Irish Soda Bread Scones with Cinnamon

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Bake up a batch of sweet and buttery Irish soda bread scones, filled with cinnamon and raisins. This easy to make recipe uses simple ingredients. It's perfect for breakfast or brunch.

I love a good cinnamon biscuit recipe, so when I decided to take Irish soda bread and morph it into soda bread scones, I knew they would be delicious.

And they are. While I do add a few more ingredients beyond the traditional, the ingredients are what give these Irish soda scones a rise, a lift, a fluffiness, and a softness that can't be beat.

What's the Difference Between Scones and Irish Soda Bread?

The main difference is the shape of each…

Scones are round like biscuits, or wedges; soda bread, on the other hand, is loaf shaped and baked in a loaf pan.

Why I Love This Recipe (And You Will Too)

  • This soda scone recipe is chock full of cinnamon flavor (and raisins). While the raisins *could* be optional, I wouldn't want to make this soda scones recipe without them because they add so much more flavor and a hint of sweetness.
  • Give yourself about 20 minutes to mix these up, pop them in the oven, and you've got a quick breakfast scone the whole family will love.
  • They're soft, tender, and fluffy, not to mention buttery with just a hint of sweetness.
  • They're perfect for breakfast and brunch, on St. Patrick's Day (think St. Patrick's Day scones), or any day of the year.

Ingredients and Substitution Notes:

The right ingredients are the secret to making a good Irish soda bread scones recipe.

  • Baking Powder and Baking Soda: Why use both? Because I want just the right amount of lift (and fluffiness) in my scones. Baking soda neutralizes the acid, and baking powder steps in to give the extra rise these scones need. The Kitchn has a wonderful explanation for why use baking soda and baking powder.
  • Unsalted Butter: I use unsalted butter because I want a little more control over how salty my scones are.
  • Egg: The egg helps to bind the ingredients together. It helps make them more fluffy and gives a richer flavor to the scones.
  • Buttermilk: I use this buttermilk mix to make buttermilk. But if you don't have either buttermilk or a mix, you can make your own with about 1 tablespoon of vinegar for every cup of milk you use. Just let the mixture sit for a few minutes before adding to your scone mixture.
  • Raisins: While raisins are totally optional, I highly recommend them. They give a flavor and a hint of sweetness that can't be beat.

Keep in mind, all of the ingredients and ingredient amounts you’ll need are in the printable recipe card below.

soda bread scones on gray plate with jadeite butter dish and butter knife, and baking sheet full of scones, on white marble countertop with blue and white striped kitchen towel

How to Make Irish Soda Bread Scones

Before you get started mixing up your batter, be sure to pre-heat your oven to 400° F, and either grease a baking sheet, or add parchment paper to it. I prefer to use parchment paper because the scones just slide right off of it after baking.

Mix up the Scone Dough…

  1. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients, including the flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
  2. Using a pastry blender (or table knife), cut the cold, sliced butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture has fine crumbles.
  3. In a separate measuring cup or bowl, beat the egg and buttermilk together.
  4. Mix the egg mixture into the dry ingredients.
  5. Then fold the raisins into your batter.
  6. Drop the dough, by the spoonful, onto your parchment paper covered baking sheet, and bake.
steps for how to make Irish soda scones, including whisking dry ingredients together in mint green mixing bowl, cutting cold sliced butter into dry ingredients with pastry blender, whisking egg and buttermilk together, mixing buttermilk into dry ingredients, adding raisins to scone batter, and dropping batter by spoonfuls onto baking sheet covered with parchment paper
  1. Bake your scones at 400° F for about 30-40 minutes, or 'til your scones turn a nice golden brown.

Serve the scones warm with butter, apple butter, etc.

FAQ:

Why put milk in scones? Can I make them dairy-free?

Buttermilk gives scones a lighter, fluffier texture. While I have not attempted to make these dairy-free, you could try making them with almond milk, rice milk, or coconut milk. You can also substitute a non-dairy butter, though keep in mind this will likely change the texture and density of the finished scone.

Can I make them gluten-free?

Yes, you can; and I have made them gluten-free using a good gluten-free all-purpose flour (my favorite is Authentic Foods Classical Blend). You may need to add a little xanthan gum (per the package), as well, for extra leavening. Of course, be sure to check all ingredient labels to make sure everything is truly gluten-free.

How do I get my scones to rise and be fluffy?

Ingredients play a huge role in rise, as we read above. Baking powder, baking soda, egg, and even the buttermilk all work together to give scones both a rise and a fluffiness. Keep in mind that not adding enough buttermilk and over mixing can cause scones to be harder. Also, placing them so they're slightly touching on the baking sheet can help with lift while baking; while I don't do this, it is worth a try.

