Suen's Kitchen
Breakfast

Easy Failproof No-Butter Cream Scones

A simple 5-ingredient cream scone recipe with no butter to cut in — one base dough that turns sweet or savoury depending on what's in the kitchen.

Easy Failproof No-Butter Cream Scones

These easy no-butter cream scones are one of my favourite recipes when I need something homemade without a lot of time or preparation. The basic dough uses just five simple ingredients, there is no cold butter to cut into flour, and you do not need any complicated baking techniques.

They are perfect for beginner bakers — if you are new to baking, this is a great recipe to start with — and just as welcome when you suddenly realize you need to bring something to a party in an hour.

What I love most is how easily the same dough changes depending on what I have at home. Chocolate chips for something sweet. Blueberries when they are around. Cheddar for a savoury batch. Mozzarella when that is what is hiding in the freezer.

Five ingredients. No butter. No fuss. Just mix, shape, and bake.

Sometimes the recipes worth keeping are not the fanciest ones. They are the ones you can turn to when you are short on time and still want to make something homemade and delicious. This is one of those.

Ingredients

  • **Basic 5-ingredient dough:**
  • 2 cups (240g) all-purpose flour
  • 2 Tbsp (28g) granulated sugar
  • 3 1/4 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 1/2 cups (353g) cold heavy cream
  • **Optional finishing (sweet):**
  • Heavy cream, for brushing
  • Demerara or coarse sugar, for sprinkling
  • **Optional finishing (savoury):**
  • Melted butter, for brushing
  • Dried parsley, for sprinkling
  • **Optional mix-ins (about 1/2 to 3/4 cup):**
  • Chocolate chips
  • Fresh blueberries
  • Dried cranberries
  • Raisins
  • White chocolate chips
  • Chopped nuts

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.

  2. Add the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt to a large mixing bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer. Mix briefly until everything is evenly combined.

  3. If you are making chocolate chip, cheese, dried fruit, or another variation, gently mix your add-ins into the dry ingredients before adding the cream. This helps distribute them throughout the dough without requiring you to work the finished dough too much. If you are using fresh blueberries, handle them gently so you do not crush the berries.

  4. Add the cold heavy cream. With a stand mixer on low speed, pour gradually and mix just until the dough starts coming together. By hand, add about half the cream and stir gently, then add the rest and continue mixing until a rough, mostly cohesive dough forms. Use your hands to bring together any remaining dry pieces. Stop mixing the moment there are no major patches of dry flour — there is no need to knead.

  5. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently pat it into a 6-inch (15 cm) circle about 1 inch (2.5 cm) thick. Cut into 6 equal wedges (do not worry about making them perfect — that is the charm of scones).

  6. Transfer the wedges to the prepared baking sheet, leaving some room between them. For sweet scones, brush the tops generously with heavy cream and sprinkle with Demerara or coarse sugar. For savoury cheese scones, skip the sugar topping, brush with cream, and finish with melted butter and dried parsley after baking.

  7. Bake at 400°F (200°C) for about 20 minutes, rotating the sheet halfway through so the scones brown evenly. They are ready when they have risen nicely, the tops are golden brown, and the bottoms are lightly browned.

  8. Let the scones cool slightly before serving — they are at their absolute best fresh from the oven while still a little warm.

Tips & Swaps

  • Keep your cream cold — leave the heavy cream in the refrigerator until you are ready to add it to the dough.
  • Don't overmix — this is probably the most important tip. Whether you are using a stand mixer or making them by hand, stop mixing once the dough has come together.
  • No kneading required — you are simply bringing the ingredients together and gently shaping the dough.
  • Add your mix-ins before the cream — adding chocolate chips, cheese, and other sturdy mix-ins to the dry ingredients makes them easier to distribute without overworking the dough.
  • Be gentle with fresh berries — blueberries can burst and introduce additional moisture, so handle the dough carefully.
  • Use whatever you have — chocolate chips, berries, dried fruit, or whatever cheese is in the freezer can completely change the recipe. Do not feel like you need a special trip to the grocery store.
  • Cheddar has more flavour than mozzarella — cheddar works beautifully with very little adjustment. If you are using mozzarella, follow the seasoned mozzarella variation below for more flavour.
  • No fresh herbs? No problem — melted butter and dried parsley make an easy finishing touch for savoury scones.
  • For sweet scones, do not skip the topping — a generous brushing of heavy cream encourages browning, and coarse sugar gives the tops a delicious crunch.
  • Eat them fresh — they are best on the day they are baked, especially while still a little warm.
  • Chocolate chip variation: add 1/2 to 3/4 cup chocolate chips to the dry ingredients before adding the cream. Semi-sweet, dark, milk, or white chocolate all work. Finish with cream and coarse sugar before baking.
  • Blueberry variation: add 1/2 to 3/4 cup fresh blueberries gently to the dry ingredients before adding the cream. Be careful mixing and shaping — berries can burst. A little lemon zest makes a wonderful addition if you happen to have a lemon.
  • Cheddar cheese variation: reduce sugar to 1 Tbsp, keep 1 tsp kosher salt, add 3/4 to 1 cup shredded cheddar, and skip the coarse sugar topping. Sharp or old cheddar gives an especially good cheese flavour.
  • Mozzarella cheese variation: bump salt to 1 1/4 tsp, add 1/4 tsp garlic powder, and use 3/4 to 1 cup shredded low-moisture mozzarella. Use low-moisture, not fresh mozzarella packed in liquid — fresh contains considerably more moisture and changes the dough's consistency.
  • Butter and parsley finish for cheese scones: as soon as the cheese scones come out of the oven, lightly brush the warm tops with melted butter and sprinkle with dried parsley. Fresh chives or green onions are great too if you have them — finely chop and mix into the dough with the cheese.