Treacle Scones

This recipe for old-fashioned Scottish Treacle Scones will transport you back to your childhood. They have a hint of cinnamon, mixed spice and black treacle. They are very easy to make and are delicious spread with butter and jam! 

When I think of treacle scones I’m always transported to Autumn/Winter time.  The aroma of the mixed spice, cinnamon and rich black treacle (molasses) while they are baking makes me think of chilly days, gingerbread,  Halloween and Bonfire Night.  

I couldn’t imagine eating a black treacle scone in the height of Summer – it just wouldn’t seem right somehow!

You can find treacle scones in cafes and tea rooms all over Scotland, along with a crumbly fruit cake such as Dundee cake, Scottish shortbread, date and walnut cake and Empire biscuits.

what is treacle?

Black treacle is a dark, thick syrup containing sugarcane molasses. It has a distinctively strong, bitter-sweet flavour that adds richness to sweet desserts and bakes such as Christmas pudding, ginger parkin and sticky toffee pudding.

more recipes using black treacle

If you love treacle, you might be interested in my recipes for sticky gingerbread cupcakes, sticky toffee pudding pancakes and these delicious soft baked apple and blackberry flapjacks.

how to make treacle scones

Detailed instructions and ingredient amounts are in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.

The wet ingredients are:

• Whole or Semi-skimmed Milk
• Black treacle
• Butter
• Soft Light Brown Sugar – yes, I’m counting the sugar as a wet ingredient! You can use white caster sugar, but I like using brown sugar for treacle scones – it goes perfectly with the treacle.

step by step instructions

Step one – Place all the dry ingredients – the flour, baking powder, salt and spices – in a large mixing bowl and stir lightly to combine.

Step two – Melt the butter, brown sugar and treacle together in a small saucepan over a low heat.  Once the sugar has dissolved and the mixture has melted completely, remove from the heat and set aside for about 5 minutes to cool slightly.

Step three – Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and pour in the melted butter/treacle mixture, followed by most of the milk.  Quickly and gently mix to a soft, slightly sticky dough. The key to great scones is to handle the mixture as little as possible – think light and airy! 

I wouldn’t recommend making scones if you’re in a bad mood and have some frustrations to release – save that for making homemade bread!

Step four – Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface.  Using your hands, gently pat out the dough to a circle roughly 1 1/2 inch thick.  Using a large cutter, cut out rounds of dough.  Don’t twist the cutter while you are cutting the rounds out or your scones might end up lopsided.

Step five – Place the scones in the oven as quickly as you can.  Bake at 200C/180Fan/400F for 15-18 minutes or until the scones have risen well and smell amazing.

tips and tricks for making perfect scones

• Make sure your raising agents are well in date – if they’ve been hanging around in the cupboard for several months (or even years!) they won’t have the same “oomph” and your scones won’t rise high.

• With all scone recipes, the trick to light and fluffy scones is to handle the dough as little as possible.  You don’t need to knead the dough – and as soon as the dough comes together once you’ve added the liquid, stop mixing immediately.

• When you turn the dough out to cut out your scones, gently pat it into a round. Don’t worry if it doesn’t look perfectly smooth but do try and make sure the dough is of an even thickness, otherwise your scones might end up a bit wonky and lopsided.  But I’m sure they will still taste good! 

• This recipe will give you 8 large Scones – not a huge amount but they are meant to be eaten on the same day of baking.  I don’t see that being much of a problem! Luckily, scones freeze really well so you can always stash some away for another day.

can I use plain flour instead to make scones?

You can also make these scones with plain flour instead of self raising – omit the baking powder and add 1 teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda and 1/2 teaspoon of cream of tartar. Why don’t I just add more baking powder, I hear you ask?  You could, but I’ve personally had much better results with this recipe using bicarbonate and cream of tartar when using plain flour.  

can i use molasses to make treacle scones?

I use Lyles black treacle – I love its iconic red tin!  But if you can’t find treacle, molasses can be used instead.  I really do believe that proper treacle is worth hunting for – there’s nothing quite like it.

what is mixed spice?

Mixed spice is a blend of spices commonly used in British recipes. It typically includes cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, cloves, coriander seeds and ginger. Pumpkin pie spice can be used as an alternative, but it’s not quite the same.

homemade mixed spice

If you have all of the spices listed above in your cupboard already, you could make your own mixed spice blend. Simply mix together:

• one tablespoon ground allspice
• one tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons ground nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon each of ground cloves, coriander and ginger.

Store your homemade spice mix in a sealed jar. It will last for up to one year.

storing freshly baked scones

Store the cooled scones in an airtight container for up to two days. To freeze homemade scones, place them in freezer bags or an airtight tub and freeze for up to three months. Scones can be defrosted on the kitchen countertop and warmed in a low oven. They will taste like you just made them that day!

more classic scottish recipes

Interested in seeing more sweet or savoury Scottish recipes? Take a look at my Scottish food archive for lots of inspiration.

Continue to Content

Treacle Scones

Yield: 8 Large Scones

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 18 minutes

Total Time: 33 minutes

Treacle Scones can be found in tea rooms and cafes all across Scotland. They are sweet, slightly spicy and absolutely delicious served with butter and jam! They take just 20 minutes to make from start to finish so what are you waiting for? Get the oven preheated, switch the kettle on and get ready for a real afternoon treat!

Print

Ingredients

• 50g butter
• 2 tablespoons soft light brown sugar
• 80g Treacle (Molasses)
• 500g self raising flour (see note below on how to adapt the recipe using plain flour)
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
• 1 teaspoon ground mixed spice
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 250ml whole or semi skimmed milk (you might not need all of the milk)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 220C/200Fan/425F. Grease and line a large baking tray.
2. Melt the butter, brown sugar and treacle in a small pan over a low heat. Once the sugar has dissolved, remove from the heat and set aside for 5 minutes to cool down.
3. Place the flour, baking powder, salt, mixed spice and ground cinnamon in a large mixing bowl. Stir lightly to combine everything together.
4. Make a well in the centre of the flour mixture. Pour in the melted butter, sugar and treacle mixture. Pour in 200ml of the milk and gently mix to a soft dough. If there are lots of crumbs sitting at the bottom of the bowl and the dough seems dry, add some extra milk, 1 tablespoon at a time. The dough should be soft and slightly sticky, but not too sticky it's difficult to handle.
5. Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface. Using your hands, gently pat the dough out into a circle, about 1 inch thick. Using a large scone cutter, cut out rounds of dough and place on the baking tray.
6. Immediately place in the oven and bake for 15-18 minutes or until the scones have risen well and are golden brown.
7. Remove from the oven, place on a wire rack and leave to cool slightly before eating!

Notes

Plain flour can be used instead of self-raising - but if you do use plain, omit the baking powder and add 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda and 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar.

Scones are best eaten on the day they are made - but that shouldn't be a big problem!

This recipe will give you about 8 large treacle scones.

To re-use the dough scraps, gently push them together before cutting out rounds - don't knead the dough or your scones will end up tough.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 291Total Fat: 6gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 16mgSodium: 1056mgCarbohydrates: 51gFiber: 2gSugar: 4gProtein: 7g

Calories and nutritional information are provided by a third party application and should be viewed as indicative figures only.

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