3-ingredient scones recipe, anyone? That’s right, you can make freshly baked scones from three simple, supermarket-friendly ingredients. It’s like magic!
3-ingredient scones recipe – these couldn’t be easier or quicker to make. Just mix up the dough, cut out your scones, bake and enjoy. But what are those three magic ingredients?!
Call it laziness if you like, but I am always looking for the easiest and quickest way to get to the end result in baking.
The way I see it, the sooner I get one bake done… the sooner I can attempt another! Or is that just me?
Either way, this is probably the simplest way on Earth to make scones – perfect for when you’re short on time, ingredients or you just want an almost zero-effort bake.
Here’s a few reasons you need to make this if you weren’t convinced already…
Why make my 3-ingredient scones?
- Super easy to make – just mix up the dough, shape to the right thickness and cut them out using biscuit cutters. Then bake!
- They only take just over 30 minutes to whip up.
- All 3 of the ingredients required for the recipe are easily available in supermarkets – no need to go hunting for this recipe.
- They taste and look, well… exactly like scones! (which is a little mind-boggling when you actually see the 3 ingredients required.)
So here’s what my 3-ingredient scone taste like: beautiful, glorious scones!
With a lovely firm, yet slightly squidgy exterior and a fluffy middle, these scones are a perfect match for a little butter, jam and clotted cream. And most definitely worthy of a homemade afternoon tea!
But though extremely similar in appearance, taste and texture, there’s one main difference from my original gluten-free scones recipe: these are best enjoyed fresh, or re-warmed in the microwave (if enjoying after the day they were baked).
Other than that, you’d struggle to tell these apart from my ‘full shebang’ scones. Here’s those 3 magic ingredients (finally):
3-ingredient scones recipe: What you’ll need…
- Gluten-free self-raising flour – I use Doves Farm’s FREEE flour, which you easily find down the free from aisle in supermarkets. If you can’t find a blend like this where you live, you can always make your own using my gluten-free flour recipe.
- Double Cream – And yes, it’s gotta be double cream! We’re using so few ingredients here that getting them right matters more than usual.
- Lemonade – I literally just used fizzy lemonade from a can or a big bottle – nothing fancy. I haven’t tried this with sugar-free lemonade, but you’re welcome to (though I can’t guarantee results) but I hear some of you have tried them with Prosecco and loved it!
3-ingredient scones recipe: Frequently asked questions and tips
And here’s a few answers to some frequently asked questions, as well as a few tips and product recommendations for this recipe. Hopefully this will help you to make this recipe perfect, first time!
Can I make this recipe gluten-free? Is it suitable for Coeliacs?
It is gluten-free, though nobody would know just by tasting it – trust me!
Bear in mind that minimising cross-contamination is hugely important if you’re Coeliac or making this for someone who is. Here’s some tips from Coeliac UK on minimising the risk of cross contamination.
Also, make sure that all ingredients used don’t have any gluten-containing ingredients. Then make sure that they also don’t have a ‘may contain’ warning for gluten, wheat, rye, barley, oats (which aren’t gf), spelt and khorasan wheat (aka Kamut).
Here’s some more info from Coeliac UK on identifying safe gluten-free products.
Is your 3-ingredient scones recipe dairy free?
You’re most definitely better off adapting my my original gluten-free scones recipe to be dairy-free. Sourcing dairy-free double cream can be a bit of a nightmare and I can’t guarantee how it’d turn out!
Can I make this recipe vegan?
I haven’t tested it using a vegan alternative to double cream, but my original gluten-free scones recipe is easy to make vegan if you use dairy-free milk and brush the top with dairy-free milk instead of egg-wash.
Is your 3-ingredient scones recipe low FODMAP?
Unfortunately not, but my my original gluten-free scones recipe is very easy to adapt to be low FODMAP safe.
You’re welcome to use my homemade lemon curd recipe, though it’s totally optional for serving with these.
