• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Foodle Club

  • Recipe Index
  • All Recipes (date order)
  • Convert grams to cups
  • How to guides
  • Collections
  • About
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Recipe Index
  • All Recipes (date order)
  • Convert grams to cups
  • How to guides
  • Collections
  • About
  • Mobile Menu

    • Facebook
  • ×
    • A spoonful of sweet and sour dipping sauce being lifted from a small bowl.
      Quick and easy sweet and sour dipping sauce
    • A crispy prawn spring roll that has been dipped in dipping sauce.
      Crispy prawn spring rolls
    • Slices of chocolate loaf cake with a covering of chocolate.
      Chocolate ice cream loaf cake
    • Sliced pot roast of brisket on a serving platter, garnished with rosemary, with potatoes and carrots on the side.
      Braised brisket pot roast with tasty capsicum gravy
    • A dish of meatballs in curried onion sauce on a table next to a bowl of peas and a dish of rice.
      South African-style curried meatballs - oven-baked in rich gravy
    • A cream scone cut in half, spread with butter and topped with strawberry compote.
      Strawberry cream scones - no butter needed
    • A collage of 9 of the recipies featured in this dinner pie collection.
      23 Dinner pie recipes - easy to make, delicious to eat
    • A slice of baked yoghurt cheesecake on a plate, topped with blueberry compote.
      Easy baked yoghurt cheesecake with blueberry compote
    • A white dinner plate with minced beef hash, baked beans and a side of green salad.
      Easy minced beef hash - old-fashioned comfort food
    • A collage of varrious pasta dishes.
      24 pasta recipes with a twist - quick suppers and simple salads
    • A slilver cake dish filled with choc chip meringue cookies.
      Crispy choc chip nut meringue cookies
    • A crispy pork hock on a pile of mashed potatoes, surrounded with gravy on a white plate.
      Crispy oven-baked pork hocks with red wine gravy
    Home » Recipes » Bread and scones recipes

    Best sultana scones

    Published: Sep 3, 2022 · Modified: May 29, 2024 by VJ · This post may contain affiliate links · Leave a Comment

    Jump to recipe Jump to video

    Fluffy, light and buttery, this easy recipe makes the best sultana scones. They rise to magnificent heights and are packed with juicy fruit. These fruity scones are perfect for slathering with butter while still warm from the oven, or why not spoil yourself and add a spoonful of whipped cream?

    A pile of sultana scones on a baking tray.
    Jump to:
    • Sultana scones
    • Tips for perfect scones
    • What you will need
    • What to do
    • Variations
    • Freezing and storage
    • Save for later
    • Related recipes
    • 📋The recipe

    Sultana scones

    It might be a bit of a bold claim to say that these are the best sultana scones ever, but I'll leave it up to you to decide for yourself!

    These sultana scones are soft, light, buttery and melt-in-the-mouth delicious. They are exactly what you expect when you bite into a scone. With the first bite, you experience the softness of the texture, but as you continue to chew, the buttery flavour comes to the fore, with little pops of sweetness from the juicy sultanas. These are scones as they are meant to be made!

    I like to eat them with fresh butter (you might like to try and make your own homemade butter - it's really easy), but there's nothing to stop you from spreading them with jam, or even jam and cream.

    There's always a debate that goes on around the order in which jam and cream should be spread on scones. Some people say jam first, others say you should add the cream first. As far as I'm concerned, it's jam first, followed by a spoonful of whipped cream. Have you ever tried spreading jam on top of cream? The cream goes everywhere.

    The other bone of contention around scones is the pronunciation. I'm from the north of England, and up there we pronounce it 'scon' to rhyme with 'gone'. Other (probably posher people) pronounce it 'sc-one' to rhyme with 'own'.

    And just to add to the confusion, we were on a touring holiday in Scotland a few years back and we arrived in the village of Scone - which is pronounced 'Scoon' to rhyme with 'boon'!

    The other thing I love about these scones is how easy they are to make. If you have a spare half an hour, that's all it will take you to have these sultana scones baked and ready to eat. All you will have to do then, is wait for them to cool down enough to spread the butter on.

