The Best Fruit Scones Recipe!

Anyone that knows me or has read my plain scones recipe will know that I like to keep things classic and simple when it comes to scones. And I never add fruit!

But…. I know that an awful lot of folks love a fruited scone and it’s their variety of choice. So it would be cruel of me not to share this recipe, especially because the base recipe is so great.

One of the best thing about any type of scone if that they require no fancy equipment and are super quick to make. You can have a batch fresh out the oven in under 25 minutes. 20 if you really hustle.

This recipe is a small batch recipe designed to make 6 scones. It’s easy to scale up to cater for more people but is written so that you can make just a few that can be served and eaten at their absolute freshest.

How to Serve Fruit Scones

Firstly I like my scones served warm if not actually hot. I like my butter to melt right into the scone the second it’s spread. I cannot recommend this approach enough.

Of course they’re perfectly acceptable served cold. But either way, scones are always best served as fresh as possible – ideally the same day that they’re baked. And the next day at the latest.

The Classic Cream Tea

And then there are the classic cream tea toppings to discuss. Obviously the cream or jam first debate is ripe. I’ve gone over my feelings about this very clearly in my plain scones post. The answer is technically butter then jam then clotted cream.

The order is not something I’m willing to debate – it is a non-argument. And I know that I’ve clearly stated that I’m not a fan of fruit scones despite sharing this recipe. But this is where I’m willing to divide people – I don’t think fruit scones benefit from the jam and cream treatment.

Hear me out. The fruit in the scone makes them extra sweet to start with. Add some beautifully sweet jam and the sugar starts to become too much. Even with the savouriness of butter and unsweetened cream, its just more than I need.

So for me (if I’m going to eat them), fruit scones get butter, plain scones get butter jam and cream. But you do you.

Ingredients for my Best Fruit Scones

Butter

A quick note about the butter. The butter does need to be cold. As cold as possible in fact. If the butter is at all softened, it will just melt into the flour with the additional heat of your hands. Cold hands never hurt either!

You can use spread rather than butter but the flavour will not be quite as delicious. But if it’s all you have then go for it! Whichever you use, I am a strong purveyor of always using salted butter.

Plain or Self Raising Flour For Scones?

I’ve used self raising flour (self-rising flour) in this recipe with a little extra baking powder. Would it make sense in theory to use plain flour (all purpose flour) and just add the baking powder? Yes. But for some reason, it just doesn’t seem to work quite so well.

If you do want to make your own self raising flour, check out this helpful flour guide from Charlotte’s Lively Kitchen.

If you are in the US and using self-rising flour, you can omit the extra salt from the recipe as self-rising includes salt which self-raising does not here in the UK.

Raisins

I’ve chosen to use raisins as the fruit in these fruited scones. You can use sultanas (dried white grapes aka golden raisins), currants (dried red seedless grapes) or raisins (dried white moscatel grapes). Or you can use a mixture – it is entirely up to you.

Be Flexible

You can mix up the fruit and flavours of these fruited scones more than just mix and matching between raisins, currants and sultanas.

Any small dried fruit makes a great addition. Consider using dried blueberries, dried cranberries and even more exotic fruits like dried mango and pineapple to make tropical fruit scones.

You can also add some other flavouring to the dough. Lemon or orange zest is a great addition. Lemon and blueberry is a classic combination as is orange and cranberry.

Just be careful to not add anything too wet to the dough or you will start to change the texture and overall bake.

The other simple variation is to pat the dough out into a round then cut the dough with a sharp knife like a pizza. This will make triangle scones which will taste the same. Perfect if you don’t have a cookie cutter or have a fear of circles. And actually this is a great method if you want to avoid waste.

Vegetarian or Vegan Fruited Scones

My Best Fruit Scones are suitable for veggies as written.

To make my scones vegan, there are a few simple swaps:

• Switch the butter for vegan baking block.
• Switch the milk for a flavour free and unsweetened plant-based milk.
• Use plant-based milk or cream to glaze the scones before baking.

