Vanilla Earl Grey scones with vanilla bean glaze are the best Earl Grey scones recipe! Easy and delicious, you'll want to make this Earl Grey scone recipe over and over!
*This post contains affiliate links — as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Please see my disclosure for details*.
And if you like these, you'll love my Lemon Poppyseed Scones, my Cinnamon Scones with Spiced Orange Glaze, and my Earl Grey Lavender Cake with Honey-Lemon Glaze!
Earl Grey Scones with Vanilla Bean Glaze
If you've had the petite vanilla bean scone from Starbucks, you'll love these vanilla bergamot scones! They've got a moist, buttery texture and bright Earl Grey tea flavor that is so lovely.
And that amazing vanilla bean glaze brings it all together so perfectly! These scones are amazing for an afternoon tea party or weekend brunch -- or save them for a quick weekday breakfast! Anytime you want the comforting flavor of Earl Grey tea in a fluffy, delicious scone!
Jump to:
What exactly is a scone?
Scones are a baked treat that are leavened with baking powder, are slightly sweet, and have a moist, crumbly texture. They're often made with fruit, nuts, or chocolate mixed in or topped with a glaze, and they're usually enjoyed as a breakfast or snack with a cup of tea or coffee.
American scones (like these vanilla Earl Grey scones) are often a bit drier and more crumbly than English scones, whereas English-style scones are closer in texture to what we in the U.S. would call biscuits.
What gives earl grey tea its distinctive flavor?
Earl Grey is a black tea with the oil of bergamot added. Bergamot is a citrus fruit that tastes like a cross between orange, lime, and grapefruit. The combination of the two creates a lovely flavor that adds so much to baked goods like these easy Earl Grey scones!
What is the secret to a good scone?
Many who bake scones have one main question: How do I get my scones to rise and be fluffy? There are a couple of important tips I've learned:
First, keep everything cold. Make sure your butter is frozen and your sour cream is cold straight from the fridge. Other baking recipes call for room temperature ingredients, but using cold butter and keeping the dough cold for these scones helps them to bake up fluffy and have the best texture. You'll even want to pop your sheet pan in the freezer for a few minutes while your oven preheats.
Second, let your scones stay cozy. Baking scones while they're slightly touching each other helps them to bake higher and straighter. One way to achieve this is just cut your dough into 8 wedges, and bake them without separating them from each other.
How to Make Earl Grey Scones - What You'll Need
You can find the full ingredient list with measurements and instructions in the recipe card below, but here's what you'll need to gather together for these easy Earl Grey bergamot scones:
- all-purpose flour - be sure to use a kitchen scale to measure your flour by weight, or use the spoon-and-level method to measure by volume.
- granulated sugar - to give our scones just the right amount of sweetness!
- earl grey tea leaves - you can use either regular tea bags or whole leaf tea -- if you use whole leaf, just crush or chop the tea into fine bits. I usually use Twinings for these Earl Grey scones.
- baking soda & baking powder - giving these scones a nice amount of lift!
- salted butter - I like to use salted butter to add flavor to this earl grey scones recipes, but if you prefer to use unsalted butter, just add ¼ teaspoon of salt in with your dry ingredients. We'll be freezing our butter and using a box grater to grate our frozen butter into our dry ingredients.
- sour cream - we'll use room temperature sour cream for these Earl Grey Scones! No buttermilk in this recipe, but sour cream gives us the same tang with a bit more moisture, and produces very tender scones.
- egg - one major difference between scones and biscuits is the addition of an egg, making these scones a bit richer and providing more structure.
- vanilla bean paste - you can use either vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste. I just used vanilla bean paste since I was already using some for the glaze!
And now for my favorite part -- the vanilla bean glaze!
- powdered sugar
- milk
- vanilla bean paste or one whole vanilla bean pod
- pinch of salt
If you don't want to use this glaze, you can opt for clotted cream, lemon curd, or just enjoy these scones as-is!
