Lemonade Scones are the fastest and easiest scones you will ever make! Incredibly fluffy, moist scones made from scratch using only 3 ingredients – self raising flour, cream and lemonade. The secret ingredient is lemonade – but they don’t taste of lemon at all!
This is the faster way to make classic scones which call for butter to be rubbed or blitzed into flour. Lemonade Scones rise ever so slightly less, but the difference is barely noticeable!
Lemonade Scones
Scones are as Australian as Meat Pies and Lamingtons. Made the traditional way, butter is rubbed into flour using your fingers – or a food processor. Not particularly difficult, but it does take time, calling for fridge cold butter to be diced into cubes.
I don’t know who discovered this genius shortcut way of making scones, but I am forever indebted to them. Sometimes I do enjoy taking the time to make scones the traditional way. But I usually make these Lemonade Scones which honestly come out so similar and yet take less than half the time to make.
If you’ve never tried these before, you’re honestly going to be amazed. Seriously AMAZED!
Scones are an afternoon tea favourite in Australia, brought to our shores when the British settled here just over 200 years ago. It’s a regular at quaint tea houses, especially in the countryside, and at local bake sales!
What’s the difference between an American biscuit and a scone?
🇺🇸That’s biscuits as they’re known in America that look like our scones! A southern classic served savoury, fabulous with grits, sausage gravy and eggs.
A comparison of the classic Aussie scone recipe with this New York Times Biscuits recipe is all it takes to verify that they are indeed made the same way – just used for different purposes. 🙂 Lemonade Scones are slightly more different because they are a touch sweeter than classic scones.
What you need for Lemonade Scones
Here are the 3 ingredients you need:
Self raising flour – this is just plain flour (all purpose flour) and baking powder that’s already been combined. It’s sold as “self raising flour” in the UK, Australia, NZ. It’s easy to make your own self raising flour simply by mixing 2 tsp baking powder for every 1 cup of flour.
Cream – thickened or heavy cream works best I find. But it does work fine with ordinary cream too, but it needs to be full fat (I found low fat didn’t work as well, not as soft inside); and
Lemonade -the “secret ingredient”, the namesake of this scone recipe!! I don’t know the science behind why it works. I like to think the fizz activates the baking powder to make the scones rise and make them fluffy, but I’m totally guessing here!
What type of Lemonade to use?
Schweppes and Kirks Lemonade are the two brands I use. I’ve made it with “no frills” too and it worked fine, so I am pretty sure any lemonade brand should be fine. Sprite and 7 Up also work – tried it and it comes out exactly the same!
How to make Lemonade Scones
Just dump the flour, cream and lemonade into a bowl, mix, turn out onto board, cut out scones and bake.
Yep. That’s it. Really!
Lemonade Scones – Tips!
Few tips to share to ensure your scones come out soft and fluffy every time!!
Less dough handling = fluffier scones. So only mix the batter until the flour is almost fully incorporated (ie can still some flour), then scrape onto work surface and knead as few times as possible to bring together into a disc shape with a pretty smooth surface (I aim for 5 kneads, 8 is ok).
Do not twist the cutter – press the cutter straight down and up, resist the urge to twist! If you twist, the sides of the scones gets “smeared” which affects how well they rise.
Avoid touching sides of scones – use a big kitchen knife or similar to transfer scones to tray to avoid touching the sides of the scones.
Place so they’re touching each other ever so slightly – because they help each other rise (isn’t that just so sweet? 😍)
Don’t be tight with the jam and cream – there’s nothing sadder than running out of cream mid scone scoffing!!
Whether Lemonade Scones or traditional made scones, they are best served warm but MUST be served with copious amounts of cream and jam. There’s just really no getting around that part. It’s like having a grilled cheese sandwich without cheese. It just ain’t right. Just saying.😇
– Nagi x
Watch how to make it
More Aussie favourites
Scones – made the classic way
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Lemonade Scones – 3 Ingredients From Scratch
Ingredients
- 3 1/2 cups self raising flour , plus extra for dusting (flour sub – Note 1)
- 1 cup thickened cream (heavy cream), not whipped!
- 1 cup lemonade (Note 2)
To serve
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 200°C/390°F (180°C fan). Line tray with baking/parchment paper.
- Combine the flour, cream and lemonade in a bowl and mix until flour is mostly combined. Do not over mix, it will make the scones dense! The dough should be soft and fairly sticky.
- Turn out onto a floured surface, and knead gently just 3 – 5 times to bring dough together, then gently pat into a disc shape 2.5cm/1" thick.
- Use a 6cm/2.5" round cutter to cut rounds – press straight up and down (don't twist), flour cutter in between. (Note 4)
- Use a knife or similar to scoop up (avoid touching sides) and place on tray, slightly touching each other (they help each other rise).
- Brush the tops lightly with milk. (Note 5)
- Bake for 15 minutes until golden on top. Place on rack to cool. Place tea towel over them to stop the tops from getting crusty.
- Serve with copious amounts of cream and jam, and of course tea!
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
Originally published January 2014. Long overdue to add a recipe video and fresh new photos!
