Irish soda bread scones bake in 30 minutes with flaky butter and just enough sweetness. Golden raisins and caraway make each triangle scone taste like your favorite slice of soda bread!
A Quick Look At The Recipe
This is a brief summary of the recipe. Jump to the recipe to get the full details.
Prep Time
20 minutes
Cook Time
23 minutes
Total Time
43 minutes
Servings
16 scones
Difficulty
Easy, great for brunch or afternoon tea
Calories *
197 kcal per serving
Technique
Cut cold butter into dry ingredients, gently mix in buttermilk, shape into a slab and cut into triangles before baking.
Flavor Profile
Buttery, lightly sweet, balanced with warm caraway and bursts of golden raisins
* Based on nutrition panel
I was nervous about the butter step, but freezing it first made all the difference. The texture was tender but not crumbly, and I loved the golden raisins with the caraway — it really did taste like Irish soda bread in scone form! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Lauren
Why You Will Love These
- All the flavor of Irish soda bread, but lighter. These bake up tender and buttery, without the dense weight of a full loaf.
- The perfect balance of sweet and savory. Golden raisins add sweetness, while caraway keeps it grounded and traditional.
- Tender, not crumbly. The ratio of butter and buttermilk keeps the crumb cohesive instead of dry.
- Quick and approachable. No yeast, no proofing — just mix, shape, and bake.
Table of Contents
I’m particular about scones. I don’t love overly sweet ones, and I definitely don’t want them dry or sandy. These irish soda bread scones hit that sweet spot between flaky and soft — not cakey, not crumbly. I first tested these for the blog during St. Patrick’s week, and they immediately became a favorite!
If you love my traditional irish soda bread with raisins over on Chef Lindsey Farr, this tender scone is its slightly more casual cousin. Same cozy flavor, just shaped into triangles and ready in under an hour. If you’re into baking with traditional Irish flavors, my stout bread is another cozy bread!
Ingredients & Substitutions
- All-Purpose Flour: Pastry flour makes them slightly more tender, but unbleached all-purpose flour gives great structure and a classic crumb.
- Granulated Sugar: Just enough to enhance flavor without turning them cakey.
- Baking Powder & Baking Soda: The baking soda reacts with the buttermilk, while baking powder provides additional lift so the scones aren’t heavy.
- Cold Unsalted Butter: Freezing the butter for 15 minutes helps you cut it into the flour cleanly. Those tiny pieces melt in the oven and create tenderness.
- Golden Raisins: Sweeter and softer than regular raisins. You can substitute currants for a more traditional soda bread flavor. If you enjoy baking with dried fruit, my panettone muffins are another buttery, festive option.
- Caraway Seeds: The signature note that makes these unmistakably Irish soda bread scones. Omit if you prefer a sweeter profile.
- Buttermilk: Essential for flavor and proper leavening. If you don’t have it, mix just under 1 cup milk with 1 tablespoon lemon juice and let it sit for 5 minutes.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Variations for Irish Soda Bread Scones
- Swap the fruit: Use currants or chopped dried apricots instead of golden raisins. Reduce buttermilk slightly if using fresh fruit. For a fruit-forward twist, my strawberry yeast bread brings that same tender crumb in loaf form
- Make them savory: Omit sugar and raisins, increase caraway slightly, and add shredded sharp cheddar.
- Add citrus: Add orange zest to the sugar before mixing for subtle brightness.
Professional Tips
- Keep the butter cold. Cold butter creates tenderness and prevents the scones from spreading too much. If it softens while mixing, chill the bowl briefly before continuing.
- Mix just until combined. Over-mixing develops gluten and makes tough scones. Stop as soon as the dough comes together.
- Don’t over-flour the surface. Extra flour will dry the dough and create a crumbly texture. A light dusting is enough.
- Bake until lightly golden, not dark brown. These scones dry out quickly if over-baked. Pull them when the bottoms are golden and the tops are just lightly browned.
How to Make Irish Soda Bread Scones
Use these instructions to make perfect irish soda bread scones every time! Further details and measurements can be found in the recipe card below.
Step 1: Preheat and chill butter. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Place cubed butter in the freezer for 15 minutes to firm.
Step 2: Mix dry ingredients. In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine flour, sugar, baking powder and baking soda.
Step 3: Cut in butter. Add chilled butter and mix until the mixture resembles coarse cornmeal.
You can use a bench scraper, pastry cutter, or pastry blender to cut the butter into the flour.
Step 4: Add wet ingredients. Pour in buttermilk along with raisins and caraway seeds. Mix on low speed just until the dough comes together.
Step 5: Gently knead dough. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead gently for about 2 minutes, just until cohesive.
Step 6: Shape slab. Pat or roll into a rectangle about 1 inch thick.
Step 7: Cut triangles. Using a sharp knife, cut into squares, then slice diagonally to form triangular scones.
For extra shine, brush the tops of the wedges lightly with egg using a pastry brush before baking.
Step 8: Bake until golden. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for 25–30 minutes. The tops of the scones should be lightly golden brown when they’re ready.
Step 9: Cool. Cool slightly before serving warm with Kerrygold butter and your favorite jam!
These pair beautifully with a simple brunch spread like my whole wheat dutch baby.
Recipe FAQs
Irish soda bread is a quick bread leavened with baking soda instead of yeast. The baking soda reacts with buttermilk to create rise immediately, so there is no proofing time. This gives soda bread its dense, tender crumb and slightly tangy flavor. These Irish soda bread scones use that same reaction for lift, just in scone form.
Irish scones are typically less sweet and often include buttermilk for tenderness. English scones are usually softer, lighter, and served split with jam and clotted cream. American-style scones are sweeter and more crumbly. These Irish soda bread scones fall closer to Irish tradition — lightly sweet, sturdy, and served with butter or jam.
Store fully cooled scones in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. Freeze baked scones in an airtight container for up to 1 month. Thaw at room temperature or warm briefly in the oven.
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If you enjoyed this recipe, please leave a star rating and let me know how it goes in the comments below! I love hearing from you and your comments make my day!
Irish Soda Bread Scones
Ingredients
- 2 ¾ cups pastry flour, or unbleached all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 6 oz unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch cubes
- 1 cup golden raisins
- 1 tablespoon caraway seeds
- 1 cup buttermilk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Freeze butter cubes for 15 minutes.
- In a stand mixer fitted with paddle, combine flour, sugar, baking powder and baking soda.
- Add chilled butter and mix until the texture resembles coarse cornmeal.
- Add buttermilk, raisins and caraway seeds; mix on low just until dough forms.
- Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead gently for about 2 minutes.
- Shape into a 1-inch thick rectangle.
- Cut into squares, then diagonally into triangles.
- Bake on a parchment-lined sheet 25–30 minutes until lightly browned.
Notes
- Yield – 12–16 scones, depending on size
- Technique – Do not over-mix; mix just until combined
- Variations – Substitute currants or dried fruit; omit caraway for sweeter version
- Storage – Store airtight at room temperature up to 3 days or freeze up to 1 month
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this recipe? Rate & comment below!Before You Go
I hope you enjoyed this buttery, cozy scone recipe. Check out our other delicious quick bread recipes for more easy baking inspiration!
I was nervous about the butter step, but freezing it first made all the difference. The texture was tender but not crumbly, and I loved the golden raisins with the caraway — it really did taste like Irish soda bread in scone form!
Very good recipe!! The scones turned out really good!
The flavour combination in these reminds me a little of Irish Soda Bread (which isn’t Irish at all. Now scones, on the other hand…)
Anyway, love the idea of these scones. I’ll have to give them a try as soon as it’s cool enough to turn the oven back on. 🙂