Delight your taste buds with these Earl Grey Scones! These easy-to-make scones are made with flavorful Earl Grey Tea and are the perfect treat for any time of day.
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Scones and tea are a favorite at our house, and these tea scones are bursting with another favorite, Earl Grey tea. You will love the delicious, crunchy edges and the moist centers. Enjoy them on their own or pair them with a cup of coffee or tea for an extra delicious experience.
Table of contents
What is a Scone?
A scone is a type of baked treat that can be served either savory or sweet. It is typically made from flour, butter, and milk, and often flavored with ingredients such as honey, fruit, and nuts. The shape of most scones is round or triangular, but this is not a hard rule, as they can be shaped as a square or even a hexagon.
What is Earl Grey Tea
- Earl Grey is a type of black tea flavored with bergamot oil. The blend is thought to have been created in the 19th century by Earl Charles Grey, who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1830 to 1834.
- Earl Grey teas are now available in many varieties, such as Earl Grey green tea, Earl Grey oolong, Earl Grey white tea, and Earl Grey rooibos. The distinctive flavor comes from bergamot, which imparts a citrusy note with subtle herbal undertones.
- Compared with other teas, Earl Grey has an added aromatic quality that enhances its flavor profile. Many people enjoy drinking Earl Grey as a hot tea with milk and sugar. Additionally, many cocktails use Earl Grey as an ingredient to add a unique twist to classic drinks like martinis or old-fashioned cocktails.
Baking with tea
Baking with tea brings a delightful tea flavor beyond just the drink! Beyond drinks, tea is a wonderful addition to sweet and savory food recipes. Earl Grey tea is a fabulous flavoring for baked goods such as cakes, scones, and other pastries.
Try our favorite Chai Shortbread Cookies that are filled with delicious warming spices that are deliciously tender.
Oat Tea Biscuits are made with the classic Constant Comment Tea and feature a delicious orange-honey butter topping.
Ingredients
- Flour – For making scones, all-purpose flour is a great choice.
- Sugar – Use regular granulated sugar.
- Baking Powder- This is a great leavening agent for scones.
- Earl Grey Tea – I now use 7 Earl Grey tea bags in this recipe for a stronger tea flavor after retesting the scones. Cut open the tea bags and add the tea leaves directly to the batter. Any Earl Grey tea may be used; however, if using loose tea, grind it to a finer texture so it blends well into the dough. For this recipe, I used Harney and Sons Earl Grey Tea bags.
- Milk -Heavy cream or buttermilk are the best kinds of milk to use for scones. However, you can use what you have on hand and still bake delicious scones.
- Butter – The experts say that the colder the butter, the better for making scones. Some even suggest keeping your butter frozen until you use it. Butter not only gives moistness to this recipe but also a rich flavor.
- Egg – Just one egg is necessary for this recipe to give it a nice rise and structure.
- Vanilla – Vanilla just adds another complementary flavoring to your scones – Earl Grey and vanilla are a classic combination.
- Salt – Barely a dash is needed to enhance all the flavors in this scone recipe.
How to make Earl Grey Scones Recipe: Step by Step
Step 1: Preheat oven to 400°F.
Step 2: Measure flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and Earl Grey Tea into a mixing bowl. Combine dry ingredients.
Step 3: In a separate bowl, whisk together egg, cream, and vanilla.
Step 4: Use a cheese grater to grate the butter, or a pairing knife to cut cold butter into smaller cubes, then add the butter to the flour bowl. Use a pastry cutter to incorporate the butter into the flour mixture.
Step 5: Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until combined, forming a dough ball.
Step 6: Flour a clean surface and roll out the dough with a rolling pin to about a quarter inch thick. Cut the dough into angles to make 8 pieces.
Step 7: Transfer the scones to a parchment-lined baking pan, leaving space between each piece.
Step 8: Bake for about 15-20 minutes or until the edges are golden brown.
Step 9: Let the scones rest and transfer them to a cooling rack. While still slightly warm, top with glaze if desired.
Scone glaze recipe
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons milk
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Optional: Add 1 tablespoon of dried lavender.
Mix these ingredients in a small bowl until smooth, then drizzle over cooled scones with a spoon. Let it sit for 30 minutes so the glaze can harden.
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How to store scones
- Storing Earl Grey scones is not complicated, but it does require some care and attention to keep them soft and delicious for as long as possible. The primary goal is to keep them away from moisture, heat, and light.
- For short-term storage of freshly baked Earl Grey scones, wrap them in a clean kitchen towel and store at room temperature.
- If you want to keep Earl Grey scones for longer, put them in an airtight container, bag, or plastic wrap before refrigerating or freezing, where they can last up to 3 months. The key is to make sure the Earl Grey scones are completely cooled before putting them away, since any trapped heat could make them soggy.
- To revive baked Earl Grey scones stored in the refrigerator or freezer, simply warm them in the microwave for a few seconds before serving.
Tips for Making the Best Scones
Making Earl Grey scones is an easy and delicious way to enjoy a special treat! Whether you’re a baking aficionado or just getting started, here are some tips that will help you make the best scones possible:
- Use high-quality Earl Grey tea for the best flavor. When baking with tea, I like to use tea from tea bags as they are already ground to the perfect size.
- Make sure to use cold butter when making scones – this helps create a flaky texture.
- Don’t over-mix the dough as this will lead to tough scones.
- Brush the tops of the scones with cream or butter to give them a golden color once baked.
- For an extra layer of flavor, try topping them with a lavender glaze! The citrus notes of Earl Grey perfectly complement the sweet and fragrant taste of lavender.
