Celebrating the Coronation? Why not try my Coronation Cake orVictoria Sponge!

A freshly baked scone served with clotted cream and jam is one of my top favourite treats of all time! You simply can’t beat for deliciousness and luckily homemade scones are VERY EASY to make. You know what’s even better? Air Fryer Scones!! They cook so quickly without needing an oven and turn out light, fluffy, golden and irresistible.

The cover of the book Easy Air Fryer Bakes by Lucy Parissi, creator of Nusde, features cakes, cookies, cupcakes, and desserts on cake stands and plates against a blue and orange background.

The Secret to Perfect Scones

The secret to amazing scones is not in the recipe or the ingredients necessarily, but in the technique. Simply put, the less you handle the dough the lighter your scones will be. Once you add the liquid ingredients, the flour will want to form gluten. This will result in tough and chewy scones so to avoid gluten formation do not knead the dough.

Press the dough into shape with your hands. Add just enough liquid so the dough holds together. It should not be too dry or too sticky (a Goldilocks situation you will get right once you bake these babies a couple of times).

Pressing the cutter straight down and out of the dough without twisting will ensure your scones rise tall and evenly. Though, to be fair, they still taste just as amazing even if they are slightly lopsided!

Golden brown air fryer scones are arranged on a white surface, with one scone split open. In the background, there’s a jar of jam, a floral napkin, and blurred decorative items

Here’s What You Will Need

You just need a handful of ingredients to make Classic British Scones! Let’s take a look:

Self-rising flour (self-raising) plus baking powder – check these are fresh!!
Caster sugar or granulated sugar
Unsalted butter, cold and cubed
Buttermilk or heavy cream
Large egg at room temperature
A little milk, to glaze the tops of the scones
Demerara sugar (optional) for a bit of crunch

How to Make Air Fryer Scones

↓ For the full ingredients and detailed method, jump to the recipe card.

Measure the flour and baking powder into a mixing bowl. Stir briefly to combine, add the cubed butter and rub it in with your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
Stir in the sugar. Combine the buttermilk and egg in a measuring jug and gradually add to the mixing bowl, stirring it in until you have a soft sticky dough. If the dough is too dry you can add a drop of milk until it has the right consistency.

Tip the dough onto your worktop and pat it into a square shape about 1-2 cm high (slightly less tall than your 6cm fluted cutter). Cut out the scones by pressing the cutter straight down into the dough and lifting it out without twisting.
Repeat until you have used up all of the dough, gathering any scraps. Brush the top of the scones (not the sides) with a little milk and sprinkle with Demerara sugar.

Preheat the Air Fryer for five minutes to 180°C (350°F) then place the scones on a liner in the basket, spaced apart to allow the air to circulate (you may need to do this in batches). Bake for 15 minutes or until the scones are well risen and golden.
Take the scones out of the air fryer and cover with a clean tea towel. Allow them to cool down slightly before serving with clotted cream and jam.

Tips for Perfect Air Fryer Scones!

Use butter that’s firm and cold (but not totally solid). Avoid using soft butter as it can make the scones greasy.
Avoid twisting the cutter as you press into the dough and as you lift it out. This helps the scones to rise evenly.
Make sure the flour and baking powder are fresh!
Store the scones in an air tight container for 3-4 days and freshen them up by heating in the air fryer for a couple of minutes before serving.
Freeze the scones for up to three months.
If you would like to bake the scones in the oven then preheat it to 200°C (400°F) and bake the scones for 15 minutes.

Serving Suggestions

Ohhh the humble British scone — so humble and innocent looking, yet it stirs up more heated debate than Brexit (no, really!).

🍓 Cream or Jam First?

Ah, the Great Cream Tea Controversy. Two proud regions of the UK have very strong feelings about this. In Devon, it’s clotted cream first, then jam. Think of it like buttering toast before adding the jam.

In Cornwall, it’s jam first, then cream, like topping cake with frosting. Both claim their method is “correct,” and frankly, the only truly wrong choice is skipping the clotted cream altogether. That’s culinary heresy.

🧁 How to Serve a Proper Scone

Slightly warm is ideal—but not hot enough to melt the cream or you will end up with a puddle situation! Split the scone in half gently by hand (slicing is frowned upon).

Smother with clotted cream and good quality jam—strawberry if you’re feeling traditional, but raspberry is also welcome at this table. Pair with a nice strong cuppa or go full-on afternoon tea with delicate finger sandwiches and dainty cakes.

Adding jam to a scone topped with clotted cream

A close-up of a scone split in half, topped with red jam and clotted cream, in front of a stack of plain Air Fryer Scones on a white patterned surface. A glass bottle and plate of more scones in air fryer style are in the background.

Check Out My Air Fryer Baking Recipes

HAVE YOU MADE MY AIR FRYER SCONE RECIPE? Please leave a rating, post a photo on my Facebook page, share it on Instagram, or save it to Pinterest with the tag #Nusde and make my day!