones for the first time today and you have a wonderful recipe! I am lactose intolerant so I made some changes with great results. I used ghee (clarified butter) instead of butter. I didn’t have any buttermilk on hand so I made buttermilk using lactose free milk and lemon juice. The scones were light, fluffy and delicious-my family loved them!
Thank you for this modification! We have a dairy free home and I was wondering if this would work!!
This is my go-to recipe for buttermilk cinnamon chip scones. They are delicious and flaky. Nice and light. Anyone I make them for raves about them. Thank you!
Hello! Can you make the dough ahead of time (like the day before) and then bake fresh?
Yes, you definitely can!
Saw that Target was carrying cinnamon chips so I just had to find a recipe for copycat Trader Joe’s cinnamon chip scones. These were SO good. Will definitely become a family staple.
I want to make these as plain scones to serve with lemon curd… I don’t have buttermilk but I had bought whipping cream … can I sub out the whipping cream for the buttermilk in this recipe? Thanks for your help, Mel!
Hi Laura, if you try that, I think I’dd add a tablespoon of lemon juice with the whipping cream for the missing acidity
Hi Mel, can you tell us what brand of cinnamon chips you use. Do you order them from a site. I have not been able to find them in mini chips. Thanks.
Hi Laurie, I buy them from King Arthur Flour or Prepared Pantry (both are available online).
I have made this Exact. Same. Recipe (except no vanilla) over 100 times in the past 5 years (from Taste of Home magazine). It’s my go-to for brunches, work potlucks, and just breakfast for no special reason. More people ask me for this recipe than any other! The hardest part is finding the mini cinnamon chips. I’ve tried it with regular sized chips (like a typical chocolate chip) and it’s not good at all! They don’t melt the same and the cinnamon flavor is too intense. Gotta use the mini cinnamon chips. So if/when you find them, buy them all!!
The Best Scone Recipe!!!! I’m always trying to find the “Perfect” recipe for chocolate cake, white cake and Scones. I’ve made this recipes several times in last 2 years & it’s always delicious. This week for some reason I wanted to find the Perfect scone recipe so I tried Three new recipes from different sites . They were pretty good. Today I decided to make this Cinnamon Chip Scone again to see how it compared to the others I’d just made. Hands Down This IS The Best Scone Recipe !!!!!!! I forgot how tender & flaky these scones are. I’m throwing my other scone recipes away. This is the only recipe I need. Thank You !!!!! So good you can serve as dessert
These were amazing! I used as a base for lemon poppyseed scones for Easter Brunch and they were a huge hit! Not at all dry, as I’ve found most scones to be. Thanks again for another great recipe.
I love love love this recipe! I’ve made it twice. I have always found scones that I buy to be rather dry and couldn’t understand why people liked them. But the picture didn’t look dry it look light and delicious so I gave it a try. Unfortunately I couldn’t find cinnamon mini chips so I used mini chocolate ones. I did measure my dough to 15 x 3 and cut and baked it. The scones were too tall so all fell over and weren’t attractive but tasted great. So next time I made it I did more 15 x 4 or 5 and that was significantly better. All your tips and pictures made it possible for me to be successful at this and I really love them. If I’m not eating them fresh out of the oven I will microwave it for 12 seconds. Thanks again for the wonderful recipe! I don’t give 5 stars lightly but this recipes deserves it 🙂
Can these be made into biscones instead of cutting them into triangles?
I’m sure they could!
I forgot to glaze them with the butter and sugar before baking, but they still tasted great without. I used homemade cinnamon chips like other commentors. I feared I had over worked the dough, but they still turned out delicious.
ala
Never would hold together
The scale is no longer available! Any other suggestions?!
Any of the highly rated kitchen scales on amazon would be a good choice!
I bought an AccuWeight on Amazon and I love it.
The scones were light and buttery. I used half and half with 2 tablespoons lemon juice instead of purchasing buttermilk and they were very delicious.
These are absolutely the best and easiest recipe ever. They taste too good to be this easy to make. I used homemade cinnamon chips as suggested. I have made these several times and recently purchased some white whole wheat flour to sub out half of the flour mix. Hopefully it tastes as good as the original. Thanks for this recipe!!