- If you like citrus, try these Mandarin Orange Scones, Cranberry Orange Scones or Blueberry Lemon Scones. All of these recipes are easy to make and delicious.
Scone FAQ’s
Yes, you can freeze unbaked and baked scones.
1. For unbaked scones, set the scones on a plate or tray and lay a piece of plastic wrap over them. Set in the freezer for several hours until frozen, then remove them, wrap them in plastic wrap, and place them in a freezer bag. Bake as directed in the instructions, adding a couple of extra minutes for baking.
2. Bake baked scones – Wrap the cooled baked scones in plastic wrap then place them in a freezer container for up to three months. Let defrost on the counter before eating.
Place the baked scones on a baking sheet and set them in a 300-degree F. oven for 10 minutes. Or simply warm them up in the microwave.
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Earl Grey Scones
Ingredients
- 2 cups AP flour
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 6 teabags Earl Grey Tea 1 teabag=1 teaspoon (use 7 teabags for more flavor)
- ½ cup cream can use half and half, milk, or buttermilk
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter very cold
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Scone Glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons milk can use cream
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon dried lavender optional
Instructions
How to make Earl Grey Scones
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Measure flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Open the Earl Grey Tea bags and add the dry to the flour mixture. Mix well to combine.
- In a small bowl, whisk together egg, milk, and vanilla. Set aside.
- Cut cold butter into small cubes and then add to the flour mixture. Use a pastry cutter to incorporate the butter into the flour mixture until you get pea-sized crumbs. You can also use two knives and cut the butter into the flour in a criss-cross fashion.
- Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix to combine until the mixture is moistened forming a dough ball.
- Pour the dough onto a floured clean surface and work the dough into a ball with your hands. Then roll out the dough into an 8-inch circle with a rolling pin to about a quarter inch thick. You can also just use your hands to create the dough circle.
- Cut dough to make 8 triangles using a sharp knife or a bench scraper and transfer the scones to a parchment-lined baking pan leaving space between each piece.
- Bake for about 15-20 minutes or until the edges are golden brown.
- Let the scones rest and transfer them to a cooling rack. While still slightly warm, top with glaze if desired.
How to make the scone glaze
- In a small bowl, add all of the glaze ingredients and mix until smooth. Drizzle over the scones when cooled. If necessary, add additional milk if the glaze is too thick.If using lavender, you can add to the glaze or sprinkle on top of the glaze.
How to make Mini Earl Grey Scones
- For smaller scones, press dough into two 5-inch discs and cut each into 8 wedges.
Notes
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Nutrition
First published: Jan. 28, 2023, Last updated: March 26, 2023, for better readability.
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About Jere’
From learning to cook on a farm in Indiana to culinary school in California, my passion for food is never-ending. Turning on my oven to bake something for friends and family is my happy place, and I am glad to be here at One Hot Oven sharing both sweet and savory family-friendly recipes for your cooking and baking inspiration.
Recipe is simple to follow. Flavor is good. I agree with others that you could add another tea bag to enhance the flavor (I used Twinnings, so could depend of the brand of tea.) I’ve also seen other recipes up the baking powder to 3 tsps. What I struggled with was rolling them out and cutting them. Rolling to 1/4 inch thickness yields a round much larger than 8 inches – and very thin scones. Next time I’d stick to the 8 inch round regardless of thickness.
Thanks for making the Earl Gray Scones. I will update the recipe card to mention to add another tea bag. It really is hard to get the right thickness for the scones. I’ve started to just pat my dough out and not roll them and then just eyeball what looks good.
I buy earl grey scones from a local scone bakery and have wanted to try making them for a while and these are perfect! we used a little round cutter to make round scones instead of triangles and we got 14 small round scones and they were perfect for our afternoon tea. we didn’t adjust anything else aside from how they were cut (we baked for 10-11 mins at 400). My daughter kissed her fingertips and said chefs kiss! haha 🙂 high praise from an 11 year old 🙂
Well that is a great compliment fror your 11 year old. Thanks for making the recipe.
The scones were good but they needed a little bit more of the Earl Grey flavor. I may try and make them with the double bergamot Earl Grey tea next time. But I liked them
Thanks for the comment. I have made these with different brands of Earl Grey tea and each does have a different flavor. I find the brands of Stash and Bigelow to not be as strong as Tazo or what I like is Harney and Sons teas.
Delicious! My first time making scones, and they turned out really well! I did 7 tea bags instead of 6, and the earl grey flavor was perfect for me.
I am so glad the scones turned out perfect for you. Next time I make them I’m going to add that extra tea bag.
It was my first time to try Earl Grey tea and I loved it! I have tried other tea such as Oolong tea and others. This one gave a lovely taste, especially on scones. The glaze didn’t only make it delicious but also look beautiful. Thanks for this recipe!
I used your tip on storing Earl Grey scones in an airtight container in a freezer and then I just simply warmed them up in the microwave before serving. They were delicious.
I do this too. I love having a warm scone.
Early Grey is my favorite kind of tea so I thought, why not scones? Wowsers, are these good! So moist and not too dense. The glaze puts them over the top!
The best of everything in these scones! I loved the addition of earl grey in the scones to give them an amazing flavor and roll all the flavors of breakfast into one treat! They were delicious!
I love Early Grey tea, so I loved these scones! They were just the right flavor and texture. I had a few left over to heat up for breakfast this week!
Ohh I had never thought to use tea to make scones but these earl grey scones came out with the most comforting flavor!