Adorable Heart-Shaped Sweetheart Scones are a delicious breakfast or anytime treat. Easy to make and so very good with your favorite jam!
These heart-shaped scones are just the right amount of sweet to start a sweet day. As a bonus, both the yeast and the hint of vanilla make the kitchen smell absolutely heavenly as scones rise... and then as they bake.
🔍 Quick Look: Heart-Shaped Sweetheart Scones
- Ready in: 1 Hour, 9 Minutes
- Servings: 15 Scones
- Calories: ~227 kcal per serving (based on nutrition panel)
- Main Ingredients: Flour, sugar, yeast, shortening, milk, baking powder, vanilla extract, egg white, and sparkling sugar.
- Elements of Taste: Sweet & Fat
- Batter Method: Cut-in & Wet into Dry
- Cook Method: Bake
- Difficulty: Easy, but requires patience for the yeast to rise.
- Why You'll Love It: Beautiful yeast dough topped with sparkling sugar yields a scone with a rich crumb and a slightly sweet flavor.
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The Sweetheart Scone Recipe - Biscuit or Scone?
I developed this recipe based on the basic scone recipe in my Breakfast Quick Bread Recipes Chart and have followed the rule of adding 1 teaspoon of leavening per cup of flour.
Scones are essentially biscuits in composition, and the mixing methods are similar for the dough. Their dough is made using the cut-in method followed by the wet into dry method.
However, I wanted an even lighter texture, so these scones also contain yeast to leaven them. So, this scone recipe is also a yeasted biscuit.
If you are short on time or don't want to wait for the scones to rise, you can still bake them right away after cutting, brushing them with egg wash, and sprinkling them with sparkling sugar.
This scone recipe is very easy to make. The dough comes together quickly, and the baking time is very short.
So.... Let's bake!
Ingredient Notes
For the Scones:
- Water - You will need warm water for proofing the yeast and some cold water for the egg white wash for the scones.
- White Granulated Sugar -
- Active Dry Yeast - Any brand of active dry yeast will work. Be sure to check that it is not expired.
- All-Purpose Flour - Any brand of bleached all-purpose flour is good. I genenerally purchase whichever major brand is on sale.
- Baking Powder - Choose an aluminum-free baking powder to avoid a bitter after taste.
- Salt-When baking, I always use plain table salt like Morton. It has a fine texture and gives consistent results.
- Shortening - Shortening gives a good crumb texture to the scones. I prefer an all-vegetable shortening like Crisco.
- Whole Milk - Whole milk will give the best result in these scones.
- Vanilla Extract - I prefer a good quality vanilla extract. If staying on budget is important, choose a colorless imitation vanilla which is the most versatile for flavoring baked goods, frostings, and toppings.
Egg Wash & Sugar Topping:
- Egg White - Essential if you are going to top your scones with decorative sugar, an egg white wash will help decorative sugars stick to the top of the scone.
- Sparkling Decorative White Sugar - Any of the following sugar toppings can be used: decorative sparkling sugar in large or small crystals, opal sugar, edible glitter, or granulated white sugar.
Please see the recipe card for the exact quantities.
How to Make Heart-Shaped Sweetheart Scones
Prepare Baking Sheet and Proof Yeast. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a small glass bowl, mix warm water with active dry yeast and 1 teaspoon of granulated sugar. Let the yeast mixture proof for 10 minutes or until a sponge has formed that is about 4 times the size of the original mixture.
Sift Dry Ingredients. Sift the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt into a large mixing bowl.
Cut-in Method:
Cut in Shortening. Cut in the cold shortening using a pastry cutter/blender. If you do not have a pastry cutter, you can use a large tined fork.
Wet into Dry Method:
Add Wet Ingredients. Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients and add the milk, vanilla extract, and the proofed yeast.
Fold and Mix. Using a rubber spatula fold and mix the flour ingredients into the wet ingredients.
Roll and Cut. Prepare a work surface by covering it with parchment paper and a dusting of flour.
Pat or roll the dough to be ¾" high. Using a direct up and down action, cut the scones with a 2 ½" heart-shaped cutter. Dip the cutter in flour between cuts to aid in cutting. Gather scraps, reform dough, and cut again.
Let Rise, Add Egg Wash, & Sugar. Place the scones 2" apart on the prepared baking sheet. Set the baking sheet in a warm place and let the scones rise for 30 minutes or until they are almost double in height. While the scones are rising pre-heat the oven to 375°F/191°C.
Beat together the egg white and 2 tablespoons of cold water until frothy and well combined. Brush the tops of the scones with the egg white pastry wash and sprinkle them with sparkling sugar.
A pastry wash of only egg white and water will help the sugar stick to the scone and will not darken the top. If you want to know more about pastry washes, you can find more information in my Pastry Washes Comparison Chart.
Bake. Baking these adorable scones couldn't be easier. Just pop them into the 375°F/191°C preheated oven and bake them until the edges are just barely beginning to brown. After baking, transfer them to a wire rack to cool.