1/2/21
These r absolutely the most delish scones I’ve ever made!! Usually come out dry this with buttermilk is incrediable thank you 2nd time making lol. I have also made my own cinnamon crisps/chips which makes them double yummy. (There so easy make & add so much flavor), I can’t get enough them haha so so good!! By any chance do u have receipe but makin a lemon using fresh lemons. Live lemon. Can’t seem find one that actually has strong lemon taste, if you have receipe for using lemon I’d b grateful!! Tkx again for all ur wonderful receipe I really appreciate them. Pls forward lemon one if have to;
Carrie: carasbmw@ Cox.net
I’m looking forward to ur answer Re lemon scones. Thanks again. Have very happy new year
These were a hit. I made homemade cinnamon chips yesterday in order to make these scones. Boy was this an easy recipe.
I did find that my dough was very dry since I didn’t use a food processor so I added some splashes of buttermilk until the dough would get the really dry parts. Worked out great!
All kids loved the scones and want me to make them again. They said they were very fall recipe worthy! These taste like what Thanksgiving is like.
Any chance you could tell me how you made the cinnamon chips? I can’t find them anywhere this year!
I found good cinnamon chips on nuts.com this week.
So… Ive been on a bit of a scone kick. These are fantastic, but I’ve also used this base to make raspberry/white chocolate, blueberry/lemon, and chocolate chip varieties. I want to make a coconut lime variety next. My question is: you have other scone recipes posted… some with heavy cream instead of buttermilk. Do you have a preference? Do you think the cream variety is favorable with certain mix ins? Next up is your pumpkin scones… I think I may do a maple glaze instead of ginger though. I’ll let you know! Thanks for being a go-to site with all the deliciousness. Now off to eat my blueberry scones!
Hi Katrina! Yes, the cream scones are good for mix-ins too, but this scone recipe is my favorite for adapting!
These were the BEST sconesI ever baked! Flaky, on the outside. Tender and lite on the inside. My new go to scone recipe!!!
Hi – I actually found some cinnamon chips at my local grocer but I don’t have any buttermilk on hand. I do have baker’s powdered buttermilk (that must be mixed). I also have some whole milk and some half and half. Have you tried making this recipe with the powdered buttermilk?
I haven’t – sorry! But it probably stands a good chance of working!
Hi! I am wanting to make these scones but I can’t find cinnamon chips!! Any idea where I can find them?
Also, could you sub frozen berries instead of chips??
Thanks! I always love your recipes!
Hi! These look delicious!
I’m having trouble finding cinnamon chips 🙁
Any ideas where I can find them?
Also, could you substitute cinnamon chips for frozen berries?
Thanks!! I always love your recipes.
It looks like they’re mostly available online (kingarthurflour.com and others have mentioned a website called “the prepared pantry”) yes, you could sub in berries or chocolate chips for the cinnamon chips
Are the ones from King Arthur Flour the cinnamon bits?
Yes, I believe so.
I used a homemade recipe to make our own chips for this recipe. Google it and look for one that uses cinnamon, sugar, light corn syrup and coconut oil. Really easy and made these scones ever more amazing.
So how would one go to making these in to say, lemon poppyseed? The cinnamon version of these was sooooo good I don’t want to use another recipe!
Hmmm, what about adding 1 tablespoon lemon zest and maybe some lemon juice? And stirring in poppy seeds in place of the cinnamon chips? I haven’t tried it but worth experimenting!
Thanks! I wasn’t sure whether to add more flour with the added juice or not? Or just reduce the buttermilk? Thanks for responding! Your recipes are my go to every day!
I made these yesterday and they really are delicious. They have a great texture! I used chocolate chips.
Two questions, why no egg? Also, it feels like it’s missing a little flavor besides what you get from chips, not sure if slightly more sugar or vanilla could help with that? Or adding cinnamon to the dry ingredients for cinnamon chip?
Overall, I’d make these again! This is my first time making scones. These compete with our local bakery scones!
You can definitely experiment with ways to amp up the flavor! I’ve never used an egg for this recipe so I can’t say for sure why it isn’t included – I don’t feel like this recipe needs it. 🙂
Hi, Mel. This looks so yummy. You say that this Cinnamon Chip Scone recipe is a great basic scone recipe; one that we can flavor differently to make other scones. To do that do would we just eliminate the cinnamon chips and use all other ingredients? If you wanted to make cranberry orange scones, what ingredients (and quantity) would you choose? Thanks so much!
Yep! You can take out the cinnamon chips and add in other ingredients. For a cranberry orange variety, I’d probably add 1 tablespoon orange zest to the dough along with maybe 3/4 to 1 cup cranberries (and then maybe adding an orange glaze would be yummy?)
After waiting several years to make these, while tracking down some cinnamon chips (Bosch store for the win!) I finally made them tonight. They are amazing!! So so good. Thank you!!
