This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
Dried Cherry Scones are an adorable Valentine’s Day breakfast! These homemade scones are super easy to make and will have your entire family feeling the love.
These Dried Cherry Scones are amazing. They’re buttery and crumbly and the dried cherries add the perfect amount of tart. My kids are obsessed and ever since we started making this homemade version, they’ve been a Valentine’s Day breakfast staple in our house.
This scone recipe was inspired by the delicious pastries at a local shop in our neighborhood. Nestled deep in our local park — which is more like a local forest — is a charming little food shack which sells some of the most enticing baked goods you’ve ever tried. It’s usually packed with an assortment of families, hikers and locals looking to relax and enjoy a light bite before hitting the trails or the playground. We’ve been going to this place since Kenya was a baby and he and his sisters light up anytime they know we’re headed there.
Would you like to save this?
We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
The word “shack” may conjure up the wrong image of this place, but I can’t think of a better name for it. Regardless, it’s totally charming and with pretty much anything I eat there I wonder, “what do they put in this to make it taste so good?” My kids particularly love their scones. Whenever they see these fresh, gorgeous, crumbly pastries stacked up neatly in the window, they get so excited that words seem to fail them.
With Valentine’s Day fast approaching, I thought it would be fun to make heart-shaped, dried cherry scones with the kids. This is a great recipe to cook with your little ones. Mine love mixing the ingredients together with their little hands, shaping the dough into a big circle and then using a cookie cutter to press out hearts. Of course they taste just as yummy if you don’t have any heart shaped cookie cutters!
While the kids still love going for scones at our special shack in the woods, they majorly approved of our homemade version. I guarantee there will be a lot of love in the air at your house too when these come out of the oven!
If you’re looking for more Valentine’s recipes try my Raspberry Cream Cheese Heart Tarts, Waffle Heart Sandwiches or Puff Pastry Berry Hearts!
Dried Cherry Scones
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups flour
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled and chopped
- 3/4 cup whole milk
- 1/2 cup dried cherries
- 1 egg, beaten or 1 tablespoon heavy cream*(See step 7)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 F.
- Whisk the first four ingredients together in a large bowl.
- Add the butter to the flour mixture and mix with either your fingertips, a pastry blender, or two knives until it forms the texture of coarse meal.
- Add the milk and cherries and mix gently until just incorporated (the dough may look a bit dry, but allow it sit for a few minutes and the flour will soak up all the milk).
- Place dough on a lightly floured surface and gently press into a 1″ thick circle.
- Cut out scones using a heart shaped cookie cutter.
- Place scones on a parchment lined baking sheet and brush with beaten egg or heavy cream, if desired (this will give the scones a golden crust)*.
- Bake in oven for 25 minutes.
- Move immediately to a wire cooling rack and serve.
I know people use 2% milk in scones often. I’m not sure if going lower than that would be too watery and not thick enough. 🙁
Wondering if i can use 1% milk??? Can only get 2 litres of the stuff here in newfoundland and no one drinks it.
Definitely! I love dried apricots! Just make sure to chop them into smaller pieces.
What do you think about using dried apricots for this recipe? Would it come out as good?
I would bake them the night before, let cool, store in an airtight container, reheat in the morning! 🙂
I’d love to make these for V-day breakfast but our weekday mornings are so rushed. Which would be better — making the dough the night before and baking in the morning or baking the night before and warming in the morning?
I have heard of people using almond milk in scones with great results, but have not tried it myself. Sorry I can’t give a better answer!
Curious to hear if anyone tries a dairy free version. Earth Balance is a good butter sub, but not sure if non-dairy milk would adequate replace whole milk??
We made them using dried cranberries.. and after brushing them with the cream we put a teaspoon of sliced almonds on top. They came out delicious! My two year old is on his second one 🙂 Thanks for another great recipe!
You can use a lower-fat milk for this recipe. I just like the creaminess and heartiness whole milks brings to baked goods!
I’m wondering the same thing. I have 2% and also half & half on hand. Which should I use?
Does it have to be whole milk?
Mmmm these do look really good. Wish I could get dried cherries here. Not the first time I’ve wished that….[sigh]. Have to think about what to substitute.
Dries cranberries would work. I’m not sure about fresh berries because of the liquid content. Enjoy!
I want to make these this morning, but don’t have dried cherries.. could I use dried cranberries, or fresh strawberries? Thanks!
I love scones. These lOok so tasty!