These buttery date scones are made with toasted oats, maple syrup, and cinnamon for a warm, cozy flavor that amplifies the natural sweetness of Medjool dates. As with most scones, this is an easy recipe to throw together, and only require about 15 minutes of prep time. These are also made without a food processor or other special kitchen appliances, and use just 10 simple ingredients!
There’s nothing better than freshly-baked, buttery scones served with steaming cups of coffee, and when those scones are studded with sweet bits of soft, sticky Medjool dates, the experience is even more incredible.
Adding a dose of maple syrup brings out the rich, caramel-like flavor of the dates, while a sprinkle of oats and a dash of cinnamon contribute warmth and depth. You’ll love their taste just as much as you’ll love how effortless they are to make!
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Recipe Ingredients
Here’s a quick look at what you’ll need to make these easy date scones:
Notes and Substitutions
- All-purpose flour - Use regular or gluten-free.
- Oats - Old Fashioned rolled oats are best, but quick-cooking oats would likely work as well. For added flavor, I like to toast the oats in a frying pan on the stove. Cook them for about 5 minutes over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until they start to turn golden and smell fragrant. Let them cool to room temperature before using.
- Butter - Cold butter is one of the secrets to great scones - it helps them rise properly and turn out perfectly flaky. Cut your butter into cubes for this recipe, so that it's easy to disperse into the dough. If you want to use salted butter, reduce the salt in these scones to ¼ teaspoon.
- Heavy cream - I like to make these date scones with cream to give them a rich, buttery texture. For this reason, I don’t recommend using half-n-half or milk.
- Maple syrup - Use pure maple syrup only, not pancake syrup.
- Raw or sparkling sugar (optional) - Though not pictured above, you can top these scones with a sprinkle of coarse sugar to give them a sweeter, slightly crunchy finish.
How to Make Date Scones
If you’ve made similar recipes like my blueberry scones or buttermilk biscuits, you’ll see that the process for this one is nearly identical. The main difference is the mix-ins, since we’re making these scones with dates!
To start, whisk together the flour, oats, brown sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in a large mixing bowl.
Add the cubed butter to the dry ingredients, cutting it in with a pastry blender (also known as a pastry cutter) until all of the chunks are reduced to small pieces (about pea-sized or less) and well-dispersed. Gently toss in the chopped dates by hand, just enough to mix them in.
In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together the heavy cream and maple syrup. Add this to the dry mixture and fold it in with a rubber spatula until a dough forms - it should be moist enough to come together, and soft but not sticky. If the dough seems too dry, add a small amount of extra cream; if it seems too sticky, add a little extra flour.
Line a large cookie sheet or baking sheet with parchment paper. Use your hands to shape the dough into a ball. Transfer it to the baking sheet and flatten it into a round disk, about one inch thick. Place the baking sheet in the freezer and let the dough chill for 1 hour.
Tip!
If your baking sheet is too large to fit in your freezer, you can temporarily move the dough and parchment to a dinner plate or small tray. Alternatively, you can wrap the dough in plastic wrap before freezing, but make sure to place it on a level surface so that it retains its shape.
During the last 10 minutes of chilling, preheat your oven to 400ºF. In a small bowl, whisk together 1 tablespoon of heavy cream with 1 tablespoon of maple syrup to use for glazing the scones.
Use a large, sharp knife or bench scraper to cut the scone dough into 8 equal pieces, pizza-style. Spread the scones out on the prepared baking sheet. Brush each one with the maple glaze and (optionally) sprinkle with raw sugar.
Bake the scones in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, until they’re golden brown. A toothpick inserted into the center of one should come out clean. Let them cool briefly, and then transfer to a wire rack until they’re cool enough to eat. A fresh scone is the best kind of scone, so dig in as soon as you can!
Store any leftover scones in an airtight container or zip-top bag at room temperature. They'll keep for 3-4 days.
Tips for the BEST Date Scones
- Weigh your flour with a kitchen scale, or measure it carefully by spooning it into a measuring cup and leveling it off with a knife. Otherwise, your scone dough may end up being too dry.
- Make sure your butter and heavy cream are cold.
- For perfectly tender scones, don’t overwork the dough! Doing so will encourage the butter to soften faster, and can also make your scones tough or chewy.
- The glaze on these scones will inevitably drip onto the baking tray and caramelize. Once you've baked your scones and let them cool, use a knife to clean up the edges for a prettier presentation.
- Add extra flavor to your date scones by mixing in orange zest, candied orange peel, almonds, or walnuts. If you use nuts, toast them to help bring out their flavor!
- If you don’t plan on eating a full batch of scones within a few days, freeze the dough for later. Once sliced, individual portions of dough can be stored in a freezer-safe zip-top bag and frozen for up to 3 months.
FAQ
Yes! For gluten-free date scones, just use any gluten-free all-purpose flour blend that’s made with a binding agent such as xanthan gum or guar gum. My recipe for pumpkin scones lists a few of my go-to brands.