I’m glad they were worth the wait, Moriah!
Made these today and OMG were they AMAZING!!! My husband could not stop eating them!! My food processor is to small so next time I’m grating frozen butter! Sounds like an easy trick!!
I did make my own cinnamon chips, thanks to another reviewer. They worked perfect!!!
I made these this morning, I have been super craving scones lately. They turned out good, but even though I weighed the ingredients, my dough was way too dry (even after adding a tad more buttermilk, it still barely held together, I had to kind of squish it hard into the log!). Because of this, I ended up overworking the dough a little, so the end result was that they are delightfully crispy on the outside, but a little dense on the inside. Will have to try again. They taste good though! And the kids don’t care about them being a little dense inside, they were just excited to get chocolate chips in their breakfast! (I did mini chocolate chips instead of cinnamon chips.)
Side note: what size food processor do you use? Mine I thought was an 8 cup, but apparently not because this recipe almost overflowed it. Maybe mine is a 5 cup… I need a bigger food processor I guess!
I make this recipe all the time using the King Arthur Cinnamon Sweet Bits and they come out amazing! The scones have a nice crispy bottom and the bits melt right into the layers and nooks of the dough, it’s a fam favorite!
This is probably a stupid question! But! What’s the difference a food processor and like a ninja blender??
I’m not super familiar with ninja blenders, but if they work to pulse dry ingredients, then you could probably use it! I think food processors usually have a larger capacity and wider bowl (and a different, removable blade).
Hi Mel! This recipe is AMAZING! The cinnamon chips are so great in these scones – my husband said he doesn’t need to go to Panera anymore for cinnamon scones because these are so good 🙂 I’ve made these a handful of times and they always end up flopping over/look twisted when they come out of the oven (although still tasting great). I thought I was making them too tall, but even when I make them shorter, they still do the same thing. Any suggestions on how to fix this problem?
Hi Nikki – sometimes my scones do the same thing. You can try placing them closer together on the baking sheet OR try adding just a bit more flour OR make sure the dough is well combined (without being overworked).
Wonderful. I made my own cinnamon chips from one of your followers. They were the bomb. They keep and store in a jar for the next scone baking. No more coffee cakes in our house – just hot cinnamon scones.
Hi, I’m looking for a recipe I can prep and freeze (unbaked) and then unwrap and pop in the oven for fresh scones. Have you tried freezing the dough and then baking? Any recommendation? Thanks!
Yes, it works great! Baking from frozen, I add 4-5 minutes to the baking time (watch closely!)
do you bake from frozen or do you thaw them first?
I bake from frozen.
I’ve made these twice now. Even my husband likes them and he feels scones are too much like biscuits (which he hates). I have found that I need a little more milk – a heaping cup basically, and I measure the flour on the scale.
I also make homemade cinnamon bits. They’re more like sweet hits of cinnamon that like a chocolate chip. I use this recipe, using all cinnamon. https://www.cupcakeproject.com/pumpkin-pie-spice-chips-perfect-for/
And I really like my scones glazed. I just blend a small bowl of powdered sugar with a little milk, few drops of vanilla and a sprinkle of cinnamon and spoon over the warm scones.
Was really looking forward to trying this recipe….
Buyer Beware…. Order your cinnamon chips
in the winter… Mine arrived melted.
Thankfully, Amazon gave me a full refund,
even though they were technically not
eligible for return.
This recipe belongs in the “BOMB.COM” file….I use it for different variations, but the cinnamon chip are my FAVE! I will also brush with butter and sand with cinnamon sugar because CINNAMON….
These were awesome. They were light and not to sweet very good basic recipe add the cinnamon chips and takes it to a whole new level.
Came out really gluey.. I followed the recipe exactly but they just taste like floury paste.. I’m going to put a glaze on them when they cool and see if that helps.
I’ve been looking for the perfect scone recipe. The ones I’ve tried so far have been too dense, doughy,… just not the right texture. Made these this morning and could hear the Hallelujah chorus. These are the ones! Light, not chewy or dense. Delicious flavor. This will be my go-to scone recipe from now on. Thanks so much for sharing it. (I ordered the cinnamon chips from Amazon- King Arthur flour cinnamon sweet bits. So good!)
Absolutely perfect scones, I love them! I also had trouble finding cinnamon chips so I thought there must be a way to make your own. I found this recipe and I liked them so much better than what you buy and they worked awesome in these scones!!
https://afewshortcuts.com/homemade-cinnamon-baking-chips/
Thank you for sharing this scone recipe!!
