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Coconut Scones

Coconut Scones

One of the things that I like about scones is that they are very versatile. The standard cream scone is plain, only mildly sweet, and gets most of its flavor from butter, cream or any other liquid used as a binder. You can pair it with sweet preserves and savory sauces, if you so choose, and you can add any number of flavorings to the scone itself to make it sweet or savory to begin with. These coconut scones are on the sweeter end of the spectrum, good for munching on a lazy weekend morning or with the recipe double and served at a holiday brunch.

The scones have two types of coconut in them: shredded coconut and coconut milk. Coconut milk doesn’t have a strong coconut flavor on its own, but that flavor does come out when combined with the shredded coconut. It also adds a nice richness to the scones that would otherwise be provided by cream. I used sweetened shredded coconut, since that is the variety that is most readily available, but if you have unsweetened coconut (or finer dessicated coconut) you can add in an extra tablespoon or so or sugar to make up the difference in sweetness.

When they’re fresh, these are slightly crispy on the outside and tender in the middle. The coconut is mild, but a wonderful change from plain scones or those made with blueberries or currants, both of which are fairly common. These are great plain, but are also excellent with jam. If you’re up for making a batch yourself, try them with lime curd for a tropical flavor.

Coconut Scones
2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
6 tbsp butter, chilled and cut into 6-8 pieces
1/2 cup sweetened, shredded coconut
approx. 1/2 cup coconut milk

Preheat oven to 400F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Add butter and toss to coat.
Using your finger tips, rub the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles very coarse sand. A few larger bits are ok, but most should be smaller than a pea. Stir in shredded coconut.
Add in about 1/3 cup of coconut milk and stir into dough with a fork. Add remaining coconut milk as needed until dough comes together into a shaggy ball. Knead lightly with your hand until dough is smooth.
Divide dough in to two balls and press each into a disc about 1/2-inch thick on prepared baking sheet. Cut each disc into quarters and separate slightly.
Bake for about 15 minutes, until scones are a light golden brown on top.
Cool on a wire rack before serving.

Makes 8.

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25 Comments
  • Laura
    October 10, 2008

    These sounds good! I can’t wait to try them, plus when I use fresh ground whole wheat and organic coconut, I’ll have one really healthy treat!

  • Sarah
    October 10, 2008

    Mmmmmm…I love scones & I’ve never thought of making a coconut one! I can’t wait to try this recipe.

  • emily
    October 11, 2008

    Thanks for this! It looks like I will have something delicious to make today.

  • snookydoodle
    October 11, 2008

    hmm i love coconut . these are ideal for breakfast 🙂

  • CookiePie
    October 11, 2008

    Coconut scones – what a fantastic idea! I’ll have to try these.

  • carina
    October 11, 2008

    I love your blog! Can’t wait to try these scones. I love anything coconut. I just started blogging, and tagged you on my blog 🙂

  • Elle
    October 11, 2008

    These look wonderful. I have a thing for coconut, and I think these just might be my next project. I wonder what else I could add coconut to…

  • Glau
    October 11, 2008

    Hi, my name is Glaucia, from São Paulo, Brazil. Just wanted to say that I loved your blog, even though I’ve been having a hard time translating all the recipes! I will cook one of them this week (Macadamia Cookie) and will let you know when I post it on my blog (www.madamesnacozinha.blogspot.com)

    Kisses Glaucia

  • Bonnie
    October 12, 2008

    Those look delicious! I love coconut. You should try making cinnamon chip scones next!

  • Rachel
    October 14, 2008

    These sound awesome. I may have to try my hand at some baking.

  • Kiersten
    October 15, 2008

    Wow, coconut scones sound REALLY good. I am definitely trying these.

  • SingerGirl
    February 27, 2009

    These scones are wonderful! Not too “over the top” with the coconut. Serve them warm, with butter and apricot jam. Unbelieveable!

  • Valerie M.
    September 25, 2009

    I made these, and added fresh chopped cranberries, then served with home made orange curd. YUM.

  • Rene
    October 7, 2009

    A local restaurant serves a scone they call a Mound’s Scone – it is coconut with a chocolate glaze on top!

  • Sandra :)
    April 17, 2010

    These were DELICIOUS!! Next time I’ll try Valerie’s idea of adding cranberries – that would be yummy as well 🙂

  • Kari
    June 20, 2010

    These came out great. I followed the recipie, but added lime zest. Then paired the scones with banana-lime jam (via Noble Pig) – it was amazing together. Coconut + lime + banana! The only small problem I had was that my old oven cooked the bottoms a bit too long (barely noticeable, but still…) – I turned my oven off before the 20 min mark, but left the scones in there to finish.

  • Lauren
    April 9, 2011

    I have just eaten one of these and they are really good- a nice crust on the outside but light and fluffy on the inside, with just a hint of sweet coconut coming through in the aftertaste. I would never have thought to put coconut in scoes but I think these are the best scones I have made. Thank you for the recipe!

  • Rebekah
    July 24, 2011

    I used half whole wheat, and put in 1 full cup of (unsweetened) coconut because I wanted a stronger coconut flavor. Very nice! I will probably make them again.

  • amina
    September 20, 2011

    made this..added some raisins..it was wonderful!
    smelled so good!

  • mere
    December 5, 2011

    I tried this with my children and we loved it, melted in the mouth – coconut tasted lovely. I will try pineapple with it as its in season here in Fiji. Thanks.

  • Jen
    December 7, 2016

    I love these scones! I add 1/2 cup of dark chocolate chips to make them a little more decadent. I also brush the tops with coconut milk and sprinkle the scones with raw sugar before baking. I have made them three times now and they are perfect every time! Soft and tender and flaky!

  • […] Here is the recipe for it and here’s how my scones (I love the sound of it) turned out. I am munching as I am typing and crumbs are falling all over my keyboard …. how un-womanly of me … but do I care when I have this awesome warm scone in my hand … NAH! […]

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