These cinnamon scones are overflowing with sweet cinnamon spice and cinnamon chips. They’re buttery and moist with crisp crumbly edges and soft flaky centers. Crunchy coarse sugar and coffee icing are the perfect finishing touches!
Cinnamon Scones: also known as the best coffee pairing in the entire world. 🙂
Until recently, I was never a fan of scones. I’d much rather pair my coffee with jumbo blueberry muffins or cinnamon rolls. The truth is, scones can taste pretty lackluster and boring.
But my opinion took a total 180 a few years ago when I attended a cooking event in the Panera Bread test kitchen. We made deliciously moist yet crisp scones with cream, butter, and crunchy sugar on top. The flavor and texture were on point—and the scone recipe was pretty easy, too! If you’re not a fan of scones, you may just be eating the wrong ones because when done right, they are pure pastry perfection.
You’ll be singing all the praises for these cinnamon scones. Promise.
Since then, I’ve mastered chocolate chip scones, blueberry scones, and pumpkin scones. I use the same master recipe for scones for each flavor, a careful formula promising the BEST flavor and texture. Here are all of my scone recipes!
These Cinnamon Scones Have:
- Sweet crumbly edges
- Crunchy golden brown exterior
- Delicious brown sugar flavor
- Soft, moist, cinnamon-spiced centers
- Sweet cinnamon chips
- Lots of coffee icing
Cinnamon Chips
I use Hershey’s brand cinnamon chips in these scones. Keep your eyes peeled and when you see them, stock up. They’re wonderful in scones, muffins, snickerdoodles, and even banana bread. I usually find them in Target, Walmart, and grocery stores during the fall and winter months.
If you can’t find them in stores, they’re sold on Amazon too.
How to Make Cinnamon Scones
These cinnamon scones are relatively easy. First, mix the dry ingredients together. You need flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Second, cut cold butter into the dry ingredients. You can use a pastry cutter, 2 forks, or your hands. A food processor works too, but it often overworks the scone dough. To avoid overly dense scones, work the dough as little as possible.
Next, whisk the wet ingredients together. You need heavy cream, brown sugar, 1 egg, and vanilla extract. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, add the cinnamon chips, then gently mix together. Form the dough into a disc on the counter, then cut into 8 wedges. Before baking, brush the scones with heavy cream and sprinkle with coarse sugar. These extras add a bakery-style crunch and beautiful golden sheen. (The best parts!)
One of my tricks: To obtain a flaky center and a crumbly exterior, keep scone dough as cold as possible. I highly recommend chilling the shaped scones for at least 15 minutes prior to baking. You can even refrigerate overnight for a quick breakfast in the morning!
After that, bake the scones until golden brown.
Frozen Grated Butter
Frozen grated butter is key to scone success. Like with pie crust, you will work cold butter into the dry ingredients. The cold butter coats the flour, which creates tons of flour coated butter crumbs. When the butter/flour crumbs melt as the scones bake, they release steam which creates all the delicious flakiness we love. The exterior becomes crumbly, crunchy, and crisp.
Why FROZEN butter? Refrigerated butter might melt in the dough as you work with it, but frozen butter will hold out until the oven. And the finer the pieces of cold butter, the less the scones spread and the quicker the butter mixes into the dry ingredients. I recommend grating the frozen butter with a box grater.
Let’s Talk About the Coffee Icing
Finish the cinnamon chip scones with a simple coffee icing made from a couple Tablespoons of strong coffee, confectioners’ sugar, and vanilla extract. If desired, make vanilla icing by substituting the coffee for milk or heavy cream. I found the coffee glaze really gives them something special.
These cinnamon scones are a cross between an iced cinnamon roll and a buttery brown sugar scone. I have a ton of self control around baked goods but I couldn’t keep my hands off these. And they are 1000% worth it in all their cinnamon sugared, coffee glazed, crumbly, buttery, creamy glory!