Can I make this recipe using other gluten-free flours like buckwheat flour or coconut flour?
There’s a big difference between ‘gluten-free self-raising flour’ and a *singular* type gluten-free flour. When I say ‘gluten-free self-raising flour’ in a recipe, I mean a BLEND of gluten-free flours, not just one, singular flour.
Most gluten-free flour you buy in the supermarket typically contains a blend of rice flour, potato flour, maize flour, tapioca flour AND buckwheat flour. That’s a lot of different flours!
So to replace it with just one specific type of flour… that’s not going to cut it at all. Definitely go for a gluten-free flour blend.
Do I need weighing scales to bake your 3-ingredient scones recipe?
In short… yes, yes and yes! And I wouldn’t advise attempting any of my recipes without them. One of the worst things you can do in any baking recipe is alter the quantities by mistake or on purpose.
A lot of work went into fine tuning ratios and quantities so I wouldn’t mess around with them unless you really know your stuff. I’d recommending using digital cooking scales like these so you know you’re getting an accurate measurement.
How long can I keep your gluten-free scones for?
You can keep them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-5 days. Ensure you rewarm these in the microwave if enjoying from chilled.
Can I freeze your gluten-free scones?
Yes! You can keep them in the freezer in an airtight container for up to 2-3 months.
When you want to eat them, simply allow to defrost at room temperature for 3-4 hours. Rewarm in the microwave before enjoying.
3-ingredient scones recipe: Troubleshooting
My scones were flat and didn’t rise? What did I do wrong?
There’s three reasons a scone will be flat or won’t rise:
- Firstly, scones aren’t the type of thing that rise much at all. That’s why you need to roll out your dough to be nice and thick before baking. That way, you’ll get a little extra rise when baking, but the nice, tall shape of your scone will already be guaranteed before baking them.
- Overworking the dough. Don’t play with the dough too much or roll it out multiple times!
- Twisting the cutter as you cut out the scones shapes – plunge it straight down and straight back up again, please.
My scones look really pale – what happened?!
The egg-wash is what gives them a lovely golden colour on top. If you don’t use it, they’ll look a little pale all over. Still taste exactly the same though!
3-ingredient scones recipe: The actual recipe…
Ok, so here’s my 3-ingredient scones recipe. Please rate it 5 stars if you liked it as it helps others to know it’s a recipe worth trying! Feel free to leave your written reviews in the comments below this post.
3-Ingredient Scones Recipe (SUPER EASY Lemonade Scones)
Ingredients
- 165 ml lemonade
- 155 ml double cream
- 325 g self-raising flour gluten-free, plus extra for dusting
Optional extras to add:
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 tbsp caster sugar if you want them a bit sweeter
- 1 egg or a little milk to egg wash for a golden top!
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 200C Fan / 220C and prepare a large baking tray with non stick baking paper.
- Place your flour into a large bowl.
- Add the cream and lemonade and carefully mix it in - its even more important than regular scones that you don't over mix here, or else you'll get tough scones. Mix to form a soft dough.
- Flour your work surface and your hands. Get the dough out of your bowl and fold it over once or twice to bring the dough together. Then bring the dough into a rounded shape about 3.5-4.5cm thick. The taller, the better I think!
- Using a cutter (about 45mm to 55mm wide) push down into the dough and bring out your scones with the cutter. Push them out of the cutter and put to one side till your have used up all the dough (keep re-rounding the dough, ensuring you don't overwork it).
- Brush the top of your scones with a little beaten egg or milk for a golden top, if using.
- Place the scones on the baking sheet and bake for around 13-15 minutes until the tops are golden and the bases are slightly golden too.
- Allow to cool a little before serving up with some jam and clotted cream. You can rewarm them up later, eat them cold, or even freeze them for another day.
Notes
Nutrition
Any questions about the recipe? Please do let me know by following me on Instagram and leaving me a comment on a recent photo!
Thanks for reading,
Becky xxx
Oh and don’t forget to pin this for later!
