These matcha scones are soft and fluffy with crispy edges and sweet matcha icing on top. No dry or dense scones here! They're a fun matcha green tea twist on classic scones that make an easy breakfast or snack.
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This is the recipe for you if matcha scones sound like your ideal sweet breakfast treat or snack. They're the perfect baked goods to make the night before and bake them off in the morning for fresh scones every day.
Why you'll love this recipe
- Soft and fluffy scones. No dry scones here. These scones are tender with crisp edges.
- Matcha flavour in both the scones and icing. Use your favourite ceremonial grade matcha for the best matcha flavour and colour.
- Easy to make recipe. No special tools needed so anyone can make these scones.
Tools
You don't need any special tools or equipment to make these scones. You only need your hands, some mixing bowls, and a baking sheet to bake the scones on.
I've listed a few tools here that will make things a bit easier for you if you have them on hand but they're optional and you don't need them to make this recipe successfully.
- Dough blender (optional) - A dough blender cuts butter into small pieces and mixes them into flour without the need to get your hands messy. They're also great because the warmth from your hands won't warm the butter. I actually prefer to use my fingers to break down the butter pieces because I can feel them better and find any large pieces easier. If you like using a dough blender, use it, otherwise just use your hands.
- Bench scraper (optional) - A bench scraper is useful for cutting the scone dough into wedges and lifting them off of the counter. If you don't have one, you can just use a knife.
- Piping bag (optional) - The matcha icing in this recipe is a thick consistency so you'll need a piping bag if you want to pipe a drizzle of icing on top of your scones. You can also use a ziploc bag or smooth the icing on the scones with a spoon.
- Baking sheet - You'll need a baking sheet or baking tray lined with parchment paper to bake the scones on.
Ingredients
As always, the full recipe card with ingredient amounts and instructions is at the bottom of this post! Keep reading for more details on each ingredient or skip ahead to the recipe.
- All-purpose flour
- Granulated sugar
- Matcha powder - Use a ceremonial-grade matcha powder or a high-quality culinary-grade matcha powder. I prefer using ceremonial grade matcha for the best flavour and most vibrant green colour.
- Baking powder - We're using a full tablespoon of baking powder because we want the scones to rise upwards rather than spread outwards.
- Salt
- Unsalted butter - Use cold butter straight from the fridge. Cut the butter into small cubes to make breaking them down to pea-sized pieces easier. After cubing the butter, you can put it back in the fridge until you need it to ensure that it's always cold.
- Heavy cream - This should also be cold, straight from the fridge.
- Egg - Also cold!
- Vanilla extract
- Coarse sugar - For sprinkling on top of the scones for a bit of extra crunch. You can use any coarse sugar with large crystals like turbinado sugar or demerara sugar. If you don't have any on hand, just use granulated sugar.
- Powdered sugar - This is optional if you want to add matcha icing on top of the scones.
How to make matcha scones
For the scones
Prep - Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
Mix dry ingredients - In a large mixing bowl, stir together flour, sugar, matcha powder, baking powder, and salt.
Cut butter into flour - Add the cubed butter and toss to coat in the flour mixture. Break the butter pieces into small pea-sized pieces with a dough blender or by pressing them in between your fingers.
Mix wet ingredients - In a separate medium bowl, whisk together heavy cream, the egg, and vanilla extract.
Add wet mixture - Make a well in the middle of the flour mixture. Pour the wet mixture into the well and mix until it forms a soft and crumbly dough. Some dry patches are fine but the dough should hold together when pressed.
Press dough together - Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. With floured hands, press the dough together into a flattened disc shape that's about 1" thick.
Cut dough - Use a bench scraper or a knife to cut the dough into 8 wedges. Transfer them to your lined baking sheet, leaving about 2" in between each one.
Chill and preheat - Place the entire baking sheet into the fridge to chill while you preheat the oven to 400°F.
Brush scones - Right before baking, brush the tops of each scone with a thin layer of heavy cream. Sprinkle coarse sugar on top of the cream.
Bake - Bake scones for 18-20 minutes or until the tops are lightly golden brown. Let them cool on the baking sheet until firm enough to transfer to a wire rack.
For the icing
Mix - In a small bowl, stir together powdered sugar, matcha powder, and heavy cream until it becomes a thick but fluid icing. If it's too thick, add a bit more cream. If it's too thin, add a bit more powdered sugar.
