Fresh cherry scone recipe

An easy, fresh cherry scone recipe that anyone can whip up with little effort and ingredients that are always on hand. Made with sweet cherries, these scones are tender and full of flavor.

I’ll give you variations and substitutions where I can, plus helpful tips and tricks for success. Read on for this info as well as the recipe. If you’d like to skip straight to the recipe, use the jump to recipe button at the top of the post.

Cherry lovers may also be interested in my cherry daiquiri and cherry muffin recipes. For ease of browsing, you can find all of my fresh cherry recipes – because cherry season will be here and gone before you know it and you’ll want these sweet cherry scones again and again.

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Why you should make this cherry scone recipe

For me, there is hardly anything better with a cup of tea or coffee than a slightly sweet baked good. And this scone recipe is just that – they are not overly sweet, even with the sprinkling of coarse sugar on top.

Sometimes scones get a bad reputation as being dry and crumbly. I am happy to report that these are not. They are light and tender, and filled with fresh, sweet cherries.

Ingredients

• Flour – Regular, all-purpose (plain) flour.
• Unsalted Butter – gives our scones moisture and flavor.
• Cherries – fresh, sweet cherries.
• Sugar – Regular granulated (caster) sugar gives the scones a bit of sweetness
• Cream – I recommend using whole milk or cream in this recipe.
• Sour cream – makes the scones tender and gives great flavor.
• Egg – Provides structure, flavor and rise.
• Baking powder & Baking soda – helps the scones to bake up nice and tall.
• Salt – I used fine sea salt, it gives the scones flavor. All baked goods need salt.
• Coarse sugar – provides a little sweetness and great texture to the top of the fresh cherry scones.

How to make them

First, dice butter into small pieces, or grate on a box grater. Place it into the freezer for a few minutes while you measure the dry ingredients.

Next, mix dry ingredients together in a medium bowl, then add cold butter and work it into the flour mixture using a dough blender, a fork or your fingers until it looks like coarse crumbs.

Whisk egg, sour cream and milk/cream together, then mix into the dough with a spatula. Once you no longer see big pockets of flour, and the dough is starting to come together on its own, you’re done. Gently incorporate the chopped cherries before patting out the scone dough.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and pat it into a 1-inch thick circle. Do not knead the dough, press it together as you are forming a circle or square.

Brush the tops with milk or cream and sprinkle with coarse sugar before baking.

Tools and equipment

You’ll need the basics for this cherry scone recipe, plus a couple of items that are very helpful in the kitchen.

• Mixing bowls – These stainless steel bowls will last forever.
• Measuring cups and spoons – The prettiest cups and spoons set!
• Rubber spatula – My favorite spatula, this is my go to.
• Chef’s knife – The same one I own and use every single day.
• Cookie cutter / Biscuit cutters – This set comes in a few sizes and they have handles.
• A kitchen scale is also recommended. This is the same scale that I own, and using a scale to measure in baking versus cups will give you more accurate measurements.

Fresh cherry scone recipe Q & A

Scones are best served on the day they baked. They can be refreshed in the microwave or a warm oven the next day.

Variations

This cherry scone recipe is delicious as is. However, if you’re like me and you like to change it up sometimes, here are a few suggestions:

• Add 1 tbsp. fresh lemon zest to the dough for a citrusy zing.
• A teaspoon of vanilla extract will give them even more flavor.
• For a sweet and nutty twist, add a teaspoon of almond extract and top with sliced almonds.

More fresh cherry recipes

• Cherry Chutney (GREAT on grilled meats)
• Cherry Crisp from Scratch
• Cherry Hand Pies
• Cherry Coconut Rum Slushie

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Thanks for stopping by! Have a delicious day 🙂

Questions? Send me an email, I’m happy to help. I’d love to send you weekly tips and recipes, so you can get updates about what’s happening in the kitchen!

Originally published 6/4/18, most recent update 7/19/22.

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