More Cinnamon Recipes You’ll Love
Because we all can’t get enough of this perfect spice. 🙂
- Cinnamon Rolls
- Homemade Cinnamon Swirl Bread
- Cinnamon Sugar Donuts
- Chai Spiced Cinnamon Swirl Bundt Cake
- Banana Scones
- Giant Cinnamon Roll Cake
Cinnamon Chip Scones
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 8 large scones
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
These sweet cinnamon scones are buttery and moist with crisp crumbly edges and soft flaky centers. Read through the recipe before beginning. You can skip the chilling for 15 minutes prior to baking, but I highly recommend it to prevent the scones from over-spreading. Feel free to replace the coffee icing with vanilla icing.
Ingredients
- 2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled), plus more for hands and work surface
- 2 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup (8 Tbsp; 113g) unsalted butter, frozen
- 1/2 cup (120ml) heavy cream (plus 2 Tbsp for brushing)
- 1/2 cup (100g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 and 1/4 cups (225g) cinnamon chips
- for topping: coarse sugar
Coffee Icing
- 1 cup (120g) confectioners’Â sugar
- 3 Tablespoons strong black coffee
- 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Whisk flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt together in a large bowl. Grate the frozen butter using a box grater. Add it to the flour mixture and combine with a pastry cutter, two forks, or your fingers until the mixture comes together in pea-sized crumbs. See video above for a closer look at the texture. Place in the refrigerator or freezer as you mix the wet ingredients together.
- Whisk 1/2 cup heavy cream, brown sugar, egg, and vanilla extract together in a small bowl. Drizzle over the flour mixture, add the cinnamon chips, then mix together until everything appears moistened.
- Pour onto the counter and, with floured hands, work dough into a ball as best you can. Dough will be sticky. If it’s too sticky, add a little more flour. If it seems too dry, add 1-2 more Tablespoons heavy cream. Press into an 8-inch disc and, with a sharp knife or bench scraper, cut into 8 wedges.
- Brush scones with remaining heavy cream and for extra crunch, sprinkle with coarse sugar. (You can do this before or after refrigerating in the next step.)
- Place scones on a plate or lined baking sheet (if your fridge has space!) and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400°F (204°C).
- Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking mat. After refrigerating, arrange scones 2-3 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet(s).
- Bake for 22-25 minutes or until golden brown around the edges and lightly browned on top. Remove from the oven and cool for a few minutes as you prepare the icing.
- Make the icing: Whisk the icing ingredients together. Drizzle over warm scones.
- Leftover iced or un-iced scones keep well at room temperature for 2 days or in the refrigerator for 5 days.
Notes
- Freeze Before Baking: Freeze scone dough wedges on a plate or baking sheet for 1 hour. Once relatively frozen, you can layer them in a freezer-friendly bag or container. Bake from frozen, adding a few minutes to the bake time. Or thaw overnight, then bake as directed.
- Freeze After Baking: Freeze the baked and cooled scones before topping with icing. I usually freeze in a freezer-friendly bag or container. To thaw, leave out on the counter for a few hours or overnight in the refrigerator. Warm in the microwave for 30 seconds or on a baking sheet in a 300°F (149°C) oven for 10 minutes. When ready to serve, top with lemon icing.
- Overnight Instructions: Prepare scones through step 4. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Continue with the recipe the following day.
- Special Tools (affiliate links):  Glass Mixing Bowls | Box Grater | Pastry Cutter | Whisk | Silicone Spatula | Bench Scraper | Baking Sheet | Silicone Baking Mat or Parchment Paper | Pastry Brush
- Over-spreading: Start with very cold scone dough. Expect some spread, but if the scones are over-spreading as they bake, remove from the oven and press back into its triangle shape (or whatever shape) using a silicone spatula.
Has anyone made these in a scone pan to prevent the over spreading?
Hi Arlene, some readers have reported success using a scone pan for our scone recipes. Bake time should be similar, and make sure the dough is still super cold going into the oven to help prevent spreading. Hope you enjoy them!
