Vanilla bean scones are flaky and buttery scones made with fragrant vanilla beans. Top these wonderfully soft vanilla scones with a sweet and creamy vanilla bean glaze. This Starbucks copycat vanilla scone recipe is perfect for a cozy breakfast or afternoon snack.
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Why Make This Recipe
I absolutely love scones. The store bought kind are dried out and not very good, but the homemade versions are absolutely the best scones. My Lemon Scones, Blueberry Scones, Strawberry Scones, Easy Lemon Blueberry Scones, White Chocolate Raspberry Scones and Chocolate Scones are some of my favorites scone recipes. These better than Starbucks, buttery and flaky scones with vanilla beans are another scone recipe I know you will love.
- Layers of flavors and textures. From the tender and flaky scone scented with sweet vanilla flavor to the sweet and creamy vanilla bean glaze, these lemony scones will delight your senses.
- Easy to make and bake. These vanilla scones taste bakery worthy, but they’re actually so easy to make. Simply whisk the dry and wet ingredients together, shape into a thick disk, chill, cut and bake. They’re even better than Starbucks.
- Perfect for breakfast, brunch or afternoon snack. These buttery scones with vanilla bean can easily be made in advance, frozen and baked straight from the freezer. They’re the perfect indulgent and elevated breakfast, brunch or afternoon treat.
Ingredients and Substitutions
This recipe for sweet and buttery vanilla bean scones requires only a handful of simple ingredients to make and you probably already have them in your pantry and fridge. Here’s what you’ll need.
- Granulated Sugar: Maple sugar would also work well to make these scones refined sugar free.
- All Purpose Flour: Make these scones gluten free, by using a good 1-1 gluten free flour. I recommend using the one from Bob’s Red Mill. Measure based off of the weight (300 g) versus cup for cup.
- Baking Powder: This acts as a leavener in this scone recipe.
- Unsalted Butter: Vegan butter or plant based can also be used in place of regular unsalted butter. Just make sure the butter is very cold or even frozen.
- Egg: This recipe has not been tested without eggs.
- Heavy Cream: For soft and tender scones, heavy cream is a must. Substitute with half and half or buttermilk.
- Vanilla Bean Paste: This is a star ingredient in these scones. I highly suggest using vanilla bean paste to see the flecks of vanilla bean. However, a good vanilla extract will also work.
Variation
Vanilla Drop Scones: Prepare the recipe as written through the mixing step. Dump the scone dough onto a lightly floured surface. Gently gather and knead the scones 2 -3 times. Scoop the dough with a large spoon or cookie scoop. This lemon scone recipe should yield about 12 drop scones. Drop the scones onto a lined baking sheet or large plate. Freeze as directed in the recipe. Bake at 425 F for 12 - 14 minutes or until the tops are golden brown. Top with the vanilla glaze and enjoy.
How To Make
Learn how to make vanilla bean scones in a few easy steps.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt together until well combined. Grate or toss very small cubes of cold butter into the flour. When all the butter has been added in, use a pastry cutter or your fingers to work the butter into the flour mixture until the butter is fully incorporated and the mixture resembles coarse sand with some larger pieces.
- In a separate bowl, lightly whisk an egg to smooth. Then whisk in the heavy cream and vanilla bean paste until well combined. Form a little well in the center of the flour and butter mixture. Pour ½ of the wet ingredients into the dry and gently incorporate. Repeat with the remaining wet ingredients into the dough. Mix until the dough just comes together.
- Transfer the vanilla scone dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently shape the dough into a ball. Gently knead the scone dough by pressing down on the dough from middle to edges to form a disk. Shape into a 7 - 8 inch disk that’s about 1 inch thick. Place the disk onto a parchment lined baking sheet or plate to chill in the freezer for 20 - 30 minutes. While the scones chill in the freezer, preheat the oven to 425 F (218 C).
- Remove the scones from the freezer and cut into 6 - 8 wedges using a dough scraper or long sharp knife. Space the scones about 2 - inches apart on a lined baking sheet. Bake in the oven at 425 F (218 C) for 12 - 14 minutes. The scones should be lightly golden brown and will be very fragrant. Allow scones to cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring them to a cooling rack.
5. Make the vanilla scones even better by topping them with a creamy vanilla bean glaze. Mix powdered sugar, vanilla bean paste and heavy cream to your desired consistency. Then drizzle the glaze on the cooled scones and enjoy.
How To Store, Freeze and Thaw
- Store: Store baked vanilla bean scones in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 - 4 days.
- Freeze: Place the frozen unbaked scone wedges in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 2 months. Bake from frozen in a fully preheated oven. Place the baked, fully cooled and unglazed scones in an airtight container to freeze for up to 2 months. I recommend individually wrap each scone in plastic wrap or wax paper. Do not top with glaze if you plan on freezing the scones.
