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    Home » Recipes » Baking

    Easy Date and Walnut Scones Recipe

    Published: May 16, 2024 · Modified: Sep 30, 2024 by Beth Sachs · 6 Comments · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe
    Date and walnut scones pin image.

    Date and walnut scones are a delicious twist on the classic British scone. Perfect for teatime, these scones combine the sweetness of dates with the crunch of walnuts. Best of all, they're easy to make and great with butter or clotted cream.

    Freshly baked date and walnut scones. One scone is split open on a plate and served with clotted cream.

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    I adore baking scones! They're one of the simplest things to make and an ideal recipe for novice bakers.

    👩‍🍳 Love scones? Try my cherry and almond scones or air fryer scones!

    Jump to:
    • 🛒 Ingredients
    • 🔪 How to make date & walnut scones
    • Top Tips
    • 🍴 Serving suggestions
    • 📖 Variations
    • 🥡 Storage
    • ❓ FAQs
    • 😋 More easy scone recipes
    • Recipe
    • 💬 Comments

    🛒 Ingredients

    Ingredients needed to make date and walnut scones.

    Self Raising Flour - I use white flour, but you could use wholemeal or half and half.

    Bicarbonate of Soda - raising agent.

    Salt - for flavour.

    Sugar - I've used caster sugar but you could swap for light brown sugar.

    Mixed Spice - gives the scones a gentle spiced flavour.

    Butter - cubed and fridge cold.

    Buttermilk - to ensure the scones are light and fluffy.

    Walnuts - chopped.

    Dried Dates - stones removed and chopped. I use Medjool dates.

    Milk - for glazing.

    🔪 How to make date & walnut scones

    The recipe card with ingredient quantities and detailed instructions can be found at the bottom of the post

    One: Sieve the flour into a large mixing bowl and stir in the bicarbonate of soda, salt, and mixed spice. Rub the cubed cold butter in with your hands until you get a breadcrumb consistency.

    Two: Stir in the sugar with a metal knife.

    Three: Add the buttermilk to the flour, along with the chopped dates and walnuts. Use the metal knife to mix it in.

    Four: Use your hands to form a dough, handling it as little as possible.

    Rubbing the butter into the flour.
    Make the scone dough.

    Five: Flour a worktop or wooden board and using your hands (no need for a rolling pin), shape it into a round, about 4cm thick.

    Six: Use a biscuit cutter to stamp out the scones (try not to twist the cutter otherwise the tops will bake unevenly). Depending on the size of biscuit cutter, you should get around 8-10 scones from the recipe (I personally find a 5cm cutter works best). You'll need to re-form the dough a few times to get the maximum amount of scones from the dough.

    Seven: Place the scones on a non-stick baking tray (you can line your baking tray if you wish) and glaze the tops with milk.

    💡 For an extra special touch sprinkle the tops with demerara sugar!

    Eight: Bake in the oven for 12-14 minutes until the scones are well risen. Allow them to cool for a few minutes before removing them to a wire rack with a cake slice.

    Scone dough.
    Baked scones on a baking tray.

    Top Tips

    • If you can't get hold of buttermilk, you can make your own buttermilk by squeezing some lemon juice into milk and leaving it to stand at room temperature for 15 minutes before using. The buttermilk helps the scones become light and fluffy. 
    • 💡 Pro Tip: Homemade buttermilk is thinner than commercially produced buttermilk. You may not need to use the full amount as it could make your dough too thin and sticky. If using homemade buttermilk, add half the amount to start with and gradually add more if needed in order to make a soft dough.
    • 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 give the scones the perfect texture.
    • You don't need a rolling pin to roll out the dough. Just shape it with your hands for rustic looking scones.

    🍴 Serving suggestions

    Serve the scones warm with butter or clotted cream and a drizzle of honey.

    If I'm making them for afternoon tea, I'll serve the scones on a cake stand with mini sausage rolls, cucumber sandwiches, and chocolate chip flapjack.

