1 hour 32 minutes

Starbucks Vanilla Scone Recipe

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Want more Starbucks Vanilla Scones without the drive and the price tag? Then you’ve come to the right place! This copycat Starbucks Vanilla Scone Recipe uses two secret ingredients to make the BEST scones that taste just like the ones you’ve come to love!

Three vanilla scones on a small wooden board with a mug of coffee in the background.


 

You Won’t Believe How Good This Vanilla Bean Scone Starbucks Copycat Recipe Is!

Prepare to be amazed at how deliciously amazing these copycat vanilla scones are! And don’t worry, they don’t come at the expense of a long baking process or even a lengthy ingredients list.

To make this the very best Starbucks scones copycat recipe I made them with two secret ingredients that really make these the BEST! Without them, they’d just be an ordinary vanilla scone.

Ready for the secret ingredients? Cake flour and vanilla bean paste! Simple yet incredibly effective in baking up lightly crisp, tender scones with a standout vanilla flavor!

Mini vanilla scones on a white plate.

Rebecca’s Recipe Review

Taste: Delicious, cozy vanilla flavor that goes great with a cup of coffee or tea.

Texture: This recipe trades all-purpose flour in for cake flour to deliver the best tasting and textured scones out there! Cake flour has a lower protein content than all-purpose which results in the scones having a soft, tender crumb, just like you’d get at Starbucks!

Ease: 5/10

Pros: This recipe is quick and easy! The step-by-step instructions take any guesswork out of the equation making it, so you don’t even need kitchen experience to make a batch!

Cons: If the dough gets warm when you’re working with it the scones may spread when baking.

Would I Make This Again? Yes! This budget-friendly recipe delivers you scones for the whole week at a fraction of the cost without sacrificing taste and texture!

Overhead photo of ingredients to make starbucks vanilla bean scones at home.

Vanilla Bean Scones Ingredients

  • cake flour (use my homemade cake flour substitute recipe if you don’t have any on hand)
  • granulated sugar
  • baking powder
  • salt
  • unsalted butter
  • heavy cream
  • large egg
  • vanilla bean paste
  • powdered sugar
  • heavy cream
  • vanilla bean paste
Scones cut into triangles from a disc.
Overhead photo of mini scones on a parchment lined baking sheet.

How To Make Starbucks Scones

  1. Combine cake flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt to a large food processor and pulse.
  2. Cut the cold unsalted butter into cubes and then add it to the flour mixture in the food processor. Pulse until the mixture becomes sandy.
  3. Add the heavy cream, large egg, and vanilla bean paste to the food processor. Pulse the mixture together until dough forms and begins to pull completely away from the sides when mixing.
  4. Divide the vanilla scone dough into three even portions.
  5. Run your hands under cold water and then pat dry. Then, use your hands to shape the portions of dough into balls. Try to handle the dough as little as possible to keep it as cold as possible.
  6. Place one ball of dough onto a piece of parchment paper and then place another piece of parchment paper on top of the dough ball. Roll the ball into a circular disc using a rolling pin.
  7. Slice the disc of dough into triangles using a bench scraper or large chef knife.
  8. Transfer the scones onto a baking sheet that’s lined with parchment paper. Then, repeat the rolling and cutting process on the remaining two balls of dough.
  9. Bake the vanilla scones until the bottom edges are golden brown and the tops are firm to the touch.
  10. Cool the scones on the baking sheet for a few minutes and then transfer them to a cooling rack to finish cooling completely.
  11. Prepare the vanilla glaze by whisking powdered sugar, heavy cream, and vanilla bean paste together. The icing will be thick, just how we want it!
  12. Dip or drizzle the scones with the icing and then place them on parchment paper to allow the icing to set.
Icing for vanilla scones in a bowl with a spoon.
A vanilla bean scone being lifted from a bowl of icing.

Rebecca’s Tips

  • It’s essential to measure your ingredients accurately to prevent the scones from turning out dry and crumbly due to accidentally over-adding dry ingredients. For this reason, I find it’s best to measure dry ingredients using a kitchen scale.
  • The secret to making good scones is not to overmix the dough OR handle the dough so much that it becomes warm. The colder the dough, the better the scones will rise when they’re baked.
  • If you do not have cake flour, you can use my cake flour substitute recipe or use all-purpose flour. If you use all-purpose flour, you will want to use 4 ounces of heavy cream in the scone dough.
  • Instead of using vanilla extract, I opted to use vanilla bean paste, as it has a more intense flavor that brings vanilla bean specks to the scones. If all you have is extract, you can use that.
  • The icing will be very thick. However, I recommend not thinning it with any more liquid otherwise, the icing won’t set/harden.
Baked mini vanilla scones on a parchment-lined baking pan.