Are Fruit Scones Allergy Friendly?

My fruit scone recipe is free from nuts.

Dairy or Egg Free: Use the vegan swaps given above to make my Best Fruit Scones suitable for a dairy or egg allergy.

Gluten Free: Swap the flour for gluten free flour and make sure that the baking powder you use is suitable for gluten free diets.

Please note that this recipe may contain other allergens not referred to above and any variations suggested have not been tested unless otherwise stated. For more information regarding any dietary information provided on this website, please refer to my Nutritional Disclaimer.

How to Make Fruit Scones in the Air Fryer

I’ve tested this recipe in my Corsori Lite (‎CAF-LI401S) with a 3.8 litre capacity. The square(ish) shaped basket is 21cm x 21cm and 24cm on the diagonal. This is the air fryer that this recipe has been tested in. It isn’t an expensive or fancy model (don’t be fooled by the fact it has some kind of mobile app, it is just a gimmick!).

I’ve included the instructions to make these fruit scones in the air fryer in the recipe card below. They do come out looking ever so slightly more rough and ready than when they’re oven baked but they’re still delicious scones.

You can read lots more about air fryers, air frying and the various things you need to take into account in my sausage roll post.

Air Fryer Sausage Rolls Recipe with Puff Pastry

All your questions about Air Fryer Sausage Rolls answered in one place. How to cook, at what temperature and for how long, how to reheat and how to air fry sausage rolls from frozen. Plus a quick and simple recipe for deliciously easy sausage rolls cooked in the air fryer.

Equipment Notes for my Best Ever Fruit Scones Recipe

I always specify a flour shaker in my equipment lists when a floured surface is needed. They are super cheap and super handy. You can vaguely control where the flour is going to cut down on clean up time and you get a nice even layer of flour rather than some clumps and some bare bits.

You could alternatively spoon some flour into a mini sieve or just use your hands. Throwing it from a distance is best in this case if a little messy!

I had a right odd assortment of cookie/biscuit cutters until I was bought a handy set of plastic cookie cutters. They are smooth on one side and fluted on the other in various handy sizes. I like the plastic as they don’t rust and they stack nicely for storage. I also have the star versions.

A comprehensive list of the equipment used to make this recipe is included in the main recipe card below. Click on any item to see an example. There are no hard and fast rules so many items can be sensibly substituted to achieve the same results.

Get Ahead

The good news is that raisin scones take very little time to prepare so making them just before you want to eat them is often not a problem.

You can however make them in advance, freeze them on a baking tray then move to a large sandwich bag once fully frozen. The individual scones can then be baked off from frozen when you want one (or more).

You can also bake then freeze in exactly the same way. Allow the scones to thaw naturally.

Leftover Fruit Scones

Blast the scones in the microwave for 20 to 30 seconds and they will be perfect to eat for a couple of days after baking.

You can also pop them in the air fryer for around 2 to 3 minutes to reheat with a little crunch.

If the scones are not re-heatable, try slicing them thinly and using them like the bread in a bread and butter pudding. Or, turn them into breadcrumbs, mix with a little melted butter and scatter them over fruit before baking.

Best Scone Tips

Add a little more flour or milk to get a sticky but handleable dough as required. This will be especially true if subbing a gluten free flour or using a plant based milk.

You can pat the dough out ready for cutting on a clean work surface but using a wooden board makes clean up easier.

If you don’t have cookie cutters, you can use something like a glass to cut out the rounds. The trick is to use as thin a glass as possible, ideally with straight sides. The other trick is to not twist. This makes the dough catch on itself and hinder the rise.

Alternatively, pat the scone dough into a round. Use a large sharp knife to cut the dough into slices like a cake. Put the slices straight onto the baking tray for triangle scones with no waste.

If you want to take the rise of your scones to the next level, try the layering method in my Breakfast Biscuits recipe.

Don’t be tempted to skip lining the baking tray unless you have a super non stick tray that you have all the confidence in. There is nothing sadder than a stuck scone. Or 6.

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