Cherry Almond Scones

Crumbly, pillowy, and unlike any other scone, the cherry almond scones are one of the great pleasures I’ve had to bake and then polish off. There’s simply no reason to have teatime without them.

Scones of any kind are perfection with a cup of tea and clotted cream. But these are a class apart all because of the play of textures. They have a lot going on – the nutty crust is moist and tender; the fresh cherries are juicy and luscious, and the almond slivers are toasted and crunchy. 

How to make cherry almond scones?

I simply can’t resist baking with seasonal fruits, which means every other delicious, buttery, and flaky thing out my oven these days has cherries in it. 

So, after the success of my mango coconut scones, I couldn’t not try the recipe with fresh cherries. I also happened to have dried cherries, so they went in, too (more on this later).

I know the appearance of scones intimidates a lot of bakers. Trust me, the dessert is ridiculously simple to make at home and oodles of fun! 

• Start with whisking whole wheat flour, almond meal, sugar, and baking powder till lump-free. 
• Rub in butter till the texture begins to look like coarse breadcrumbs. The butter has to be chilled. Refrigerate it, if need be.
• Use your fingertips to cut in the butter. They are your best tools. But two knives or a pastry blender work in a pinch too. The ingredients will not be well combined at this point. 
• Incorporate almond milk and almond extract to give the scones that extra dose of nutty flavor, a sweet note and a ribbon of subtle bitterness. 
• At this point, the ingredients should be well moistened. You don’t want excess liquid in scone dough.
• When the dough is starting to form, gently fold in fresh chopped cherries and dried cherries (if you have them).

Baking the cherry almond scones

The dough comes together rather fast. You don’t have to put in any effort to mix or knead it. But because it is boiling hot here, I had to refrigerate it to keep the ingredients from melting into goo. If you feel your dough is getting too soft, pop it in the fridge for two minutes before you bake. 

• Take a parchment sheet and very lightly dust it with flour. The parchment is a life-saver. There is no mess, and the only cleanup required is the bowl you mixed the ingredients in!
• Turn the dough on it. 
• Pat and flatten it into a roughly 8-inch disc with even thickness. 
• Transfer to a tray, and scatter some chopped almonds on top. Press them down a touch.
• Sprinkle powdered sugar and then cut in 8 equal triangles using a sharp knife. 
• Bake for 25 minutes until lightly golden-yellow. 

Variations of scone recipe

The biscuit-like crust, with its intense nutty flavor, pairs gorgeously with fresh cherries. But if you’re craving a touch of decadence, add in chocolate chips. 

There is no better combination than chocolate, cherries, and almond – something I remembered after putting in the scones in the oven. 

As I said before, dried cherries are completely optional. Feel free to omit them or switch them with dried cranberries. 

You can bake the scones with all-purpose flour, regular milk, or cream (to make them richer).

How to make vegan scones?

You have two choices – either use coconut oil or plant-based butter. Make sure the oil is chilled and solid. 

Substitute the raw sugar for palm or cane sugar. You can even use regular white sugar if you’re not looking for vegan-friendly scones. 

How to make gluten-free cherry scones?

My favorite gluten-free flour substitute is buckwheat. It lends a scrumptious flavor to scones and my lavender scones send testament to it. To add a layer of texture, you can combine it with amaranth flour. Take a look at my strawberry & rosemary scones for the exact recipe.

Serving the cherry almond scones

These scones were all about celebrating cherries and enjoying the pop of freshness from juicy fruits. As much as I enjoy using chocolate as a baking essential, it is really nice to let the fruit do the talking.

So, to allow the fruity savor of cherry-filled scones to shine through, I scattered barely a thimble of icing sugar on them. You can, of course, drizzle them with a glaze made of almond milk and icing sugar. 

Once the cherry almond scones cool a bit, separate the triangles with a knife and serve. There is no better company for a good, strong cup of afternoon tea on days when you want, nay need, something just sweet enough to go along with a cuppa while you sit and relax.

If you make these charming scones, please leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! I love getting to connect with you guys. You can also follow me on Instagram & Pinterest for more fabulous recipes.