Strawberry Brown Butter Scones (Printable Version)

Tender scones with fresh strawberries and toasted almonds, enriched by nutty brown butter flavor.

# What You Need:

→ Scones

01 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter
02 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
03 - 1/4 cup granulated sugar
04 - 2 teaspoons baking powder
05 - 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
06 - 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
07 - 1/2 cup cold heavy cream, plus additional for brushing
08 - 1 large egg
09 - 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
10 - 1 cup fresh strawberries, hulled and diced
11 - 1/3 cup sliced almonds

→ Topping

12 - 2 tablespoons sliced almonds
13 - 1 tablespoon coarse sugar, optional

# Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place butter in a small saucepan over medium heat, swirling occasionally until golden brown with nutty aroma, approximately 5-7 minutes. Transfer browned butter to a bowl and chill until firm but still soft, about 15 minutes.
02 - In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until evenly distributed.
03 - Add chilled brown butter to dry ingredients. Using a pastry cutter or fingertips, rub butter into flour until mixture resembles coarse crumbs with pea-sized pieces remaining.
04 - In a separate bowl, whisk together cold heavy cream, egg, and vanilla extract until combined.
05 - Pour cream mixture over flour mixture and gently stir until just combined, avoiding overmixing to maintain tender texture.
06 - Gently fold diced strawberries and sliced almonds into dough, taking care to avoid overmixing and breaking fruit.
07 - Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently pat into a 1-inch thick disk. Cut into 8 equal wedges.
08 - Transfer scone wedges to prepared baking sheet. Brush tops with heavy cream and sprinkle with remaining sliced almonds and optional coarse sugar.
09 - Bake for 18-22 minutes until scones are golden brown and cooked through. Allow to cool slightly before serving.

# Expert Pointers:

01 -
  • Brown butter elevates these from ordinary to something your guests will actually remember and ask you about.
  • The dough comes together in under 20 minutes, so you can pull warm, impressive scones from the oven without spending your whole morning in the kitchen.
  • Fresh strawberries burst with flavor instead of disappearing into the crumb, making every bite taste intentional.
02 -
  • Warm scones taste infinitely better than room-temperature ones, so pull them from the oven when they're just barely set and serve them within 10 minutes if you possibly can.
  • If your brown butter pools at the bottom of the bowl after cooling, it means it separated, and you should gently warm and stir it back together before using it in the dough.
03 -
  • Brown your butter the night before and chill it completely so it's easier to work with and distribute evenly through the dough.
  • If your kitchen is very warm, place your mixing bowl in the freezer for 10 minutes before adding ingredients so the dough stays cold and your scones stay tender.
Go Back