Name: Cherry Scones with Dark Chocolate & Pistachios
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 35 min
Ingredients: 1 3/4 cup all purpose flour; 2 tbsp sugar; 2 1/2 tsp baking powder; 1/2 tsp salt; 6 tbsp butter, chilled and cut into slices; 1/2 cup dried tart cherries; 1/2 cup chopped dark chocolate or chocolate chips; 1/3 cup chopped roasted/unsalted pistachios; 2/3 cup powdered sugar; 2 tbsp milk; 1/2 tsp vanilla extract; 1 vanilla bean pod

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If you’re looking for the perfect cherry scones recipe, look no further than these tender cherry scones studded with dried tart cherries, dark chocolate chunks, and crunchy pistachios. It’s an easy recipe for any scone lover!

cherry scones with vanilla icing on a wire cooling rack

This is my go-to, tried-and-true scone recipe with a lovely combination of fruit, nuts and chocolate that is a perfect addition to breakfast, brunch or afternoon tea/coffee. I think scones are an underrated pastry. Sure, they are around, but they are easily forgotten amongst more flashy things like cinnamon rolls slathered with cream cheese frosting or flaky pastries filled with fruit and cream. I have no problem with those things, but I just think scones are great! They are super quick to make, they aren’t too sweet, they have simple ingredients, and there are a million ways to jazz them up. These delicious scones combine sour cherries, dark chocolate, and pistachios all wrapped up in a simple pastry. There is also a recipe included for an optional vanilla glaze if you want to add a touch more sweetness. Let’s make them!

Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links, which means if you decide to purchase any of the items linked in this post, I should earn a small commission. This creates no additional cost to you and helps support the work that goes into running The Fig Jar. Thank you! -Becky

Ingredients

Cherry Scones

all-purpose flour
baking powder
salt
sugar
cold unsalted butter
milk
eggs – 1 for the scone dough and 1 for an optional egg wash)
tart dried cherries – Dried Montgomery cherries work great! This recipe works best with dried cherries. If you’re looking for a recipe that uses fresh cherries, orange zest, and lemon zest, try this one.
dark chocolate – you can use chocolate chips or chop up your favorite dark chocolate bar into small pieces
roasted + salted pistachios

For the optional vanilla glaze, you will need

If you like more sweetness from your scone, add this lovely vanilla bean glaze! To make it, you will need:

powdered sugar
milk
vanilla extract
vanilla bean pods – you will actually only need one pod, so if you want to buy just enough for this recipe, just get one. However, it is really nice to have them on hand for things like vanilla bean syrup 🙂

How to make these scones

Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Use a fork to thoroughly mix flour, baking powder, salt and sugar.

flour, baking power and salt being whisked in a mixing bowl

butter being cut into dry ingredients with a pastry blender

Add the cold butter (cut into slices/cubes) and use a pastry blender (pastry cutter) to work the butter into the flour until coarse crumbs the size of peas form.

milk and egg being whisked in a large measuring cup

wet ingredients being whisked into dry ingredients

Next, add the wet ingredients. In a large measuring cup or small mixing bowl, whisk together the egg and milk, then add to the mixing bowl with the dry ingredients.

dried cherries, dark chocolate and pistachios added to scone dough

Use a fork or a dough whisk to gently stir until the flour mixture becomes more dough-like but still crumbly. If it seems too dry, you can add up to 2 tbsp more milk.

cherry scone dough mixed before being turned out onto a floured surface

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, trying to keep the driest/crumbliest bits on top. Press down on the mound and in around the edges.

Knead the dough until it becomes a cohesive mass of dough and is relatively smooth. Press into a rectangle about 1/2 inch thick and about 10 x 7 inches. Cut into 6 squares and arrange on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Beat another egg and use a pastry brush to apply an egg wash. This is optional but it gives the scones a nicer golden brown color!

The scones will need to bake for about 20-23 minutes until they have that beautiful golden brown color!

You’ll want to let the scones cool for 10-15 minutes. Place scones on a wire rack before adding the glaze if you choose to add it. 🙂

To make the glaze, simply combine powdered sugar, milk, vanilla extract and vanilla beans to a small bowl and whisk until smooth. A mini whisk works great for this!

Drizzle the icing over the tops of the scones using a whisk or a spoon. If you want a neater drizzle, you can add the icing to a Ziplock bag, snip off the corner (just a small portion), and pipe the icing onto the scones.

Storage Instructions

These scones are best enjoyed the day they are made, as they dry out quickly after cooling. But if you’d like to store leftover scones, allow them to cool to room temperature then place them in an airtight container. Store on the counter for 1-2 days or in the fridge for up to a week. You can also tightly wrap the scones in plastic wrap, as this keeps more air from drying out the scones.