These Irish Soda Bread Scones are soft and tender, sweet and salty, with a wonderful flavor. The cinnamon honey butter is the perfect addition and rivals anything you can get in a bakery.
It's been so cold here and there's no sign of it letting up anytime soon. Baking something warm on a cold, lazy Sunday is one of my favorite things to do, and with St. Patrick's Day coming up, these Irish soda bread scones were first on my list.
Despite having something along the lines of an ⅛th of Irish in me, I like to celebrate anyway (any excuse to enjoy corned beef and cabbage gets my vote). But I also like to serve Irish food with a twist for something unexpected. This year, I decided that these Irish soda bread scones would be the perfect way to celebrate.
Unlike some scones, these are pretty soft and, thanks to the sea salt and cinnamon honey butter, have a wonderful balance between sweet and salty. They're tender and flavorful, and so incredibly good just out of the oven!
Something about making these from scratch and then eating them fresh out of the oven just makes me feel like spring is right around the corner. And what makes these scones extra special is the use of both dried cranberries and golden raisins. I'll also use dried cherries if I've got some on hand in place of either.
We like to serve these on their own or as a full brunch with a hash brown breakfast casserole or a cottage cheese egg bake. The great thing about making these recipes together is that they all keep well, so we can enjoy the leftovers throughout the week.
Ingredients
Cinnamon Honey Butter
The cinnamon honey butter is entirely optional, but once you make it, you won't want to go without it. The amounts called for is just enough for the Irish soda bread scones, so feel free to double it to use on pancakes or toast.
- Softened butter
- Powdered sugar
- Honey
- Vanilla extract
- Ground cinnamon
- Coarse salt
Scones
- Unsalted butter
- All-purpose flour
- Old-fashioned oats
- Granulated sugar
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Cranberries: I also make these with dried cherries when I can find them.
- Golden raisins: Regular raisins will also work, but we really enjoy the golden raisins in this recipe.
- Coconut cream
- Buttermilk
- Vanilla extract
- An egg
- Sea salt: for sprinkling on top of the scones
Instructions
Don't be intimidated if you've never made Irish soda bread scones before. The key is not to over-mix the dough, so just be gentle with it and they'll turn out perfectly!
- Make the cinnamon honey butter first. You can make it days ahead of time or just before you make the scones. Just add all the ingredients to a mixing bowl and beat until it's light and fluffy. Then scrape it into a small dish and set it aside while you make the scones. If you're making it in advance, cover and refrigerate it, then just let it come to room temperature while you're making the scones.
- First things first: preheat your oven to 375°F so it's ready once the scones are mixed and sliced.
- Next, melt the butter until it's golden brown, which will add a wonderful depth of flavor.
- Now you'll whisk together the flour, oats, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and dried cranberries + the golden raisins.
- Next comes the buttermilk, coconut cream, vanilla, and melted browned butter, which you'll fold into the dry ingredients with a spatula. This is the important part: fold it in gently just until the flour mixture is moistened. You don't want to over-mix it!
- Then you'll turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and, using your hands, knead it gently until the dough comes together. Sometimes the dough is a bit too wet; if this happens, just add additional flour one tablespoon at a time until it's perfect.
- Divide the dough in half. Shape each half into a ball, then flatten each ball into an 8-inch round. Cut each round into pieces.
- On a parchment-lined baking sheet, add the scones you just cut into pieces. They should be separated by a few inches to prevent them from sticking. Brush the tops with beaten egg, and sprinkle with a good pinch of sea salt (this adds so much flavor)!
- Now just bake them until they're golden brown, about 20-25 minutes, then remove them from the oven and let them cool for about 20 minutes.
- Slather them with the cinnamon honey butter and serve them with a hot cup of coffee or tea. You can also store them in an airtight container for up to a week. They also make a wonderful homemade gift!
Tips
- Use real buttermilk if you can: The reaction between buttermilk and baking soda is what gives soda bread its rise and classic texture. If you can't find buttermilk, add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar to 1 cup milk and let it sit 5 minutes.
- Don't overmix the dough: Mix just until the dough is moistened and comes together. Overworking it can make the scones tough instead of tender.
- Handle the dough gently: Pat the dough into shape instead of rolling it aggressively. The less you handle the dough the softer your scones will be.
- Flour lightly: Use just enough flour to prevent the scones from sticking. Too much flour can make them dry and dense.
- Cut them cleanly: Use a sharp knife or bench scraper to cut them into wedges, pressing straight down instead of "sawing". Clean cuts will help them rise evenly.
Related Recipes
Looking for more delicious bread recipes? Try these:
Irish Soda Bread Scones
These Irish Soda Bread Scones are soft and tender, with a burst of flavor from dried cranberries and golden raisins. The cinnamon honey butter isn't a necessity but the scones are even more delicious with it!
Ingredients
Cinnamon Honey Butter
- ¼ unsalted butter, softened
- 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
- 1-2 teaspoons honey
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- large pinch of coarse salt
Scones
- ¼ cup (½ stick) unsalted butter
- 3 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup old-fashioned oats
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup dried cranberries
- ¼ cup golden raisins
- 1 cup coconut cream
- ¾ cup buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 1 teaspoon sea salt, for sprinkling on top
Instructions
- Make the cinnamon honey butter: Add all the ingredients to a mixing bowl and beat until light and fluffy. Place in a small dish and set aside while you make the scones.
- Preheat your oven to 375°F.
- In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat until it's golden brown, about 3 minutes. Remove it from the heat and let it cool.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the flour, oats, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and dried cranberries/golden raisins. Whisk them to combine.
- Pour in the buttermilk, coconut cream, vanilla, and melted browned butter over flour mixture; fold together with a spatula just until the flour mixture is moistened.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and, using your hands, knead it gently until the dough comes together (if the dough is a bit too wet, add additional flour one tablespoon at a time).
- Divide the dough in half. Shape each half into a ball, then flatten each ball into an 8-inch round. Cut each round into pieces.
- On a parchment-lined baking sheet, add the scones (make sure to separate them by a few inches to prevent them from sticking). Brush the tops with beaten egg, and sprinkle with a pinch of sea salt.
- Bake the scones until they're golden brown, about 20-25 minutes.
- Remove them from the oven and let them cool for about 20 minutes.
- Serve immediately or keep them in an airtight container for up to a week.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 481Total Fat: 14gSaturated Fat: 9gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 41mgSodium: 868mgCarbohydrates: 81gFiber: 4gSugar: 32gProtein: 9g
This data was provided and calculated by Nutritionix.
She is also a professional food photographer who specializes in editorial, portrait food photography and styling.
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