These easy air fryer scones served with sweet strawberry jam and thick clotted cream are a British tea-time classic and simply irresistible!
The freshly baked scones are light, fluffy, golden, and best of all, ready in just 8 minutes in your air fryer! You might also like my classic Bero Victoria scone recipe!
There's nothing better for Afternoon Tea than a batch of freshly made scones, and they're now even easier and quicker to make in an air fryer!
This recipe makes a small batch (5 scones if you use a 5cm round cutter), and that way they air fry evenly and quickly! Feel free to double the recipe and cook in two batches if you're serving a crowd.
Check out my eBook⭐Easy Air Fryer Recipes⭐ which includes 20 straightforward and easy-to-follow recipes for your air fryer. You'll be a pro at air fryer cooking in no time! Don't miss out, get your copy today!
👩🍳 Love air fryer recipes? Try my easy air fryer muffins or air fryer Madeira cake next!
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✔️ Why you'll love this recipe!
- Easy air fryer baking recipe.
- Light and fluffy texture on the inside, with a golden crust.
- Classic tea-time treat and perfect for Afternoon Tea.
- Freezer-friendly.
🛒 Ingredient notes
Flour - use self-raising flour to get a good rise on the scones.
Baking Powder - add extra raising agent for a light and fluffy texture.
Butter - unsalted butter, cubed and cold.
Sugar - white caster sugar or golden caster sugar is best for scones.
Milk - semi-skimmed or whole milk. You can also swap milk for buttermilk (you just won't need the lemon juice).
Lemon Juice - a squeeze of fresh lemon juice sours the milk to produce light and fluffy textured scones.
Vanilla - for flavour. You could also use almond extract.
🥄 Equipment
Which air fryer? I use the Ninja Foodi 5.8 litre Grill and Air Fryer with 4 customisable cooking functions including air fry, roast, bake, and dehydrate!
What is an air fryer?
Air fryers are small(ish) kitchen appliances that operate like a convection oven—except in a smaller, more concentrated space.
The air is circulated at a high temperature and evenly around the food, which makes the food cook more quickly than in a conventional oven (saving energy), and helps give foods a crispy coating without the need for lots of oil and fat.
🔪 How to bake scones in an air fryer?
The recipe card with ingredient quantities and detailed instructions can be found at the bottom of the post
One: Place the flour, baking powder, and cold cubed butter into a large mixing bowl and rub in with your hands until you get a breadcrumb consistency.
💡Pro tip - use a food processor if you'd like to, and use the pulse function. be careful not to overwork the dough.
Two: Mix in the caster sugar.
Three: Heat the milk in the microwave for 30 seconds then add a squeeze of lemon juice and the vanilla extract. Leave to stand for 2 minutes, then using a cutlery knife, mix the soured milk into the flour.
Four: Bring the dough together with your hands. The dough will be quite sticky and soft at this stage.
Five: Lightly flour your work surface then shape the scone dough into a round disc (roughly 3cm thick) using your hands. Using a 5cm fluted cookie cutter, stamp out 5 scones. You'll need to keep reforming the dough into a disc with your hands until you have used it all up.
Six: Glaze the tops of the scones with milk, and then place them in your air fryer basket and air fry for 7-8 minutes until golden brown and well risen.
Seven: Remove the scones from the air fryer basket and cool them on a wire rack for 10 minutes before serving.
💭 Expert tips
- Always use cold cubed butter straight from the fridge. If you try to rub in soft warm butter you will be left with a sticky mess. Cold butter helps to keep the dough cool and gives the scones the perfect flakey texture once baked.
- You don't need a rolling pin to roll out the dough. Just shape it with your hands into a disc shape. The more sparingly you handle the dough, the better the end result. To prevent gluten formation (resulting in tough and chewy scones), it is best to refrain from kneading the dough.
- Try not to twist the cutter when stamping out the scones. This helps them to rise evenly.
- Make sure your self-raising flour and baking powder are in date to ensure the scones rise.
🍴 Serving suggestions
Serve the sweet air fryer scones with the topping of your choice. Here are some ideas!
- Strawberry jam and clotted cream. Being Cornish it's ALWAYS jam first!
- Raspberry jam or blackcurrant jam.
- Fresh blueberries.
- Butter.
- Marmalade.
- Lemon Curd.
- Whipped double cream and strawberry coulis or blackcurrant coulis.
📖 Variations
- Add 45g of raisins or currants for air fryer fruit scones. Use my fruit scones recipe as a guide.
- Dust with icing sugar (powdered sugar) once cooked.
- Add 45g of quartered glace cherries for cherry scones.
- Add 45g of chocolate chips to the dough for chocolate chip scones.
- Swap the vanilla extract for cinnamon and make air fryer cinnamon scones.
- Make air fryer cheese scones. Omit the sugar and add a handful of grated cheddar cheese to the dough.
- Use wholewheat flour for a healthier scone.
🥡 Storage
Air fryer scones are best eaten fresh, as soon as they are made.
Store: Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
Reheat: Scones can be eaten at room temperature, but can also be warmed up. Air fry for 1 - 2 minutes at 200C.
Freeze: Allow the scones to cool before placing them in a freezer bag or freezer-safe container. Freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost at room temperature before serving.
❓Frequently asked questions
If you use a 1500W air fryer for an average of one hour per day, it will use roughly 1.5 kilowatts of electricity. Most air fryers use between 1.4 and 1.7kWh (kilowatts of energy per hour). They are considered to be much more energy efficient than conventional ovens.