Why This Recipe Works
- Since baking powder is the primary leavening in this recipe, the ratio of baking powder to flour of 1 teaspoon baking powder per 1 cup of flour, gives a good lift to the scones.
- Although yeast is added to this scone dough, it is a secondary leavening agent. More importantly, yeast adds an extra special flavor to the dough.
- The dough is very "short" meaning the scones have a high ratio of fat (shortening) to dry ingredients. This short dough makes a very tender scone.
- The vanilla extract gives a lovely scent and flavor that complements the yeast.
Can you substitute baking soda for baking powder?
Baking soda requires an acid to activate its leavening power. So, in this recipe, you can't substitute baking soda for baking powder.
To learn more about leavening, check out my post, Green Dough, which will explain what you would need to add to be able to use baking soda.
Make-Ahead & Storage
- Make-Ahead: These scones are best served on the same day as baked.
- Storage: They can be stored for up to 2 days in a sealed container at room temperature.
Although I created this recipe especially for Valentine's Day, these heart-shaped scones would be lovely for Mother's Day, anniversaries, and afternoon tea.
If you love scones, check out my other scone recipe, Peanut Butter Scones, which has a rich peanut butter flavor and is very simple to make!
Other Quick Bread Recipes You Will Love
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📖 Recipe
Heart-Shaped Sweetheart Scones
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Ingredients
Scones
- 2 Tablespoons Water, Warm and Not Hot
- 1 Tablespoon Active Dry Yeast
- 1 Teaspoon White Granulated Sugar
- 2 ¾ Cups All Purpose Flour
- ¼ Cup Sugar
- 3 Teaspoons Baking Powder
- 1 Teaspoon Salt
- 1 Cup Cold Shortening
- ⅞ Cup Whole Milk
- 1 Teaspoon Vanilla
Egg Wash & Sugar Topping:
- 1 Egg White
- 2 Tablespoons Cold Water
- 2 Tablespoons Sparkling White Sugar, or Pink Decorative Sugar
Instructions
- Prepare Baking Sheet and Proof Yeast. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.In a small glass bowl mix warm water with active dry yeast and 1 teaspoon of granulated sugar. Let yeast mixture proof for 10 minutes or until a sponge has formed that is about 4 times the size of the original mixture.2 Tablespoons Water, 1 Tablespoon Active Dry Yeast, 1 Teaspoon White Granulated Sugar
- Sift Dry Ingredients. In a large bowl sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.2 ¾ Cups All Purpose Flour, ¼ Cup Sugar, 3 Teaspoons Baking Powder, 1 Teaspoon Salt
- Cut in Shortening. Cut the cold shortening into small cubes and using a pastry blender or fork, cut in the shortening until the mixture is crumblike and has large pea size clumps of shortening and flour. Take care not to overwork the mixture. There will still be patches of dry ingredients.1 Cup Cold Shortening
- Add Wet Ingredients. Make a well in the center of the crumb mixture and add all of the milk, the vanilla extract, and the yeast mixture.⅞ Cup Whole Milk, 1 Teaspoon Vanilla
- Fold and Mix. Fold just until the mixture is barely moistened and the dough is formed. Large bits of flour will still be dry. Using the heel of your palm, press down and across mixture several times until the mixture comes together.
- Roll and Cut. Sift or scatter approximately 2 tablespoons of flour on a parchment-covered work surface. Gather the dough into a smooth ball and place it on the prepared work surface.Pat or roll the dough to be ¾" high. Using a direct up and down action, cut the scones with a 2 ½" heart-shaped cutter. Dip the cutter in flour between cuts to aid in cutting. Gather scraps, reform dough, and cut again
- Let Rise, Add Egg Wash, & Sugar. Place the scones 2" apart on the prepared baking sheet. Set the baking sheet in a warm place and let the scones rise for 30 minutes or until they are almost double in height, approximately 1 ¼" tall. While the scones are rising preheat the oven to 375°F/191°C.Beat together the egg white and 2 tablespoons of cold water until frothy and well combined. Brush the tops of the scones with the egg white pastry wash and sprinkle them with sparkling sugar.1 Egg White, 2 Tablespoons Cold Water, 2 Tablespoons Sparkling White Sugar
- Bake. Bake the scones for 8 to 14 minutes or until set and edges are lightly browned. Remove the scones from the baking sheet to cooling racks.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Per 1 serving. All nutritional information on this site is an estimate. Your results may vary.
Encharted Cook™ or Jan Nunes shall not be liable for adverse reactions or any other outcome resulting from the use of recipes or recommendations on this website or actions you take as a result.
© 2018-2025 Encharted Cook, Jan Nunes. All rights reserved.
Lisi says
What is a substitute for shortening?
Jan Nunes says
Hi Lisi,
Thank you for your question!
Unfortunately for this particular scone recipe, there is no easy and straight forward substitution for shortening.
You can try to substitute lard. However, lard is heavier than shortening. So you will need to let the scones rise for a longer period. If the scones are still too heavy, you may also need to compensate by adding an additional 1 teaspoon of baking powder. I hope these tips help...
Kindest Regards, Jan