How To Serve Vanilla Scones

Serve these vanilla scones once the vanilla icing has had a chance to set up. Then place them on a large serving platter and pair them with a warm cup of coffee or tea!

Enjoy them as a snack, dessert, or when friends or family pop over for a visit!

A small white plate with two petite vanilla bean scones on it.

What To Serve With Scones

Scones taste best when you’re cozied up with one with your favorite cup of coffee or tea! Specifically, this London Fog Latte which is another phenomenal Starbucks copycat recipe.

You can also serve up a batch of these vanilla scones with… more scones! After all, you can never have too many flavor options, especially when you have guests over. Pair them with Strawberry Scones or Cranberry Orange Scones for a fruity option!

If you’re hosting brunch then I’d suggest also enjoying them alongside gooey Easy Overnight Cinnamon Rolls, Jumbo Blueberry Muffins, and even a batch of Strawberry Danish With Cream Cheese!

To balance out the sweetness grab a savory breakfast recipe or two! I’d recommend my hearty Biscuits and Gravy Casserole or this Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole!

Vanilla bean scones on a wooden board.
Starbucks copycat vanilla scones on a white plate.

More Starbucks Copycat Recipes:

If you’ve tried this recipe, please let leave a review in the comments below. I love hearing from you! Don’t forget to tag me – @sugarandsoulco – on Instagram and Pinterest with your photos, or join our Sugar & Soul Show-offs Community and share them there.

Mini vanilla scones on a white plate.
5 from 3 votes

Vanilla Bean Scone (Starbucks Copycat Recipe)


Course Breakfast, Dessert
Cuisine American, British
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Cooling Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 32 minutes
Servings 18 scones
This copycat recipe brings your favorite Starbucks Vanilla Scone to life in your own kitchen for a fraction of the cost!

Equipment

  • Kitchen Scale not required but recommended
  • Large baking sheet
  • Knife
  • 8-cup food processor
  • Measuring Cups
  • Measuring spoons
  • Parchment paper
  • small mixing bowl
  • Whisk

Ingredients
  

Dough

Icing

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 425°F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
  • Add 2½ cups cake flour , ⅓ cup granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon baking powder, and ½ teaspoon salt to an 8-cup (or larger) food processor and pulse for 15 seconds.
    2½ cups cake flour, ⅓ cup granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon salt
  • Cut ¾ cup cold unsalted butter into cubes, add it to the food processor, and pulse until the mixture turns sandy.
    ¾ cup cold unsalted butter
  • Add in 3 ounces cold heavy cream, 1 cold large egg, and 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste and pulse until a dough forms and just begins to pull completely away from the sides while mixing.
    3 ounces cold heavy cream, 1 cold large egg, 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste
  • Divide the dough into 3 even portions (about 8.6 ounces each). Run your hands under cold water and pat dry, then roughly shape the portions of dough into balls using your hand and the counter, then both hands (there will be cracks in the dough. We want to handle the dough as little as possible and keep it as cold as possible.
  • Place a ball of dough on a piece of parchment paper, then place another piece over the top of the ball. Use a rolling pin to roll the ball into a circular disc that is 5 inches in diameter and about ¾-inch thick. Gently use your hands to press in the sides to even out and fill in the cracks a bit – do this by holding your hand palms to the dough with pinkies on the table and thumbs to the sky.
  • Use a bench scraper or large chef knife to slice the disc into 6 triangles. Place the scones on the prepared baking sheet at least 1 inch apart. Repeat the last two steps with the remaining balls of dough.
  • Bake for 9 to 11 minutes, the bottom edges should be golden brown and the tops firm to the touch.
  • Allow the scones to cool on the pan for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely, about 1 hour.
  • Once cooled, prepare the icing by whisking together the 1 cup powdered sugar, 3 ounces heavy cream, and 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste – it will be thick.
    1 cup powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste, 3 ounces heavy cream
  • Dip the scones or drizzle them with the icing and place them on a piece of parchment paper for the icing to set.

Notes

  • The icing will be very thick. However, I recommend not thinning it with any more liquid otherwise, the icing won’t set/harden.
  • If you do not have cake flour, you can use my cake flour substitute recipe or use all-purpose flour. If you use all-purpose flour you will want to use 4 ounces of heavy cream in the scone dough.

Nutrition

Calories: 208kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 38mg | Sodium: 72mg | Potassium: 98mg | Fiber: 0.4g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 366IU | Vitamin C: 0.05mg | Calcium: 40mg | Iron: 0.3mg

Did You Make This Recipe?

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5 from 3 votes (3 ratings without comment)

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