Banana Scones
Banana Scones are light and fluffy, ribboned with fresh banana flavor. They’re perfect for breakfast, brunch, afternoon tea, or a snack.
Table of contents
Why These Are Standout Banana Scones
Between my 7-year stint as pastry chef at a British tea shop and baking for family and friends, I’ve baked, literally, tens of thousands of scones.
If you want to understand what makes a great scone from the ground up, my Classic English Scones are the place to start — but these banana scones hold their own in any company.
Bananas are naturally high in moisture and sugar, which makes them a wonderful baking ingredient.
In these scones, the banana flavor is enhanced with a hint of clove and nutmeg. The dough itself is rich and tender, with warm spice running through every bite.
Why Clove and Nutmeg?
Both spices contain an aromatic compound called eugenol — and so do bananas, in small amounts. That shared chemistry is why these spices don’t just add warmth; they make the banana flavor taste more like itself.
Finally, chopped walnuts add another layer of flavor and a little crunchy texture to the rich scone dough.
They’re perfect as they are, but you can certainly serve them with butter or clotted cream.
Ingredients
Ingredient Notes
- Bananas — I like heavily freckled, very ripe bananas for maximum sweetness and flavor. Mashing them with a fork leaves small chunks for an interesting texture in the finished scone.
🍌Which Bananas to Use
The riper, the better. As bananas ripen, their starch converts to sugar — so a heavily freckled banana is sweeter, softer, and more flavorful than a yellow one. Look for bananas that are more brown speckle than yellow peel.
- All-Purpose Flour — Medium-protein all-purpose flour gives the scones enough structure to rise high in the oven while keeping the crumb tender.
- Buttermilk — Acidic buttermilk tenderizes the dough. If you don’t have fresh buttermilk, buttermilk powder is the best substitute — mix it according to the package directions before adding it to the dough.
- Walnuts — Walnuts and bananas are classic partners. They’re optional, but worth it.
- Cloves & Nutmeg — These spices share an aromatic compound with banana, so they amplify the banana flavor rather than compete with it.
- Sugar — Just enough to lightly sweeten and tenderize the dough. Because the bananas contribute their own sweetness, you don’t need much.
Process Photos
Here’s what the recipe process looks like at each stage. Refer to the recipe card below for measurements and exact instructions.
- Whisk together the dry ingredients and stir in the walnuts.
- Mash the bananas with a fork to form a chunky puree.
- Work the butter into the dry ingredients by squeezing the cubes into flat flakes.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry all at once.
- Mix until mostly combined — a shaggy dough is fine here.
- Turn the dough out onto a generously floured surface.
- Use well-floured hands to bring the dough together, then pat it into a 7″ round.
Baker’s Tip: Sticky Hands?
When you’re working a wet dough by hand, resist the urge to rinse under the faucet — water makes it worse. Instead, dip your hands in flour and rub them together over the trash bin. The flour grabs the sticky dough and rolls right off, leaving your hands dry and ready to keep working.
- Cut the round into 8 wedges with a sharp knife or bench scraper.
- Transfer the wedges to the baking sheet with a spatula; re-shape any that shifted.
- Brush with buttermilk and sprinkle with sugar.
- Bake until golden brown and they feel light when you lift one.
Work Ahead Tips
- The dry ingredients can be whisked together and held at room temperature for several days.
- The wet ingredients can be combined and refrigerated overnight.
- The fully mixed and shaped dough can be held in the refrigerator for several hours or overnight before baking.
Storage
- Banana Scones are best the day they’re baked, but will keep at room temperature for a day.
- Don’t refrigerate baked scones — it makes them go stale faster.
- Baked scones freeze well for up to three months. Defrost at room temperature, then warm in the oven to revive the texture.
More Scone Recipes
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Banana Scones
Ingredients
Scone Dough
- 4 oz unsalted butter (cold)
- 12 ½ oz unbleached all purpose flour (2 ½ cups, see note)
- 5 oz granulated sugar (½ cup + 2 Tbl)
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
- ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 2 oz walnuts (roughly chopped)
- 6 oz ripe bananas
- 4 oz buttermilk (½ cup)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 °F. Line a ½ sheet pan with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- Cut 4 oz unsalted butter into ½" chunks and put it in the refrigerator while you prepare the other ingredients.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together 12 ½ oz unbleached all purpose flour, 5 oz granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon baking powder, ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves, ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg and ½ teaspoon salt. Toss in 2 oz walnuts.
- Using a fork, mash 6 oz ripe bananas into a chunky puree, you should have about 3/4 cup. Combine the banana with 4 oz buttermilk, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and 1 large egg.
- Work the butter into the dry ingredients with your fingers, squashing the chunks into large flakes. Work quickly to avoid melting the butter. Add the banana mixture to the dry ingredients all at once and mix until mostly combined. It will look fairly dry at this point.
- Dump the dough directly onto a generously floured surface. Sprinkle the top of the dough with flour and gently knead just until all the flour is incorporated. Avoid over-mixing. Use plenty of flour as this is a very sticky dough.
- Using well-floured hands, pat the dough a 7” round that is about 1" thick. Use a sharp knife to cut the round into 8 wedges. Don't use a sawing motion, just press straight through the dough with the sharp blade. Wipe the knife between cuts for clean edges on the scones. Transfer the scones to the prepared baking sheet.
- Brush the top of the scones with buttermilk and sprinkle with sugar.
- Bake until well-risen and golden brown, about 15-18 minutes. Serve warm or room temperature.
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