The Best Easy Raisin Scones Recipe
I’m a huge fan of scones, and these are the best easy raisin scones I know. They rise beautifully, are golden on the outside, and soft and fluffy inside. They’re also quick to mix up, making them a go-to recipe for a weekend breakfast or afternoon tea.
* This recipe was originally published in June 2010 and was also featured in my first cookbook. I wanted to update the page with fresh images and a video. I have kept the original image from the post, for nostalgia’s sake.
The scones are not overly sweet, so I like to serve them with a good jam or preserve. I also like to sprinkle the tops with sugar before baking. This creates a delicious crust.
Why This Recipe For Easy Raisin Scones Works
The method couldn’t be more straightforward. Everything gets mixed in one bowl, and I use my stand mixer with a paddle attachment to bring the dough together. The dough is soft, smooth, and not too sweet, which I prefer, as the jam can do the heavy lifting on that front.
You can also make these by hand or using a food processor.
If you’re in South Africa, either bread or cake flour will work here, depending on what you have available. I have used both in the past, and the result was a beautifully high-rise scone with a lovely crumb.
The scones use just the right amount of baking powder. I scaled this back from the original inspiration after testing. The amount used initially was far too much. Four teaspoons are perfect and give you all the lift you need.
Should You Cut Scones into Rounds or Triangles?
That’s up to you. If you’re after something a little different (or don’t want to bother with cutters), shape the dough into a thick disc and cut it into eight or ten wedges. But if you want the classic tall scone look, go with a sharp round cutter.
I find cutting them into triangles the easiest way to cut my scones. You can make eight large scones.
How to make perfect easy raisin scones:
- Don’t overwork the dough. Handle it as little as possible and gently flatten it out before cutting your shapes.
- If you are making scones by hand, work on a cool surface, such as marble, if possible.
- Allow the scones to rest in the fridge for 20 minutes while the oven is preheated.
- If making these by hand, use cold or frozen butter (grating the very cold or frozen butter makes it easier).
- Flour your knife, cookie, or pastry cutter before cutting and slicing the scones. This makes the pastry drag less as you cut down, which helps it rise in the oven.
- If you are going to egg wash the top to get a more golden colour, don’t egg wash the sides of the scone. This can prevent them from rising.
- If you want high scones, don’t flatten the dough too much before cutting. Keep it quite thick to start with.
Let me know if you give these a try, they’re one of my favourites for a reason. And if you’re a fan of old-fashioned baking, that works; you’ll want to bookmark this one.
Easy raisin scones recipe
Ingredients
- 75 grams salted butter
- 2 large eggs
- 75 grams white granulated sugar
- 4 tsp baking powder
- 230 ml milk
- 500 grams South African bread flour, cake flour or All purpose flour use cake, bread or All-purpose
- 1 cup of raisins
- 1 additional egg for the egg wash
Instructions
- Mix the wet ingredients: Place the butter, eggs, sugar, baking powder, and milk into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on low until combined (or do this by hand).
- Add dry ingredients: Add the flour and raisins to the bowl and mix briefly until a soft dough forms.
- Shape the dough: The dough might feel a bit sticky at this point, but don't worry. Tip it onto a floured surface, lightly dust it with flour, and pull it together. Gently knead it, but don't overwork it or add too much flour here.
- Cut the scones: Use a sharp round cutter (about 58mm / 2¼ inch) to cut the scones, or shape the dough into a disc and cut into 8 wedges for triangles.
- Chill: Place the scones on a lined tray and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven: While the scones are chilling, preheat the oven to 200°C / 400°F.
- Egg wash: Beat the extra egg and brush the tops of the scones. Avoid brushing the sides, as this can prevent a good rise.
- Bake: Bake for 15 minutes until golden brown and tall.
Notes
A few of my favourite scone recipes:
How to make the best blueberry & lemon scones by hand in one bowl
Easy butternut scones with cheese and chives
Easy pumpkin and Parmesan scones
Quick & easy cranberry & orange scones
Easy lemonade scones with cheese and herbs
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Apparently the difference between strong and normal flour is the level of gluten in it.