Thank you for posting the cinnamon chip recipe. The chips were so easy to make and absolutely scrumptious. What I didn’t used, I stored in a jar and they are still fabulous. I would never even bother to buy them after tasting how good these were. It’s been 3 months since I’ve made these scones and I’m planning to make again this weekend since my chips are still as good as day one.
I made this recipe only used 2 cups of sour cherries instead and did a glaze with icing sugar, milk and almond extract, so I did not put the butter and sugar on them before baking. They were a hit. One thing that works great if you do not have a food processor is to grate your butter and it works like a charm. First time I made scones and the ladies at work loved them as well as my family.
Made these and substituted mini chocolate chips for the cinnamon. They were fabulous!! I love making them in the food processor-I always make my buttermilk biscuits that way! I want to adapt a cranberry/orange version soon since those are my favorite.
I just made them! Very yummy. I also had trouble finding the cinnamon chips. I talked to the manger of my local grocery bakery and she was able to sell me some. Thank you for sharing .
That’s good to know! Thanks!
Can you make this using a scone pan?
Sure!
If I’m making Cheddar scones do I put any sugar ??
I would still add a tablespoon for flavor.
What temperature should I bake them at in a convection oven?
Probably about 25 degrees lower than the recipe states.
I love these scones. I have also had trouble finding the cinnamon chips, but if you ask your local grocer they will usually order them for you. I store my chips in the fridge since they melt easily and I live in Florida. Winn Dixie usually carries the Hershey chips.
You can order Hershey’s on Amazon! ❣ I’m going to make these for Thanksgiving breakfast!
Hi Mel,
I can’t wait to try this recipe. I’m a cinnamon fan!!
One problem is that I am having a hard time locating cinnamon chips. I was thinking of making a cinnamon brown sugar scone using the base in this recipe. Any thoughts on how I could make this work?
Thanks for the great recipes,
Ros
Have you tried Amazon?
I am a very novice baker. Is the butter used in this recioe salted or unsalted?
Salted
You always use unsalted butter when baking. If you use salted omit the salt…but I always use unsulted
Dearest Mel – Did you know that with this recipe you have out-sconed the entirety of the United Kingdom, the birthplace of the scone? Having had occasion to sample a few of the British variety of scone, most recently on a trip to Cornwall over Labor Day weekend, I will admit that I sniffed disdainfully at the offerings there. That didn’t keep me from eating them as they were served with clotted cream and strawberry jam. (Why isn’t clotted cream a thing in the states? It’s sooooo amazing!) But I informed my traveling companions that these scones had nothing on Mel’s. And since they had been the lucky recipient of a batch from my kitchen, they were forced to agree. It’s not bragging if you can back it up, right? BTW – I’m a huge fan of the freeze the butter and then grate trick. Works like a dream every time. Anywho, thanks for this recipe. And for all your other recipes. You truly do make me a rockstar in the kitchen!
Haha, this comment was the best ever, Ida! So happy you loved these scones…and I agree…clotted cream needs to become a thing here!
Can you use a gluten free blended flour for these scones?
I haven’t tried that but you could probably experiment…good luck if you try it!
I use all purpose gf flour and follow instructions as listed and they are amazing!
Mel, these are great! I have just put a big batch in the oven for us to eat while we watch the royal wedding today. 🙂
Mel, I’ve been making these scones for a couple years now and love them. But where are you buying your cinnamon chips? King Arthur Flour doesn’t carry them anymore and I’m down to my last bag.
I’m on my last bag fro King Arthur Flour too and haven’t sourced them anywhere else yet. But I’ll be checking amazon…
Marvelous Mel, how would you store these? Want to make a day ahead (school project for “England”!)? Funny story…I told my son, “hey, I found a great scone recipe.” He said, “is it from that same site you always look at?” Did he even need to ask…
Haha, so cute! I would probably store them covered in a resealable bag or even on a baking tray covered with plastic wrap.
I had a bag of the cinnamon chips that I had no idea what to do with so I decided what the heck, I’d give it a try. I worked in a coffee shop/bakery a couple years ago & they bought frozen scones, already shaped, I just had to bake & glaze them. I told the owner I would try making them, she said it was too hard to make them without them being dry & hard. I had never even eaten one but the frozen ones weren’t to my taste at all altho they did sell. I am so impressed with this recipe, easy, they are good, light & not dry at all. Plus they warm up nicely the next day. Hubby has eaten more than his share & he isn’t one to eat much carbs. A big winner Mel! I did have to abort half way thru as my 7 cup food processor just wasn’t big enough but it still worked out fine. Thanks for sharing this easy recipe!
