Easy fruit scones | Simple recipe | Cooking with my kids (2024)

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This easy Fruit scones recipe is one of the simplest things you can make with your kids and with very little sugar, are a healthier alternative to some other snacks.

Easy fruit scones | Simple recipe | Cooking with my kids (1)

Fruit scones are one of the simplest things you can make with your kids and with very little sugar, they are a healthier alternative to some other baked goods. We made them on a day we were snowed in so they were perfect in that they use ingredients we always have in the house.

This fruit scone recipe makes a great treat for afternoon tea. They’re deliciously light and soft, just like any good scone should be.

You can add any dried fruit to your fruit scones, either use a packet of dried mixed fruit or use some sultanas or raisins. If you’re feeling more adventurous you could try adding cranberries or dried strawberries or apricots. Whatever fruit you add, don’t forget to enjoy them with some delicious jam and clotted cream!

And if you liked these fruit scones, you can try our cherry scones, buttermilk tear and share scones, plain scones, blackberry scones, or Mary Berry cheese scones.

How can kids help make this easy fruit scones recipe?

Scones are really easy to make so they’re a great bake for young children and beginner bakers. What makes this recipe even better is that you just need to mix everything together in a mixing bowl so you don’t need any fancy stand or hand held mixers.

Your kids can help measure the ingredients out and mix them all together with their hands, or wooden spoons. Once you’ve made the scone dough, your children can help cut the scones out which is a task even the youngest bakers can help with. Brushing the tops of the scones with a little milk, not only helps to turn them a nice golden brown but is a fun job for little chefs to do.

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How do I get my scones to rise and be fluffy?

A few things can help your scones to rise better. The first is being as gentle as you can with the dough both when you rub the butter and flour together, and when you bring it together into a ball. Stop kneading the dough as soon as it comes together so you don’t over work it which will stop them rising well.

Rather than rolling out the scone dough with a rolling pin, just pat it down gently with your hands until it’s the right thickness. Finally, when you use your cutters try and push them straight down rather than turning them.

If your scones still arent’ rising well, make sure your baking powder is still in date. Out of date baking powder won’t work properly so your scones aren’t likely to rise.

How long will the fruit scones keep?

I like fruit scones still a little warm from the oven, but if you want to keep them for longer put them in an air tight container. They should keep for a day or two. You can always warm them slightly before you serve them.

Can I make fruit scones ahead of time and freeze them?

Yes, scones freeze well so if you want you can make them ahead of time and freeze them or freeze any leftovers. After baking, allow them to cool completely, then store them in an airtight container or freezer bag. To reheat, simply thaw them then warm them in the oven.

Easy fruit scones | Simple recipe | Cooking with my kids (3)

Can I use fresh fruit instead of dried fruit in my fruit scones?

You can, but they’ll add a lot more moisture than dried fruit so you’ll need to adapt this recipe slightly. Add slightly less milk than the recipe outlines below so they don’t end up too wet.

What can I put on a fruit scone?

Scones are traditionally served with jam and clotted cream. Whether you put the jam or cream on first can depend on where you’re from (people from Devon put the cream on first and add the jam on top, while in Cornwall they do the reverse.)

What can I use instead of self raising flour?

Self raising flour is easy to find in the supermarket here in the UK, but if you live elsewhere or don’t have in your cupboard, you can use an equal amount of plain or all-purpose flour and add an extra 2 teaspoons of baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon of salt.

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Other scone recipes

If you liked these fruit scones, you’ll love our other easy scone recipes for kids:

Raspberry and white chocolate scones
Mary Berry plain scones
Cheese scones
Blackberry scones
Buttermilk scones
Cherry scones
Sultana scones
Apple scones

Useful equipment

You might need the following baking tools/gadgets to make these fruit scones

Digital scales
Mixing bowl
Measuring cups
Measuring spoons
Measuring jug
Wooden spoons
Baking tray
Pastry brush
Wire rack

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Difficulty:Easy

Time:20 minutes plus 20 minutes baking

Serves: 4-6

Easy fruit scones | Simple recipe | Cooking with my kids (5)

Ingredients

450g (3 3/4 cups) self raising flour
2 tsp baking powder
A pinch of salt
110g (1/2 cups) butter
50g (1/4 cups) caster sugar
1 egg
150ml (1/2 cups) milk
100g (2/3 cups) dried fruit (raisins, sultanas etc)

how to make easy fruit scones

Preheat the oven to 180C/170C Fan / 350F and line a baking tray with baking/parchment paper

Mix together the flour and butter

Get your kids to measure the flour, salt and baking powder and put them in a large mixing bowl. Measure the butter and chop into small pieces before adding to your bowl. Getting your kids to use a butter knife to chop butter can be a great way to practice their chopping skills as they don’t have to be too evenly sized.

