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Home / Recipes / Buckingham Palace’s Royal English Scones

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Buckingham Palace’s Royal English Scones

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Treat yourself like royalty.

This official royal English scones recipe, enjoyed by the Queen of England herself, is (as you would expect) delicious. Here is the official Buckingham Palace scone recipe, adapted for home kitchens. Buttery, just sweet enough, and the perfect companion to your cup of tea. 

platter of English Royal scones with tea and jam

The Queen’s Own English Scones Recipe

The only thing better than a good cup of tea is a good cup of tea paired with a perfect scone. And if you are going to bake scones, why not bake the very best? In case you are not invited to royal tea at the palace this week, you now have this very official, very royal English scones recipe.

English food does not exactly enjoy a positive reputation. But there is an exception to every rule, and Buckingham Palace’s English scones are it.

scone dough on marble countertop

The Story of the Royal English Scones Recipe

In May 2020, perhaps because we all needed a bright spring boost to our Covid lockdowns, the Palace released the recipe for the official English scones enjoyed by the royal family and its guests. They even did an instagram video about it. According to the palace:

Every year at Garden Parties across The Royal Residences, over 27,000 cups of tea, 20,000 sandwiches and 20,000 slices of cakes are consumed! The Royal Pastry Chefs are happy to share their recipe for fruit scones, which traditionally would be served at Buckingham Palace every summer.

scone dough being cut out on countertop

How to Make the Official Royal English Scones Recipe

The Buckingham Palace royal scones recipe is surprisingly basic.

The recipe makes simple buttermilk scone with butter and leavening, folded with sultanas. (“Sultanas” are British for golden raisins, FYI.)

The scones are just as good without raisins, in case fruit scones are not to your taste, or you would like to divide the recipe into both types.

Here are the main steps to making the Queen’s scones:

  1. Mix the flour, baking powder, butter and sugar together in a bowl. Work the butter into the dough a bit, as you would pie dough.
  2. Separately, whisk two eggs and the buttermilk together. Add the liquid to the crumb mixture. Add the raisins, if using, and mix until evenly distributed. Knead by hand until smooth.
  3. Flatten the dough to a 1” thickness and cover. Leave to rest for 30 to 45 minutes in the refrigerator.
  4. Cut to the desired shape using a round biscuit cutter.
  5. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Cover and rest the scones for another 20 minutes in the fridge. Egg wash the top of the scones.
  6. Bake at 400°F for around 12 to 15 minutes, until light golden brown. Cool before serving with jam and clotted cream.

British Royal Scones on baking sheet

Baking Tips for Making the Queen’s English Scone Recipe

There are good scones, and there are great scones. A scone fit for royalty (and thus, us) should be:

  • Tender, not tough or bready
  • Moist, not dry or crumbly
  • Not too sweet, and
  • Hold together well and not fall apart when you spread jam and clotted cream on top

platter of Royal English scones with tea and jam

To check all these boxes, you need a good recipe (check!) and the right technique. Here’s what to do — and what not to do, technique-wise.

  • DO NOT overmix the scone dough. Kneading the dough too much will make it tough and bready because it develops gluten. As soon as the scone dough looks smooth, stop.
  • DO check your bake. The scone bottoms will look light golden brown and feel hollow when tapped. Because of their small size, scones overbake and become dry easily, so be sure to get it right.
  • If using the golden raisins, soak them in warm water for at least 20 minutes, then drain before adding to the dough. This prevents them from absorbing moisture from the scone dough.

Notes on Adapting the Royal English Tea Scones Recipe

The original recipe, as written, was very vague on some small points, and definitely presumes a certain level of baking experience. So I have added a bit more detail, and converted the recipe to American-friendly volume measurements from metric. But other than adding a smidge more buttermilk because the original recipe seemed a little dry, the recipe and technique is exactly the same.

Additionally, I am fairly certain that the original recipe was written for a convection oven, which would be normal in a professional kitchen. The temperature, as written, was way too low for a standard oven for the amount of time listed. So I have adjusted the temperature and time for a conventional oven, not convection.