How should scones be stored?

Make sure they've cooled completely; then store them in a covered airtight container.

Can I freeze scones?

You can freeze scones for up to 3 months. While you can freeze them unbaked or baked, it's better to freeze them unbaked. To do so, place all your scones on a parchment paper covered baking sheet; place the baking sheet in the freezer 'til the scones are good and frozen. Then remove them from the freezer, place the unbaked scones in an airtight container or freezer bag, and put them back in the freezer 'til you're ready to bake them.

How to Serve Soda Bread Scones

I prefer mine with a little pat of butter. I also sometimes like to sprinkle a little cinnamon sugar on the melted butter, or add a dollop of homemade apple butter.

Either way, they are so delicious!

golden baked Irish soda bread scones on parchment covered baking sheet

More Quick Bread Recipes

If you love this soda scones recipe as much as I do, you'll love these recipes too…

  • If you do still want that taste of cinnamon without the raisins, you may enjoy these Bisquick scones with cinnamon in the dough and a crisp cinnamon sugar topping.
  • Biscuit cinnamon rolls are my favorite thing to make when I'm craving cinnamon rolls but don't want to go to all the work and waiting.
  • Bisquick cinnamon muffins are quick, easy, and simple to make. Think soft, tender muffins dipped in a cinnamon sugar topping.

If you try this recipe, why not leave a star rating in the recipe card right below and/or a review in the comment section further down the page? I always appreciate your feedback. You can also follow me on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. And subscribe to my email list too!

bitten out soda bread scone on gray plate

Irish Soda Bread Scones

Bake up a batch of sweet and buttery Irish soda bread scones. Easy to make recipe, simple ingredients, perfect for breakfast or brunch.
5 from 2 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Breads & Muffins
Cuisine: Irish
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Servings: 15
Calories: 290kcal
Author: Mel Lockcuff

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Pre-heat your oven to 400° F, and either grease a baking sheet or add parchment paper to it.
  • In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients, including the flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
  • Using a pastry blender (or table knife), cut the cold, sliced butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture has fine crumbles.
  • In a separate measuring cup or bowl, beat the egg and buttermilk together..
  • Mix the egg mixture into the dry ingredients.
  • Then fold the raisins into your batter.
  • Drop the dough, by the spoonful, onto your parchment paper covered baking sheet, and bake at 400° F for about 30-40 minutes, or 'til your scones turn a nice golden brown.
  • Serve the scones warm with butter, apple butter, etc.

Notes

*I use this buttermilk mix to make buttermilk. But if you don't have either buttermilk or a mix, you can make your own with about 1 tablespoon of vinegar for every cup of milk you use. Just let the mixture sit for a few minutes before adding to your scone mixture.
Can I make them gluten-free?
Yes, you can; and I have made them gluten-free using a good gluten-free all-purpose flour (my favorite is Authentic Foods Classical Blend). You may need to add a little xanthan gum (per the package), as well, for extra leavening. Of course, be sure to check all ingredient labels to make sure everything is truly gluten-free.
How should Irish soda bread scones be stored?
Make sure they've cooled completely; then store them in a covered airtight container.
Can I freeze these scones?
You can freeze scones for up to 3 months. While you can freeze them unbaked or baked, it's better to freeze them unbaked. To do so, place all your scones on a parchment paper covered baking sheet; place the baking sheet in the freezer 'til the scones are good and frozen. Then remove them from the freezer, place the unbaked scones in an airtight container or freezer bag, and put them back in the freezer 'til you're ready to bake them.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 290kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 46mg | Sodium: 372mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 10g
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14 thoughts on “Irish Soda Bread Scones with Cinnamon”

  1. I made these scones and they were delicious. I added some maple syrup to the egg and milk mixture and it gave these scones a great flavor combin d with the cinnamon. I served them with corned beef and cabbage, beans, and hash browns and my family gobbled it up. I will definitely make these scones again! Thanks for the amazing recipe.

    Reply
  2. Every year I make Soda bread, but this year I was just tired of it. We only eat a small section of it before it goes bad. Next year I want to make these! Yum. The perfect size, too.

    Reply
  3. How timely! Perfect for spring tea party. The only thing is it snowed this morning and I am still trying to figure out why. Where is spring anyway? Regardless, this would be great to make today because we are snowed in. I have all the ingredients too.

    Reply
    • Lisa, oh perfect for a snow day! You’ll have to let me know how they turned out. Oh, and I am so ready for spring too. We got up yesterday morning to snow, which we didn’t see coming at all. It was beautiful, but I’m ready for more warm days with the windows open.

      Reply

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