Thanks, Kathy!!
I have never made scones before. Have always been afraid to try. Thank you for the great detail you added to help make this recipe a success . They ARE OUTSTANDING ! I had Hersey cinnamon chips and used the whole bag (1 1/2C) this recipe is a keeper for sure.
Calories per serving?
I’ve been making these for awhile and they’re my go-to recipe. Perfect texture. Quick and easy. The only issue is that the cinnamon chips that I used to get from King Arthur Flour aren’t available anymore. I’ve been using their Cinnamon Sweet Bits instead. They’re good, but I do miss that crunch.
Mel, your cinnamon scones are delicious. They turn out perfect every time. I have some frozen blueberries I need to use and was wondering if you’d ever made blueberry scones before.
The most amazing scones I have ever eaten – moist and delicious!
I’ve made 3 times as written and all three times came out perfectly! Thanks for the excellent recipe. New family favorite!
These scones are PERFECTION. I modified it slightly: I added cinnamon (used Mexican Ceylon cinnamon since my older kid prefers it), used heavy cream (clabbered) instead of proper buttermilk), and baked them on parchment paper on a pizza stone. I also grate cold butter and work it in with my hands, which I find gives me a better feel for how the dough is feeling and if it’s ready. When my hands hurt, obviously, the food processor is better, though.
They came out beautifully crisp, tender and short on the inside. The added cinnamon just enhanced the flavor, and these were perfect with tea, perfect warm, perfect once cooled, and reminded me delightfully of my childhood when we would roll out extra pie crust, sprinkle it with cinnamon and sugar, and bake it as a snack while pies were baking. These were better than that, but the flavor was nostalgic for me.
Thank you for a perfect–and incredibly flexible!–fantastic recipe!
We love these just as instructed, but I want to use the base to make blueberry scones. Should I use my blueberries straight from the freezer, or should I thaw them first?
When I use frozen blueberries in muffins and such, I use them straight from the freezer. They “bleed” a little more than using fresh, but I’ve found when I thaw and drain, I don’t like the texture in the baked goods as much.
These are ridiculously good. I just returned home from a trip where I had cinnamon chip scones from Copper Moon Coffee, that were so delicious, I wish I would have purchased more than one. I looked for a recipe that looked as good as they did. I FOUND IT!!! This recipe is moist and ridiculously good !!! This is the best scone recipe I have tried. My husband hates scones because they are usually dry. But he loved them. Its the buttermilk. Any recipe with buttermilk is my favorite. Thanks so much for sharing this recipe Mel. I have already emailed it to friends. Plus they were fast and pretty easy to make. THANK YOU !!!
I agree, buttermilk is life! So glad you loved these. 🙂
Great recipe Mel! I split my dough in half and did half with blueberries, half with chocolate chips – both are fabulous. Looking forward to my breakfasts for the next few work days.
These are so tasty, and they are pretty fool proof. I’ve made them quite a few times. Thanks for another great recipe!
So I made these last week with cinnamon chips per your recipe exactly and they were brilliant! My husband doesn’t even eat scones because he says they’re dry and dense but he ate like 3. I have a question I was wanting to do a strawberry version is there anything that you would change if you were using fresh cut up strawberries in place of cinnamon chips? I’m new to the scone world.
Hey Jennifer – I have a strawberry scone recipe here – would that work for what you are wanting to do?
https://www.melskitchencafe.com/strawberries-and-cream-scones/
I just made an orange, craisins version. Yum! It is a terrific scone recipe. I’m excited to apply my favorite scone flavors into it. My very favorite is one with bananas and cardamom. The only change I’ll probably make to the recipe is brushing with an egg wash instead of more butter. So happy to have this recipe!
Yum!
Hello, I am going to try this recipe. I have been looking for a good recipe since I ate a cinnamon scone from coffe culture coffee shop couple years ago. I didn’t make them before bc I didn’t find the cinnamon chips (I live in Niagara Falls On Canada)
Yestarday I saw them and I bought them righit away! haha, so I will give it a try 🙂 the only one thing I am thinking is, I will add some cinnamon powder to the dough, I love cinnamon flavor!
Thanks for sharing the recipe 😀
I find Amazon is a GREAT place to get uncommon baking items like cinnamon chips–that’s how I got mine (I ordered in winter on purpose)–and if Amazon in Canada delivers such items, it can be a great resource.