    📖 Variations

    • Use wholemeal self-raising flour for wholemeal date and walnut scones.
    • Try different dried fruit and nuts. Raisins, chopped dried apricots, and pecan nuts would all work well. Don't forget to try my easy fruit scone recipe!
    • Omit the nuts completely and add more dates or other dried fruit.
    • Add apple pieces for walnut and apple scones.
    • Sprinkle with demerara sugar before baking for an extra special crunchy topping.
    A date and walnut scone on a white plate.

    🥡 Storage

    Fresh from the oven, scones are at their finest. Enjoy them warm for the best taste and texture.

    Alternatively, you can freeze scones for up to 3 months, ensuring you always have a tasty treat on hand.

    ❓ FAQs

    What is buttermilk?

    Traditional buttermilk is a thin, cloudy, slightly tart but buttery-tasting liquid that’s the by-product after cream is churned to make butter. These days it is more commonly sold as a thick liquid (usually next to the cream in the supermarket), produced commercially by adding an acidifying bacteria to milk.

    What are dates?

    Dates are the fruit of a date palm. Before they're dried, dates are typically plump, shiny fruits that grow in bunches from date trees. They can be either dark purple or bright red and contain a large central pit with pointed ends. This is usually removed before the fruit is dried. Dates are a source of fructose, which is a natural type of sugar found in fruit. For this reason, dates are very sweet and also have a subtle caramel-like taste.

    Why do I need to use cold butter when I make scones?

    Using fridge-cold butter produces the flakiest, lightest scones. If the dough is allowed to get too warm, your scones will turn out dense and heavy.

    Can I use other types of nuts instead of walnuts?

    Yes, you can substitute walnuts with other nuts like pecans, almonds, or hazelnuts, depending on your preference or availability.

    Can I make the scone dough ahead of time?

    Yes, you can prepare the dough in advance, shape it into scones, and store them in the fridge overnight. Bake them fresh the next morning for warm, delicious scones.

    😋 More easy scone recipes

    • Air fryer scone on a blue plate with jam and clotted cream.
      Easy Air Fryer Scones Recipe
    • Cheese scones.
      Easy Air Fryer Cheese Scones Recipe
    • Victoria scone with glace cherries on top.
      Easy Victoria Scones Recipe
    • Currant scones on a cooling rack with one in the foreground split in half with jam and clotted cream.
      Easy Fruit Scones Recipe

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    Recipe

    A date and walnut scone on a plate with clotted cream.
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    5 from 10 votes

    Easy Date and Walnut Scones

    Date and walnut scones are a delicious twist on the classic British scone. Perfect for teatime, these scones combine the sweetness of dates with the crunch of walnuts. Easy to make and great with butter or clotted cream, they’re a tasty treat everyone will love.
    Course Snack
    Cuisine British
    Prep Time 8 minutes minutes
    Cook Time 14 minutes minutes
    Total Time 22 minutes minutes
    Servings 8
    Calories 402kcal
    Author Beth Sachs
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    Equipment

    • Kitchen Scales
    • Measuring Spoons
    • Mixing Bowl
    • Baking Sheets

    Ingredients

    Metric - US Customary
    • 450 g Self Raising Flour
    • 1 teaspoon Bicarbonate of Soda
    • ¼ teaspoon Salt
    • 1 teaspoon Mixed Spice
    • 100 g Butter
    • 70 g Caster Sugar
    • 300 ml Buttermilk
    • 50 g Dates stoned and chopped
    • 60 g Walnuts chopped
    • 2 tablespoon Milk for glazing

