Scones are the epitome of a classic British afternoon cream tea. A much loved British tea time treat, scones are supposed to be soft, fluffy and tall.
They are slightly sweet, and are typically served with clotted cream and strawberry jam. Scones are sold across the UK, from luxury tea salons like Fortnum & Mason to rural cafes and supermarkets. However, scones usually contain egg, whether in the mixture itself, or as a glaze. I LOVE scones and so I wanted to create the perfect eggless scones for my family to enjoy. I think this recipe beats any scone I have ever bought, especially when eaten still warm out of the oven.
These eggless scones are:
- Soft, fluffy and moist
- Slightly sweet, ready to be topped with jam
- So simple to make with only 7 ingredients required
- Tastier and more satisfying than any scones you will buy.

Key ingredients for eggless scones:
- Self-raising flour – This flour helps to give the scones their classic tall appearance
- Baking powder – This helps to leaven the dough a little more for more rise
- Butter – Use room temperature butter that can be easily rubbed into the flour to produce breadcrumbs
- Caster sugar – With a finer texture than granulated sugar, caster sugar will dissolve well in the dough
- Whole milk – A higher fat content and more creamy flavour than other milk will help to create a more delicious bake. I do the same for these eggless fairy cakes
- Fresh lemon juice – The addition of lemon juice to the milk creates buttermilk, which breaks down gluten in the flour and produces a softer bake
- Vanilla extract – Use a high quality vanilla extract for a subtle vanilla flavour in your final bake.

Tools I recommend for this recipe
These are the products I use to make these eggless scones. These tools also work great when making cookies like the best eggless sugar cookies.
- Round cookie cutter (around 7cm, with smooth edges)
- Silicone baking mat
- Cooling rack
Tips for success
- Smooth cookie cutter – Use a smooth cookie cutter for a smoother cut and better rise on the scones
- Warm milk – Warm the milk until its warm but not hot. This will warm up the dough slightly to ensure a lovely soft dough for our scones
- Don’t work the dough too much – It’s important not to work the dough too much because we want to keep it soft, otherwise we could end up with flat scones
- Fruit scones – Try adding raisins or sultanas to the dough for eggless fruit scones. I would add the dried fruit to the milk whilst it is warm, before combining everything together
- Clotted cream and jam – Serve with good quality clotted cream and jam for the complete afternoon tea experience. In particular, a good quality jam will enhance the overall flavour of the scone. My favourite jam and the one I would always recommend is the Bonne Maman Strawberry Conserve.

Can you freeze these eggless scones?
You can freeze these eggless scones after they have been baked. Freeze on the day of baking. To serve, bring the scones back up to room temperature, and heat in the oven for 5 minutes on a low heat (around 140c), before serving.
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Eggless scones
- Total Time: 26 minutes
- Yield: 6 scones 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
An easy and quick recipe for delicious eggless scones that are soft, fluffy and moist. Perfect served with clotted cream and jam.
Ingredients
- 260g self-raising flour, sieved
- 1 level teaspoon baking powder
- 60g butter, room temperature
- 2 tablespoons caster sugar
- 130ml whole milk
- 1 level teaspoon vanilla extract
- Squeeze of lemon juice (around 1/2 teaspoon)
- Splash of milk, to glaze
- Clotted cream and jam, to serve
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 180c, and line a baking tray with a silicone mat or parchment paper. Place the baking tray in the oven to heat up.
- Tip the self-raising flour into the bowl with a pinch of salt and the baking powder. Mix everything together until combined.
- Add the butter to the bowl, and rub everything together until it resembles fine breadcrumbs.
- Stir in the caster sugar to the bowl. Make a well in the centre of the bowl and set aside.
- Pour the milk into a jug, and heat for around 30 seconds until warm. Add the lemon juice and vanilla extract to the jug. Set aside for a minute.
- Pour the milk mixture into the well in the bowl, and quickly start to combine everything together until you have a wet mixture.
- Tip the mixture out onto a floured surface. Fold over a couple of times until you have a soft dough. Do not knead or overwork the dough.
- Use the cutter to cut around 3 rounds. Repeat the process until you have around 6 scones. Remove the baking tray from the oven, and place the rounds onto the hot lined baking tray. Brush each round with milk.
- Bake for 11 minutes, until the scones have risen. They won’t turn golden because there is no egg in the recipe. Allow to cool on a rack. Serve whilst still warm with clotted cream and jam.
Notes
Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
To freeze, freeze on the day of baking. Bring back up to room temperature, and then heat in the oven at a low setting for 5 minutes, before serving.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 11 minutes
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: British
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 scone
- Calories: 262
- Sugar: 4.8g
- Fat: 9.4g
- Carbohydrates: 39.7g
- Protein: 5.2g
- Cholesterol: 23.7g
Keywords: eggless scones
These turned out so well!
★★★★★
I’m so glad you enjoyed the scones!