Just made these again but this time used blueberries and lemon zest instead of the cinnamon chips. Sooo good!
This is a wonderful scone base! I’ve made them with mini chocolate chips and cranberries, and today was diced apple with cinnamon and ginger. Now to find some cinnamon chips and see how magical they can be. 🙂
Just made these this morning! They are very close to the ones I make for the holidays, orange and cranberry, so I’m glad I went with my usual routine of trusting the wet/dry ratio; it really does come together nicely. My store only carries the Hershey brand, but it is yummy. I can’t believe that I’m actually going to be a nag and request the King Arthur’s brand, just to see the difference! Stores are all about satisfying the customer, so let them know!
Thank you for the recipe!
Made this a little while ago and they were super yummy! I used all light brown sugar since I was out of white sugar and this worked out just fine!
These are soooooo good! And easy to make – my 13 year old made them for me today for my birthday. Used chocolate chips and they were amazing! Thanks for the great recipe – my kids love anything from “that lady on the internet” 🙂
We made these this morning and pulled them out just as we lost power ( thanks to tropical storm Hermine) and they were delicious! We used regular chocolate chips but I will be on the lookout for the cinnamon chips. Thanks for another great recipe!
Oh my goodness, stay safe, Jessica!
Thanks Mel! I have made 4 batches so far this week and making another tonight! I have called every store in the Savannah, GA area looking for the cinnamon chips with no look. I am going to have to break down and order from KAF but the shipping is more than the chips!!!!! Thanks!
Are these something that freezes well? I’d like to make them now and freeze them to have on vacation later.
Thank you!
Yes! They freeze great.
Thank you for replying so quickly AND for the recipe. They are almost done baking now! The kitchen smells wonderful 🙂
These were the best scones that I have ever made! Just like my favorite tea and scone place! Thanks, Mel, for another HIT! This is why your website is my all time favorite!
I used to make scones a lot, but I got lazy. My recipe had you grate the butter in, which is a bit time consuming. The food processor is brilliant! I made these, and they’re amazing! We liked them better the next day reheated in the toaster oven. I topped them with cinnamon sugar. They’re so good, and I can use the recipe for all different kinds of scones!
These are sooooo good. Made them for Mother’s Day brunch and they were the hit of the day. I live in Texas and I ordered the mini chips from KAF. A couple were melted and the temp here at the time was low 80’s. There mini chips are perfect for these scones. The only thing I added was an icing drizzle, using 1 cup powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons of brewed strong coffee and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla. Excellent!
Mel, I made these with the Hersheys cinnamon chips. They were so good I am wanting to order the ones that you used from king Arthur Flour. I’m dying over shipping costs though. Have you ever had problems with these melting while shipping? I’m wondering if the extra $6 for an insulated bag is neccessary? I live in Utah…
I agree about shipping costs – I hate paying so much in shipping but usually when I order from KAF, I’ve saved up my list of things I want and order it all at once to maximize shipping. I live in Idaho and I’ve never paid for the insulated bag – granted, I think I’ve usually ordered the chips in winter or spring but I just ordered them a few weeks ago and they were fine. I think if you avoid the heat of the summer you should be ok.
These were great! My dough was really crumbly when I turned it out and I ended up adding a couple of tablespoons of milk to hold it together. I love King Arthur’s recipe for harvest pumpkin scones and adding their cinnamon chips. These are a close 2nd!
I’ve made these twice now–once with mini chocolate chips and once with cinnamon and they are amazing…however, every time I bake them they spread in the oven and do not come out looking so great. They go in as lovely triangle wedges and come out as varying triangle-ish blobs with maybe one or two on the tray looking somewhat normal. Luckily I was just feeding them to my family so I didn’t care too much that they looked strange. Is this normal? Any idea how I can fix the problem? My sister is having a baby today and I’d love to take her family some delicious scones with a meal! Any suggestions you might have would be appreciated. Thanks, Mel!
Try adding another 1/4 cup flour – that should help!
The king Arthur website recommends freezing your scones for 30 minutes (pan and all) before baking them. I really do think this makes a difference.
These were a hit! Can’t wait to make them again.
Made these last night for FHE ‘treat’. Boy were they a hit! They have an amazing texture and the mini cinnamon chips were just right for sweetness. I used another reader’s tips and grated frozen butter into the flour. Worked like a charm. Thank you for all your amazing recipes! You truly make it hard for me to be humble in the kitchen.