Easy fruit scones | Simple recipe | Cooking with my kids (6)

Using your fingertips rub the butter and flour together until you have a fine breadcrumb.

Easy fruit scones | Simple recipe | Cooking with my kids (7)

Add the sugar and mixed fruit

Measure the sugar and mixed fruit and add them to your bowl. Give it a good mix so that the fruit is well covered in flour.

Easy fruit scones | Simple recipe | Cooking with my kids (8)

Add the egg and milk

Crack the egg into a small bowl (just in case any shell goes in.) If you do get shell in with the egg, fish it out with a larger piece of shell or a tea spoon.

Get your kids to measure out the milk – if possible using the ml setting on digital scales as you can be much more accurate this way. Add the egg to the milk and give it a whisk.

Add the egg and milk mixture to your bowl slowly, mixing it in well.

Easy fruit scones | Simple recipe | Cooking with my kids (9) Easy fruit scones | Simple recipe | Cooking with my kids (10)

Give everything one final mix and start to bring it together into a ball. It may be easier at this point to use your hands again to make sure the fruit is evenly mixed through the dough. If you need to at this point, add a splash more milk if your dough is too dry or add a spoon more flour if it’s too wet and sticky.

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Make the fruit scones

Get your kids to pat the scone dough down until it is about 2cm thick. You could use a rolling pin to do this, but I find that scones work better and rise much more if you just use your hands.

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Use a circular cutter to cut out your scones and place them on your prepared baking tray. We used 5cm cutter, but you could use any size and just adjust the cooking time up if you make them bigger.

Easy fruit scones | Simple recipe | Cooking with my kids (13) Easy fruit scones | Simple recipe | Cooking with my kids (14)

Finally, get your child to brush a little milk or any leftover egg/milk mixture over the top of each scone.

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Bake the fruit scones

Bake the scones in the oven for 15-20 minutes (or more if you have made larger ones). They’re ready when they are well risen and have turned a nice golden colour.

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Leave the scones to cool on the baking tray for a few minutes before removing them and popping them onto a wire rack to cool completely.

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Serve and enjoy.

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Easy fruit scones | Simple recipe | Cooking with my kids (19)

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Fruit scones

Easy fruit scones | Simple recipe | Cooking with my kids (21)cookingwithmykids

Fruit scones are one of the easiest things you can make with your kids and with very little sugar, are a healthier alternative to some other snacks.

5 from 2 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 40 minutes mins

Course Afternoon tea

Cuisine British

Servings 15

Calories 210 kcal

Ingredients

  • 450 g (3 ¾ cups) self raising flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • A pinch Salt
  • 110 g (½ cups) butter
  • 50 g (¼ cups) caster sugar
  • 150 ml (1 cup) milk
  • 100 g (⅔ cups) dried fruit eg sultanas, mixed dried fruit, raisins

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 180C/170C Fan / 350F and line a baking tray with baking/parchment paper

    Mix together the flour and butter

    • Measure the flour, salt and baking powder and put them in a large mixing bowl. Measure the butter and chop into small pieces before adding to your bowl.

    • Using your fingertips rub the butter and flour together until you have a fine breadcrumb.

    Add the sugar and mixed fruit

    • Measure the sugar and dried fruit and add them to your mixing bowl. Give everything one good mix so that the fruit is well coated in flour.

    Add the egg and milk

    • Crack the egg into a small bowl.

      Measure the milk – if possible using the ml setting on digital scales as you can be much more accurate this way. Add the egg to the milk and whisk them together.

      Pour the milk/egg mixture to your bowl slowly, mixing it in well.

      Bring the dough together into a ball. If you mixture is too dry, add a splash more milk. Equally, if you find the dough too wet and sticky add a spoon more flour.

    Make the scones

    • Pat the scone dough down until it is about 2cm thick. You could use a rolling pin to do this, but I find that scones work better if you just use your hands.

    • Use a circular cutter to cut out your scones and place them on your prepared baking tray. We used large 5-6 cm cutter, but you could use any size and just adjust the cooking time.

    • Finally, brush a little milk over the top of each scone.

    Bake the scones

    • Bake the scones in the oven for 15-20 minutes. They’re ready when they are well risen and have turned a nice golden colour.

    Keyword baking

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    Similar recipes

    If you liked these fruit scones, you’ll love our plain scones, our sultana cake and our easy bakes for children.

