The Best Peanut Butter Scones Recipe

Homemade peanut butter scones are full of creamy peanut butter and full of buttery layers of tender dough with golden brown crust. Enjoy these fluffy scones for breakfast or an afternoon snack. This easy scone recipe is ready in less than 15 minutes and is a great way to start your day.

I love peanut butter and adding this favorite ingredient was a no-brainer. You don't need a lot to create the peanut butter flavor and the add-in ideas below take this easy recipe up a notch or two! If you like this recipe, you should also try our Nutella Scones and Biscoff Cookie scones. So good! 

If this is your first time making scones don't be nervous. Check out my Master Scone Recipe to get started. It has helpful tips for making any scone recipe whether sweet or savory! Scones are really easy to make and I will walk you through them step by step so you will have a nice, soft scone, one that will rival any coffee shop!

Tools for baking

Before we start to make our homemade scones, it is a great idea to prep our work surface with the ingredients and items we will be using. Here are the go-to baking tools I use for every batch of the best scones.

• Pastry blender we mention this item with every single recipe because it is THE item that will ensure a fluffy outcome for your scones. You can use 2 knives or your hands, but a pastry blender or pastry cutter is best.
• Parchment paper a baking sheet lined with parchment paper is not only great for non-stick baking, but it is also awesome for easy cleanup! No pan scrubbing is needed!
• Mixing bowl should be a large mixing bowl if you want to make this a one-bowl recipe! I mix and also knead the scone dough right in the bowl before turning it out onto a floured surface. 

Secret to Making Good Scones

First, let's go over THREE VERY IMPORTANT THINGS you MUST DO to ensure a perfect flaky scone:

1. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees for at least 20 minutes before baking. A hot oven will help your scones rise tall instead of being flat.
2. Make sure you're using COLD butter. It does not matter if you use cold unsalted butter or salted butter, but it MUST BE COLD. As the butter melts it will allow for air to create flaky scones
3. Minimal handling of the dough. The more you knead the scone dough, the tougher it becomes and you will end up with a flat, hard scone.

Scone ingredients

• All-purpose flour
• Granulated sugar
• Baking powder
• Salt
• Vanilla extract
• Chilled butter, cut into small pieces
• Half-and-half, plus 1 tablespoon
• Creamy peanut butter

How to Make the Best Peanut Butter Scones

Grab your cup of coffee or tea ready and get these nutty wedges into the oven and soon you will be enjoying nice warm and tender scones!

As I mentioned above in the Baking tips section, it is important to preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Be sure to do this at least 20 minutes before you intend to bake.

We are going to mix our dry ingredients first. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt. 

Now, in the flour mixture, we are going to cut in the cold butter with a pastry blender or two knives until it resembles coarse crumbs. You should see lumps of butter and that is exactly what you want.

Next, we are going to add our wet ingredients. With a rubber spatula, stir in 2/3 cup half-and-half until just moistened. If you only have heavy cream That is ok too. Add in your vanilla extract and peanut butter and stir.

On a lightly floured surface, knead dough gently 5 to 10 times and pat into a 1-inch thick round disc shape.

With a sharp knife or bench scraper, cut into 8 wedges and transfer dough triangles onto a prepared baking tray 2- inches apart. I can usually fit all eight on a large prepared baking sheet. If your scone dough is a bit wet, use a large cookie scoop to create drop scones.

With a pastry brush, brush the top of each scone with 1 Tablespoon half-and-half, and sprinkle each top with sugar for a little extra sweetness.

Place cookie sheet with scones in the oven on the middle rack.

Bake until golden brown, which is about 12 to 15 minutes.

Cool on a wire rack.

Serve warm scones with your cup of hot tea or coffee or a glass of cold milk!

How to Store Scones

Store leftover scones in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months, or you can keep them on the counter at room temperature loosely covered with a sheet of plastic wrap.

Ingredient Substitutions For Peanut Butter Scone

• Flour– you can easily make these scones gluten-free by substituting the all-purpose flour with a one-for-one gluten-free flour. You can use Bob's Red Mill or my favorite King Arthur brand, which you can find in most grocery stores.
• Butter– I like baking with Nature Balance vegan sticks. Place in the freezer to ensure it is super cold because this tends to be a little softer than regular butter. Cut into small cubes before cutting into flour mixture. 
• Peanut Butter- If you cannot use peanut butter, you can use any nut butter of your choice, like almond butter, cashew butter, or sun butter. 
• Half and Half- You can use any soy milk, oat milk, or almond milk in place of cream. If you have the coffee-creamer version, that is even better. 

Other scone recipes you should try: Air Fryer Banana Chocolate Chip, Maple Walnut Scones, Cinnamon Chip Scones, Chocolate Chip Scones, 

Peanut Butter Scone Recipe

This easy scone recipe reminds me of my favorite peanut butter cookie recipe. It's warm and comforting and perfect for optional flavor combinations and additions.

The only nut butter I would not recommend using is natural peanut butter. Yes, this is healthier, but it does not bake as well. I have not tried making my own homemade peanut butter (yet!) so I am not sure how that would perform- but I know using store-bought natural turns out gritty and not much flavor. 

Here are other options to try as add-ins for scones: 

• Chocolate Chips: Add a cup of chocolate chips or mini chips to create peanut butter chocolate chip scones! Is there any better combination? 
• Cocoa Powder: Add 1 Tablespoon cocoa powder to dry ingredients and create a chocolate-peanut butter delight. 
• White Chocolate Chips: If you prefer white chocolate over milk chocolate, add some to the batter to see how it tastes! You can do this with peanut butter chips too! 
• Chunky Peanut Butter: I typically use creamy for baking, but adding this ingredient to the scones will provide a little texture and crunch to your delicious recipes. 
• Drizzle on top: If you like your scones topped with a glaze or frosting, try melting chocolate with a little bit of coconut oil or make a peanut butter drizzle (heat in microwave for 30 seconds until runny) in the microwave and pour over the top of the scone.
• Add Jelly: Instead of butter, try adding a schmear of jelly to make peanut butter and jelly scones.

How to Store Scones

Store leftover scones in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months, or you can keep them on the counter at room temperature loosely covered with a sheet of plastic wrap.

What is the Best Temp For Baking Scones? 

Setting the oven to 425 degrees I have found to be the best temperature for baking our easy scones recipe. As mentioned in our baking tips sections, it is important to bake your scones in a preheated, hot oven. This helps to release steam from the butter when baking creating layers of tender scone.  

Peanut butter scones are the perfect way to enjoy a homemade baked treat for all the peanut butter lovers you know!