These easy air fryer scones are light, fluffy and ready in just 7–8 minutes. Made with simple pantry ingredients, they're perfect for a quick cream tea, weekend baking or whenever you fancy warm homemade scones without turning on the oven.
Place the self-raising flour, baking powder and cold cubed butter in a large mixing bowl. Rub the butter into the flour using your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
175 g Self Raising Flour (self rising flour), ½ tsp Baking Powder, 45 g Butter
Mix in the caster sugar.
2 tbsp Caster Sugar (or granulated 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. You may not need every drop of liquid, so add it gradually.
85 ml Milk, Squeeze Lemon Juice, ½ tsp 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 (or beaten egg), 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.
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Notes
Don't overwork the dough. Mix just until the ingredients come together and handle the dough gently to keep the scones light and fluffy.
Keep the dough thick. Pat it to about 1¼ inches (3cm) thick for the best rise.
Cut straight down. Press the cutter straight down without twisting, as twisting can seal the edges and prevent the scones from rising evenly.
Leave space between the scones. Arrange them in a single layer with a little space around each one so the hot air can circulate.
Cooking times vary. Air fryers cook differently, so start checking after 7 minutes. Larger scones or cooler-running models may need an extra 2–4 minutes.
Check for doneness. The scones should be well risen, golden on top and lightly browned underneath. If they're still doughy in the centre, cook for another 2–3 minutes at 180°C (360°F).
Best served fresh. Enjoy warm on the day they're baked with butter, jam and clotted cream, or store in an airtight container for up to 2 days.