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Cinnamon Date Scones

Cinnamon Date Scones prepared dish

Tender cream scones are lightly spiced with cinnamon and studded with sweet chopped dates. A brief chill before baking helps the butter stay cold, giving the scones a crisp golden edge and soft, flaky center.

This recipe is british style, breakfast, scaled for 8 servings, with 20 min prep and 18 min cook.

Prep: 20 min · Cook: 18 min · Total: 38 min · Serves: 8

Quick cooking notes

  • Core ingredients include all-purpose flour, ground cinnamon, vanilla extract, fine sea salt.
  • Follow all 13 steps in order for the intended texture and doneness.
  • Ingredient quantities listed below are for 8 servings.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1.5 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 0.5 tsp fine sea salt
  • 1 tbsp baking powder
  • 1 tbsp turbinado sugar (for topping)
  • 0.25 cups granulated sugar
  • 0.67 cups heavy cream (cold)
  • 0.75 cups pitted dates (chopped)
  • 1 whole large egg (cold)
  • 0.5 cups unsalted butter (cold and cut into 1/2-inch cubes)

Instructions

  1. Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 400°F (204°C) for at least 15 minutes so the heat is fully stabilized.
  2. Line a rimmed half-sheet pan with parchment paper and set it on the counter; keep the 1/2 cups cold cubed unsalted butter and 2/3 cups cold heavy cream refrigerated until needed so the dough bakes up flaky.
  3. In a large mixing bowl, whisk 2 cups all-purpose flour, 1/4 cups granulated sugar, 1 tbsp baking powder, 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon, and 1/2 tsp fine sea salt for 30 seconds, until the cinnamon is evenly dispersed and no streaks remain.
  4. Add the 1/2 cups cold cubed unsalted butter to the flour mixture, then use a pastry blender or your fingertips to cut it in for 3-4 minutes, until the mixture looks sandy with some pea-size butter pieces still visible.
  5. Stir in 3/4 cups chopped pitted dates with a rubber spatula for about 30 seconds, separating any sticky clumps so the dates are evenly coated in flour.
  6. In a 2-cup liquid measuring cup, whisk 2/3 cups cold heavy cream, 1 cold large egg, and 1 tsp vanilla extract for 30 seconds, until the egg is fully blended into the cream.
  7. Pour the cream mixture over the dry ingredients and fold with a rubber spatula for 45-60 seconds, just until a shaggy dough forms with a few dry bits at the bottom of the bowl; do not keep mixing after the flour is moistened.
  8. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and gently press it together with floured hands for 30-45 seconds, then pat it into a 7-inch round about 1 inch thick with an even top.
  9. Use a floured bench scraper or chef's knife to cut the round into 8 wedges, wiping and flouring the blade as needed so the cuts are clean and the wedges hold their shape.
  10. Transfer the wedges to the prepared half-sheet pan, spacing them at least 2 inches apart, then refrigerate the pan for 10 minutes until the dough feels firm and cool to the touch.
  11. Brush the tops of the chilled scones lightly with any cream mixture left in the measuring cup or a thin film of cold heavy cream from the ingredient amount, then sprinkle evenly with 1 tbsp turbinado sugar.
  12. Bake the scones on the center rack at 400°F (204°C) for 16-18 minutes, rotating the half-sheet pan after 10 minutes, until the tops are golden, the edges are set, and a toothpick inserted into the center of a scone comes out without wet dough.
  13. Transfer the half-sheet pan to a wire rack and let the scones cool on the pan for 5 minutes so the crumb sets, then move them directly to the rack and cool for at least 10 minutes before serving warm or at room temperature.

Nutrition (per serving)

  • Calories: 330
  • Protein: 5 g
  • Fat: 17 g
  • Carbohydrates: 42 g
  • Fiber: 3 g
  • Sugar: 17 g
  • Sodium: 300 mg

Nutrition values are estimates based on stored ingredient totals and serving size.

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