Fresh Strawberries and Cream Scones

Fresh strawberries and cream scones are soft, fluffy, and simple to make. Butter and heavy cream provide tenderness and a light lemon glaze complements the sweet strawberries. This strawberry scone recipe requires one bowl, no eggs, and no mixer – easy and perfect for a spring or summer brunch.

If you love scones, be sure to try out my blackberry scones, pear and dark chocolate scones, and carrot cake scones.

Note: this recipe was originally published on May 9, 2017. As of 2024 it has been updated with additional helpful notes, photos, and a video. I hope you enjoy!

Why you’ll love this strawberry scone recipe

Strawberries and cream are such a wonderful flavor and texture pairing. It makes me think of spring brunches and celebrations like Easter and Mother’s Day. In fact, Mother’s Day brunch was precisely the occasion I first created this recipe for back in 2017!

These scones are the epitome of my philosophy when it comes to great baked goods: they taste amazing, look impressive, but secretly are simple and quick to put together. I’ve made the recipe many times (along with the blackberry coconut version) and I know you’ll love it because:

• It’s made in one bowl
• No mixer, food processor, or other special equipment needed (everything can be done by hand!)
• Soft, tender, and fluffy texture – truly, these scones are fluffy and not dense! They contain less flour than most scone recipes.
• Bright flavor from fresh strawberries in every bite, accentuated by lemon zest and the (optional) lemon glaze. The glaze doesn’t make it too lemony – it brings out the naturally sweet-tart flavor of the strawberries.  
• Great for any spring or summer gathering

Ingredients

These strawberries and cream scones are made with very few ingredients, which really makes the strawberries shine.  The flavor combination is an ode to the classic British way of pairing scones with strawberries and clotted cream. I like the fluffier texture of scones made without eggs, but if you want to use one, reduce the heavy cream by 1/4 cup.

• All-purpose flour
• Granulated sugar
• Baking powder
• Salt
• Lemon zest
• Unsalted butter (the colder, the better)
• Heavy whipping cream
• Chopped fresh strawberries (I do not recommend frozen as they’re too wet – fresh berries are best!)
• Turbinado sugar (optional, for topping)
• Powdered sugar, lemon juice, and heavy cream for optional glaze

How to make strawberries and cream scones

I find the process of making scones quite therapeutic. You have to get your hands in there and really work the butter into the flour, then shape and cut the dough. It’s very satisfying!

Step by step instructions and photos below:

1. Rub sugar and lemon zest together in a large bowl to release the citrus oils (flavor!). Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt, then add cold cubed butter. Using your fingers, or a fork, or two knives, or a pastry blender, cut the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs and/or wet sand. There will be some larger butter clumps and that’s ok.
2. Add the wet ingredients (heavy cream), and stir together with a rubber spatula until a shaggy dough is formed. If it seems too dry, you can add another tablespoon, but trust, it’s supposed to be shaggy and crumbly right now. Gently fold in the strawberries.
3. Turn the scone dough out onto a floured surface. It will be crumbly and shaggy, and that’s ok. Pat the dough into a 1-inch thick disk. With a bench scraper or a very sharp knife, cut the dough into 8 even wedges. Arrange the wedges on a prepared baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
4. Brush a little heavy cream over the tops of the scones and sprinkle with coarse sugar or turbinado sugar if desired – this part is totally optional, but delicious.
5. If you have time, place the baking sheet in the freezer for 10 minutes or in the fridge for a half hour before baking. It isn’t absolutely necessary, but it helps the scones keep their shape and keeps them flaky and tender.
6. Bake the strawberry cream scones at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 18-20 minutes, until they are just turning golden brown at the edges.
7. While the scones are baking, make the glaze (optional). In a small bowl, whisk together powdered sugar, lemon juice, heavy cream, and salt until a smooth and pourable consistency is reached. If it’s not runny enough, you can add another teaspoon of heavy cream. Set aside.
8. When scones are done baking, let cool on baking sheet for 10 minutes, then move to a wire rack. Drizzle with the glaze.

Tips for Success

• Use fresh strawberries, not frozen. Frozen strawberries are too wet for this dough and it will be messy. If your fresh strawberries seem juicy when you dice them, let the pieces dry on a paper towel for 10 minutes before using.
• COLD BUTTER: this is the most important thing when it comes to scones.  Super cold.  Like put it in the freezer for 10 minutes before you use it cold.  Then work it into the flour mixture as quickly as you possibly can.  Some people use forks, some people use pastry cutters, I use my fingers (see above).  It should only take a couple minutes if you’re working quickly.
• Don’t work the dough too much – we want to activate the gluten as little as possible for the softest scones.
• Freeze the dough for 10 minutes before baking if you have time! Again, super cold butter = flaky, tender scones that hold their shape in the oven rather than melting.