Life of Dozer
Now you see it… now you don’t! (Except for the smear of cream on his snout 🐽)
Those lemonade scones look so tempting but as I am dairy-free do you think using full fat coconut cream would work? Thanks Nagi as I am an avid fan (plus Dozer of course) as well as your great tips & detailed fabulous recipes and your endearing sense of humour of course. Enjoy! KK
Hi Nagi
lemonade scones are yummy, I so agree with you. We have two coeliac kids though who can’t eat them. It would be so great if you could publish a scone recipe that is GF. I do have an old Women’s Weekly recipe for them but it is very fiddly and while cream and jam disguise a lot 😁, there’s no denying that the GF scones don’t come out as light and fluffy as the lemonade scones.
Hi there Nagi..it’s a lovely easy peasy recipe. .and DOZER AGREES😂😂..
Hello Nagi…..I’m wondering if almond flour can be used instead of the self-rising flour?? Of course I understand I’d have to add extra baking power and perhaps even a tad of baking soda. Can you please advise on the almond flour substitute. TIA
Hi, Nagi!! I regularly follow your blog, but I rarely comment on anything (just my nature, I guess), but I thought I’d drop a note to try to clarify a couple of things for U.S. readers. Scones are a sweeter, and often richer, form of what we in the U.S. call biscuits. Some biscuit recipes here call for eggs, but some (including the one I use) do not. The same is true for scone recipes I’ve seen here. Some call for eggs, some don’t. The main thing I wanted to point out, in case there is any confusion, is that the lemonade you mention in your recipe would be lemon soda or lemon pop (depending on where you are in the U.S.) here….Well-known brands in our country are Sprite, 7-Up, and Sierra Mist, though I’m sure store brands or less widely circulated brands would also work. You mention Schweppes in your recipe. Schweppes is a major ginger ale soda/pop brand here in the U.S., so I’m wondering if ginger ale would work as well? I, too, suspect it is the carbonation that is reacting with the baking soda for the raise, or perhaps the acid in the soda/pop/lemonade?
I have always been hopeless making scones…mine are rocks that truly clang when going in the bin. Certainly inedible. BUT I made some yummy light ones not long ago, using Lemon, Lime and Bitters. Freeze well also. Me thinks using Ginger Beer or Ginger Ale would give a twist too. Thanks Nagi love your recipes and blog…not to mention the other star ..Dozer.
Can I use it uht cream?
Fresh cream is difficult to get where I live
You said any beverage would work- just needs to be fizzy and sweet (tip 2). I hadn’t ever considered lemonade fizzy. Did I miss something? I’m in the US. You’re always great at accounting for that though. Thanks for all your great recipes and ideas! You make cooking more approachable!
so sorry have been sick but is getting a little better – food is not what i want right now.. Take care and look at all of them
Give Dozer a hug and will get to recipes again. LUV them and love seeing both of you on screen!
Just wondering if these would freeze ok?
Hi Nagi, I made Tomato Jam so just had to make scones. Is there a difference between using Kirks or Sweppes Lemonade.
Hi Georgie, no difference between these two 🙂 Enjoy!
Hey Nagi.
I tried this recipe with wholemeal self raising flour (which is all I had) and they just didn’t rise.
Do you know why at all?
All your recipes are amazing so I will defo try this again, with normal SR flour and see how I go 🙂
Hi Sarah, was the flour old? I can imagine they may not rise as much but that sounds strange that they didn’t rise at all!
No it was a brand new bag of flour . Weird.
Though I made them again today with normal self raising flour and they were AHHMAZING! So fluffy, my family devoured them in minutes. I’ll stick to normal SR in future 😉
Thanks Nagi, your recipes are always incredibly delicious!
Nagi
just wanted you to know that they are the VERY BEST scones ever!!! Soo light and flaky, I make them regularly with lashings of cream & jam as you suggested. thank you Ellen south australia
Excellent Ellen, can’t have them without copious amounts of jam & cream!
How long do scones stay fresh after baking?
Hi Christine, I usually keep them for 3-4 days in an airtight container. They are perfect microwaved to soften them sightly – N x
looking forward to recieving further recipes
Thanks so much Judy!
Made these lemonade scones last w.end. for a tea party. They came out supurb. On all reports, light fluffy and also freezes well I’d Ike to add. (Unfortunately couldn’t try it myself, being dairy and lactose intollerent. ) Will need to find a substitute Recepe if there’s one. Will definitely make it again.
Try coconut cream
What can I sub for lemonade? Not able to buy in USA. What about plain club soda with some fresh lemon juice?
Hi Victoria – sprite is perfect to use here – N x
I’m confused the recipe say not to whip the cream yet in ur reply to nisha u say to whip the cream
.. please clarify
Thickened cream to make the scones Maria, but whipped cream to serve – N x
does this recipe work using diet lemonade?
Yes that will be fine Laurel!
Thanks, I’m going to try this tomorrow. I’ll let you know how I go.
Instead of cream, I’ve made these with sour cream, or yoghurt or my favourite, cottage cheese..:)
Great Sue!
Hi Nagi, we’re away at the moment in Yeppoon, going to Great Keppel Island tomorrow. Actually we’re at last doing the loop as planned 21 years ago. YEAH!
Today is a little on the dull side – not much happening today, so this is a perfect recipe to not only make, but fill in my day. Then serve with raspberry jam and lashings of “dollop” cream.
Yes!!! Perfect!