Raspberry scones made with buttermilk are light, tender, and filled with juicy fresh or frozen raspberries. Optional cream cheese makes them even more special.
Even beginners can follow the easy step-by-step instructions for bakery-style raspberry scones at home.
❓Quick Answer: Why Use Buttermilk for Raspberry Scones?
- Buttermilk makes the scones lighter and more tender than many traditional recipes.
- No buttermilk? No problem. Make an easy substitute with vinegar and milk, or simply use regular milk for a more traditional scone texture.
- Buttermilk adds a slight tang that balances the sweet-tart raspberries without making the scones taste sour.
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🤔 TL;DR – Recipe Summary
- What: Easy homemade raspberry scones made with buttermilk for a light, tender texture.
- Why: Fresh or frozen raspberries work beautifully, with optional cream cheese for an extra-rich variation.
- How: Mix the dough gently, shape into wedges or drop biscuit-style, and bake until golden for bakery-style raspberry scones at home.
🥣 Ingredients
- Fresh raspberries: Fresh raspberries are best, but wash, dry, and freeze them before using. Individually frozen raspberries work well, too. Avoid frozen raspberries packed in syrup.
- Pantry staples: All-purpose flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Cold butter: Cold butter creates flaky layers. Cube or grate it before cutting it into the flour.
- Buttermilk: Makes the scones lighter and more tender with a slight tang. No buttermilk? See the easy substitute below.
- Egg and vanilla: Add structure and flavor.
- Optional cream cheese: Freeze small cubes before mixing so they stay in distinct pockets while baking.
👨🍳 Quick Overview: Raspberry Scones
Preheat oven to 400°F (375° convection). Mix the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Cut in cold butter.
Gently fold in the frozen raspberries and optional cream cheese.
Whisk together the egg, vanilla, and buttermilk. Drizzle into the flour mixture and stir gently until combined.
Form into wedges or drop biscuit-style onto a baking sheet, then brush with egg wash and sprinkle with sugar.
Bake at 400°F (375° convection) until golden brown, about 25 minutes.
This is an overview of the recipe. Complete instructions are in the Recipe Card below.
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🐄 No Buttermilk? Here's an Easy Substitute
If you don't have buttermilk, add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar to a measuring cup, then add enough milk to make 1 cup. Let it sit for about 5 minutes before using.
For this recipe, add 2 teaspoons of lemon juice or vinegar to a measuring cup, then add enough milk to make ¾ cup. Let it sit for about 5 minutes before using.
You can also use regular milk if that's what you have. The scones will still be delicious but will have a slightly more traditional texture.
👍 The Raspberries and Substitutes
Raspberries: Fresh raspberries have the best texture and flavor, but they should be washed, dried, and frozen before mixing into the dough. You may also use individually flash-frozen raspberries. Avoid frozen raspberries packed in syrup since they add too much moisture.
Blueberries: Blueberries are an excellent substitute and don't need to be frozen before mixing. Fresh or frozen blueberries both work well for delicious blueberry buttermilk scones, although frozen berries may add a minute or two to the baking time.
Other fruit: Blackberries, chopped strawberries, diced peaches, and cherries all work well. Cut larger fruit into bite-size pieces so the scones hold together and bake evenly. A frozen mixed berry blend is another great option.
✔️ Pro Tips
- Keep everything cold: Cold butter, buttermilk, egg, raspberries, and optional cream cheese help create light, flaky scones.
- Handle the dough gently: Mix just until combined and avoid overworking the dough, which can make the scones tough.
- Cream cheese is optional: Use full-fat cream cheese and freeze the cubes before mixing so they stay in distinct pockets while baking.
- Adjust the dough if needed: The dough should be slightly sticky but hold its shape. If it's too wet, sprinkle in a little flour. If it's dry and crumbly, add a teaspoon or two of buttermilk until it comes together.
- Use aluminum-free baking powder: It helps prevent a bitter aftertaste in baked goods.
❄️ How to Store Scones
Store plain raspberry scones at room temperature in an airtight container for 2–3 days or refrigerate for 4–5 days.
If your scones contain cream cheese, refrigerate them within 2 hours and store for up to 4–5 days. You can also freeze them for up to 3 months.
📖The Recipe Card
Easy Raspberry Scones with Buttermilk
Ingredients
- 1 cup raspberries - frozen
- 4 oz cream cheese - optional
- 2 cups AP flour
- ¼ cup sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- ⅕ teaspoon baking soda
- 6 tablespoons butter
- ¾ cup buttermilk
- 1 egg
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon water
- sugar
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Wash and dry 1-1½ cups of fresh raspberries, then freeze them for about 2 hours (or use frozen berries). If using cream cheese, cut 4 oz of cream cheese into ¼-½ inch cubes and freeze it, too.
- Preheat oven to 400°F (375° convection). Mix dry ingredients: 2 cups AP flour, ¼ cup sugar, ½ teaspoon salt, 2 teaspoons baking powder, and ¼ teaspoon baking soda. Mix well with a fork.
- Chop six tablespoons of cold butter into small cubes. With a large fork, cut the butter into the dry mix until crumbly.
- Gently fold the frozen raspberries and optional cream cheese into the flour mixture.
- Whisk together the wet components: 1 egg, ½ teaspoon vanilla, and ¾ cup buttermilk. See tips below if you need to substitute for the buttermilk.
- Drizzle in the wet to the dry while stirring gently until just until combined. The dough should be slightly sticky but hold its shape. Add a little flour if needed or a teaspoon or two of buttermilk if too dry.
- Form the dough into drop biscuit-style pieces or make wedge-style from an 8-inch disk. Move onto a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Whisk an egg with 1 teaspoon of water. Brush the scones with the egg wash.
- Sprinkle the top with a little sugar.
- Bake until golden brown, about 25 minutes.
Recipe Notes
Pro Tips:
- Keep everything cold.
- Use fresh or individually frozen raspberries—not berries packed in syrup.
- Cream cheese is optional; freeze the cubes first.
- The dough should be slightly sticky. Add a little flour if wet or a teaspoon or two of buttermilk if dry.
- Use aluminum-free baking powder.
- To make a buttermilk substitute: Add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar to a 1-cup measuring cup and fill with milk. Stir and let set for 5 minutes before using.
- Storage: room temperature 2–3 days; always refrigerate cream cheese scones; freeze up to 3 months.
Your Own Private Notes
To adjust the recipe size:
You can adjust the number of servings above; however, only the amount in the ingredient list is adjusted, not the instructions.
Nutrition Estimate (may vary)
Originally published May 22, 2012. Updated with expanded options, refreshed photos, and a table of contents to help navigation.
Sue says
What temperature in a conventional oven ?
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi Sue,
Welcome to the blog.
Generally, 25° more so 400°
Dan
Janet says
These scones were very wet. I had to add nearly a cup of flower and even then they were terrible to work with. The end result is bland, with a pleasing texture.
Louisa Ellingham says
Love everything about these scones!