We love these scones! I’ve sent them with my husband on his golf days and they’re a big hit with the guys. They’re asking for more so looks like a baking day!
Super easy and super delicious! Even my mom who isn’t really found of scones enjoyed these.
I really wish you wouldn’t do recipes with rare ingredients you can’t find. It just feels bad to get excited about something only to realize it require an ingredient you’ll never find anywhere.
Walmart stocks cinnamon chips. Not so hard to find.
I have found cinnamon chips at Nuts.com. You may want to look there too.
If you are using blueberries in this recipe how many cups do you use??
Hi Bill, for blueberry scones, we recommend following this recipe. Enjoy!
Was going to make scones as gifts for holidays. Will it look weird to make them round or by dropping dough on bake sheet?
Not at all, Maralyn! You can see that we shape these banana nut scones exactly that way.
Made these for brunch with my family today. Soooooo good! I didn’t have enough cream, so had to sub with buttermilk. Still worked out fine. I’ve made a lot of tasty scones, everyone agreed these are the best they’ve had. And the coffee drizzle adds that extra something. Thanks for the awesome recipe!
I made these twice now. Scones tastes great but both times mine spread too much. First time, thought it was bc I made my own cinnamon chips (bc I couldn’t find them anywhere even online early COVID days). Second time, followed all instructions including fridge time before baking and they still spread more than anticipated. I pulled them out as you instructed to reshape but perhaps I was too late bc they didn’t allow me to squeeze back without cracking them. Any other suggestions? Thx!
Hi Trisha, Did you use heavy cream (thinner liquids can change your results)? Make sure all of your ingredients are very cold. You can even place your bowl of flour in the refrigerator if needed. 15 minutes is the minimum we recommend chilling the dough but you can chill it longer – up to overnight. Thanks so much for giving these a try!
Question: what’s the difference using heavy cream over buttermilk in a scone recipe? I’ve seen both in various recipes.
Hi Heather, You can use either! For the best tasting pastries, the most important thing is to stick with a thick liquid such as heavy cream or buttermilk. We usually use heavy cream, but if you want a slightly tangy flavor, use buttermilk. Thinner liquids (i.e. lower fat milk) will change the flavor and appearance and you’ll be headed down a one way street to dry, bland, and flat scones.
Hi Sally –
I made scones for the first time this weekend. I used both your raspberry almond & this recipe. Both turned out fantastic!!!! The dough for the raspberry/almond was a little harder to work with and they spread a little more; I think because of the moisture from the raspberries, but the end result was great. Also I could not find cinnamon chips so I improvised and made the scones without but added on top before baking a dusting of brown sugar & cinnamon sprinkle.
Thank you for all your wonderful recipes!!!
I do NOT recommend freezing the dough. The scones spread WAY too much, and they burned in less than 15 minutes. Now I have to buy something to take to an event. Very disappointed.
Sally, I love your recipes, especially this cinnamon scone recipe. So does my niece Vivian, and she said I should write to tell you how much I love it. Also, she wonders if you could substitute yogurt chips.
Hi Ruth! We’re so glad these scones are a hit for you and your niece. We’ve never tested these scones with yogurt chips, but please let us know if you give it a try!
The taste of these scones is fantastic. I’m a big fan of Panera’s cinnamon chip scones, so it was fun to bake something that approximates that product. I actually think these scones were more moist and buttery than what I’ve ever gotten at Panera.
I couldn’t find cinnamon baking chips at any local stores, and they’re a bit pricey online these days, so I found a recipe for homemade cinnamon baking chips. I do wonder if using the homemade version may have contributed to the scones not holding their shape really well. I mean, they didn’t become blobs or anything like that. But they definitely spread out more than expected. If I were to use the homemade chips again, I might chill the dough for longer.
Great and easy recipe! I have never baked with Cinnamon chips before and the results were very tasty. I replaced the coffee in the glaze with more Cinnamon because my little one has to try them, too.