Drizzle - Transfer the icing to a piping bag, cut the tip off, and drizzle it on top of each scone, or simply add a dollop on top of each one with a spoon.
Storage
These matcha scones can be stored in an airtight container or covered with plastic wrap at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Scones are best when freshly baked so I'd recommend only baking what you can finish for the day and keeping the rest of the dough wedges in the fridge to bake fresh the next day.
Freezing
These scones can be frozen by placing them in an airtight container or wrapping them well with plastic wrap and/or aluminium foil and freezing for up to 1 month.
Thaw in the fridge overnight or at room temperature for several hours.
Tips for success
- Always keep the butter cold. Pockets of cold butter that melt during baking are what make scones fluffy rather than dense. You should work quickly with cold butter and keep other ingredients like the heavy cream and egg cold as well. If the butter has softened too much while you're working with it, feel free to pop the bowl or dough back in the fridge for about 15 minutes before working on it again.
- Don't overwork the dough. This dough does not need to be kneaded or worked very much. You should only mix it until the flour is saturated and press it together to shape the dough. Overworking the dough encourages gluten formation and mashes the butter pieces into the dough too much, both of which cause scones to be dense and tough.
- Chill the scones while the oven is preheating. This goes hand in hand with keeping the butter cold. Chilling the scones before baking them allows any softened butter to firm up and helps the scones hold their shape and rise up instead of spreading out.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, you can make the dough ahead of time, cut it into wedges, and store them in the fridge for up to 3 days or freezer for up to 1 month. Bake them fresh when you want to eat them.
For taller scones, start with thicker dough wedges. Don't flatten the dough as much before you cut it into wedges. Chill the dough in the fridge before baking to prevent the scones from slumping when baked.
More matcha recipes to try
- Matcha Muffins
- Matcha Chiffon Cake Sandwiches
- Matcha White Chocolate Cookies
- Matcha Almond Croissants
- Matcha Basque Cheesecake
Recipe
Matcha Scones
Equipment
- 1 dough blender, optional
- 1 bench scraper, optional
- 1 piping bag, optional
Ingredients
Scones
- 240 g all-purpose flour
- 100 g granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon matcha powder, ceremonial grade or high-quality culinary grade
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 115 g unsalted butter, cold and finely cubed
- 115 g heavy cream, cold
- 1 large egg, cold
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon heavy cream, for brushing on scones
- 3 tablespoons coarse sugar, for sprinkling
Icing (optional)
- 50 g powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon matcha powder, ceremonial grade or high-quality culinary grade
- 4 teaspoons heavy cream
Instructions
Scones
- Prep: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Mix dry ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, stir together flour, sugar, matcha powder, baking powder, and salt.
- Cut butter into flour: Add the cubed butter and toss to coat in the flour mixture. Break the butter pieces into small pea-sized pieces with a dough blender or by pressing them in between your fingers.
- Mix wet ingredients: In a separate medium bowl, whisk together heavy cream, the egg, and vanilla extract.
- Add wet mixture - Make a well in the middle of the flour mixture. Pour the wet mixture into the well and mix until it forms a soft and crumbly dough. Some dry patches are fine but the dough should hold together when pressed.
- Press dough together: Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. With floured hands, press the dough together into a flattened disc shape that's about 1" thick.
- Cut dough: Use a bench scraper or a knife to cut the dough into 8 wedges. Transfer them to your lined baking sheet, leaving about 2" in between each one.
- Chill and preheat: Place the entire baking sheet into the fridge to chill while you preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Brush scones: Right before baking, brush the tops of each scone with a thin layer of heavy cream. Sprinkle coarse sugar on top of the cream.
- Bake: Bake scones for 18-20 minutes or until the tops are lightly golden brown. Let them cool on the baking sheet until firm enough to transfer to a wire rack.
Icing
- Mix: In a small bowl, stir together powdered sugar, matcha powder, and heavy cream until it becomes a thick but fluid icing. If it's too thick, add a bit more cream. If it's too thin, add a bit more powdered sugar.
- Drizzle: Transfer the icing to a piping bag, cut the tip off, and drizzle it on top of each scone, or simply add a dollop on top of each one with a spoon.
Anonymous
Can I skip the heavy cream on top?
Gail Ng
Yes, that would be fine. If you want them to turn out more golden brown, you can also brush the tops with egg wash instead of heavy cream.
Miki
When baking from frozen, do you need to thaw ahead of time? Or just adjust baking time?
max
they turned out so well i will be making these many more times 🙂