Before I had a kid, I would make a leisurely brunch almost every weekend - even if it was 1pm by the time I ate. Brunch was almost always a baked good - like these Peach Cobbler Scones.
The scones are fluffy and flaky, and the fruit becomes soft and velvety sandwiched between the scone layers. Cinnamon sugar sprinkled on the peaches and the tops is optional but recommended if you like cinnamon.
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I can't claim inspiration for these; rather, I adapted the Peach Cobbler Scones recipe from Joy the Baker shortly after she published the recipe in 2013.
Ingredients
This recipe takes the usual ingredients for baked goods, plus peaches.
- Flour and sugar
- Baking powder, baking soda, and salt
- Butter
- Egg and buttermilk
- Vanilla and cinnamon
- Peaches
Use all-purpose flour. I tried adding a little whole wheat flour once, and it wasn't great.
Baking powder and baking soda provide lift and leavening. The baking soda interacts with the buttermilk.
Just like with my Grapefruit Scones, you need the butter to be cold so that the scones hold their shape. If you use salted butter (or margarine), cut out the salt. If you use margarine, your scones may spread more.
Although the recipe takes buttermilk, I actually substitute sour milk, which I make by combining 1 teaspoon of vinegar with ⅓ cup of milk. Let it set for a few minutes so it will curdle and thicken a little. You can also use plain yogurt thinned with a bit of milk.
Egg binds dough and makes it a little more tender.
Vanilla adds richness and sweetness to the dough. Cinnamon is a typical inclusion in peach cobbler, but skip it if you don't enjoy it.
Choose firm but ripe peaches. You'll need 8 ounces, which is at least 2, maybe 3 peaches if they're small.
Instructions
I adapted this from the Peach Cobbler Scones recipe from Joy the Baker. I reduced the dough and increased the peaches a little bit.
- Mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. Use a pastry cutter (affiliate link) or two knives to cut in the butter until it's in small crumbs.
- Mix together the buttermilk, egg, and vanilla.
- Use a fork to mix just until a dough comes together. Some loose floury bits are fine.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead it (fold it on top of itself) 8 times. Then roll or pat it out into a 12x10 inch rectangle.
- Brush half of the dough with milk, then top with sliced peaches. Sprinkle cinnamon sugar on top.
- Fold the dough over the peaches, brush with the rest of the milk, and sprinkle with the rest of the cinnamon sugar. Don't pat them down too much, unlike what I did.
- Cut into 8 pieces, and place on a lined baking sheet. Chill for 20 minutes.
- Bake until lightly browned, and a toothpick inserted into the dough comes out clean.
Hint: Brushing the dough with milk helps the peaches stick to the bottom layer. Brushing the top with milk helps the sugar stick and makes the scones brown a bit.
Serving and Storage
Serve the scones warm. Most scones are best on the day they're baked, but it's especially true for these.
Store in a closed container, but the peaches will soften the scones quickly.
Top Tip
Don't overwork the dough. If you mix too much, you'll develop too much gluten from the flour, and the scones will be tough.
Recipe FAQ
Cold butter melts more slowly and so scones and biscuits will keep their shape a little better. It creates steam as it melts, so the scones puff up better.
Biscuits and scones are pretty similar. They're made using the same method and ingredients. Generally in the United States, scones are sweet and biscuits aren't. Scones generally include an egg and are more tender, and biscuit dough does not and is more flaky.
King Arthur Baking has a thorough breakdown of a UK scone versus a US scone vs a US baking powder biscuit.
I have never tried to make these scones gluten-free. I think it may work since the dough includes an egg. I would try a gluten-free, cup-for-cup flour blend with xanthan gum; however, the scones may spread more, and may be more crumbly.
Although I usually recommend freezing scone dough, I can't recommend it for these peach cobbler scones. When I tried baking these from frozen, the moisture in the peaches messed with the baking and I ended up with raw bits of dough.
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📖 Recipe
Peach Cobbler Scones
Equipment
- pastry cutter (affiliate link)
- bench scraper (affiliate link)
- baking sheet
Ingredients
Dough
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (245 grams)
- ¼ cup sugar (50 grams)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon table salt
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 8 tablespoons butter (112 grams)
- ⅓ cup buttermilk (80 grams)
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (5 grams)
To Finish
- 2 tablespoons milk (30 grams; for brushing)
- 2 peaches (8 ounces total; in ¼ inch slices)
- 2 tablespoons sugar (25 grams)
- ¾ teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
Instructions
- Mix together flour, ¼ cup sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking powder.
- Dice the butter into small pieces. Use a pastry cutter (affiliate link) or two knives to cut the butter into the flour mixture, until it's in small but uneven pieces.
- In a measuring cup, combine the buttermilk, egg, and vanilla. Pour it into the flour mixture, and use a fork to toss everything around until a rough dough forms.
- Use your hands to pat the remaining dry bits onto the dough, then turn out onto a floured surface. Knead (fold the dough in half onto itself) 8-10 times.
- Roll out the dough to a 12x10 inch rectangle. Brush half the dough with milk.
- Layer ¼ inch slices of peach over the brushed dough. Mix together the sugar and cinnamon, and sprinkle half of it over the peaches.
- Fold the empty dough over the peaches. Brush the surface with milk, and sprinkle with remaining cinnamon sugar.
- Cut the scone dough into 8 pieces. (I usually prefer cutting scones into triangles for scones, but the dough slips a bit. Squares bake better here.) Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Refrigerate for 20 minutes.
- After the sconess chill, Bake at 400F for 12-15 minutes. They'll brown a little on top, and a toothpick inserted into the scone dough (but not the peach) should come out clean.
- Eat warm. Store at room temperature. These scones are best eaten the same day; the peaches will begin to make them soggy over time.
Notes
[Originally written August 14, 2013. Rewritten August 1, 2025.]
Leona Konkel says
I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as my family does! Please leave a comment if you ever have questions!