Can You Freeze Scones? The Ultimate Guide

*This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my disclosure to learn more.

Scones are easy-to-make solitary serving baked goods typically eaten with jam and cream. They are simple in preparation and there is nothing better than warm scones for breakfast served with a cup of tea. But can you make scones in a batch and keep them for later use?

Can you freeze scones? Yes, you can freeze scones. You can store both baked and unbaked scones in the freezer. Baked scones will keep for 3 months in the freezer and you can reheat them within minutes in the oven or the microwave. Unbaked scones, on the other hand, will last for around 3 weeks in the freezer. They don’t need to be defrosted before baking. Uncooked scones go from the freezer right into the oven.

This article is the ultimate guide to freezing scones, whether you consider freezing them baked or unbaked.

What Are Scones?

Scones are baked goods originated in the United Kingdom and well-loved in many other countries due to their ease of preparation. These are single-serving cakes made with flour and baking soda that is the leavening agent of the recipe.

Scones are typically very lightly sweetened as they are not supposed to be eaten on their own.

Scones may be plain or they may contain raisins, dried fruit, dates, etc. Savory scones made with cheese or bacon are also popular in some countries.

Scones may be glazed with egg wash for a beautiful golden color once baked. If you are baking sweet scones, you can also decorate your them with vanilla cream glaze.

As far as the texture is concerned, scones are crumbly and light.

Scones also come in different shapes. They can be round or of a triangular shape.

Being part of the afternoon tea tradition in England, which is also known as a cream tea, scones are served with jam and clotted cheese.

Can You Freeze Scones?

Scones are quite simple as far as the ingredients and the baking process are concerned.

Because they contain very little moisture, freezing scones is not an issue. Unlike many other baked goods, they don’t suffer major changes in texture and flavor.

The only thing you may notice when baking frozen scones is that they don’t rise as much as freshly made scones do. However, this should not stop you from making scones in advance and storing them in the freezer for when you need a quick treat.

Why You Should Consider Freezing Scones

Scones make such an easy yet delicious breakfast. If you are someone that misses breakfast for the sole reason of not managing to prepare it, then making scones beforehand and storing them in the freezer is what you should try doing.

Whether you freeze baked or unbaked scones, it won’t take you long to have a delicious breakfast table ready.

If you are someone that doesn’t stick to a restricted diet, you may enjoy scones as lunch too.

Considering how easy it is to bake scones and the variety of ways you can make them, freezing scones is something to consider.

Can You Freeze Baked Scones?

If you have accidentally made too many scones, you can easily freeze them for later use. Here’s how to freeze baked scones:

Transfer the scones into a sealable plastic bag making sure to remove as much air from the bag as possible.
Place the scones side-by-side so that the bag lays flat in the freezer and doesn’t occupy too much space. This way you also avoid the scones crushing and crumbling.

There are three ways to defrost baked scones:

If you are in a hurry, you can defrost them in the microwave. Defrost the scones on the low setting so that they thaw gradually and fully. This way you will reheat the scones at the same time.
If you have time, you can let the baked goods thaw on your kitchen counter for an hour or so. Once they are defrosted, reheat the scones in the oven or in the microwave.
You can also thaw baked scones in the fridge. If you are someone that decides on their breakfast the day before, transfer the scones from the cold storage into the refrigerator. Let the scones thaw in the fridge overnight. In the morning, reheat the scones in the oven or in the microwave.

When using the microwave for reheating scones, be careful to not overheat them or keep them there for too long. Keeping the scones in the microwave for too long will harden them.

Is It Best to Freeze Scones Cooked or Uncooked?

You can freeze scones both baked and unbaked. Depending on how much time you are ready to spend on reheating the scones and getting them ready for your breakfast or lunch, you may find that one of these options works better for you.

If you can spend some extra minutes to bake uncooked scones, it is much more preferable to freeze them unbaked. This way, you will enjoy the feel of freshly baked scones.

If you don’t want to bake the scones after freezing them, then freezing scones that have already been baked is a better option. Defrosting and reheating them in the microwave takes minutes.

Baked scones may take around 8 minutes to be fully reheated in the oven and even less when using the microwave.

Unbaked scones, on the other hand, will take at least 15 minutes to bake. If you bake them without thawing, the baking time will be extended by 5 more minutes.

The Best Way to Freeze Scones

The best way to freeze scones is to freeze them uncooked. This way, once you reheat the scones, you will enjoy them as freshly made and baked.

Here is a full guide on how to freeze scones, from dough preparation to storing uncooked scones in the freezer.

Preparing Freezer-Friendly Scones

Any scone will freeze well. However, if it is your first time freezing scones, it is best to start with a simple scone dough recipe.

