How to Make Best Snickerdoodle Scones Recipe

These Snickerdoodle scones taste just like their snickerdoodle cookie cousins. Full of light flaky layers and the signature cracked top of cinnamon and sugar. Make these for a special brunch or any occasion. 

When it comes to scone flavors, I love the combination of cinnamon and sugar. Add a bit of vanilla and it's like having comfort food to any baker. 

Snickerdoodle cookies are one of those recipes that put a smile on my face with their light and airy texture yet chewy cookie crumb. So, I wanted to see if I could replicate this scone flavor to taste like a snickerdoodle and I have to say, it worked! 

Snickerdoodle spices

In order to make snickerdoodle scones taste authentic, you need to have the right spices. 

• Cream of Tartar– this is an important spice when making this flavor. It not only provides the baked good to rise and have lift, but it also gives the traditional “tang” that you expect to taste. 
• Cinnamon- (I like using this Saigon Cinnamon)  This earthy spice is found in just about any baked good. 
• Sugar- pure cane sugar works wonderfully when mixed together with cinnamon. It provides a crispy sweet topping to your scone.

Related recipe links: Almond scones, clementine scones, peach scones, master scone recipe

Tips for baking scones

When it comes to baking and creating scone flavors, this is probably the easiest scone recipe to create because there are no add-in ingredients like fruits in our blueberry scones, just sugar and spice and everything nice. 

But, there are a few tips you should follow for baking success. 

• Pastry blender or Pastry cutter: (I use this pastry cutter) this is the best tool to use for cutting in butter. If you don't have one, that is ok- just use two knives in a cross-cut fashion.
• Cold butter: Cold, cold, cold butter. It is really important to have COLD BUTTER. Why? Because it will help your pastry rise. It's ok if you see chunks of butter in your dough. 
• Mixing dough: making scones requires light of hand. You do not want to overmix or knead the dough too much. One, it will melt your cold butter, and two because you want layers. If you knead too much, you will make bread, and that is not what you're going for! 
• Parchment paper: (I use this brand parchment paper) I prefer to bake all my scones on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. It helps to give my scones a nice golden brown bottom every time and also provides for easy cleanup. 

Ingredients

• Flour: all-purpose flour (I use this brand always) is great for this recipe.
• Sugar: pure cane sugar is preferred, especially for the topping as it doesn't “melt” when baked.
• Baking Powder: gives your scone all the rise.
• Salt: I always use Kosher salt to even out the sweetness. 
• Butter: COLD butter! I like to use Cabot or Land O Lakes butter.  
• Half & Half: This is my secret ingredient. It creates such a wonderful bite to my scones.
• Cream of Tartar: a spice always needed for classic snickerdoodle recipe. 
• Cinnamon: another spice needed to make this delicious recipe. 
• Sugar: pure cane sugar- I like using Wholesome Brand Cane Sugar when I can find it. 
• Vanilla: I use Neilsen-Massey Madagascar vanilla. SO good. 

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Grab a piece of parchment paper and line a baking sheet. 
• In a large bowl, add flour, 5 Tablespoons sugar, baking powder, salt, cream of tartar, 1 teaspoon cinnamon and mix with a whisk until combined. 
• In a separate small bowl, combine 1/4 cup sugar and 1 Tablespoon cinnamon. Set aside. 
• Add cold butter to flour mixture and cut in with pastry blender. 
• Add vanilla and half and half and stir until just combined. Knead dough gently 4-5 times until flour is incorporated. 
• Place the disc of dough on a piece of parchment paper and roll out in a large circle or rectangle. 
• Cut with round or square biscuit cutter. Repeat until you are able to cut out 12 rounds.
• Place scone rounds on the prepared baking sheet. Brush tops of scones with half and half. Generously sprinkle tops with cinnamon-sugar mixture. 
• Bake 12-15 minutes.
• Cool on wire rack. 

I would love to see what you create, so please share! You can leave a comment below, or give us a follow on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest and be sure to tag us #thesconeblog so we can see and drool over your masterpieces!