Most importantly, enjoy your royal English scones with, what else? A lovely hot cuppa English tea.

platter of Buckingham Palace Royal English scones with tea and jam

You will also love these lovely baked goods:

  • Mile-High Buttermilk Biscuits 
  • Strawberry Shortcakes
  • Mixed Berry Pound Cake
platter of Buckingham Palace royal English scone recipe with tea and jam
Print Recipe

Buckingham Palace Royal English Scones

The Queen's official English scone recipe, because you deserve nothing but the very best.
Ed. note: If the recipe temperatures and quantities seem a little odd, don't worry. It's because the recipe was converted precisely from European measurements and temperatures.
Prep Time20 mins
Cook Time12 mins
Resting Time50 mins
Course: brunch, Snack, tea
Cuisine: english
Keywords:: baking, biscuits, Buckingham Palace, easy, english, royal, scones, tea
Servings: 12 to 14 scones, depending on cutter size
Author: Adapted from Buckingham Palace

Ingredients

  • 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (500g)
  • 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons baking powder (28g)
  • 7 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter, cut into small pieces (94g)
  • 1/2 cup sugar (86g)
  • 3 eggs, divided
  • 3/4 cup buttermilk, less 1 tablespoon (175ml)
  • 2/3 cup sultanas or golden raisins, optional (100g)

Instructions

  • If using, soak the raisins in hot water for 30 minutes. Drain before adding to the recipe.
    PRO TIP: Why soak the raisins? Two reasons. One, it softens them, which tastes better in the finished recipe than a hard, tough little raisin. Secondly, it helps keep the scone dough moist. Raisins naturally want to rehydrate. By letting them soften I water, the hard raisins pull moisture from water, not the scone dough.
  • Mix the flour, baking powder, butter and sugar together in a bowl until crumbly. Work the butter into the dough a bit, as you would pie dough.
  • In a separate bowl, whisk two eggs and the buttermilk together. Add the liquid to the crumb mixture. Add the raisins, if using, and mix until evenly distributed. Continue to gently knead the dough by hand until smooth.
  • Remove the dough from the bowl onto a clean countertop lightly dusted with flour. Lightly dust the top of the scones with flour. Flatten the dough to a 1” thickness and cover. Leave to rest for 30 to 45 minutes in the refrigerator. Resting the dough allows the gluten to relax. This helps achieve a tender, flaky scone.
    PRO TIP: You could simply use the palm of your hand to flatten the dough. But I suggest a rolling pin for a more even result. Roll from the center out, and rotate the dough as you go to prevent sticking.
  • Remove the dough from the refrigerator and cut to the desired shape using a round biscuit cutter.
    (Note: I used 2" and 2 1/4" cutters. The original recipe did not specify, but this is standard. If you use a 2" cutter, I suggest making the height a little shorter.) 
  • Preheat the oven to 400°F (205°C). Cover and rest the scones for another 20 minutes in the fridge. Whisk the third egg and gently egg wash the top of the scones with a pastry brush.
    PRO TIP: If you do not have a pastry brush, just use your fingers. 
  • Bake on baking sheets for around 12 to 15 minutes, give or take depending on your cutter size, or until light golden brown. Leave at least 1 1/2" of space between each scone. Cool before serving with jam and clotted cream.
    PRO TIP: These will bake best if you bake them one sheet at a time, or at least rotate the baking sheets top to bottom, front to back halfway. If you have a convection setting on your oven, adjust the temperature to 375°F (190°C) and bake for about 10 to 12 minutes.

Filed Under: Breakfast, Dessert + Baking, Easter, Easy, Holidays, Mother's Day, Recipes Tagged With: baking, buckingham palace, easy, English, Queen Elizabeth, Queen's scones, royal, scone recipe, scones, tea

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Jen says

    April 12, 2021 at 6:49 pm

    5 stars
    I’m so excited to have THE royal scone recipe!!

    Reply
  2. Lilianne says

    April 12, 2021 at 7:20 pm

    5 stars
    These tasted absolutely wonderful. This will. be my official scone recipe from now on — it’s good enough for the Queen, after all! Tender, buttery.

    Reply
  3. J.R. says

    April 13, 2021 at 8:04 am

    5 stars
    Delicious! It takes a little while of kneading to make the dough perfectly smooth. I was worried this would make them tough but it didn’t.

    Reply
  4. Anna G. says

    April 18, 2021 at 9:07 pm

    5 stars
    Buttery and good. Soaking the raisins in hot water is a game changer for me.

    Reply
    • RUth says

      June 3, 2022 at 8:42 pm

      If you do not soak the raisins they draw the moisture form your scones. So yes, it is great that you soaked the raisins.

      Reply
      • Unpeeled says

        June 7, 2022 at 9:47 am

        An essential small detail, always!

  5. Penelope says

    May 15, 2021 at 8:33 pm

    5 stars
    Fantastic! Scones have risen up well and very light. Taste good as well.

    Reply
  6. Lisa says

    August 16, 2021 at 11:27 am

    5 stars
    Good morning ? Lisa!

    Can I add fresh blueberries in place of dried fruit?
    The dried fruit is yummy, but since I have fresh blueberries,I thought of using those instead.