    Two buttered sultana scones on a brown plate with a knife.

    Tips for perfect scones

    • Tip number 1 - handle the dough as little as possible. I don't even roll the dough with a rolling pin, I just press it gently until it is the thickness I need.
    • Tip number 2 - when cutting the scones don't twist the scone cutter. If you twist it you will pull the edges of the scones and they won't rise evenly. Just press down and lift.
    • Tip number 3 - to prevent the scones from sticking to the cutter, dip it in flour before cutting the scones.
    • Tip number 4 - keep all your ingredients as cold as possible. Use the butter and milk straight from the refrigerator - don't let them come to room temperature.

    What you will need

    Equipment

    You will need a mixing bowl. I like this earthenware one because it's big enough to let you lift the flour and butter when you rub the butter into the flour, without the flour going all over the table.

    You will also need a scone cutter. If you don't have a scone cutter you can use a drinking glass to cut out the scones.

    A rolling pin is nice to have, but not essential. I find it easiest to press the dough to the required thickness using my hands.

    And finally, you will need a baking tray for baking the scones. You can brush the tray with oil to prevent the scones from sticking or line it with baking parchment.

    Ingredients

    This recipe makes 12 scones.

    **You can get the complete recipe for making sultana scones on the printable recipe card at the end of this post**

    Ingredients for the best sultana scones.
    • Flour - plain all-purpose flour. You can use self-raising flour if that's all you have handy, but then you should leave out the baking powder.
    • Baking powder - this helps the scones rise - you will need one teaspoon of baking powder per cup of plain flour.
    • Egg - large or medium, it doesn't matter. This will be mixed with milk to give the liquid component to the scones.
    • Milk - full-fat or semi-skimmed. This is mixed with the egg to make one cup of liquid.
    • Sugar - I used caster sugar, but you could substitute it with granulated sugar.
    • Butter - adds the buttery softness to the scones. You can substitute with yellow baking margarine but you won't get quite so much buttery flavour. Also, make sure the butter is used from the refrigerator - don't let it come to room temperature. Cold butter will coat the flour much better than warmer butter, and lead to a lighter scone.
    • Sultanas - I like using plump sultanas but you can substitute them with any dried fruit such as raisins or currants.
    • Salt (optional) - a little salt adds to the flavour.

    What to do

    Cubed butter in a mixing bowl with flour.

    Place the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt (if using) into a mixing bowl. Cut the butter into cubes and add.

    Butter and flour rubbed together to form breadcrumbs.

    Use your fingertips and rub the butter into the flour mixture until the butter is completely incorporated and the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.

    Lift the flour and butter as you rub, to incorporate as much air as possible into the mixture.

    Sultanas being added to the scone dough.

    Add the sultanas and mix to distribute them evenly through the flour.

    Egg and milk in a mixing bowl with flour mixture.

    Break the egg into a measuring cup and beat it lightly with a fork. Top up with milk until you have one cup of liquid.

    Make a well in the flour and pour in the egg and milk.

    A ball of scone dough ready to be rolled.

    Use a flat-bladed knife or a spatula and mix the liquid into the flour until it starts to come together, then tip out onto a lightly floured work surface and gently press the dough together with your hands.

    Handle the dough as little as possible and do not knead.

    Scone dough being cut into scones.

    Using your hands, gently press the dough into a circle of approximately one inch or 2-centimetre thickness (or use a rolling pin).

    Cut rounds using a scone cutter and transfer the scones to a greased or lined baking tray.

    12 unbaked scones on a baking tray.

    Brush the top of the scones lightly with milk.

    12 baked scones on a baking tray.

    Bake in a preheated oven (200C / 400F) for 15 to 20 minutes until the scones are lightly browned on top.

    Remove them from the oven and leave them to cool on the baking tray.

    If you'd like to be notified of new recipes, why not subscribe to my newsletter? To say thank you, you will receive a free recipe e-book containing some of my most popular cakes and desserts.

    Two halves of buttered sultana scones on a plate with a bite taken out of one.