For the easiest freezable scone dough:

Mix 3 cups of all-purpose flour with half a cup of sugar and 5 teaspoons of baking powder. Don’t forget to add a pinch of salt.
Add 170 grams of butter (3/4 cup)
Mix 1 cup of milk with 1 beaten egg and add the mixture to the rest of the ingredients. Remember not to overmix the dough. This will result in chewy and dense scones once you bake them.

And here you have a simple scone recipe that you can customize by making it sweeter or savory. Whatever flavors you add to this basic recipe, you can safely freeze the scones for later use.

Once the dough is ready, cut it into circles. If you prefer scones of triangular shape, pat the dough down to make a large circle and cut it into wedges.

Freezing Unbaked Scones

Once the scones are shaped and ready, it is time to prepare them for the freezer. Here is what you should do to freeze unbaked scones:

Line the baking sheet with parchment paper or cling wrap. Place the scones on the sheet leaving some distance between each other.
Leave the scones in the freezer for an hour or longer. The scones should freeze until they are hard enough. This will ensure that the scones don’t stick to one another once you put them together.
Transfer the uncooked frozen scones into a plastic bag or a container. If you have too many scones, you can layer them using baking paper in between the layers.
Make sure the container or the bag you are storing the scones in is airtight. If needed, secure it with cling wrap. If the container or the plastic bag is not well-sealed, not only will the scones suffer a freezer burn but also absorb odors from other products in the freezer.
Label the container or the plastic bag with date. If you are freezing multiple types of scones, make sure to indicate that too.
Use the uncooked within 3 weeks or a month.

Once you have uncooked scones stored in your freezer, you can have a nice breakfast or lunch table ready within minutes.

How to Defrost and Bake Frozen Scones

You may think that to defrost and bake frozen scones you will need to let them thaw for hours in the fridge or at room temperature before you pop them in the oven to bake.

You can thaw uncooked scones for some time before you bake them. However, it is not the easiest and quickest way of getting frozen scones ready.

Moreover, scones are recommended to be kept somewhat cold before they are baked. This way the butter in the dough doesn’t melt, which produces a better result once the scones are cooked.

Follow these steps to successfully bake frozen scones.

Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Line the baking sheet with parchment paper to prevent the scones from sticking. If you don’t have baking paper at hand, use cooking spray.
Take the scones out of the freezer and place them on the baking sheet. Leave space between the scones as they expand while cooking.
Place the baking sheet on the middle shelf.
Bake the scones until they reach a golden color. This may take from 15 to 20 minutes or longer if the scones are bigger.

The baking time will vary depending on your oven and the size of the scones. Thus, it is better to keep an eye on them and take them out once they are ready.

How Long Can You Keep Scones in the Freezer?

The shelf life of scones largely depends on the conditions you will keep them in. The most important storage rule for scones is that they should be kept in a dry place.

Stored in an airtight container at room temperature, scones will keep only for a couple of days.
If stored in the fridge, you can extend their shelf life to up to a week.
If you have made a big batch and don’t want to have scones for breakfast for 7 days in a row, storing them in the freezer will give you the freedom to enjoy them within a few months.

Baked scones in the freezer will last for up to 3 months. They will keep indefinitely in the cold storage if the temperature is 0°F.

Unbaked scones will last for around 3 weeks in the freezer if you provide the necessary conditions and package the baked goods correctly.

No air should get to the scones. Otherwise, you are risking them getting a freezer burn.

Unbaked scones may remain safe after 3 weeks. However, you may notice that they don’t rise as much as they should have once baked.

In any case, if you notice an off-putting smell or mold, discard the scones.

3 Tips for Freezing and Defrosting Scones

Here are some tips to apply when you freeze and defrost scones.

Tip #1: Wrap the scones individually

If you have only a few baked scones left and don’t want them to go to waste, wrap them individually with a few layers of plastic wrap and store them in the freezer.

You can also use aluminum foil to keep the scones safe from air and freezer burn.

Tip #2: Brush scones with egg wash after defrosting

If you are willing to spend some extra effort in baking frozen scones, there is a way to elevate your pre-made scones.

Once the unbaked scones are somewhat defrosted and ready to get in the oven, brush them with egg wash, cream or milk, and sprinkle some sugar on top.

An easy vanilla glaze made with powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract is also an option if you like sweeter scones. Drizzle the scones with the glaze only when they have cooled down. Otherwise, they will quickly absorb it.

Tip #3: Thaw the scones while the oven is pre-heating

If transferring frozen scones from the freezer right into the oven seems odd to you, here is what you can do to quickly defrost frozen scones and bake them.

Place the frozen scones on the baking sheet and put it in the oven once you have just turned it on. While the oven warms, the scones will thaw and be ready for baking.