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Tender and flaky with a hint of cardamom flavor, these tender cardamom scones are the perfect breakfast choice! The secret? Homemade cardamom extract in the dough and glaze for a chai-like flavor in every bite! (Don’t worry – it’s super easy to make and only takes a couple of days!)
I LOVE cardamom everything, but I will say that sometimes it takes a backburner to vanilla for me. That is, until I ran out of my bourbon vanilla extract. I love using cardamom extract as an alternative to vanilla, so I pulled it out of the pantry and used it in a recent batch of homemade scones.
Holy smokes! It made the whole house smell amazing, and I didn’t miss vanilla at all. These cardamom scones have the fruity, aromatic flavor of cardamom with extract in the dough and glaze and a sprinkle of homemade cardamom sugar on top.
I’ll admit – the glaze really takes them over the top. They’re wonderful even without it, but I love that extra hint of cardamom right as you take a bite!
Love all things cardamom? Try this cardamom simple syrup for the most glorious iced coffee or homemade sodas. My cardamom-infused maple syrup is heaven over pancakes and waffles, too!
Equipment
To make your own cardamom scones, you’ll need:
- Food processor (or a large bowl and a pastry cutter)
- Sheet pan
- Parchment paper
- Sharp knife
- Small bowl
- Whisk
- Wire rack (optional)
Ingredients
For the scones
- All purpose flour – Be sure to scoop and level to make sure you don’t add too much.
- Unsalted butter – Very cold butter is best. I often like to use frozen butter.
- White sugar – For just enough sweetness. I use 1/2 cup in this recipe, but you can comfortably go down to 1/3 cup.
- Baking powder
- Kosher salt
- Cardamom extract – Although this stuff is expensive to buy in stores, it is inexpensive and so easy to make at home! It just takes 3 days and is so worth the effort.
- Sour cream and cream – Although I traditionally make my scones with heavy cream or buttermilk, I found that adding some sour cream made them even softer. Reserve some extra for brushing on the scones before baking.
- Cardamom sugar – This infused sugar adds a nice crunch and extra cardamom flavor to the top of the scones. If you don’t have any, use turbinado sugar or just regular white sugar.
Cardamom Glaze
With cardamom sugar sprinkled on top, this glaze is really optional. It’s a nice way to amp up the cardamom flavor!
- Powdered sugar
- Cream – Or a little milk. I used unsweetened almond milk to make the glaze safe to store at room temperature.
- Cardamom extract
How to Make Cardamom Scones
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In the bowl of a food processor, add flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and cubed butter. Blend for 5 seconds or until the butter breaks apart into fine crumbles.
- Add the cardamom extract, sour cream, and buttermilk. Pulse 3-5 times or until the mixture comes together and begins to pull away from the sides of the food processor. It’s okay if it is still somewhat crumbly – that means your scones will be nice and flaky.
- Dump the scone dough onto the prepared baking sheet and gently knead it into a ball. Press down until the scones are about 1 inch tall, and chill for 30 minutes in the fridge.
- While the scones are chilling, preheat the oven to 400 F.
- Remove the scones from the fridge, slice into 8-10 wedges and separate on the tray to avoid touching as they rise. If using a cookie cutter, lightly flour the top of the scones to keep them from sticking to the cutter.
- Lightly brush the tops of the scones with extra buttermilk or cream, then sprinkle with cardamom sugar.
- Bake for 18-20 minutes. When done, the scones will be golden brown on the bottoms. Allow the scones to cool on the tray as you prepare the glaze. For the best appearance, let the scones cool at least 15-20 minutes before glazing.
- To make the glaze, whisk together half of the powdered sugar with the heavy cream and cardamom extract. Once the mixture starts to come together, add the remaining powdered sugar.
- Drizzle the glaze over the scones. Enjoy warm or let them cool completely on a wire rack.
For making scones by hand
Add the dry ingredients to a large mixing bowl and grate the butter. With your fingertips, incorporate the chunks of butter into the flour mixture until well incorporated. It’s okay to have a few small clumps leftover. I recommend using a dough whisk or a wooden spoon to add the wet ingredients. Be careful not to add more moisture!
For shaping the scones
Instead of shaping the dough on your prepared baking tray, you can work it into shape on a lightly floured surface. Use a rolling pin to roll out the dough and cut your scones with a bench scraper, sharp knife, or cookie cutter. Place scones on your baking tray and refrigerate following the instructions above.
Baker’s Tip: It’s easier to cut the scones when the dough is cold. If you have a hard time shaping them, let them chill first and try again in 20-30 minutes.
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Storing Suggestions
If unglazed, these scones can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days. If glazed, keep them in the fridge (unless using non-dairy milk).
How to Serve
Personally, I prefer to enjoy these scones warm from the oven with a hot cup of coffee. Since the scones are sweet, the bitterness of the coffee works really well.