    Variations

    This recipe makes the best cheese scones. Just swap out the sultanas for a cup of grated cheddar cheese. You may also like to snip a few chives into the mix too, and sprinkle the top of the scones with additional grated cheese before baking.

    Freezing and storage

    Can I freeze these scones?

    Yes, allow the scones to cool then pack them into a suitable freezer container. Freeze for up to 6 months.
    Let them defrost on the kitchen counter and reheat them in a hot oven for 5 minutes, or pop them into the microwave for 20 to 30 seconds.

    How long will the scones stay fresh?

    These scones will stay fresh for up to 3 days. After that, they will still be edible but may have started to dry out.
    I keep my scones in a Ziploc bag in my breadbin.

    Save for later

    If you'd like to try out these sultana scones, why not save the recipe to one of your Pinterest boards? Just click on the image below.

    Alternatively, you can save the recipe by clicking on the floating heart icon on the right-hand side of the screen.

    Related recipes

    If you enjoy baking scones and muffins you may like to try some of my other easy recipes too:

    • A pile of lemonade scones with the top one spread with jam.
      Lemonade Scones - with only 3 ingredients
    • 4 slices of apple and raisin focaccia on a white plate with apples in the background.
      Apple and raisin focaccia
    • A scone covered in strawberry jam in front of a pile of scones.
      Quick and easy homemade scones - only 4 ingredients
    • 3 apple and oat muffins on a cooling rack.
      Easy mix spiralizer apple and oat muffins

    You can find these and many more recipes on my bread and scones recipes page.

    📋The recipe

    A pile of sultana scones on a baking tray.

    Best sultana scones

    Fluffy, light and buttery, this easy recipe makes the best sultana scones. They rise to magnificent heights and are packed with juicy fruit. These fruity scones are perfect for slathering with butter while still warm from the oven, or why not spoil yourself and add a spoonful of whipped cream?
    Recipe by: Veronica
    Baking
    British
    Calories 254
    Prep 10 minutes minutes
    Cook 20 minutes minutes
    Total Time 30 minutes minutes
    Servings: 12 scones
    Print Pin Comment Bookmark Saved!
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    4.17 from 6 votes

    (Click the stars to rate this recipe)

    Equipment

    • Mixing bowl
    • Measuring jug
    • Scone cutter
    • Rolling Pin optionl
    • Baking tray
    • Baking parchment optional

    Ingredients

    • 3½ cups / 490 grams plain all-purpose flour
    • 3½ teaspoons baking powder
    • 3½ ounces / 100 grams butter
    • ⅓ cup / 80 grams caster sugar
    • 1 large egg
    • ¾ cup milk or enough to make one cup of liquid with the egg
    • ¾ cup /100 grams sultanas
    • ½ teaspoon salt optional

    Instructions

    • Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F
    • Place the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt (if using) into a mixing bowl. Cut the butter into cubes and add.
      3½ cups / 490 grams plain all-purpose flour, 3½ teaspoons baking powder, ⅓ cup / 80 grams caster sugar, ½ teaspoon salt, 3½ ounces / 100 grams butter
    • Use your fingertips and rub the butter into the flour mixture until the butter is completely incorporated and the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
    • Add the sultanas and mix to distribute them evenly through the flour.
      ¾ cup /100 grams sultanas
    • Break the egg into a measuring cup and beat it lightly with a fork. Top up with milk until you have one cup of liquid.
      Make a well in the flour and pour in the egg and milk.
      1 large egg, ¾ cup milk
    • Use a flat-bladed knife or a spatula and mix the liquid into the flour until it starts to come together, then tip out onto a lightly floured work surface and gently press the dough together with your hands.
    • Using your hands, gently press the dough into a circle of approximately one inch or 2 centimetre thickness (or use a rolling pin).
      Cut rounds using a scone cutter and transfer the scones to a greased or lined baking tray.
    • Brush the top of the scones lightly with milk.
    • Bake in a preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes until the scones are lightly browned on top.
      Remove them from the oven and leave them to cool on the baking tray.

