Mini Vanilla Bean Scones tastes just like Starbucks Petite Vanilla Bean Scones. Sweet, cakey, and the perfect bite-size!
If you’re anything like me, you’ve been baking your little heart out this holiday season, and have the powdered sugar and flour-covered clothes to prove it.
Why I continue to wear black when I bake is a complete mystery to me. Will I never learn?!
Anyway, if you can find it in your heart to fit in one final baking project, I’ve got just the recipe for you — Mini Vanilla Bean Scones.
You know, the 2-bite delights enveloped in a sweet, vanilla bean-speckled icing, like they serve at Starbucks? The ones that are so yummy that 3 just never really cut it? One and the same!
These cuties are moist and cakey, rather than dry and crumbly, and are perfectly poppable. They’re also laced with real vanilla beans – a total treat – and just as easy to make as a batch of cookies.
These would be perfect to have around on Christmas morning to nibble on with a cup of coffee, tea, or, nog.
Bonus: they taste better the second day, which completely breaks every scone law in existence, which means you can bake ’em up TONIGHT!
Start by combining 2 cups flour, 1/2 cup sugar, 1 Tablespoon baking powder, and 1/4 teaspoon salt to a large food processor or bowl. Pulse or whisk to combine.
Next add 1/2 cup cold and cubed butter. Pulse until the mixture is the texture of cornmeal — or use a pastry cutter or your fingertips to blend.
Next break out the star of the vanilla bean scones — Vanilla Beans!
If you can’t find vanilla beans, vanilla bean pasta works great too!
If you’re going the bean route though, split it down the center with a sharp knife then use the side of the knife tip to scrape out the seeds inside.
Scrape 2 vanilla beans then place the seeds into a mixing bowl with 1 egg.
Next add 1/2 cup half & half then whisk everything together.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, then pulse or stir until the dough comes together in a ball.
Turn the dough out onto a floured surface then roll into a large rectangle, about 1/2″ thick. Trim the sides then cut the rectangle into 6 rectangles, and then each rectangle in half to make “petite” sized scones.
Cut each triangle in half again to make “mini” sized scones.
Place the scones onto a silpat or parchment paper-lined baking sheet then bake at 425 minutes for 8-9 minutes for the petite-sized scones, or 6-7 minutes for mini scones.
Your kitchen will smell SO heavenly!
While the scones cool, whip up the vanilla bean-spiked icing.
Simply whisk together the seeds from 1 vanilla bean with 3 cups powdered sugar and 6 Tablespoons half & half.
Mmmmm…
Dunk the cooled scones into the icing on both sides so they’re totally covered, then scrape the bottoms on the side of the bowl and place them onto a cooling rack over waxed paper to harden.
I like dunking the mini scones twice which I think contributes to them staying nice and moist on the inside.
Once the icing has hardened, serve ’em on up!
These little scone cakes are the best! They have just the right amount of sweetness, and the real vanilla bean flavor cannot be beat.
The icing barrier keeps the already cakey-like scones even more moist. Mmmmm, I could just eat the whole batch! I hope you and your family enjoy them as much as we do!
Ingredients
- 2 cups flour, have not tested with GF flour
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 Tablespoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup cold butter, cut into cubes
- 1/2 cup half & half
- 1 egg
- 2 vanilla beans, scraped
For the Vanilla Bean Glaze:
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 6 Tablespoons half & half
- 1 vanilla bean, scraped
Directions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees then line a baking sheet with a silpat or parchment paper and set aside.
- In the bowl of a large food processor (or in a large bowl) add flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt, then pulse or whisk to combine. Add cold butter and pulse until well incorporated and mixture is the texture of cornmeal. Alternatively, use your fingertips or a pastry butter to blend the butter in.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together half & half, egg, and vanilla bean seeds. Add to flour mixture and pulse until just combined. Alternatively, stir until the dough comes together in a ball. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface then gently knead 4 or 5 times to bring the dough together. Roll dough into a rectangle about 1/2" thick then trim sides to make a rectangle.
- To make petite-sized scones: Cut rectangle into 6 rectangles, then cut each one in half diagonally. Transfer to prepared baking sheet then bake for 8-9 minutes, or until edges are just starting to turn golden brown.
- To make mini-sized scones: Cut rectangle into 6 rectangles, then cut each one in half diagonally. Cut each triangle in half to make 2 triangles. Transfer to prepared baking sheet then bake for 6-7 minutes, or until edges are just starting to turn golden brown.
- Remove scones to a cooling rack to cool completely. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together glaze ingredients. Dip cooled scones in glaze then place back onto cooling rack to harden completely. If you have leftover glaze, double dip the scones.
Notes
- Makes 12 petite scones, or 24 mini scones.
Nutrition
Nutritional values are estimates only. Please read our full nutrition information disclaimer.
This is the recipe for the scones, but instead of vanilla beans I used currents and instead of icing, just before baking I used a beaten egg wash on top. Best cream scones ever!
Love and blessings, Stephanie Boyles
I’m SO thrilled you loved this recipe, Stephanie!!
So I just made these. They are good, but have the consistency of a sugar cookie. Maybe I didn’t use enough vanilla bean? I only had one long bean and split it between the dough and the icing. Also, when I mixed the wet ingredients with the dry, i stirred it all together and it was very pasty like – I ended up adding more flour. It originally didn’t turn into a dough ball. I don’t have a food processor or I mixed the butter with my fingertips. Not sure where I went wrong…but I will keep trying !!
I used 2tsp vanilla essence instead of the bean and they turned out delicious. However the 6-7 minute baking time is a joke! They were raw and doughy and not cooked at all. I baked for 15 minutes and they were still moist but actually almost cooked. I will definitely use this recipe again maybe with vanilla bean but I will bake for 15-18 minutes.
Have you ever revisited these using gluten free flour? It’s been almost 4 years since I’ve had these scones and I can still perfectly imagine them.
I haven’t (and I can still perfectly imagine them too – sob!!) Honestly I think it would work totally fine with a 1:1 replacer like Bob’s Red Mill GF flour in the blue bag!
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This recipe is awesome. First time and nailed it. taste like Starbucks scones. Everyone loved it. Thank you.
Hi, can I use whole wheat flour and does the butter have to be salted or unsalted? Thank you
I only have vanilla bean paste. How much would it use instead of vanilla beans?
Hi Misty! I’ve never used paste but assuming it’s 100% vanilla beans I’d start with 1/2 teaspoon.
What does a cup of Half & half mean? I am from the Netherlands and have no idea what to buy :-)
Hi Brenda! Half and Half is a product that’s half whole milk and half cream. You could probably use either whole milk or heavy cream and get very similar results, or mix the two to make homemade half and half! :)
Have you ever frozen these? If so, how do you package them for storage? I need to make them on Thursday for use at a Sunday morning event.
I think these would freeze perfectly in a Ziplock freezer bag, Pam! Just thaw in the fridge overnight and they should be good to go.
I made these and they are amazing!!!
One question though, how long do they keep?
So glad to hear, Violet!! They’ll keep for 3-4 days in a sealed container. :)
Will they stick together if I stack them? I’m sending them into school for my son’s class event. I’d like to pile them in a storage container. Should I layer with parchment paper instead?
Once they harden completely they should be fine to stack between layers of parchment!
Hi,
can you substitute the vanilla beand with vanilla extract? If you can’t where can you buy the vanilla beans?
Thanks,
-The Doctor