    Instructions

    • Preheat the oven to 220°c (200 fan/ Gas 7) and line a baking tray with baking paper.
    • Sieve the flour into a large mixing bowl and stir in the salt, bicarbonate of soda, and mixed spice.
      450 g Self Raising Flour, ¼ teaspoon Salt, 1 teaspoon Mixed Spice, 1 teaspoon Bicarbonate of Soda
    • Rub the cubed cold butter in with your hands until you get a breadcrumb consistency.
      100 g Butter
    • Stir in the sugar with a metal knife.
      70 g Caster Sugar
    • Add the buttermilk to the flour, along with the chopped dates and walnuts. Use the metal knife to mix it in.
      300 ml Buttermilk, 50 g Dates, 60 g Walnuts
    • Use your hands to form a dough, handling it as little as possible.
    • Flour a worktop or wooden board and using your hands (no need for a rolling pin), shape it into a round, about 4cm thick.
    • Use a biscuit cutter to stamp out the scones (try not to twist the cutter otherwise the tops will bake unevenly). Depending on the size of biscuit cutter, you should get around 8-10 scones from the recipe (I personally find a 5cm cutter works best). You'll need to reform the dough a few times to get the maximum amount of scones from the dough.
    • Place the scones on a non-stick baking tray (you can line your baking tray if you wish) and glaze the tops with milk.
      2 tablespoon Milk
    • Bake in the oven for 12-14 minutes until the scones are well risen. Allow them to cool for a few minutes before removing them to a wire rack with a cake slice.

    Video

    Notes

    Top Tips:
    • This recipe uses buttermilk. If you can't get hold of buttermilk, you can make your own by squeezing some lemon juice into milk and leaving it to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes before using. The buttermilk helps the scones become light and fluffy. 
    • 💡 Pro Tip: Homemade buttermilk is thinner than commercially produced buttermilk. You may not need to use the full amount as it could make your dough too thin and sticky. If using homemade buttermilk, add half the amount to start with and gradually add more if needed in order to make a soft dough.
    • 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 give the scones the perfect texture.
    • You don't need a rolling pin to roll out the dough. Just shape it with your hands for rustic looking scones.
     
    Nutrition:
    The nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible.
     
    Nutrition Facts
    Easy Date and Walnut Scones
    Amount per Serving
    Calories
    402
    % Daily Value*
    Fat
     
    13
    g
    20
    %
    Saturated Fat
     
    2
    g
    13
    %
    Polyunsaturated Fat
     
    4
    g
    Monounsaturated Fat
     
    1
    g
    Cholesterol
     
    5
    mg
    2
    %
    Sodium
     
    116
    mg
    5
    %
    Potassium
     
    197
    mg
    6
    %
    Carbohydrates
     
    61
    g
    20
    %
    Fiber
     
    2
    g
    8
    %
    Sugar
     
    15
    g
    17
    %
    Protein
     
    12
    g
    24
    %
    Vitamin A
     
    78
    IU
    2
    %
    Vitamin C
     
    1
    mg
    1
    %
    Calcium
     
    83
    mg
    8
    %
    Iron
     
    1
    mg
    6
    %
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
    Tried this recipe?Snap a pic and tag @effortlessf00d on Instagram or Twitter

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      Easy Madeira Cake Recipe
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Jack

      January 06, 2022 at 1:01 pm

      5 stars
      These scones were delicious, they had an amazing texture!

      Reply
    2. Toni

      January 06, 2022 at 1:24 pm

      5 stars
      This is such a great snack! My family loved it!

      Reply
    3. Alison

      January 06, 2022 at 1:41 pm

      5 stars
      I have never made homemade scones, but this recipe looks so easy and delicious! I'm surprising my family with home-baked scones this weekend! Yay!

      Reply
    4. Aimee Mars

      January 06, 2022 at 1:42 pm

      5 stars
      I love scones and I love dates, but have never put the two together! This recipe sounds incredible and it does look easy to make. I know what I'm making for breakfast this weekend!

      Reply
    5. Helen

      January 06, 2022 at 1:54 pm

      5 stars
      I'm a sucker for anything with dates in it and these look divine - especially topped with cream, yum!

      Reply
    6. Saji Cooray

      June 10, 2023 at 2:58 am

      5 stars
      Absolutely Delicious. Thank you for the easy recipe. Soft and moist inside and crusty on the out. Just how we like it. Not overly sweet either...

      Reply
    5 from 10 votes (4 ratings without comment)

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    Hi, I'm Beth!

    Mum of three (and two crazy dogs), living in Cornwall, UK. I love creating easy, delicious and fuss-free recipes, perfect for busy families, just like my own.

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