    Notes

    Tips for perfect scones
    • Tip number 1 - handle the dough as little as possible. I don't even roll the dough with a rolling pin, I just press it gently until it is the thickness I need.
    • Tip number 2 - when cutting the scones don't twist the scone cutter. If you twist it you will pull the edges of the scones and they won't rise evenly. Just press down and lift.
    • Tip number 3 - to prevent the scones from sticking to the cutter, dip it in flour before cutting the scones.
    • Tip number 4 - keep all your ingredients as cold as possible. Use the butter and milk straight from the refrigerator - don't let them come to room temperature.

    Nutrition

    Serving - 1scone | Calories - 254kcal | Carbohydrates - 40.8g | Protein - 5.4g | Fat - 7.9g | Saturated Fat - 4.7g | Cholesterol - 35mg | Sodium - 296mg | Potassium - 223mg | Fiber - 1.2g | Sugar - 8.8g | Vitamin D - 6µg | Calcium - 93mg | Iron - 2mg

    I am not a nutritionist. The nutrition information has been calculated using an on-line calculator, and is intended for information and guidance purposes only. If the nutrition information is important to you, you should consider calculating it yourself, using your preferred tool.

    Unless otherwise stated, a cup is the standard US cup containing 240 ml. In all my recipes this cup is assumed to hold 140g of flour. For help converting other ingredients between cups, grams, ounces and other measures, see my recipe conversion calculator.
    All my recipes are developed and tested at sea-level. For tips on adjusting recipes for high altitudes see my post on baking at high altitudes.
    Tried this recipe?If you made this recipe I'd love it if you could leave me a comment and let me know how it went!
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter

    If you made this recipe and enjoyed it, I'd love it if you could give me a star rating in the comments below. And if you'd like to get in touch, you can email me at [email protected]. I'd love to hear from you. And don't forget to subscribe to my mailing list so you can grab yourself a copy of my FREE COOKBOOK!

    If you'd like to continue browsing, just click on this link to all my recipes.

    More Bread and scones recipes

    • Close up of slices of honey oat apple and banana loaf on a wooden board.
      Honey oat and apple banana loaf
    • Close up of a bran flake honey muffin on an opened paper liner.
      Bran flake honey muffins
    • Italian almond biscotti on a cooling rack.
      Italian almond biscotti
    • Two halves of a cheese and bacon cornbread muffin showing the inside.
      Cheese and bacon cornbread muffins
    26 shares
    • Share on Facebook
    • Tweet

    About VJ

    Before I started my food blog I was an IT Consultant. Now that I've swapped an office for a kitchen I have a lot more time to spend on things that interest me such as trying out new recipes. Most of my cooking is based around quick and easy meals, mostly made from scratch, using everyday pantry ingredients.

    Reader Interactions

    4.17 from 6 votes (6 ratings without comment)

    Did you make this recipe? Let me know! Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    A picture of Veronica in the garden in front of a pink-flowering shrub.

    Hi, I'm Veronica! Welcome to my little kitchen. Step inside and browse my collection of recipes collected over the years.

    More about me →

    Readers favourites

    These are my most viewed recipes:

    • Sliced silverside on a plate with carrots and potatoes.
      Slow-cooker beef silverside
    • Slices of oven-baked gammon on a serving dish.
      Easy oven-baked gammon
    • Overhead shot of a white serving bowl filled with beef and kidney stew. There is a large wooden spoon at the side of the bowl.
      Slow-cooker beef and kidney stew
    • A slice of bacon and egg pie on a plate
      Proper bacon and egg pie
    • A pile of crusty German bread rolls.
      Crusty German bread rolls (Brotchen)
    • A dish of twice-cooked pork belly garnished with sesame seeds and spring onions.
      Twice cooked pork belly - with a sticky glaze

    Footer

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Disclaimer

    Subscribe

    • Subscribe to my newsletter and get a free recipe ebook.

    Contact

    • Contact

    As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2025 www.foodleclub.com

    Copyright © 2025 Foodleclub.com

    Rate This Recipe

    Your vote:




    A rating is required
    A name is required
    An email is required

    Recipe Ratings without Comment

    Something went wrong. Please try again.