Buttermilk Makes Scones Light and Tender
- Servings: 8 scones
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Effort Level: Simple
These cherry buttermilk scones use our go-to buttermilk scone dough for a tender crumb and lightly sweet balance. They’re quick and easy to make, and paired with a piping hot cup of coffee, they’re perfect for breakfast or brunch. During the holidays we use this same buttermilk base for our Eggnog Scones, a festive, spiced variation finished with a light eggnog glaze.
If you’ve been following our recipes for a while, you’ve probably noticed that we’re all about lightly sweetened baked goods and the tangy flavor of dairy products like buttermilk and sour cream, so it’s not surprising that our go-to scone recipe would be made with buttermilk. Buttermilk does more than just add flavor to these cherry scones though – its acidity makes the scones softer and fluffier than those made with regular milk or cream.
Key Ingredients
We believe that great flavor starts with quality ingredients. Here are the small details that make these choices work. For a full list and measurements, see the recipe card below.
- Dried cherries – This recipe was originally developed using dried cranberries, but once we made it with cherries we decided their sweeter, fruitier flavor and plumper texture were a better fit. Cranberries are a fine substitute though. See the variations below for some tips.
- Fresh orange zest – Fresh orange zest adds a subtle citrus aroma that complements the flavor of the dried cherries. Use a fine microplane or zester and avoid the white pith, which can taste bitter.
- Buttermilk – Buttermilk provides a subtle tangy flavor and compared to cream-based scones, produces a lighter interior with better structure.
- Turbinado sugar – We like the slight molasses flavor of turbinado sugar for finishing the scones, but any coarse sugar would be fine to use.
Prep Overview
How to Make Buttermilk Cherry Scones
Here’s a quick overview of the process, with the key techniques that make it work. Detailed, step-by-step instructions are in the printable recipe card below.
Start by getting the oven ready and lining a baking sheet with parchment. In a stand mixer, combine the dry ingredients, then mix in the orange zest and dried cherries. Add the butter and mix just enough to coat the cubes. It’s important they stay in fairly large pieces.
Slowly add the vanilla and buttermilk, mixing only until the dough starts to come together. Turn the dough out, shape it into a ball, and gently pat it into a round. Cut it into wedges and place them on the baking sheet. Brush the tops with buttermilk, sprinkle with sugar, and bake until nicely browned.
Tips for Perfect Buttermilk Scones
- Use cold ingredients – Cold butter and buttermilk straight from the refrigerator are essential for making light, flaky scones.
- Don’t overmix – When adding the butter and then the buttermilk, only mix until the dry ingredients are moistened. Overworking the dough will yield tough scones.
- Handle gently – Flour your hands and gently shape the dough. Avoid re-rolling the dough. Cut straight down with a sharp blade – don’t drag the blade through when cutting the scones.
Recipe Variations
- Cranberry-orange scones – Replace the dried cherries with dried cranberries. You can also optionally replace the half of vanilla extract with orange extract.
- Cinnamon-raisin scones – Replace the dried cherries with raisins, add 1 teaspoon cinnamon and omit the orange zest.
- Apricot-lemon scones – Replace the dried cherries with dried apricots and replace the orange zest with 1-1/2 teaspoons of lemon zest. Depending on how much lemon flavor you like, you could also use 1/4 teaspoon of lemon extract in place of the vanilla.
More Baking with Buttermilk
These cherry buttermilk scones share their tender crumb with other easy, everyday bakes where buttermilk really shines. Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal Muffins combine hearty oats, crisp apples, and tangy buttermilk in a simple whisk-and-bake recipe; Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins balance bright citrus with a soft, moist interior; and Chocolate Zucchini Bread uses buttermilk to keep the loaf rich without feeling heavy.
Cherry Buttermilk Scones with Orange Zest
Ingredients
- 1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Zest of 1 orange, about 2 teaspoons
- 1/2 cup chopped dried cherries
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup buttermilk, divided
- 1 tablespoon turbinado sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Using a stand mixer (see notes about hand mixing), combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.
- With a paddle attachment, mix in the orange zest and dried cherries.
- Add the butter and mix just enough for the cubes to be coated with flour. The butter should stay in fairly large pieces.
- With the mixer at a low speed, add the vanilla extract and the buttermilk, reserving 2 tablespoons, and mix just until absorbed and the dough begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl. Do not overmix.
- Turn the dough onto a separate piece of parchment paper and using floured hands, shape it into a ball. Then pat it flat into a 7-inch round about 1 to 1-1/2-inch thick.
- Cut the dough into 8 wedges and transfer them to the prepared baking sheet.
- Brush the tops of the scones with the reserved buttermilk and sprinkle with turbinado sugar.
- Bake until golden brown, 18 to 20 minutes. Cool for a few minutes on a wire rack, then serve warm.
Notes
About Hand Mixing
You can mix the scone dough by hand if you don’t have a stand mixer, but because you need to work with cold ingredients, the dough will be quite stiff. Be careful not to overmix it. Note: We don’t recommend using a hand-held electric mixer unless your model has a very low speed.Preparation Tip
If your dried cherries are very fresh, they may have a tendency to stick together when chopped. If so, transfer 1 tablespoon of the flour to a plastic bag, add the fruit and shake to coat. This will make chopping them easier, and it will help to distribute the fruit more evenly through the dough.Make-Ahead Tips
Prepare the dough as instructed and chill in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours before baking. Remove them from the fridge and cut into wedges, then bake.Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Could I use the dried orange powder to replace the fresh zest?
Hi Charlotte,
I believe you could use dried orange powder, but I’ve never tried it. Regarding quantity, if the powder you’re using doesn’t have directions, start with a teaspoon, combine all the ingredients, taste the batter, and adjust the flavor to your liking.