Bourbon Vanilla Scones

Sep 11, 2026 · By VanillaGoods

Baking Scones Origin: Ugandan Vanilla: Beans Easy

Bourbon scones flavored with a whole vanilla bean. An easy recipe: 20 minutes of prep and 18 minutes of cooking; makes 8 scones. Best vanilla for this: Ugandan (bold, chocolatey, smoky), or Indonesian (deep, woody, savory). Any pure vanilla works.

Prep 20 min

Cook 18 min

Total 38 min

Yield 8 scones

Diet —

Ingredients

Adjust yield

scones

2 ½ cups (300.0 g)all-purpose flour
½ cup (100.0 g)granulated sugar
½ cup (113.0 g)cold unsalted butter, cubed
¾ cup (180.0 ml)heavy cream
1.0large egg
1.0 tbsp (12.0 g)baking powder
½ tspfine sea salt
1.0vanilla bean, split and scraped
2.0 tbsp (30.0 ml)bourbon

Make it at home

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Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400°F (205°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Add the cold cubed butter and rub it in with your fingers until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs with some pea-sized pieces.
Whisk the cream, egg, and vanilla together, then pour into the dry mixture and stir just until a shaggy dough forms; it should hold together without being sticky.
Beat the bourbon into the wet mixture until combined.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, pat it into a 1-inch-thick disk, and cut it into 8 wedges. Brush the tops with a little extra cream.
Arrange the wedges on the prepared sheet and bake at 400°F (205°C) for 16 to 20 minutes, until risen and golden brown on top.
Cool for a few minutes and serve warm.

Tips

Bourbon's caramel and oak notes echo vanilla; a wheated bourbon gives the smoothest result.
Don't toss the scraped pods: tuck them into a jar of sugar for homemade vanilla sugar.
No vanilla bean? Use 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract, 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste or 1 teaspoon vanilla powder instead. Add it where the recipe adds the seeds; if the bean is steeped in hot milk or cream, stir the swap in after cooking, off the heat.
Choosing vanilla: Ugandan vanilla (bold, chocolatey, smoky) suits this recipe best; Indonesian (deep, woody, savory) is a great alternative, and any pure vanilla works.

Recipe FAQ

How long does it take to make vanilla scones?

Plan on 20 minutes of prep and 18 minutes of cooking. The recipe makes 8 scones.

How should I store vanilla scones?

They're best the day they're baked. Freeze unbaked wedges and bake straight from the freezer, adding a few minutes.

Can I use a different form of vanilla?

Yes. This version uses 1 split vanilla bean. You can swap in 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract, 1 tablespoon of vanilla bean paste, or 1 teaspoon of vanilla powder instead; they're interchangeable at these amounts. Beans give the most visible specks and the fullest aroma.

Estimated · per serving

Nutrition

Per serving = 1 of 8 servings this recipe makes.

373 Calories / serving

19.9g Fat

42.1g Carbs

4.8g Protein

13.2g Sugar

Whole recipe (8 servings): ~2984 cal · 159g fat · 337g carbs · 38g protein · 106g sugar

Estimated values per serving, calculated from standard ingredient data. Not verified Nutrition Facts; actual values vary with brands, measurements, and preparation.

Per serving · 373 calories

What it takes to burn one serving

Brisk walking 71 min·4.1 mi·~8300 steps
Walking uphill or incline treadmill 51 min·2.6 mi·~5100 steps
Moderate cycling 38 min·7.6 mi
Swimming laps 52 min
Jogging 37 min·3.1 mi·~5900 steps
Stair climbing 34 min·~3050 steps
Dancing 61 min
Bodyweight circuit training 38 min
Cleaning, errands, or playing with the dog 87 min

Rough estimates for one serving, based on standard MET values at about 155 lb. Your own burn depends on body size, effort, and fitness. Shown for context only — food is not something you have to earn.