    Thank you !
    Lisa

    Reply
    • Unpeeled says

      August 16, 2021 at 4:21 pm

      Hello! That sounds absolutely delicious. I say go for it!

      Reply
  7. Joy B. says

    August 19, 2021 at 12:30 pm

    5 stars
    Lovely, lovely, lovely. Turned out great and I felt like the Queen 😉

    Reply
  8. Sylvie says

    September 25, 2021 at 3:46 pm

    5 stars
    Turned out great!

    Reply
  9. Susan says

    October 7, 2021 at 7:30 am

    Hi,
    Can you make this recipe up to the point of resting it in the refrigerator and let it rest overnight before continuing ?

    Reply
    • Unpeeled says

      October 7, 2021 at 11:10 am

      Hi, Susan! Yes, you can do that as long as you keep the dough covered with plastic wrap so that it does not dry out. Gluten will slowly form over time, making the scones a little more chewy than flaky, so I would recommend not letting them be in the fridge longer than about 10-12 hours. Alternatively, you could cut the scones into rounds, place them on a baking sheet wrapped in plastic wrap and freeze them. All you’d have to do the next day is the egg wash and bake from frozen. This will add a few more minutes of baking time, but the result will be the same.

      Reply
  10. Kim says

    November 23, 2021 at 9:56 am

    Will these freeze well?

    Reply
    • Unpeeled says

      November 23, 2021 at 11:08 am

      Absolutely. You actually have two options: You can bake, cool, and then freeze the baked scones. You can also go as far as mixing and cutting the scones, and then freeze the raw scones. Then, you can just egg wash and pop them in the oven right from frozen. They will just take an additional minute or two to bake. Both methods work; the frozen raw method will make the scones taste ever so slightly fresher. (And who doesn’t love a warm, fresh-baked scone?) To freeze them raw, space them out on a cookie sheet, and let them freeze like that. Once frozen, you can toss them all in a freezer bag or container together. Hope this helps!

      Reply
  11. CAROL says

    March 24, 2022 at 4:00 pm

    Hi what fan assisted oven temperature should I use please?

    Reply
    • Unpeeled says

      March 26, 2022 at 8:39 am

      Hi, Carol! If you’re using a convection oven, lower the oven temperature by 25 degrees Fahrenheit. The baking time will also likely be slightly lower, so just keep an eye on it. They’ll be done when they’re golden brown (emphasize golden more than brown).

      Reply
  12. ZDen says

    April 20, 2022 at 6:43 pm

    Hi,
    Just a quick note… the best tea scone recipes I’ve made used room temperature butter. Cold butter is more for American biscuits.
    Also, it’s standard practice for professional pastry chefs to use a scale for dry measurements.
    I did all of that following the original recipe … non-convection oven and the scones turned out beautifully. I do appreciate your version leading me to the original., so thank you.

    Reply
  13. Lynda Ewen says

    June 26, 2022 at 5:45 pm

    The buttermilk does it mean takes ng out 1 tablespoon of the measured amount. Thank you

    Reply
  14. Lori G says

    July 24, 2022 at 9:21 am

    Silly question – do we need to butter the pan or did you bake these on parchment paper? Thank you!

    Reply
    • Unpeeled says

      July 27, 2022 at 3:12 pm

      No silly questions! It’s actually a great one. I usually bake on a Silpat or parchment because I find it the neatest option. But a lightly-greased pan will work just as well. Happy baking!

      Reply
  15. Susan Wetton says

    August 5, 2022 at 10:00 am

    Recipe turn out well,I made a big blur and put 86g of baking powder instead of 28g
    Tasted terrible had to throw them.
    Will make them again.

    Reply
    • Unpeeled says

      August 21, 2022 at 10:18 pm

      Oh noooo!!! Ugh. We’ve all been there. So sorry to hear about the measuring issue. Please try again and do let us know how they turn out.

      Reply
  16. Elaine says

    September 10, 2022 at 9:42 pm

    5 stars
    Turned out beautifully and I feel so glad to have this Royal Recipe! Thank you.

    Reply
  17. Julie says

    September 17, 2022 at 1:37 pm

    Hi. I would like to make these scones but I can only work in lbs and ounces but can’t seem to do convert the measurements for the correct amount. Can anyone her please?

    Reply
  18. Shannon S. says

    September 17, 2022 at 6:39 pm

    Can you use heavy cream for a substitution for the buttermilk?

    Reply
    • Unpeeled says

      September 18, 2022 at 12:42 pm

      You can, but the leavening will be a bit off because it will lack the acid of buttermilk. Add a squeeze of lemon juice or splash of vinegar (about 2 teaspoons worth or slightly less) to the cream and stir before using.