- Thaw: If you would like to bake the unbaked scones straight from the freezer, simply add about 3 - 5 minutes to the baking time. Baked and frozen scones can be heated straight from the freezer in the microwave. I recommend heating the scones in 20 second increments until they reach your desired temperature.
M’s Expert Tips
- Use very cold butter. It’s perfectly fine to pull the butter directly from the fridge, but if you remember, toss the butter in the freezer an hour before you plan to make the scones.
- Use the good vanilla. These vanilla bean scones are named for the flecks of vanilla bean found in the layers of buttery scones and in the glaze. When possible, I suggest using real vanilla bean paste.
- Cold is a scone’s best friend. In order to create those beautiful tender and flaky layers, the scone needs to be cold. Keep the ingredients as cold as you can prior to baking. Pop the scones in the freezer while the oven fully preheats. This usually takes about 20 - 30 minutes.
- Don’t overmix. Just like making a pie crust, try to handle the scone dough as little as possible while forming it into a disk. Some kneading is necessary to get those tall layers, but try to touch the dough as little as possible.
- Chill the scones. It’s helpful to rest the dough in the freezer to help the butter solidify and the flour to hydrate. Use this time to full preheat the oven (which takes about 30 minutes).
- Give the scones some space. Some recipes call for leaving the scone wedges close together. I find the scones need a bit more room in order to have space to fully rise.
- Top with a creamy vanilla glaze. These vanilla scented scones are good on their own, but really shine when topped with a vanilla bean glaze.
FAQs
Yes, these soft and buttery vanilla bean scones are inspired by the vanilla scones from Starbucks. Both are scented with vanilla beans and are topped with a creamy vanilla glaze. Starbucks discontinued their vanilla scones, but now you can make even better ones at home.
Touch the scone dough as little as possible. Gather the dough into a ball and knead just until the dough comes together into an 7 - 8 inch disk that measures about 1 inch thick.
This serves two purposes. One is to allow the glutens in the flour to rest and hydrate. The other is to help the butter fat resolidify before baking, creating beautiful flaky layers.
Use this rule as a guide to determine when the scones are done without drying them out. Bake them between 400 F - 425 F for about 15 minutes. The scones should have light golden tops.
Other Vanilla Bean Recipes to Try
If you try this Vanilla Bean Scones recipe please rate the recipe and leave a comment below. Doing so helps other readers decide if this is a great recipe to bake. Don’t forget to tag me on Instagram using @olivesnthyme so I can see what you’re baking! - M
Vanilla Bean Scones Recipe
Equipment
- 1 whisk
- 1 pastry cutter, optional
- 1 large baking sheet
- 1 sheet parchment paper
Ingredients
Vanilla Bean Scones
- 2½ cups (300 g) all purpose flour
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 10 tablespoons (141 g) cold unsalted butter, cubed
- 1 large cold egg
- ½ cup (120 ml) cold heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) vanilla bean paste
Vanilla Glaze
- 1½ cups (180 g) powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
- 3 tablespoons (45 ml) heavy cream or milk
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt together until well combined. Grate or toss very small cubes of cold butter into the flour. When all the butter has been added in, use a pastry cutter or your fingers to work the butter into the flour mixture until the butter is fully incorporated and the mixture resembles coarse sand with some larger pieces. This is similar to making a pie crust.2½ cups (300 g) all purpose flour, ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon salt, 10 tablespoons (141 g) cold unsalted butter, cubed
- In a separate bowl, lightly whisk an egg to smooth. Then whisk in the heavy cream and vanilla bean paste until well combined. Form a little well in the center of the flour and butter mixture. Pour ½ of the wet ingredients into the dry and gently incorporate. Repeat with the remaining wet ingredients into the dough. Mix until the dough just comes together. There should be a few stray pieces of the dough. Try to mix everything in as gently as possible.1 large cold egg, ½ cup (120 ml) cold heavy cream, 1 tablespoon (15 ml) vanilla bean paste
- Transfer the vanilla scone dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently shape the dough into a ball. Gently knead the scone dough by pressing down on the dough from middle to edges to form a disk. Fold in half. Repeat gently pressing the dough back into a round disk. Shape into a 7 - 8 inch disk that’s about 1 inch thick. Place the disk onto a parchment lined baking sheet or plate to chill in the freezer for 20 - 30 minutes.
- While the scones chill in the freezer, preheat the oven to 425 F (218 C) for 30 minutes.Remove the scones from the freezer and cut into 6 - 8 wedges using a dough scraper or long sharp knife. Space the scones about 2 - inches apart on a lined baking sheet. Bake in the oven at 425 F (218 C) for 12 - 14 minutes. The scones should be lightly golden brown and will be very fragrant. Allow scones to cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring them to a cooling rack.
- Make the vanilla scones even better by topping them with a creamy vanilla bean glaze. Mix powdered sugar, vanilla bean paste and heavy cream to your desired consistency. Then drizzle the glaze on the cooled scones and enjoy.1½ cups (180 g) powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste, 3 tablespoons (45 ml) heavy cream or milk
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