Tender, flaky scones, infused with almond extract and loaded with maraschino cherries, these Cherry Almond Scones are also topped with a cherry-almond glaze! They’re ready in about 45 minutes, start to finish, so you can have homemade, fresh-from-the-oven Cherry Almond Scones whenever your heart desires!
Hi, and happy Saturday! I hope you have a great weekend in store. We’re seeing The Book of Mormon tonight, one of my favorite shows. We bought tickets with some friends of ours, so we’re looking forward to a night out with good friends and good entertainment. Have you seen it?? It’s so irreverent – sometimes I can’t believe the humor – but it’s also SO hilarious!
This is my second time seeing it, and I’m the only one in our group that’s seen it before, so it’ll be interesting to see everyone else’s reactions. 🙂 What does your weekend look like??
Today I’m bringing you an amazing holiday brunch recipe, these Cherry Almond Scones. You don’t need a holiday to make these though, obviously you can make them anytime, and you definitely should. But I do think these Cherry Almond Scones would be really nice for a weekend morning in December, or even on Christmas morning.
These Cherry Almond Scones come together in about 45 minutes, start to finish. They’re fresh from the oven in no time. They’re quick, but also ridiculously simple. Scones are super easy, and I love the gratification of having something made from scratch in such a short time period.
Equally important, or more importantly, these Cherry Almond Scones taste FANTASTIC. Ever since discovering the world’s best scone recipe three years ago, I’ve never been able to quit with creating a whole bunch of different variations. I have a dozen or so, least of which includes these other holiday options – Gingerbread Cranberry Scones with Brown Sugar Glaze, Cranberry Orange Scones with Orange Glaze, Pumpkin Pecan Scones with Brown Sugar Streusel, Sweet Potato Pecan Pie Scones, and Pomegranate White Chocolate Almond Scones. Yes, those are just holiday options!
I have a bunch of other scones recipes for the rest of the year.
These Cherry Almond Scones are loaded with maraschino cherries. Like, a lot. And infused with almond extract, of course. The glaze on top is a cherry-almond glaze because no Cherry Almond Scones would be complete without such a glaze… am I right? Both flavors needed to be in it!
These are just awesome. Cherry and almond are one of the best flavor combos, and these scones are tender, flaky, and moist. Combined with the fact that these are quick and easy, these Cherry Almond Scones are a dream recipe. Simple to throw together, even on a hectic morning like Christmas! And very festive with the bright pops of red. 🙂
If you love cherry and almond together, I’ve got a few other recipes that feature that flavor pairing, so check out this Cherry Almond Bread with Cherry Glaze, Cherry Amaretto Bundt Cake, or White Chocolate Cherry Almond Shortbread!
Cherry Almond Scones
Ingredients
For scones:
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 tbsp. sugar
- 1 tbsp. baking powder
- 1/2 cup butter very cold or frozen
- 1/2 cup slivered almonds
- 2 10 oz. jars maraschino cherries drained (reserve juice for glaze), patted dry, minced
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup heavy cream or eggnog
- 2 tsp. almond extract
- 2 tbsp. heavy cream
- 2 tbsp. turbinado sugar for sprinkling
For glaze:
- 1/4 cup butter melted
- 1/2 cup maraschino cherry juice
- 1 tsp. almond extract
- 3 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
For scones:
- In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, and baking powder.
- Using a pastry blender or a knife, cut in butter until mixture is crumbly.
- Add slivered almonds and minced cherries, tossing to combine.
- In a small bowl, stir together eggs, heavy cream, and almond extract.
- Make a well in the center of the flour mixture, and pour the egg mixture into the well. Stir until just combined.
- Turn dough out onto a floured surface, and knead dough 5 or 6 times, slowly forming it into a large ball.
- Place onto a greased baking sheet, and carefully flatten the ball into a large disk, about 3/4-inch thick.
- Cut into 8 wedges, and gently pull the wedges slightly apart.
- Using the remaining 2 tbsp. heavy cream, brush each scone lightly. Sprinkle each scone with turbinado sugar.
- Bake at 400 degrees for 15-18 minutes, or until edges are golden brown.
- Remove to a wire rack to cool.
For glaze:
- In a medium bowl, whisk together butter, maraschino cherry juice, almond extract, and powdered sugar.
- Drizzle over cooled scones. Allow to set. Serve.
Heidi says
Hey can the cherry scones be frozen
Sarah says
Definitely! They freeze beautifully. Just wrap them well — I like to do Saran Wrap or plastic baggies, and then wrap in foil too as a real certain buffer from freezer elements.
Lisa D says
These were really good except they need salt. They’re kind of sweet-bland without salt.
Sarah says
Thanks for your feedback!
Barbara says
I made these Maraschino cherry scones today and they turned out delicious. Only I put vanilla bean paste in because a couple family members don’t like almond flavor. I do. Next time, very soon, I will use almond. They are so good, with or without the icing, which also tastes great. Actually, the first time I made scones and it was such an easy recipe. Thank you.
Sarah says
Thank you so much for your feedback, Barbara! I love hearing the tweaks and customizations that people make. So glad you liked them. I LOVE making scones, and I find this easy too. I’m actually sitting here thinking now how great a homemade scone sounds at the moment! I hope you are well during these turbulent times!
Lindsay Walters says
I changed up the recipe a bit I used coconut instead of almonds and vanilla bean paste in place of the almond extract and they are delicious. I’m so happy with them
Corryn Gruber says
Any idea how many calories would be in one serving?
Sarah says
I actually don’t know! I’m sorry about that. There are calorie calculators online that could give an estimate though.
Ariel Clinton says
The best scones I’ve ever made! Super easy to make, almond and cherry compliment each other so well. They we soft and buttery and very rich and decadent.