Fresh Cherry Scone Recipe with Sweet Red Cherries
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These tender, flaky cherry scones are dotted with large, plump pieces of fresh cherries and have a subtle hint of lemon zest to brighten them up. This cherry scone recipe is the perfect option for brunch or afternoon tea!
If you’ve spent even 10 seconds on this blog, you probably know how I feel about cherries. They’re the best summer fruit, and I love preserving them and adding them to my favorite recipes!
Scones are one of my all-time favorite pastries, so a cherry scone recipe was a must. There are lots of scone recipes on the blog, but this cherry scone recipe is extra special, with the jewel-toned pops of sweet cherries and the crunch of the sugar on top.
They don’t need a glaze, frosting, nuts, chocolate chips, or anything else. They’re wonderful just as they are!
Want more cherry recipes? 🍒 This cherry apple crisp is heavenly with a scoop of ice cream, and I love dehydrating fresh cherries to keep in my pantry all winter long.
Equipment
To make this cherry scone recipe, you’ll need:
- Food processor (optional)
- Large bowl
- Pastry blender (if not using a food processor)
- Citrus zester
- Dough whisk or large spoon
- Sheet pan
- Silicone liner or parchment paper
- Sharp knife
- Pastry brush
Cherry Scone Ingredients
- All purpose flour – This is convenient and works great. You can also use pastry flour for an even softer, more tender texture.
- Baking powder – This is essential for raising the scone dough in the oven. Make sure your baking powder is fresh and active.
- White sugar – For sweetness. I use more sugar in this recipe than my standard scone recipe. Feel free to reduce down to 1/3 cup if you want a little less. You can also try a granulated sugar alternative if you prefer.
- Kosher salt
- Cold butter – It’s best to unsalted butter for this recipe. Make sure it is very cold.
- Lemon zest – No lemon juice is needed, just a little lemon zest to lift the flavor of the cherries. You can skip this if you don’t have any fresh lemons or replace the vanilla with lemon extract.
- Vanilla extract – I used my bourbon vanilla extract.
- Heavy cream – For a soft, tender texture. You’ll need a little extra to brush on top of the scones as well.
- Fresh cherries – Wash the cherries, remove the stems and pits, then chop them into small bite-sized pieces.
- Coarse sugar – For a little crunch on top. You can use demerara or turbinado sugar.
How to Make Fresh Cherry Scones
1. Place the dry ingredients (flour, salt, sugar, and baking powder) and the cubes of cold butter in the bowl of a food processor. Blend for 4-5 seconds until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. If mixing by hand, use a pastry cutter to mix the butter into the flour mixture.
2. Add the heavy cream, lemon zest, and vanilla extract. Use a dough whisk or a wooden spoon to incorporate everything together. You may need to use your hands.
3. Fold in the chopped cherries. Knead the scone dough into a ball in your mixing bowl or on a lightly-floured work surface.
4. Flatten the dough ball into a round circle approximately 1 inch tall.
5. Refrigerate the tray for 30 minutes or freeze for 15-20 minutes. Then, cut the scones into 8-10 pieces and arrange them around your sheet pan. While the scone dough rests, preheat your oven to 375 F.
6. Before baking, brush the tops of the scones with the remaining heavy cream then sprinkle coarse sugar over top. Bake for 15-18 minutes or until golden brown. The scones should be golden on the bottoms and feel slightly tender when you touch them.
7. Remove the scones from the oven and allow them to finish cooking on the sheet pan as they cool.
8. Let the scones cool for 15-20 minutes, then serve warm from the oven.
Storing
Let any leftover scones cool to room temperature, then store them in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. They’re best warm, so pop them in the microwave for 30 seconds before serving. The leftovers also freeze well!
To freeze the dough for later, chill the dough and wrap well with plastic wrap or parchment paper. Freeze solid for 2-3 months. Before baking, let the scones set on the counter for about 30 minutes or in the fridge for a few hours. Cut the scones into triangles, arrange on a tray, brush with cream and sprinkle with sugar, then bake like normal. You may need to add an extra 2-3 minutes to the baking time to compensate for the cold temperature.
Tips & Variations
- Change the citrus. Cherry pairs wonderfully with orange zest as well. Feel free to add more, too!
- Add dried cherries. I love the combination of dried and fresh cherries together in this recipe. Reduce the fresh cherries to 3/4 cup and add 1/4 – 1/2 cup of chopped dried cherries.
- Add chocolate. Either dark or white chocolate chips can be added. You’ll need about 1/2 cup.
- Change the dairy. Cream scones have the softest texture, but you can also use whole milk, half and half, or buttermilk.
- Make cherry almond scones. Replace the vanilla with almond extract and add 1/2 cup of sliced almonds to the scone dough and to sprinkle on top.
How to Serve Cherry Scones
These scones taste great at breakfast with a hot cup of coffee, are wonderful for brunch, and are a super simple dessert to enjoy during cherry season.
Feel free to pair them with a dollop of cherry jam on top or a little whipped cream to make them even more decadent! If you cut them into rounds, you can serve them with whipped cream and fresh sweet cherries like cherry shortcake.
FAQs
Yes! I prefer to use dried fruits in scones because fresh fruit adds more moisture. If making dried cherry scones, replace the fresh cherries with just 1/2 cup of dried cherries.
Cherries have a deep, bold flavor similar to red wine, and they’re exceptionally well suited to dark chocolate. If you want to add a chocolate crunch to this scone recipe, add 1/2 cup of dark chocolate chips or chunks.
More Scone Recipes
- Date Walnut Scones
- Whole Wheat Scones
- Blood Orange Scones
- Blue Cheese Scones with Pear and Walnut
- Apple Crumble 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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Fresh Cherry Scones
Equipment
- large mixing bowl
- dough whisk or wooden spoon
- citrus zester
- Sheet pan
- Parchment paper
Ingredients
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 4 oz unsalted butter, cold, cut into small cubes (one stick)
- 1 lemon, zested, just zest, no juice
- 1/2 cup heavy cream, very cold
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup cherries, pitted and chopped
- 2 tbsp heavy cream, for brushing the scones
- 2 tsp demerara sugar, for sprinkling over scones
Instructions
Make the Scone Dough
- Place the dry ingredients (flour, salt, sugar, and baking powder) and the cubes of cold butter in the bowl of a food processor. Blend for 4-5 seconds until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. If mixing by hand, use a pastry cutter to mix the butter into the flour mixture.
- Add the heavy cream, lemon zest, and vanilla extract. Use a dough whisk or a wooden spoon to incorporate the mixture together. You may need to use your hands.
- Fold in the chopped cherries. Knead the scone dough into a ball in your mixing bowl or on a lightly-floured work surface.
- Flatten the dough ball into a round circle approximately 1 inch tall.
Shape and Chill
- Refrigerate the tray for 30 minutes or freeze for 15-20 minutes. Then, cut the scones into 8-10 pieces and arrange them around your sheet pan. While the scone dough rests, preheat your oven to 375 F.
Bake
- Before baking, brush the tops of the scones with the remaining heavy cream then sprinkle coarse sugar over top. Bake for 15-18 minutes or until golden brown. The scones should be golden on the bottoms and feel slightly tender when you touch them.
- Remove the scones from the oven and allow them to finish cooking on the sheet pan as they cool.
- Let the scones cool for 15-20 minutes, then serve warm from the oven.
Nutrition
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