Golden Irish Strawberry Scones

I’ve always loved a good scone with my afternoon tea, but let’s be honest—traditional scones can be a bit dry. That’s where mashed potatoes come in. I know it sounds odd, but adding mashed potato to scone dough is an old Irish trick that makes them incredibly soft and tender inside while keeping that nice crispy outside.

These strawberry scones have become my go-to when fresh berries are in season. The potatoes do the heavy lifting for texture, so you get a scone that stays fresh longer and doesn’t crumble into a million pieces when you bite into it. Plus, the sweet strawberries mixed into the dough make every bite feel like a little treat.

Best part? If you’ve got leftover mashed potatoes from dinner, you’re already halfway done. Just make sure they’re cooled and smooth before you mix them in. Your kitchen will smell amazing, and you’ll wonder why you haven’t been making scones this way all along.

What Kind of Strawberries Should I Use?

Fresh strawberries are definitely the way to go for these scones, and you’ll want to pick ones that are ripe but still firm enough to hold their shape during baking. If your strawberries are too soft or mushy, they’ll release too much moisture and could make your scones soggy instead of light and fluffy. Look for berries that are bright red all the way through without any white or green spots near the stem. You can also use frozen strawberries in a pinch, but make sure to thaw them completely and pat them dry with paper towels to remove excess moisture before folding them into your dough.

Options for Substitutions

These scones are pretty forgiving, so here are some swaps you can make if needed:

• Strawberries: Fresh blueberries, raspberries, or chopped peaches work great here. You can also use dried cranberries or raisins – just soak them in warm water for 10 minutes first, then pat dry before adding to the dough.
• Mashed potato: This ingredient is what makes these scones so tender and moist, so I wouldn’t skip it. Use leftover mashed potatoes or quickly microwave a peeled potato until soft, then mash it smooth and let it cool before using.
• Butter: You can substitute with cold margarine or shortening if that’s what you have. Keep it chilled and cut it into the flour the same way you would with butter.
• Milk: Any milk works here – whole, low-fat, almond, or oat milk are all fine substitutes. You might need to adjust the amount slightly depending on how thick your mashed potato is.
• Baking powder: Don’t substitute this one – baking powder is essential for getting that nice rise and fluffy texture in scones.

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Baking

The biggest mistake you can make with scones is overworking the dough, which develops too much gluten and results in tough, dense scones instead of light and flaky ones – mix just until the ingredients come together and handle the dough as little as possible.

Skipping the step of freezing your strawberries is a recipe for disaster, as fresh berries release too much moisture during baking and can make your scones wet and heavy.

Another common error is using warm butter instead of cold, so make sure your butter is straight from the fridge and cut it into small pieces before mixing it in, which creates those pockets of steam that give scones their signature texture.

Finally, don’t press down on your scone cutter when cutting the circles – instead, use a straight up-and-down motion, as twisting or pressing seals the edges and prevents the scones from rising properly in the oven.

What to Serve With Irish Strawberry Scones?

These scones are perfect for breakfast or an afternoon tea break, and they’re really at their best when served warm with a pat of butter melting on top. I love pairing them with a hot cup of tea or coffee – something about the sweet strawberries and buttery scone just goes perfectly with a warm drink. You can also serve them with some clotted cream or whipped cream and extra fresh strawberries on the side for a more indulgent treat. If you’re making them for brunch, they work great alongside some scrambled eggs and bacon for a sweet and savory spread.

Storage Instructions

Store: Keep your scones in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, or in the fridge for up to 5 days. The strawberries make them a bit more moist than regular scones, so the fridge is your best bet if you want them to last longer without getting soggy.

Freeze: These scones freeze really well for up to 3 months. Just let them cool completely, then wrap each one individually in plastic wrap before putting them all in a freezer bag. You can also freeze the unbaked scones on a baking sheet, then transfer to a bag and bake them straight from frozen when you’re ready.

Warm Up: To bring your scones back to life, warm them in a 300°F oven for about 5-10 minutes if they’re from the fridge, or 15-20 minutes if frozen. You can also microwave them for 20-30 seconds, but the oven gives you that nice crispy outside again.

Estimated Nutrition

Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):

• Calories: 1800-2000
• Protein: 30-36 g
• Fat: 75-85 g
• Carbohydrates: 240-260 g

Ingredients

For the dough:

• 2 1/4 cups flour (I always use King Arthur all-purpose flour)
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 8 tbsp butter (cold and cubed into 1/2-inch pieces)
• 3.5 oz mashed potato (cooled and smooth for a soft, fluffy texture)
• 1 egg
• 4 tbsp milk
• 7 oz strawberries (hulled and chopped into 1/2-inch pieces)

For the coating:

• 1 egg
• 1 tbsp milk

Step 1: Prepare Mise en Place and Freeze Strawberries

• 7 oz strawberries
• 8 tbsp butter
• 3.5 oz mashed potato

Preheat your oven to 420°F (400°F for fan ovens) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Hull and chop the strawberries into 1/2-inch pieces, then spread them on a plate and freeze for 30-60 minutes—this keeps them from melting into the dough and creates little bursts of fruit throughout.

While strawberries freeze, cube the cold butter into 1/2-inch pieces and keep it cold in the fridge.

Make sure your mashed potato is cooled and smooth before you start mixing the dough.

