Raspberry Scones

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These tender, buttery raspberry scones are bursting with the taste of sweet raspberries and can be ready in just under 30 minutes! Recipe includes a how-to video!

Overhead shot of raspberry scones on gray marble next to a bowl of raspberries in the top left corner

There’s a lot to love about these raspberry scones. They’re tender, buttery, and have just the right amount of sweetness. Bursting with tart, juicy raspberries and topped with a dusting of sugar… they’re the slightly sweetened cousin to my biscuit recipe, and they’re absolutely addictive. My recipe makes six large scones (though of course you can cut into smaller portions) and it’s always impossible for me to eat just one.

Raspberry scones can be ready in under 30 minutes, use basic, pantry staples, and frozen raspberries take a lot of mess and hassle out of the work. I also use a food processor to make things extra quick and easy (and include recipe notes case you don’t have one!).

Those of you who have tried my classic scones will recognize most of the ingredients and process used here, and I think you’ll appreciate how simple the recipe is. Let’s get to it!

What You Need

Butter, heavy whipping cream, homemade vanilla extract, baking powder, raspberries, salt, all-purpose flour, and granulated sugar — Ingredients

If you check your cabinets and fridge, you’ll likely already have most of the ingredients you need to make raspberry scones. Let’s go over what you’ll need and why!

All-purpose flour. Other flours will not give the raspberry scones the right texture. All-purpose flour yields scones that are tender but don’t fall apart.
Granulated sugar. This lends sweetness to the scones. An extra sprinkling on top is the perfect way to top them off!
Salt. Using a little salt balances out the sweetness of the sugar without overpowering the other flavors and making the scones taste salty.
Baking powder. This help give the scones some lift (and yes, that 1 Tablespoon measurement is correct and not a typo!). I recommend using an aluminum-free brand (like the Rumford I use, pictured above). Baking powder made with aluminum may react with the raspberries and turn your scones blue!
Butter. Your butter needs to be cold for this recipe (I like to pop it in the freezer for about 15 minutes before I begin). Butter that’s too warm can leave you with messy, flat scones.
Heavy whipping cream. Heavy cream gives the scones a light and tender texture.
Vanilla extract. There’s not a lot of vanilla extract in these scones, but the little bit that is gives the scones a nice depth of flavor. Feel free to add a bit of lemon zest (about a Tablespoon or two) in with the butter or a drop of lemon extract with the vanilla extract for a fresh hint of citrus flavor!
Frozen raspberries. Use frozen raspberries to make your life (or just this recipe) simple to make. They are easier to incorporate into the dough because you don’t have to worry about smushing them or breaking them apart. You can use fresh raspberries, but it will take more time and effort to make it work, and you also introduce more moisture into the raspberry scones, which can make the end result a bit messier. Of course you can also freeze your fresh raspberries for an hour or so to make things easier for yourself!

Remember, this is just an overview of the ingredients I used and why. For the full recipe please scroll down to the bottom of the post!

How To Make Raspberry Scones

Steps to making scones showing coarse crumbs and the batter clumping together after adding the heavy cream and vanilla extract

Pulse together your dry ingredients then scatter (cold) butter pieces over the top and pulse until the butter is cut into the mixture. It will be dry and resemble coarse crumbs with pebbly bits of butter still remaining.
Add heavy cream and vanilla extract and pulse again until the mixture is beginning to clump together (don’t over-do it!). The dough should hold together if pinched between your thumb and forefinger.

Laminating Raspberry Scone Dough

Working the dough into a rectangle, pressing the raspberries into the dough, cutting the dough in half, and stacking the dough halves

“Laminating” simply refers to the process of folding butter into the dough. I have used a different technique for laminating in the past (seen in my puff pastry, pie crust, and in other scone recipes), but for today’s recipe I tried something slightly different. But cutting and stacking the dough after each turn (rather than folding it over itself), I found the raspberry scones had more distinct layers and were less likely to topple over on themselves in the oven. Here’s how it’s done:

Transfer the dough to a clean and lightly floured surface and use your hands to loosely work it together (it could be quite crumbly still!)
Press the frozen raspberries into the dough (you can use fresh raspberries but they will be harder to work into the dough).
Form the dough into a rectangle (well, as rectangular of a shape as is possible anyway) and use a knife to cut it in half. Anytime you’re cutting scone dough, always press straight down, never saw through it or your edges won’t be as clean and your scones could topple over in the oven!
Time to laminate! Place one half of dough over the other and firmly press the two together until you once again have a rectangle that’s same size as the first! Repeat this process of laminating the dough 3-4 more times.

Baking

Without sawing, cut the dough into 6 evenly sized squares (or even-ish sized) and place 1-2 inches apart on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. I would’ve done better to space them a bit more in the photos above; if you keep them that close together just be aware that you’ll need more time in the oven than is indicated.
Bake raspberry scones until the centers are done and edges are beginning to turn light golden brown and enjoy while they are warm, but not hot!

One scone closeup and three others in the background

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you freeze raspberry scones?

If you don’t eat all of them within 2 days, you can wrap each individual scone in plastic wrap and and place in an airtight container or a ziplock bag.

Can I use fresh raspberries instead of frozen?

Frozen raspberries are definitely preferable, but can use fresh raspberries. They will be a bit harder to press into the dough without breaking or smushing them, but you can do it with some patience and a gentle touch.

Why did my raspberry scones turn blue?

If your baking powder contains aluminum it may turn your scones blue or green when it reacts to the acidity of the raspberries, and may even leave them with a metallic taste. Opt for an aluminum-free baking powder (I use Rumford brand) to prevent this!

Why did my scones turn out flat?

Flat scones are so disappointing when you are expecting them to have some height! There are several reasons this might have happened:
First, check the date on your baking powder; if it is old and expired then it will not work properly. Second, consider if you might have over-worked the dough. Handle it only as much as is necessary. Finally, make sure your ingredients were as cold as possible before you begin. If the butter became too warm and started to melt, this could cause your scones to be flat.