Mel!! Darn you. These babies are trouble! I’ve never before made scones and decided to give these a try because they seemed really simple to make, and I needed something to take to my vt sisters. They were soooo good! It’s a really good thing I had people to give them too, I ate way too many as it was.
If I want to make the scones smaller, would you recommend baking for the same amount of time or less time?
And is this recipe amenable to doubling?
Thanks.
I’d suggest altering the baking time if they are smaller – exact time will depend on the size. And yes, this recipe doubles great.
Would fresh fruit work in this recipe? I need to use up some rhubarb, but wondered if it would make dough too wet.
I think a lot would depend on the fruit. I actually think rhubarb would work pretty well. I’ve made scones before with strawberries (which are pretty wet) and they worked out well.
Can’t get cinnamon chips here (except during Christmas holidays) so I’ll have to order from KAF. They have regular and minis. Which would you suggest? Thanks!
She says minis are best because they more easily spread throughout the dough so you get some in every bite.
Mini!
I made these for a teaparty..perfect. I added about 1/4 tsp almond extract. I will be sharing these on my blog soon. Thank you for the delicious spring time treat!
Hi Mel,
Would
The base recipe be good for a savory scone?
Thanks!!!
Yes, I think it would work great! I’d decrease the sugar to just a tablespoon.
My children and I love scones! We love your pumpkin scones and the chocolate chip ones as well. I made these without the cinnamon chips (I didn’t have any) and added cinnamon to the dough and made a cinnamon glaze to drizzle on top. They were delish! I will be ordering the cinnamon chips today so I can try them that way as well.
I love to make scones with King Arthur’s cappuccino chips as well! Or a mix of chocolate and cappuccino chips. Yum!
Hi Mel, guess what I made last week? Sultana Scones. They were just delightful, I made my mums Chantilly Cream to go with them. This recipe looks fantastic, but I will have to sub cinnamon in as we don’t get cinnamon chips in Australia. They sound amazing though. Have a great day.
Great timing, Mel. I am down for bringing the “bread” for breakfast in my mom’s group tomorrow. I was going to make blueberry muffins, but I think I might try these! One question though–my mornings are kind of insane, and so I am wondering about making these ahead of time. If I make them tonight, will they still be delicious in the morning? OR, could I make them tonight except for the baking part, and then put them covered in the fridge to bake in the morning? Thanks!!! And I hope I can find good cinnamon chips in my grocery store 🙂
Absolutely! Refrigerate the unbaked scones and then pop them in the oven in the morning (maybe add a minute to the baking time to account for chilling).
These turned out so, so, SO good! This was my first time making scones and I have to say you made me look like “Wonder Woman” with this recipe!! (And apparently my dog likes them too, because as soon as I turned my back, she reached her little paw up, grabbed the pan and ate 10 out of the 12!!! Arrgggg!!! 🙁 🙁 ) these were so darn good however, that I am headed back into the kitchen to make my second batch (and this time I’m putting the dog outside!) thanks again!!!!
Oh my gosh, I don’t know whether to laugh or cry at the dog story…
Cinnamon scones are one of our favorites. These do look absolutely amazing!
These look gorgeous. I have been making cinnamon chip scones forever and have been using the KAF cinnamon chips since they’ve been available, which has been many years. I love them. The Hershey’s grocery store brand is fake tasting, and I think these are just perfect and love the mini size, like you said. I also purchase the sparkling white (glittering/decorating) sugar at KAF to sprinkle on top rather than granulated. It gives a great crunch and makes the scones look like a professional bakery item (not that yours don’t!!!). I love how you can really see the sparkling sugar on top. My recipe uses only whipping cream so they can be made quickly by hand, but I am going to try these in the processor for comparison. I am sure they are delicious!
Mmmmmm!!!! These are so good!! Thats what I’m hearing from the kitchen table right now from my kids. Another home run Mel!! Thank you!!
Yes! A good kitchen scale and a secondary oven thermometer have allowed me to cuss a lot less when I’m baking. I don’t weight things as much as I should… but only because I need to change the battery in my scale and can’t find a small enough screwdriver and when I find the screwdriver- I can’t find the battery I bought. DOH! lol I have made scones before and love them. They are an all occasion item and want to branch out from my basic one. 😀 Thanks for sharing!
How did you know that I have been searching for and reading dozens of scone recipes for specifically (1) an awesome basic scone recipe, and (2) to make mini cinnamon chip scones? (I may OR may not hoard those little lovelies in my basement.) I had yet to find the recipe, until this morning! Seriously, recipes-of-my-heart (a for-real thing) reading is a skill of yours!