All of your scone recipes are Devine. This one is no exception. Really easy to follow and the end product is cafe ready. I will say…..this is my 4th scone recipe I’ve made of yours and this is the 4th time I’ve grates part of my thumb off lol! Part of e thinks grated thumb is the secret recipe.
Great recipe! I added 1 tsp nutmeg, 1 tsp cloves, 1 tsp ginger, 1 tsp real maple syrup, and one more teaspoon of cinnamon. Omitted the cinnamon chips because I couldn’t find them. Topped with maple glaze. Perfect!
Any recommendations to get my cinnamon chip scones to hold there shape? They tasty fantastic but both batches definitely spread and fell. Even after freezing for 15+ min b4 baking…
I just wanted to say I love your recipes! We made your cranberry orange scones and they were delicious. Thanks!
Hi Jenni! We’re glad to help. Make sure all of your ingredients are very cold. You can even place your bowl of flour in the refrigerator if needed. 15 minutes is the minimum I recommend chilling the dough but you can chill it longer – up to overnight. Expect some spread, but if the scones are over-spreading as they bake, remove from the oven and press back into its triangle shape (or whatever shape) using a rubber spatula. You can also try adding 2-3 extra Tbsp of flour to the dough as well.
The scones were beautiful and delicious, and your directions were spot on. I will always freeze my butter and grate for scones and biscuits. I didn’t have cinnamon chips (none to be found in March), so I made my own cinnamon chips using a recipe from afewshortcuts.com. Highly recommended! Many thanks!
This is the first ever!! scone recipe I have followed that resulted in WONDERFULLY PERFECT SCONES. I am thrilled to finally find a recipe that is not dry as sand. Yesterday I made the caramel apple scones, using Smuckers ice cream caramel sauce – PERFECT. Today I made the master scones with 1 cup white chocolate and 1/2 cup caramel chpis PERFECT TOO!!
Excellent recipe! The scones turned out great.
I literally just made these and am eating one as I type. These are the BEST scones I’ve ever had. It’s like cinnamon toast and a cinnamon roll all morphed into a scone. Ugh, absolutely heaven.
These were great! Mine got a little warm and spread some, but were still delicious. Question- can I replace the heavy cream with full fat buttermilk? I’m always looking for ways to use up the half gallon.
Thanks!
Hi Kate, definitely!
LOVE LOVE LOVE the scone recipes!!
My favorite are the cinnamon chip and chocolate chip.
Do you have your scone recipes in a cookbook? I bought your baking cookbook but don’t seem them in there. It is for my sister in law. She likes paper. 🙂
Hi Janet! Thank you so much for purchasing a copy of my first cookbook! My scone recipe(s) are only on my website. My cookbook recipes are separate and exclusive to the books!
I’m making these for on our family beach trip this weekend. Can I make the dough 2 days in advance? They will have to travel and I wanted to bake them there. Love all your recipes (actually making your cake batter cookies for this weekend too!) Thanks!
Hi Hayley, If you make the dough 2 days in advance, you can freeze it before baking and travel with it frozen. See recipe notes for details.
These are AMAZING! We’ve got a tropical storm beating down on us right now and I wanted a scone! The only ingredient I didn’t have were the cinnamon chips so I made some homemade ones. These came out beautifully and are delicious!! I also love your banana bread recipe! Thank you!!!
Hello, I love all your recipes! I was wondering what could be used in place of the cinnamon chips? I can’t seem to find them anywhere, even online.
Thank you
Hi Michelle! You can use the same amount of chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, chopped nuts, etc.
I had trouble finding cinnamon chips but some target stores sell them in the fall by the seasonal baking ingredients.
Try Nut. Com for cinnamon chips
I found the cinnamon chips on line @ the nut Co.
Hi..I found my cinnamon chips at Walmart
For those who are finding difficult to source the cinnamon chips, King Arthurs sells them online as well as some other baking chips/add ins. including Rasberry and lemon bits.