    This recipe was first published in June 2020, and updated in August 2023.
    Easy fruit scones | Simple recipe | Cooking with my kids (2024)

    FAQs

    What is the secret to making good scones? ›

    Tips for Making Perfect Scones
    • If possible use a food processor to combine the butter and flour.
    • Our hands are warm and will melt the butter causing it to be absorbed by the flour instead of coating the flour. If you can't use a food processor have cold hands and work very quickly.
    • Don't knead the mixture ever!
    Sep 6, 2017

    What to avoid when making scones? ›

    5 Mistakes to Avoid When Baking Scones
    1. Using anything but cold ingredients. The secret to the flakiest scones is to start with cold ingredients — cold butter, cold eggs, and cold cream. ...
    2. Only using all-purpose flour. ...
    3. Overmixing the dough. ...
    4. Not chilling the dough before baking. ...
    5. Baking them ahead of time.
    May 1, 2019

    How do I get my fruit scones to rise? ›

    How to make scones rise high? Once you've cut out your scone shapes, flip them over and place upside down on the baking tray. This will help them rise evenly and counteract any 'squashing' that happened when you cut out the dough. Perfect scones should rise to about 2 inches high.

    What is the most suitable type of flour to use when making fruit scones? ›

    Muffins, scones, biscuits, cookies and fruit breads all use creaming methods of one sort. I use AP flour for all. Bread flour has too much gluten for a tender scone, and cake flour may not have enough. Pastry flour might work, but I find AP to be the most flexible, and most times it's the least expensive as well.

    What flour is best for scones? ›

    Use all-purpose flour for a higher rising scone that holds its shape nicely, both in and out of the oven. To make more delicate, lower-rising, cake-like scones, substitute cake flour for all-purpose flour. Reduce the liquid in the recipe by 1 to 2 tablespoons, using just enough to bring the dough together.

    Is it better to make scones with butter or oil? ›

    For example, if you substitute oil for butter or margarine, you can significantly reduce the amount of saturated fat in your baked goods. This streamlined recipe for Light Scones uses just 3 tablespoons of canola oil, which contains a fraction of the saturated fat found in butter or margarine.

    How long should you rest scones before baking? ›

    Recipes for scones sometimes provide a make-ahead option that involves refrigerating the dough overnight so it can simply be shaped and then popped into the oven the next day. But now we've found that resting the dough overnight has another benefit: It makes for more symmetrical and attractive pastries.

    What makes scones rise best? ›

    To ensure taller scones, start with a thicker dough disc and place the scones on a tray with sides, allowing them to slightly touch one another. This arrangement encourages the scones to push against the pan and each other, promoting height.

    Is buttermilk or cream better for scones? ›

    Heavy Cream or Buttermilk: For the best tasting pastries, stick with a thick liquid such as heavy cream or buttermilk. I usually use heavy cream, but if you want a slightly tangy flavor, use buttermilk.

    Why do my scones go flat and not rise? ›

    Why Are My Scones Flat? Expired leavening agents. Your baking powder and/or baking soda could be expired. Most scone and biscuit recipes call for quite a large amount of leavening, and if either are expired, your scones simply won't rise to beautiful heights.

    Why are my fruit scones dry? ›

    Don't overbake! If you bake scones too long, they'll dry out, so keep an eye on them through the oven window. (Don't open the oven to look — it'll let out the heat.) “Bake your scones until they are just golden brown,” Bethany recommends.

    Should scones be baked touching? ›

    Much like cinnamon rolls, arranging your scones side by side, just touching one another, helps in making the scones rise evenly, and higher. Since the heat causes the scones to rise, if they are placed side by side, the scones will be forced to rise upwards, not outwards.

    Is it better to sift flour for scones? ›

    Don't forget to sift!

    Be sure to double or even triple sift your flour, as it takes away the clumps in the flour allowing for more air pockets in the scone dough - the result being a fluffier and more crumbly scone.

    Is baking soda or baking powder better for scones? ›

    You can use baking soda if you've added an acidic ingredient to the dough (e.g. buttermilk, vinegar, lemon juice). Use baking powder if you have not added anything acidic.

    Why put eggs in scones? ›

    Just as in old times, today's scone recipes don't include eggs, but there are some rare recipes that do. Eggs may change the texture of the scone, which should be golden on the outside and airy inside. RELATED VIDEO: Video Player is loading.

    Should you chill scone dough before baking? ›

    Not chilling the dough before baking: to really ace your scones, it helps to chill your dough again before it's baked. Using cold ingredients does help, but your hands will warm up the dough when you're working with it and the extra step of chilling will help you get the best result.

    What are the qualities of a perfect scone? ›

    Among the myriad baked goods in the breakfast pastry canon, scones are uniquely delicious in their humble simplicity. The best scones have a crisp, slightly caramelized exterior and a tender, buttery, just-sweet interior. They can be dressed up with a glaze, studded with fruit or nuts, or gently spiced.

    Why aren t my scones light and fluffy? ›

    Add some extra baking powder/soda, they might not have raised enough. If your scones barely rise in the oven, reconsider the amount of water you've added. You might want to add more. Otherwise, increase the amount of baking powder/soda.

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