We’re making homemade scones this spring! Not just any scones, but beautiful, perfectly sweet ones with golden brown outsides and warm, tender middles.
After putting sweet and savory scones (2 ways) in my cookbook, I knew I wanted to share a wonderful, spring-inspired recipe on the blog. These incredible strawberry scones use my go-to dough with greek yogurt to make them deliciously moist, plus fresh strawberries on the inside and a lovely strawberry glaze.
They’re SO easy to make with a few simple tips, and are guaranteed to impress friends and family at Mother’s Day brunch or your next baby shower. I say bake up a batch just to celebrate the season, because what’s life without a yummy, homemade brunch treat?
Everything you’ll need to make strawberry scones
If you’ve never made scones before, it can seem a little intimidating. But trust me when I say — they’re easier to make than you think and the ingredients are SO simple! Here’s what you’ll need:
- Flour: we’re using regular all-purpose flour for the perfect texture.
- Sugar: this entire batch of scones gets sweetened with just 1/3 cup of granulated sugar. You can also use coconut sugar to keep them refined sugar-free!
- Butter: the key to that beautiful crumb? Using COLD salted butter to make the dough.
- Yogurt: a little plain, whole-milk Greek yogurt gives them extra moisture. No dry scones here!
- Milk: you’ll also need a little milk to work the dough and to brush on top before baking.
- Extracts: we’re adding both vanilla extract and almond extract to get that strawberry shortcake-like flavor.
- Baking staples: don’t forget the baking powder (not soda) and salt.
- Strawberries: you’ll also add fresh diced strawberries right to the dough! See below for my best tip for adding fruit to baked goods.
- For the glaze: that lovely strawberry glaze is made with freeze-dried strawberries, powdered sugar, and a little milk. Learn how to make my refined sugar-free powdered sugar HERE.
Can I make them gluten-free?
Unfortunately, I haven’t tested a gluten-free version of these homemade strawberry scones, so I cannot recommend a flour swap here.
What about dairy-free?
These scones can, however, be made dairy-free! Simply use:
- Dairy-free butter
- Thick, dairy-free Greek yogurt
- And dairy-free milk of choice
How to make perfect strawberry scones
- Combine butter with dry ingredients. Start by whisking your dry ingredients together (sugar included) in a large bowl, then use your fingers or a pastry cutter to squeeze the butter into the flour mixture. It should resemble pea-sized clumps.
- Add the wet ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk the wet ingredients together. Make a well in the center of your flour + butter mixture, and carefully pour in the wet ingredients. Stir until your dough comes together. See more tips below!
- Add the strawberries. Toss your berries in flour, then evenly fold them into the dough.
- Make a disc & chill. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface, knead it a few times until the dough begins to come together, then pat and press it into an 8-inch circle. Cover with plastic wrap and chill in the freezer or fridge. Preheat the oven while the dough chills.
- Slice & bake. After chilling, cut the dough into 8 wedges and place them onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Brush the tops with milk, then bake them up!
- Cool, ice & serve. While the scones bake, blend the freeze-dried strawberries into a fine powder, then mix with the powdered sugar and a little milk. Add milk to thin as necessary, then drizzle onto the cooled scones and garnish with extra freeze-dried strawberries!
Want to make mini strawberry scones?
- Make the dough as directed.
- In step 5, press the dough into two 5-inch circles (instead of one 8-inch circle), cover with plastic wrap, and chill.
- After chilling, cut each smaller circle into 8 wedges, place on your prepared baking sheet, and brush with milk.
- Bake for 14-18 minutes until golden brown on top, then cool and glaze!
My best tips for making scones
With a few tips and tricks, you’ll be making beautiful strawberry yogurt scones in no time:
- Use COLD butter. This is crucial for the texture of your scones (similar to flaky pie crust!), so I recommend chilling it in the freezer before you start baking. If the butter becomes too soft and warm, you can freeze the flour and butter mixture for a few minutes before going forward with the recipe.
- Check your dough texture. Dough for scones should be moist and sticky as it comes together. If it feels dry and crumbly or isn’t coming together, add 1-2 tablespoons of milk. If it feels too wet and soft, add 1-2 tablespoons of flour. Trust your gut!
- Toss the berries. Remember to toss your fresh strawberries in a little flour before adding them to your scone dough so that they don’t leak their juices into the dough.
- Chill the dough. I know it’s exciting, but please remember to chill your dough after shaping it into a circle (BEFORE cutting the dough into wedges). This keeps the butter extra cold before baking and gives the scones their perfect, flaky texture as the butter melts in the oven (and prevents scones from spreading!)
Freeze the dough for later
Yes, you can freeze this strawberry scone dough, sliced or unsliced! Here’s how:
- To freeze the dough: after shaping the dough into a disc, you’ll already be covering it with plastic wrap and freezing it. Simply leave it in there for up to 3 months until you’re ready to bake! If you’d like to do an extra step, cut the disc into your 8 scone wedges, freeze those again for about 1 hour (to prevent sticking), and then place them in a freezer-friendly bag for up to 3 months.