They’re also great at brunches, special breakfasts, afternoon tea, or as a nice after-dinner treat. I love these scones with a little whipped cream and fresh berries for dessert.
Serve them with my chewy Cardamom Blondies for a cardamom-infused feast!
Tips & Variations
- No cardamom extract? Use vanilla extract and add 1/2 tsp ground cardamom to the scone dough.
- Grate some lemon or orange zest for an extra aromatic note.
- If you’re making the scones by hand, use a box grater to cut the butter into fine pieces.
- Don’t skip the chill. I know it’s hard to wait, but you’ll get a better rise, texture, and appearance if you let the scones chill first.
- Make cardamom chocolate chip scones! Add a handful of shaved dark chocolate or chocolate chips for extra flavor.
FAQs
Yes! Instead of baking the scones after chilling, freeze them until solid and store the frozen, unbaked scones in an airtight container in the freezer for a month or two. The next time you want a delicious homemade scone, bake them directly from frozen. You will likely need to add an extra couple of minutes to the baking time, but it’s very effective!
More Scone Recipes
- Vanilla Bean Scones
- Date and Walnut Scones
- Apple Crumble Scones
- Strawberry Rhubarb Scones
- Lemon White Chocolate Scones
If you made this recipe, please leave a comment or ask a question below! I’d love to hear what you think or troubleshoot any issues.
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Cardamom Scones Recipe
Equipment
- Food processor or large bowl with pastry cutter
- Sheet pan
- Parchment paper
- Sharp knife
Ingredients
For cardamom scones
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 8 Tbsp Unsalted butter
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp cardamom extract, or vanilla extract + 1/2 tsp ground cardamom
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/4 cup heavy cream, plus more for brushing on the scones
- 2 tbsp cardamom sugar, or regular sugar
For cardamom glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1/2 tsp cardamom extract
- 1 1/2 tsp milk
- 1-2 tbs heavy cream , for brushing on the scones
Instructions
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In the bowl of a food processor, add flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and cubed butter. Blend for 5 seconds or until the butter breaks apart into fine crumbles.2 cups all purpose flour, 1/2 cup sugar, 2 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp kosher salt, 8 Tbsp Unsalted butter
- Add the cardamom extract, sour cream, and cream. Blend for 5 seconds or until the mixture comes together and begins to pull away from the sides of the food processor. It's okay if it is still somewhat crumbly – that means your scones will be nice and flaky.1 tsp cardamom extract, 1/2 cup sour cream, 1/4 cup heavy cream
- Dump the scone dough onto the prepared baking sheet and gently knead it into a ball. Press down until the scones are about 1 inch tall and chill for 30 minutes in the fridge.
- While the scones are chilling, preheat the oven to 400 F.
- Remove the scones from the fridge, slice into 8-10 wedges and separate on the tray to avoid touching as they rise. (If using a cookie cutter, see notes below.)
- Lightly brush the tops of the scones with extra milk or cream, then sprinkle with cardamom sugar.2 tbsp cardamom sugar, 1-2 tbs heavy cream
- Bake for 18-20 minutes. When done, the scones will be golden brown on the bottoms. Allow the scones to cool on the tray as you prepare the glaze. For the best appearance, let the scones cool at least 15-20 minutes before glazing.
- To make the glaze, whisk together half of the powdered sugar with the heavy cream and cardamom extract. Once the mixture starts to come together, add the remaining powdered sugar.1 cup powdered sugar, 1/2 tsp cardamom extract, 1 1/2 tsp milk
- Drizzle the glaze over the scones. Enjoy warm or let them cool completely on a wire rack.
For making scones by hand
- Add the dry ingredients to a large mixing bowl and grate the butter. With your fingertips, incorporate the chunks of butter into the flour mixture until well incorporated. It’s okay to have a few small clumps leftover. I recommend using a dough whisk or a wooden spoon to add the wet ingredients. Be careful not to add more moisture!
For shaping the scones
- Instead of shaping the dough on your prepared baking tray, you can work it into shape on a lightly floured surface. Use a rolling pin to roll out the dough and cut your scones with a bench scraper, sharp knife, or cookie cutter. Place scones on your baking tray and refrigerate following the instructions above.
Notes
Nutrition
Did you try this recipe?
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I used your link to the Burlap & Barrel site. Ordered some items and was offered a free item or discount, but WAS NOT given it. I contacted them, but will NOT BUY from them again! I feel cheated because they offered something but did NOT give it to me.
Made these today and they turned out great.
Honestly, these are probably the most elegant scones I have ever tasted. I made them with a brushing of heavy cream and the infused sugar on top, and will serve them with some cranberry orange compote on the side for a post-Christmas (Boxing Day) brunch. Thank you, the recipe is beautiful.
What a lovely review! So glad to hear you enjoyed these scones. The cranberry orange compote sounds like a great idea. Thanks for sharing your experience and have a lovely day!