My suggestion is to freeze the scone dough. Once sliced, individual portions of dough can be stored in a freezer-safe zip-top bag and frozen for up to 3 months. Bake them as normal, but let them defrost briefly on a baking sheet while your oven is preheating. You may need to increase the baking time by about 5 minutes.
These scones have so much flavor that you really don’t need to garnish them with anything like you would with British scones - though a pat of butter never hurts. They do, however, call for a cup of coffee or tea! A caramel iced coffee would pair perfectly with the toffee-like flavor of the dates, and a chai latte would also be amazing!
More Sweet Breakfast and Brunch Ideas
For more treats like the ones you’d find at your favorite coffee shop, try one of these recipes!
Recipe Card
Date Scones
This delicious date scone recipe is perfect for a breakfast treat or as a sweet snack to serve with afternoon tea. The scones are tender and buttery, with added warmth and flavor from the addition of toasted oats, maple syrup, and cinnamon.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 8 scones 1x
- Category: biscuits and scones
- Method: baking
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scone Dough
- 2 ½ cups (300 grams) all-purpose flour (regular or gluten-free)
- ½ cup (47 grams) old fashioned rolled oats, (preferably toasted)
- 2 tablespoons, packed brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (113 grams) cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
- 1 cup, halved and packed in (156 grams) pitted Medjool dates, chopped
- 1 cup (234 grams) heavy cream
- ¼ cup (78 grams) pure maple syrup
Maple Glaze
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon heavy cream
- raw or sparkling sugar, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, oats, brown sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.
- Cut in the butter with a pastry cutter until all pieces are small and well-dispersed. Gently toss in the chopped dates by hand.
- Whisk the heavy cream and maple syrup together in a small bowl. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and fold in with a rubber spatula until a somewhat soft, but not sticky, dough forms. Add more flour or cream if needed to reach this consistency, being careful not to overwork.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Use hands to gently shape dough into a ball, and flatten into a round disk about 1" thick on the prepared baking sheet. Freeze for 1 hour.
- Towards the end of the chilling period, preheat oven to 400ºF. In a small bowl, whisk together 1 tablespoon of heavy cream with 1 tablespoon of maple syrup to use for glazing the scones.
- Slice chilled dough into 8 equal pieces, pizza-style, and spread out on the prepared baking sheet. Brush scones with glaze and sprinkle with coarse sugar, if using.
- Bake scones in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, until golden brown. A toothpick inserted into the center of one should come out clean. Cool briefly before transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling.
Notes
Toasting Oats
- Stovetop Method: Toast in a frying pan over medium heat for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until oats start to turn golden and smell fragrant. Let cool to room temperature before using.
- Oven Method: Spread oats out on a baking sheet and bake at 350ºF for about 10 minutes, until fragrant. Allow to cool before using.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- If using gluten-free all-purpose flour, making sure your blend contains a binding agent such as xanthan gum or guar gum.
- If using salted butter, reduce the added salt in the dough to ¼ teaspoon.
Storing and Shelf Life
- Scones are best served fresh, but can be kept in an airtight container or zip-top bag at room temperature for 3-4 days.
Freezing Scone Dough
- Once sliced, individual portions of dough can be stored in a freezer-safe zip-top bag and frozen for up to 3 months. Let dough defrost briefly on a baking sheet while preheating oven to bake. You may need to increase the baking time by about 5 minutes.
Have you made this recipe?
If so, I'd love to hear your feedback; you can leave a rating and review in the comments section below! It's also so helpful if you help spread the word by sharing this post on your favorite social media channel. If you happen to snap a photo of what you've baked, be sure to share it on Instagram and tag me (@brighteyedbaker) so I can give you a shoutout!
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Sandra
Since I love all of your scones, I really look forward to making these. This reminds me of a breakfast treat we bought at Eataly in Italy and Croatia. Thank you!
kita
Just saw these on twitter. oh my god they look amazing
alexandra
Haha thanks Kita! They are pretty good. :)
sara
LOVELY! These look so delicious...I definitely need to make some soon.
alexandra
Thanks Sara! They're definitely one of my favorite scones to date. :)
Christina @ Whip This Up
These sound amazing! I love maple and dates to start, so no need to convert me. :)
Another way to convince people they like dates? Make them Sticky Toffee Pudding. Show.stopper.
alexandra
Ahh I have yet to make or try Sticky Toffee Pudding. I so need to!!
Lindsey @ American Heritage Cooking
I can't believe you only own 3 cookbooks!!! I am seriously in shock. Even though I stopped buying new ones long ago, people keep giving them to me! These scones look phenomenal and the perfect texture. Pinned
alexandra
Haha I know I'm definitely the odd one out with the cookbook whole situation. ;)
Thanks Lindsey!
Jennifer @ Seasons and Suppers
These sound like perfect morning scones. Or maybe afternoon, with tea. Perfect! Love the addition of oats and whole wheat flour.
alexandra
Yes - both! :)