- To bake from frozen: remove the frozen dough disc from the freezer and slice into 8 scone wedges (or just remove the pre-sliced, frozen scones from the freezer). Let the scones thaw just a bit at room temp while your oven preheats, brush with milk, then bake them up. You’ll likely need to add a few minutes of baking time — just watch for those golden brown edges.
How to store homemade strawberry scones
- To store: store these strawberry scones covered at room temperature for 1-2 days, then transfer to the fridge for up to 5 days. I like to heat them up with a little butter before eating!
- To freeze: I recommend freezing extra scones without the icing. Make sure the scones are completely cool, then wrap them in plastic wrap and transfer them to a freezer-friendly bag and freeze for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to enjoy, let the scones thaw at room temperature for a few hours, or in the fridge overnight. Warm in the microwave and enjoy!
Tools you’ll need
Get all of my go-to kitchen tools here!
More brunch treats you’ll love
- Strawberry Sweet Rolls with Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting
- Strawberry ‘Almond Croissant’ Puff Pastry Tarts
- Brown Butter Blueberry Coffee Cake
- Healthy Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins with Lemon Blueberry Glaze
- Cinnamon Raisin Swirl Artisan Bread
Get all of my yummy baked goods here!
I hope you love these strawberry yogurt scones! If you make them, be sure to leave a comment and a rating so I know how you liked them. Enjoy, xo!
The
Ambitious Kitchen
Cookbook
Ambitious Kitchen
Cookbook
125 Ridiculously Good For You, Sometimes Indulgent, and Absolutely Never Boring Recipes for Every Meal of the Day
Strawberry Yogurt Scones
Incredible strawberry yogurt scones made with greek yogurt for the perfect, tender crumb, fresh strawberries, and drizzled with a simple, light strawberry glaze. These buttery, flaky strawberry scones are melt-in-your-mouth delicious and make the perfect spring and summer brunch treat!
Ingredients
- Dough
- 2 cups (240 grams) all-purpose flour, plus more as needed
- ⅓ cup (67 grams) granulated sugar (or sub coconut sugar)
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 6 tablespoons (85 grams) VERY COLD salted butter, diced into ½-inch cubes
- ¾ cup (169 grams) plain whole-milk Greek yogurt
- 4 to 6 tablespoons (60 to 90 grams) milk of choice, as needed, plus 2 tablespoons for brushing
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon almond extract*
- Strawberries
- 1 cup (150 grams) diced strawberries
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- Glaze
- ¼ cup freeze dried strawberries, plus more to garnish
- ¼ cup (28 grams) powdered sugar
- 1-3 tablespoons milk of choice, to thin glaze so that it’s easy to drizzle
Instructions
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Make the dough: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Use a pastry cutter or your fingers to squeeze the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles pea-sized clumps. Keep the ingredients cold; if the butter becomes too soft and warm, freeze the flour and butter mixture for 5 minutes before proceeding.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the Greek yogurt, 4 tablespoons (60 grams) of the milk, and the vanilla and almond extracts. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients, then add the wet ingredients and stir until the mixture comes together into a moist, sticky dough. If it is too dry, add another 1 or 2 tablespoons of milk. If it is too wet, add another 1 or 2 tablespoons of flour.
- Add the strawberries: In a medium bowl, toss the strawberries with 1 tablespoon of flour, then add to the scone dough mixture and stir just until evenly distributed into the dough.
- Lightly flour a surface. Turn the dough out and knead it a few times with your hands, until the dough just begins to come together. Gently pat and press the dough into an 8-inch circle, about ¾-inch thick. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the freezer for 15 to 20 minutes or in the fridge for 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven: While the scones are chilling, preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Once ready, cut the dough into 8 wedges and place back onto the prepared baking sheet at least 2 inches apart. Brush the tops of the dough with 2 tablespoons of milk.
- Bake: Bake until the tops are golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Allow the scones to cool on the baking sheet for 5 to 10 minutes before serving or transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Make the glaze: add freeze dried strawberries to a small high-powered blender and blend until they are a fine powder. In a small bowl, mix together the powdered sugar, freeze dried strawberry powder, and 1 tablespoon milk. Start with a little bit of milk to thin the glaze, knowing you can always add more to thin if necessary (the consistency should be thick, but you should be able to drizzle it). Drizzle the glaze over the scones, then garnish with extra crushed freeze dried strawberries, if desired. Store covered at room temp for 1-2 days, then transfer to the fridge for up to 5 days.
Recipe Notes
*To make nut-free: simply omit the almond extract.
Recipe by: Monique Volz // Ambitious Kitchen | Photography by: Eat Love Eats
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Delicious!! Flavor and texture are perfect. I’ve tried many scone recipes and this will be my go-to from now on. One thing I did different – I put the butter in the freezer for about 15 minutes then grated it using the large holes of a box grater to blend it into the dough with minimal handling.
Another truly great recipe. Thank you!
Perfect! Great tip with the butter. Glad you enjoyed!
These were amazing! Will be making them as a repeat recipe.
So happy to hear that!