White Chocolate Raspberry Scones Recipe

For some people, scones go hand in hand with tea time, while others overlook them in favor of a tender muffin. Mashed recipe developer Kate Shungu brings us these white chocolate raspberry scones that will bridge the gap. Brimming with white chocolate chips and juicy raspberries, the tops are drizzled with more white chocolate to enhance their allure. Every bite is packed with flavor from the add-ins, all held together by a lightly sweetened dough. 

Shungu says, "The base for this recipe was given to me by a former coworker — she was a pastry chef who made the best scones! I scaled down the recipe for home cooks, and it creates a seriously moist and tender scone." If you've had a dry scone or two in the past and moved on to other baked goods, these will sway your opinion. "They're not as crumbly as the traditional British variety of scones," Shungu explains, "but they are every bit as delicious with a cup of tea or coffee." Serve them as a mid-morning or afternoon snack, or follow Shungu's advice: "They're also really pretty for a weekend brunch spread, along with bacon or sausage and some scrambled eggs." 

For this scone recipe, you'll need all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt, granulated sugar, lemon zest, heavy cream, an egg, unsalted butter (cold), white chocolate chips, and fresh raspberries. If you can't find fresh raspberries, Shungu says that frozen fruit works just as fine, no modifications required. 

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, and lemon zest.

In a small bowl, whisk together ½ cup of the heavy cream and egg.

Cut the butter into ½-inch pieces.

Add the butter to the dry ingredients, working it in with a fork or your hands, until you get pea-sized pieces of butter throughout.

Add the cream mixture to the dry ingredients, mixing gently until just combined.

Gently fold in ⅓ cup of the white chocolate chips and the raspberries.

Turn the dough out onto a clean countertop. Shape into a circle, about 6 inches in diameter and 1 inch high.

Cut the circle into 6 pieces.

Place the unbaked scones on a baking sheet. Freeze for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400 F.

Remove the scones from the freezer and brush the remaining 2 tablespoons of cream on top.

Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, or until the tops are lightly golden brown. Let cool.

Melt the remaining ⅓ cup white chocolate chips in the microwave, about 30 to 60 seconds.

Using a piping bag or a fork, drizzle the melted white chocolate over the cooled scones. Serve.

This delicious scone recipe begins with a solid dough foundation, made with pantry staples like flour and butter. Shungu goes the white chocolate and raspberry route, highlighting the sweet duo in every bite. That's a great combination, but once you try it out once, why not switch it up? 

"Dark chocolate chips would be delicious in place of the white chocolate chips," Shungu says, as anyone who has tried a dark chocolate and raspberry cake can confirm. Similarly, milk chocolate chips or chunks work well if you prefer a more subdued note of cacao. Raspberries are perfectly bite-sized, but if you don't have any, Shungu recommends blueberries or strawberries. Fresh or frozen fruit works here, which quickly widens the options available. That said, avoid overly large chunks of fruit so the batter holds together. 

A white chocolate drizzle on top is a nice touch, but the drizzle could just as well be milk or dark chocolate. Shredded coconut sprinkled on top would make an equally dazzling finish. 

This recipe is pretty straightforward, but Shungu calls for a few crucial steps in the scone-making process that ensure its success. If the 30-minute freeze time before baking just sounds like an obstacle between you and a tray of warm scones, think again. "The brief freeze allows the butter to get cold again, which creates an extra light and flaky scone," Shungu explains. Even though you start with cold butter, the process of mixing it with the other ingredients quickly heats it. 

You might be tempted to pull out your trusty stand mixer and whip these up without getting your hands dirty, but that would be a mistake. "Using a stand mixer would result in overmixing the dough, which will make for tough scones," Shungu says. "It would also squish the raspberries. Always hand mix these." Finally, to give these scones a bakery-worthy aesthetic, Shungu explains that brushing cream on top right before putting the scones in the oven gives them a shiny finish.