Is it possible to sub a lactaid free milk for the buttermilk?
That’s a good question but I don’t know, Jennifer. The recipe relies on the buttermilk for tenderness. Could you add a little lemon juice to the lactaid free milk to approximate the buttermilk?
That is a good thought, I will try that. Thanks!
These look yummy; thanks for the recipe. I also get cinnamon chips from The Prepared Pantry.
https://www.preparedpantry.com/index.php?route=product/search&search=cinnamon%20chips
Scones don’t have to be just for the sweet tooth — one of our kids’ favorite dinners is diced ham and cheese scones. You could also do something like a poblano and goat cheese with sausage… go crazy!
Yum!
My kingdom for cinnamon chips!! I have placed an order with King Arthur, because I already made these sans cinnamon chips: used almond extract and the zest of an orange, plus worked some zest in the sugar topping. Very good and perfect texture! I used to make scones often and haven’t for some time. Opened up MKC to see this AND I had fresh buttermilk from making ghee (cream to butter to ghee with buttermilk as a happy by-product) – anyway perfect timing except for the cinnamon chips.
Boy, these came together fast also ( I paid strict attention to the “just a few pulses” – perfect!). In deference to my smaller food processor and because I am a 1 human household, I made 1/3 recipe and I had scones in the oven before the coffee finished. Dishes done before the scones came out of the oven. But, I tend to have no interruptions in the kitchen 🙂
Thanks for a great start to Monday morning, Mel!
I always love your comments, Liz; you win some kind of award for making a lot of my recipes as soon as they are posted (and I bet before many people are even up!). It’s awesome! And I’m really intrigued by your cream to butter to ghee process. Sounds fun!
How do you make your cream to ghee to buttermilk? I would love to try to make ghee and often skip recipes with buttermilk as I never have any!
@Brandee You can click on my name in the above comment to see instruction on my blog. It is not a cooking blog, just my own little web diary 🙂 – but I sometimes post things I make and I had just done all and taken photos when Mel posted this scone recipe.
The short story for buttermilk is that when you take heavy cream beyond whipped cream, the butter (fat) separates from the liquid (buttermilk). This takes about 5 minutes in a food processor or blender so if you have cream and need buttermilk you could do this and you’ll end up with fresh butter and some buttermilk. I have a 7 cup food processor and do 16 ounces of cream at a time which yields approximately 1/2 cup of buttermilk and I’ve never measured the butter but somewhere between a baseball and softball chunk.
Probably lemon juice in milk method is faster if you have milk and lemon juice. Mel has a post of substitute methods.
Ghee is made with the butter cooked until the solids separate and you skim off the solids leaving the golden ghee. You don’t need to make ghee to get buttermilk, just heavy cream per above.
@Brandee You can click on my name in the above comment to see instruction on my blog. It is not a cooking blog, just my own little web diary 🙂 – but I sometimes post things I make and I had just done all and taken photos when Mel posted this scone recipe.
The short story for buttermilk is that when you take heavy cream beyond whipped cream, the butter (fat) separates from the liquid (buttermilk). This takes about 5 minutes in a food processor or blender so if you have cream and need buttermilk you could do this and you’ll end up with fresh butter and some buttermilk. I have a 7 cup food processor and do 16 ounces of cream at a time which yields approximately 1/2 cup of buttermilk and I’ve never measured the butter but somewhere between a baseball and softball chunk.
Probably lemon juice in milk method is faster if you have milk and lemon juice. Mel has a post of substitute methods.
Ghee is made with the butter cooked until the solids separate and you skim off the solids leaving the golden ghee. Basically, you simmer the butter until the solids separate and then strain.
So, you make butter and buttermilk from the cream and then ghee from the butter.
This is essentially the same scone recipe I use and it really is the best! I think buttermilk is just magical 🙂 Besides chocolate chip or cinnamon chip, another fun variation is white chocolate chip with craisins!
Another butter tip: I don’t have a big enough food processor for making dough. I also loathe a pastry blender, so instead I shred frozen butter on the large holes of a grater and just stir it into the dry ingredients. It works great!
Perfect, thanks for the tip, Becky!
Thank you! The tip to grate the butter saved my day! This is a delicious and easy recipe! My family devoured them!!
I can’t find cinnamon chips anymore here in New Hampshire!
I found them at Walnart. Made by Hershey, but amazon has them too