It is best to use self raising flour for scones in an air fryer. This type of flour works well for achieving the desired texture and rise.
To prevent sticking, it's recommended to line the air fryer basket with parchment paper or use a non-stick cooking spray before placing the scones in the air fryer.
Yes, you can freeze the scones before air frying. Prepare the dough, shape the scones, and then freeze them on a baking sheet. Once frozen, transfer them to a freezer bag. When ready to air fry, simply thaw them for a few minutes before placing them in the air fryer.
😋 More easy air fryer recipes
- Air fryer roast potatoes
- Air fryer rock cakes
- Air fryer brownies
- Air fryer baked apples
- Cheesy air fryer crumpets
- Air fryer chicken fajitas
- Air fryer baked camembert
- Air fryer sausages
- Air fryer sausage rolls
- Air fryer chips
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Recipe
Easy Air Fryer Scones
Equipment
Ingredients
- 175 g Self Raising Flour
- ½ teaspoon Baking Powder
- 45 g Butter cubed and fridge cold
- 2 tablespoon Caster Sugar
- 85 ml Milk plus a bit extra for glazing the tops
- Squeeze Lemon Juice
- ½ teaspoon Vanilla Extract
Instructions
- Preheat the air fryer to 200°C (400F).
- Place the flour, baking powder, and cold cubed butter into a large mixing bowl and rub in with your hands until you get a breadcrumb consistency.175 g Self Raising Flour, ½ teaspoon Baking Powder, 45 g Butter
- Mix in the caster sugar.2 tablespoon Caster Sugar
- Heat the milk in the microwave for 30 seconds then add a squeeze of lemon juice and the vanilla extract. Leave to stand for 2 minutes then using a cutlery knife, mix the soured milk into the flour.85 ml Milk, Squeeze Lemon Juice, ½ teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- Bring the dough together with your hands. The dough will be quite sticky and soft at this stage.
- Lightly flour your work surface then shape the scone dough into a round disc (roughly 3cm thick) using your hands. Using a 5cm fluted cookie cutter, stamp out 5 scones. You'll need to keep reforming the dough into a disc with your hands until you have used it all up.
- Glaze the tops of the scones with a little milk, and then air fry for 7-8 minutes until golden brown and well risen.
- Remove the scones from the air fryer basket and cool them on a wire rack for 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Always use cold cubed butter straight from the fridge. If you try to rub in soft warm butter you will be left with a sticky mess. Cold butter helps to keep the dough cool and gives the scones the perfect flakey texture once baked.
- You don't need a rolling pin to roll out the dough. Just shape it with your hands into a disc shape.
- Make sure your self-raising flour and baking powder are in date to ensure the scones rise.
- Add 45g of raisins or currants for air fryer fruit scones. Use my fruit scones recipe as a guide.
- Dust with icing sugar (powdered sugar) once cooked.
- Add 45g of quartered glace cherries for cherry scones.
- Add 45g of chocolate chips to the dough for chocolate chip scones.
- Make air fryer cheese scones. Omit the sugar and add a handful of grated cheddar cheese to the dough.
Dannii
One of my favourite ways to use my air fryer. I just love the texture of them.
Nancy
Tasty and easy to make scones. Perfect for air fryer
Kathleen
Love that I don't have to heat up the whole kitchen to make these delicious scones. They are so light and fluffy. Can't wait to enjoy these for breakfast.
Luci
I love scones and this looks like such an easy way to make them! Thanks for sharing. Definitely trying this out.
kushigalu
I never tried scones in an air fryer. SOunds interesting. Thanks for sharing.
Lady Ann Mulroy
Just made these and I'm having to make some more as the family have eaten them already.
Thanks for a great recipe.
Beth Sachs
So glad you enjoyed them! They don't last long!
Lorraine
Just seen the recipe and made some. Do quick an economical
Delicious tha
nks.
viv johnson
😊
Viv from Par Cornwall
Bridgette
I was a little weary of trying this . But OMG they are so easy to make. Will definitely be making again. Thanks
Bridgette
Perfect 🥰
Elaine
I have just made these scones are they are amazing!!!!!!!!!!
Sheila
The best air fryer scones I have tried!
Kathy
Did you air fry your scones ,like it says in the recipe or did you use the bake mode. We followed the recipe and then air fried them for 8mins they looked great but when we took them out the insides were not cooked
Sue
Such an easy recipe for air fryer scones. They are the perfect fluffy texture.
Angel
What temp do these go on and for how long? Thanks ☺️
Beth Sachs
Hi Angel. The recipe card with the temperature and cooking time is at the bottom of the post. Hope you enjoy them.
Louise
Do you use the air fry option or the bake option?
Beth Sachs
Hi Louise. Use the air fry option. Enjoy!
Elaine Scott
I did your cheese scones but on bake and they were lovely but I did these exactly how you suggested on air fryer!
And they look and taste great. Thank you x
Ruth
how would I alter the recipe to use oat milk?
Leanne Leanne
Just as you would in place of any other liquid xx
Vanessa
How do you warm up an air fryer to 200 degrees c ?
And why do you not choose “ bake “ rather than “ air fry “ ?
Thanks
Beth Sachs
Hi Vanessa. All air fryers have a preheat function where the airfryer warms up before you add food. I find air frying cooks the scones more quickly resulting in a better texture.
Aisling Gallagher
Made them plain and they were lovely. I am know trying them with sultanas 😊