Oatmeal Scones
These oatmeal scones are craggy, tender, and just sweet enough, with a chewy bite from rolled oats and a honey-kissed crumb that stays moist for days. They come together in about 40 minutes using the same cold-butter technique I teach in my Classic English Scones — and the dough can be made ahead and refrigerated overnight for warm scones with almost no morning effort.
Table of contents
Why These Are Standout Scones
Between my 7-year stint as pastry chef at a British tea shop and baking for family and friends, I have baked, literally, tens of thousands of scones.
If you want to understand exactly what makes a great scone, my Classic English Scones are the place to start — I’ve applied all the knowledge outlined in that post to create this delicious new scone.
These Oatmeal scones are rustic and ever-so-lightly sweet. They are the perfect breakfast or brunch treat.
Oats are a wonderful baking ingredient for many reasons. They’re not only delicious and nutritious, but oats absorb and hold onto moisture. Your scones will have a moist crumb with a lovely chewy note from the rolled oats.
Even better, the oat flavor is enhanced with a hint of cinnamon and a drizzle of honey.
Before the scones go into the oven, they’re topped with a tumble of oats and a sprinkle of sugar for another layer of flavor and texture. Together they form a craggy crust that enhances every bite.
These Oatmeal Scones are perfect as they are, but you can certainly serve them with butter and/or, my favorite, marmalade.
Ingredient Notes
- Oats — For the best texture use old-fashioned rather than quick cooking oats. Quick cooking oats break down more than rolled oats and result in a less hearty crumb.
- 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.
- Honey — Honey not only adds a lovely flavor, but also adds moisture to the scone.
- Sugar — There’s just enough granulated sugar to lightly sweeten and tenderize the dough.
- Cinnamon — Oats and cinnamon are a classic flavor combination that is perfect for breakfast or tea time.
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 in a large mixing bowl.
- Whisk together the wet ingredients in a bowl.
- Cut the cold butter into small cubes.
- 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 and knead lightly to form a cohesive dough.
Baker’s Tip
When you’re working a wet dough by hand, resist the urge to rinse your sticky hands under the faucet. 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.
- Use well-floured hands to pat the dough into an 8″ round.
- 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 oats and sugar.
- Bake until golden brown and they feel light when lifted.
Work Ahead Tips
- The dry ingredients can be whisked together and held at room temperature for several days. Don’t work in the cold butter until you’re ready to mix the dough.
- 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
- Oatmeal Scones are best the day they’re baked, but will keep at room temperature for 2 days.
- 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 Oat Recipes
If you love baking with oats as much as I do, check out my entire collection of recipes made with oats. You’ll find everything from oatmeal cookies to baked oatmeal to homemade granola.
More Scone Recipes
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Oatmeal Scones Recipe
Ingredients
- 10 oz unbleached all purpose flour (2 cups, see note)
- 3 oz old fashioned rolled oats (1 cup)
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 2 oz granulated sugar (¼cup)
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon table salt
- 3 oz unsalted butter (cold, cut into 1″ chunks)
- 6 oz buttermilk (¾cup)
- 1 ½ oz honey (2 tablespoons)
- 1 large egg
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 °F. Line a ½ sheet pan with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together 10 oz unbleached all purpose flour, 3 oz old fashioned rolled oats, 1 tablespoon baking powder, 2 oz granulated sugar,1 teaspoon cinnamon and ½ teaspoon table salt. Toss in 3 oz unsalted butter and use your fingers to flatten the pieces into flakes.
- Whisk together 6 oz buttermilk,1 ½ oz honey and 1 large egg. Add the buttermilk mixture to the dry ingredients all at once and mix until just barely combined. Some loose flour may remain at the bottom of the bowl. DON'T OVER MIX.
- Turn the dough out onto a generously floured surface. Sprinkle flour over the dough and lightly knead a few times to bring the dough together.
- Using well-floured hands, pat the dough an 8” round that is 1" thick. Use a sharp knife (not serrated) to cut the round into 8 wedges. Don't use a sawing motion, just press down with the knife. Transfer the scones to the prepared baking sheet. If the scones get distorted while transferring, use your hands to reshape them on the baking sheet.
- Brush the tops with buttermilk and sprinkle with oats and granulated sugar.
- Bake on the middle racks of the oven. The scones are ready when they are golden brown and feel light when lifted. Total baking time 15-20 minutes.
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