Best Eggless Scone Recipe (Cranberry Lemon)
Are you looking for an eggless scone recipe for a tasty breakfast or an afternoon tea? Or are you craving some fluffy scones but just ran out of eggs? Either way, this easy Eggless Scone Recipe with just a few simple ingredients is your answer!
Ingredients
FOR THE SCONES
- 2 cups (280 g) pastry flour (or all-purpose flour)
- ½ cup (67 g) caster sugar
- 1 TBSP baking powder
- 1 TBSP zest (1-2 lemons)
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ cup (115 g) cold butter (salted or unsalted), cut into cubes
- 1 cup (235 ml) buttermilk
- 1 cup (180 g) fresh or frozen cranberries (or blueberries)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2-3 TBSP milk to brush on top
FOR THE LEMON GLAZE (optional):
- 1 cup (120 g) confectioners’ sugar
- 2-3 TBSP lemon juice
Instructions
SCONES
- Preheat the oven to 400ºF (200ºC). Place the oven rack in the center of the oven. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or with a silicone mat and set it aside. If your kitchen is warm, pop your mixing bowl in the freezer for a few minutes before you start.
- In a large bowl, whisk together all the dry ingredients except for the sugar: flour, baking powder, salt, and lemon zest.
- Dice the cold butter into 1/2-inch cubes. Add it into the bowl with the dry ingredients. Using a pastry cutter, two forks, or your fingertips, work the butter into the flour until the mixture has a coarse crumb texture — you want pea-sized butter pieces scattered throughout, not a uniform sandy texture. Those butter chunks are what create the flaky layers. These butter pieces will ensure that fluffy, flaky texture of the scones. If you’re using your hands, work quickly so the heat from your palms doesn’t melt the butter.
- Make a small well in the flour mixture and add the wet ingredients: buttermilk, vanilla extract, and fresh or frozen cranberries. Use a fork to mix everything until a rough dough starts to come together. If the dough is a bit too crumbly, add a bit more buttermilk. Stop as soon as you no longer see dry flour streaks — the dough will look shaggy and imperfect, and that’s exactly right. Overmixing will make your scones tough.
- Turn the dough out onto your lightly floured surface. Pat it gently into a disk about 1 inch thick. Don’t use a rolling pin or press hard. Wrap in a plastic wrap and freeze for 15 minutes. This re-firms the butter and helps the scones hold their shape in the oven rather than spreading.
- Take the dough out of the freezer. Cut it in half, then each half into 4 wedges like a pizza. Use a sharp knife and dip in flour each time you cut. This will prevent the squishing down of the dough, which will prevent rising (you can also use a sharp pastry cutter to cut out rounds).
- Place the scones onto the prepared baking sheet, leaving about 2-3 inches between them so they can rise properly. Brush the tops lightly with milk or heavy cream. You can also sprinkle some caster sugar.
- Place the scones in the preheated oven and bake for 25-30 minutes until the tops are golden brown and the edges look set. A wooden skewer inserted into the center should come out clean. Keep an eye to make sure you don't overcook them.
- Let the scones cool for 5 minutes in the baking tray, then transfer to a wire rack to fully cool. These are best eaten warm, within the first hour of baking. Enjoy!
LEMON GLAZE
- While the scones are baking, mix the confectioners’ sugar and the lemon juice until well combined and drizzle the glaze over the scones.