Equipment
There are a few great tools that I recommend to make these scones the best they can be! First of all, You'll need a box grater to grate your butter, a wooden spoon and large bowl for mixing, and a sheet pan to bake your scones!
You'll also want parchment paper to line your baking sheet, and a separate bowl to mix up your vanilla bean glaze!
Tips and F.A.Q.
American buttermilk biscuits, like those commonly found in Southern cooking, are similar to scones in some ways -- both are quick breads with high fat and not too much sugar, and both are based on English scones. But biscuits tend to have a fluffier, flaky texture thanks to the high proportion of buttermilk. Traditional scones are denser, more crumbly, and usually made with egg for a richer texture.
Yes you can -- if you use whole leaf tea, be sure to chop or grind the tea leaves so that they're fine. But otherwise any Earl Grey tea bags work well. I used Twinings. Earl Grey scones are a really versatile way to get that amazing tea flavor!
Yes! This may be a tip that you're not expecting if you're used to baking cookies -- many baking recipes call for the baked goods to be places apart so that they don't touch while baking. But with scone recipes, having them slightly touching as they bake can help them to rise higher and straighter in the oven.
These Earl Grey scones can be prepped and frozen prior to baking -- just freeze them solid, then place in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 2 months. Then just bake straight from frozen and add a few more minutes to the bake time.
If you try this recipe, I would love it if you could leave a rating and comment below! It's so wonderful hearing your feedback! And don't forget to share your creations with me by tagging @chenee_today on Instagram!
More Brunch Treats You'll Love
- Air Fryer Hash Browns
- Cinnamon Rolls with Apple Pie Filling
- Cherry Coffee Cake
- Mango Overnight Oats with Coconut
- Cinnamon Scones with Spiced Orange Glaze
- Dairy Free Banana Bread
📖 Recipe
Equipment you may need
Ingredients
- 2 cup (250 g) all-purpose flour - (256g)
- ⅔ cup (133 g) granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoon (8 g) baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon (1 g) baking soda
- 1 tablespoon (15 g) Earl Grey Tea - about 2-3 tea bags, crushed or chopped finely
- ½ cup (114 g) salted butter - frozen
- ¾ cup (173 g) full-fat sour cream
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon (5 ml) pure vanilla extract - or vanilla bean paste
Vanila Bean Glaze
- 1 cup (120 g) powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoon (30 ml) milk - plus more as needed
- 1 teaspoon (5 ml) vanilla bean paste - or one whole vanilla bean pod
- pinch salt
Instructions
- At least one hour before preparing dough (or the night before), place butter in freezer.
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and tea leaves and mix well.
- Grate in frozen butter and combine with dry ingredients.
- In another bowl, whisk together sour cream, egg, and vanilla. Set aside in fridge to keep cool.
- Fold sour cream mixture into dry ingredients with a rubber spatula until just combined. Use floured hands to continue to lightly knead dough into a ball.
- Place dough on a lightly floured surface and dust top of dough ball with a little more flour. Gently shape into a 7-inch round and cut into 8 wedges. Place wedges, slightly touching, on a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking liner.
- Preheat oven to 400°F and place baking sheet with scones in the freezer to chill while it heats up.
- Bake for 16-17 minutes or until scones are lightly golden on top and golden brown on bottom. Let cool before adding glaze.
Vanilla Bean Glaze
- Whisk glaze ingredients together until smooth.
- Place scones on cooling rack over parchment paper or paper towels to catch drips. Drizzle glaze over cooled scones and allow to set.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
PIN these bergamot scones for later!
Last Updated on April 6, 2025 by Chenée Lewis
Kat says
I made these scones for our Book Club last night and they were fantastic! I loved the addition of earl grey tea leaves to make them extra special. They were moist, not dry like some scone recipes turn out. Thanks for the creative delicious recipe!
Chenée Lewis says
That's wonderful! So glad you liked them 🙂