Step 2: Create the Dry Ingredient Base

• 2 1/4 cups flour
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.

This combines all your dry ingredients evenly and incorporates air into the flour, which helps create a light, fluffy scone texture.

Step 3: Cut in Butter and Incorporate Potato

• dry ingredient mixture from Step 2
• 8 tbsp butter
• 3.5 oz mashed potato

Add the cold cubed butter to the dry mixture and use your fingertips or a pastry cutter to rub the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs—this creates little pockets of butter that steam during baking, making the scones tender and flaky.

Add the cooled mashed potato and gently fold it in with a spatula until the mixture comes together.

I find that folding rather than stirring helps keep the dough light and prevents overworking it.

Step 4: Bring Dough Together with Wet Ingredients

• dry ingredient mixture from Step 3
• 1 egg
• 4 tbsp milk

In a small bowl, whisk together 1 egg and 4 tbsp milk.

Pour this mixture into the dry ingredients and stir gently with a spatula just until a shaggy dough forms—do not overmix, as this develops gluten and makes scones tough.

The dough should look a bit rough and underdeveloped at this stage, which is exactly what you want.

Step 5: Laminate Dough with Frozen Strawberries

• dough from Step 4
• 7 oz strawberries

Flour a work surface lightly and turn the dough out onto it.

Roll or gently press the dough to about 4cm (1.5 inches) thick.

Scatter half of the frozen strawberries evenly over the dough, then fold the dough in half over itself and gently press down.

Roll the dough out again to 4cm thick, scatter the remaining frozen strawberries on top, fold it in half again, and press gently.

This folding technique, called lamination, creates layers in the dough while distributing the strawberries throughout.

Roll the dough one final time to about 5cm (2 inches) thick.

Step 6: Cut and Egg Wash the Scones

• dough from Step 5
• 1 egg
• 1 tbsp milk

Using a 2-3 inch round cutter (or a drinking glass), cut 6 scones from the rolled dough and place them on your prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart.

In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining egg and 1 tbsp milk to create an egg wash, then brush the mixture generously over the top of each scone.

This creates a beautiful golden-brown exterior during baking.

Step 7: Bake Until Golden Brown

Bake the scones at 420°F for 20 minutes, rotating the baking sheet halfway through (around the 10-minute mark) to ensure even browning.

The scones are done when the tops are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

I like to let them cool for 2-3 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring to a wire rack—this helps them set without becoming hard.

Golden Irish Strawberry Scones

Delicious Golden Irish Strawberry Scones recipe with step-by-step instructions.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 25 minutes mins

Cook Time 50 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 15 minutes mins

Servings: 6 scones

Calories: 1900

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

  

For the dough

• 2 1/4 cups flour (I always use King Arthur all-purpose flour)
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 8 tbsp butter (cold and cubed into 1/2-inch pieces)
• 3.5 oz mashed potato (cooled and smooth for a soft, fluffy texture)
• 1 egg
• 4 tbsp milk
• 7 oz strawberries (hulled and chopped into 1/2-inch pieces)

For the coating

• 1 egg
• 1 tbsp milk

Method

 

1. Preheat your oven to 420°F (400°F for fan ovens) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Hull and chop the strawberries into 1/2-inch pieces, then spread them on a plate and freeze for 30-60 minutes—this keeps them from melting into the dough and creates little bursts of fruit throughout. While strawberries freeze, cube the cold butter into 1/2-inch pieces and keep it cold in the fridge. Make sure your mashed potato is cooled and smooth before you start mixing the dough.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. This combines all your dry ingredients evenly and incorporates air into the flour, which helps create a light, fluffy scone texture.
3. Add the cold cubed butter to the dry mixture and use your fingertips or a pastry cutter to rub the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs—this creates little pockets of butter that steam during baking, making the scones tender and flaky. Add the cooled mashed potato and gently fold it in with a spatula until the mixture comes together. I find that folding rather than stirring helps keep the dough light and prevents overworking it.
4. In a small bowl, whisk together 1 egg and 4 tbsp milk. Pour this mixture into the dry ingredients and stir gently with a spatula just until a shaggy dough forms—do not overmix, as this develops gluten and makes scones tough. The dough should look a bit rough and underdeveloped at this stage, which is exactly what you want.
5. Flour a work surface lightly and turn the dough out onto it. Roll or gently press the dough to about 4cm (1.5 inches) thick. Scatter half of the frozen strawberries evenly over the dough, then fold the dough in half over itself and gently press down. Roll the dough out again to 4cm thick, scatter the remaining frozen strawberries on top, fold it in half again, and press gently. This folding technique, called lamination, creates layers in the dough while distributing the strawberries throughout. Roll the dough one final time to about 5cm (2 inches) thick.
6. Using a 2-3 inch round cutter (or a drinking glass), cut 6 scones from the rolled dough and place them on your prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart. In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining egg and 1 tbsp milk to create an egg wash, then brush the mixture generously over the top of each scone. This creates a beautiful golden-brown exterior during baking.
7. Bake the scones at 420°F for 20 minutes, rotating the baking sheet halfway through (around the 10-minute mark) to ensure even browning. The scones are done when the tops are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. I like to let them cool for 2-3 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring to a wire rack—this helps them set without becoming hard.