Additions and Substitutions

• Strawberries: you can use any other fresh berry in their place. Blueberries or raspberries would be great. This basic scone recipe could accommodate other add-ins too.
• Heavy cream: you can use coconut cream or another dairy-free heavy cream in its place.
• Butter: room temperature coconut oil works well as a substitute, or a plant-based butter.
• Gluten-free: substitute an equal weight of a gluten-free all-purpose flour mix that contains xanthan gum. I like Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1:1 Baking Flour.
• Vegan: use the heavy cream and butter substitutes noted above.

Storage

These strawberry scones keep at room temperature for up to 1 day, and in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 2-3 days, though they’re best on the day they are made. You can also freeze the scones, tightly wrapped, and store for up to 3 months. Defrost for 1-2 hours or microwave for 30 seconds to reheat.

More Scone Recipes

• Blackberry Coconut Scones
• Pear and Dark Chocolate Chunk Scones
• Carrot Cake Scones

I barely had 5 minutes to take these photos before Brian started devouring these fresh strawberry scones. It’s hard to resist homemade scones! I hope you love them too.

Recipe

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Fresh Strawberries and Cream Scones

Fresh strawberries and cream scones are soft, fluffy, and simple to make. Butter and heavy cream provide tenderness and a light lemon glaze complements the sweet strawberries. This strawberry scone recipe requires one bowl, no eggs, and no mixer – easy and perfect for a spring or summer brunch.

Prep Time30 minutes mins

Cook Time18 minutes mins

Total Time48 minutes mins

Course: Breakfast, brunch

Cuisine: American

Keyword: scones, spring, strawberries

Servings: 8 scones

Author: Katiebird Bakes

Ingredients

For the Strawberry Scones:

• 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
• Zest of one lemon
• 1 and 1/2 cups (188g) all-purpose flour
• 1 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 5 Tablespoons (70g) unsalted butter (cubed and cold)
• 3/4 cup (178 ml) heavy cream (cold)
• 1 cup (167g) chopped fresh strawberries (large pieces, don't chop super small – dry on paper towels if they're juicy)
• 1 Tablespoon heavy cream for brushing over scones
• 1 Tablespoon turbinado sugar or granulated sugar for topping (optional)

For the glaze:

• 3/4 cup (85g) powdered (confectioner’s) sugar
• 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 Tablespoon heavy cream
• Pinch of salt

Instructions

For the Strawberry Scones:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• In a large bowl, rub the granulated sugar and lemon zest together with your fingertips until fragrant.
• Whisk in the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the cold cubed butter and cut it into the flour mixture with your fingertips, a fork, or a pastry cutter. If using your hands, just rub the butter into the flour over and over again. Stop when the mixture resembles wet sand – there may still be some larger butter pieces the size of peas, and that's just right.
• Add the heavy cream, and stir together until a shaggy dough is formed. If it seems too dry, you can add another tablespoon, but trust, it’s supposed to be shaggy and crumbly right now. Gently fold in the strawberries.
• Turn the dough out onto a floured sheet of parchment paper. It will be crumbly and shaggy, and that's ok. Turn it over on itself once or twice until a smoother dough forms. Pat the dough into a 1-inch thick disk.
• With a bench scraper or a very sharp knife, cut the dough into 8 even wedges. Separate the wedges by at least an inch and transfer parchment to a baking sheet.
• Brush a little heavy cream over the tops of the scones and sprinkle with coarse or turbinado sugar if desired – this part is totally optional, but delicious.
• If you have time, place the baking sheet in the freezer for 10 minutes or in the fridge for a half hour before baking. It isn't absolutely necessary, but it helps the scones keep their shape and keeps them flaky and tender.
• Bake the scones for 18-20 minutes, until they are just starting to brown.

For the Lemon Glaze (Optional):

• While the scones are baking, make the glaze. In a small bowl, whisk together powdered sugar, lemon juice, heavy cream, and salt until a smooth and pourable consistency is reached. If it's not runny enough, you can add another teaspoon of heavy cream. Set aside.
• When scones are done baking, let cool on baking sheet for 10 minutes. Drizzle with the glaze. Serve warm!

Video

Notes

Storage: These strawberry scones keep at room temperature for up to 1 day, and in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 2-3 days, though they’re best on the day they are made. You can also freeze the scones, tightly wrapped, and store for up to 3 months. Defrost for 1-2 hours or microwave for 30 seconds to reheat.

Substitutions: 

• Strawberries: you can use any other berry in their place! Blueberries, blackberries, or raspberries would be great.
• Heavy cream: you can use coconut cream or another dairy-free heavy cream in its place.
• Butter: room temperature coconut oil works well as a substitute, or a plant-based butter.
• Gluten-free: substitute an equal weight of a gluten-free all-purpose flour mix that contains xanthan gum. I like Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1:1 Baking Flour.
• Vegan: use the heavy cream and butter substitutes noted above.

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