How to Store, Freeze and Refresh Scones

Scones are at their best within a few hours of baking. After that they slowly dry out and go stale. The good news is that they freeze very well, either baked or unbaked, and a few minutes in the oven makes a day-old scone taste almost fresh.

At room temperature

Cool the scones completely on a wire rack, then keep them in an airtight tin or container for up to 2 days. Do not keep plain scones in the fridge: it makes them go stale faster.

Scones with cream and jam

Once a scone is filled with clotted cream or whipped cream, treat it as a chilled food. The Food Standards Agency advises not leaving chilled food out of the fridge for more than four hours. It is better to fill scones just before serving and store any leftovers unfilled.

Freezing baked scones

1. Cool completely.
2. Wrap individually or pack in a freezer bag, squeezing out the air.
3. Label and freeze for up to about 3 months for the best quality.
4. Defrost at room temperature for about an hour, then refresh in the oven (below).

Freezing unbaked scones

This gives the freshest result. Cut the scones, open-freeze them on a lined tray until solid, then bag them. Bake straight from frozen at the usual temperature, adding 2–3 minutes. Glaze them just before they go in the oven.

Refreshing day-old scones

Warm them in an oven at 180°C / 160°C fan / gas 4 / 350°F for about 5 minutes. A light sprinkle of water on the tops first helps. Avoid the microwave, which makes scones tough as they cool.

Stale scones?

Split and toast them, or crumble them over stewed fruit as a quick crumble topping.

Bake a fresh batch with our classic scones, fruit scones or cheese scones. A good cake and biscuit tin keeps them fresher than a plastic bag.

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