      Reply
  19. Theresa says

    September 18, 2022 at 12:49 pm

    5 stars
    Very good. I froze half of these.

    Reply
  20. Lisa Postiglione says

    September 18, 2022 at 1:24 pm

    I was excited to try these but I’m a bit disappointed. It tastes bitter and I think it was because of too much baking powder. I did think it was too much as I was preparing.

    Reply
    • Unpeeled says

      September 18, 2022 at 4:13 pm

      I agree that there is indeed a lot of baking powder, but alas, I was following the Queen’s recipe. I would suggest cutting back to 2 tablespoons + 1/2 teaspoons, thus eliminating 1 1/2 teaspoons. This will still give leavening but in a less overwhelming way. The other suggestion would be to make sure you’re using a baking powder without aluminum sulfate, which can have a slightly off flavor.

      Reply
      • Lisa Postiglione says

        September 18, 2022 at 7:41 pm

        Thanks for the suggestions. I’ll try them.

  21. Alastair says

    October 21, 2022 at 4:59 pm

    I’m waiting for these little guys to come out of the oven. Here’s my problem; I’m not going to eat 15 scones. How best to seep them for a couple of days?

    Reply
    • Unpeeled says

      October 25, 2022 at 4:35 pm

      Hi, Alastair! I hope you enjoyed your scones and my apologies for not writing back quite in time. The answer is that they freeze easily after they are baked and cooled. Just place in an airtight container. You can also cut the scones, freeze them unbaked, and then bake them directly from frozen when you like–they’ll just take a minute or two longer.

      Reply
  22. Jean says

    November 9, 2022 at 11:07 pm

    Buttermilk is not readily available in the UK. Did you substitute for regular milk in this recipe for a North American audience?

    Reply
    • Unpeeled says

      November 10, 2022 at 2:30 pm

      How interesting! The original recipe (linked in the text of the piece and here) does call for buttermilk.

      Reply
  23. Donna says

    December 2, 2022 at 11:49 am

    5 stars
    I’ve made this several times and I love the recipe! I’ve also tried with with dried apricots and walnuts. Quick questions- would frozen blueberries work with this recipe? Thank you!

    Reply
    • Unpeeled says

      December 2, 2022 at 12:46 pm

      I think that sounds absolutely delicious! I would go with the smaller wild blueberries if you can find them. They’d be more proportional to the scone size. That said, standard blueberries should work very well also. Enjoy, and thanks for writing. Glad you enjoy the recipe.

      Reply
  24. bakingdancer says

    December 29, 2022 at 4:55 pm

    I was about to make these but got confused regarding the flour measurement. The recipe calls for 3.5 cups of flour or 500g. This works out to 143 grams per cup. This is close to 15% more than I am used to in Canada.. What is correct?

    Reply
    • Unpeeled says

      January 4, 2023 at 4:03 pm

      Hi and great question. The tricky part of converting weight to volume is that it is never quite perfect. Volume measurements are a bit of a blunt tool. Weight–especially in grams–is more precise. On top of that, you found a secret edit and are a close-read recipe genius! The official palace recipe calls for 500 g flour. Technically, this would be 4 cups flour. However, I reduced the amount in volume to 3.5 cups because I found the 4 cups flour to be too dry, and more flour is incorporated when dusting/rolling the dough. Both are correct, just slightly different results.

      Reply
  25. SBeals says

    January 4, 2023 at 1:09 pm

    I have an annual Christmas tea for children and their moms and I made these scones as written and they were absolutely wonderful. We have a British Tea Room in our area now, and we all love their scones, but we all agree that this recipe rivals them, and we can make them at home! Thank you!

    Reply
    • Unpeeled says

      January 4, 2023 at 3:36 pm

      I am so happy you liked it! There’s nothing like a fresh scone. Your Christmas tea sounds so lovely; I am honored that this recipe was able to be a part of it.

      Reply
  26. Karl says

    January 7, 2023 at 4:54 pm

    These are not the queens scones! There is a photo of the recipe that the queen gave to Eisenhower and buttermilk is nowhere to be seen and regular milk is used which does not feature in this recipe. These are more akin to American biscuits than British scones.

    Reply
    • Unpeeled says

      January 12, 2023 at 1:35 pm

      Hmm…interesting. My guess is that there are several recipes for scones used at the various palaces and such, especially over the years. I adapted the recipe released by the palace several years ago: https://www.royal.uk/royal-recipe-fruit-scones . My guess? We are both right! I’d love to have the recipe that you have as well–I bet it’s delicious.

      Reply

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