Also, apparently (I say apparently because I dont know for sure) the difference in gluten in SA flour’s (bread and cake) is negligable so you might as well use cake flour.
These look yummy btw – served hot out the oven with butter 🙂
Iteresting! I found the texture of these scones to be quite fluffy and light despite the bread flour. Will be good to know what ‘strong’ flour actually is. Will do the research. They were so delicious steaming hot with butter.
I love scones, but still haven’t found a recipe to rely on. I have to try this one, as these scones look perfect!
These look delicious (I never eat scones or cakes, but your lovely photographs made my mouth water, and reminded me of my gran’s raisin scones!). I agree that 6 teaspoons is way to much b.p. – that amount would make the scones taste very odd.
Thanks JA, I can get a bit annoyed on Tv when they casually toss in an ingredient out of the container and say what its weight is without measuring it, dont they know someone like me is writing it down. I like Bill Granger he is very accurate about his quantites on Tv..
I just made these now, and i followed the recipe to the last letter, but they did not rise, why is that??
Hi Isra. Sorry to hear they didnt rise. The only thing I can think of is over handling of the dough. Scones have to made with as little ‘work’ as is possible. Or alternatively temperature too low. Oven needs to be hot for scones. If you rolled out too flat perhaps? I cut from quite thick dough
Is the egg used for the egg wash before baking one of the two in the ingredient list, or do we actuall need three aggs in all?
Hi Chris. The egg is an additional egg and I apologise for the confusion.
I tried the recipe with my 3 years old daughter and the result was awesome! Thank you for sharing!
I’m so happy to hear they were a hit and they really are so easy.
I tried this recipe and the result was awesome, the scones were fluffy.
Hi Kudzai, I’m so happy to hear they were a success. Definitely one of my favourite scone recipes.
What kind of butter do i need to use? Salted, unsalted margarine? can you maybe be more precise. Sorry for the confusion
Hi Grace, I generally always use salted butter but you could use unsalted if you prefer. Margarine is not butter, it is made from plant oils but you would be able to use it in this recipe too.
2nd batch in oven now, they sure did rise. Great recipe thanks.
So glad you liked this recipe Linda
Can i use cake flour? Would it make it more fluffy? Or is bread flour better.
Hi Catherine, cake flour is perfect for scones and better I think. In south Africa cake flour and bread flour are almost identical.
I found dough to be way too sticky to handle, let alone roll out (even after setting in fridge for 2 hours). I had to add an extra 1 2/3 cup flour to get to the right consistency, which made scones bland. Followed recipe to a tee. Perhaps measurements are off?
Hi Jame – sorry that something went wrong for you with this recipe. Its a tried and tested recipe and the ratios are accurate. I remade them yesterday and shot a video of myself making them which I will share soon. The dough is a little sticky but once you tip onto a floured surface and then sprinkle a light disting of flour on top of the dough it comes together and is easy to handle. I also researched the recipe online and Paul hollywood has a recipe for his classic scones which has almost identical ratios (similar flour/liquid/egg ratio – even more milk – and just a little more butter and sugar). I will update my post to include a more traditional way of making them ie by hand and rubbing the butter into the flour first befre addind the wet igredients.For reference https://www.paulhollywood.com/post/classic-scones.
I have never made scones before or any other baked goods. I messed up quite a lot, shouldn’t have tried to use a blender with hard lumps of butter, ended up getting splattered with egg 🙈. Despite my incompetence, the end result was delicious, I ate two straight out of the air fryer (the oven tripped the fuse and wouldn’t work so I improvised). I tried another after they cooled and it was also very tasty, a little too moorish if anything. Problem is I now have 6 scones to eat by myself, good problem to have 😋.
Gosh, Laura, I am not sure how these scones worked out after going in a blender. A food processor, maybe, but a blender. Glad you liked them though.