There’s nothing better than enjoying a freshly baked scone with your morning coffee.
But most days you have to make do with a reheated scone.
To find out the best way to reheat scones, I tested 4 different methods. Need a quick answer?
The best way to reheat scones is in the oven. Preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C) and heat the scones in the oven for 5-10 minutes. If you’re in a hurry or your scones are stale, use the microwave. Cover the sones with damp paper towel and heat the scones for 10-20 seconds.
A note on my experiment
I made my usual scone recipe, which produces 8 good-sized scones, and left them overnight.
The following day, I tried out 4 different reheating methods to see which one worked best.
I tried:
- The oven: great for fresh scones
- In a skillet: surprisingly effective
- The toaster: quicker than other methods with a nice crunch
- The microwave: results in a chewy texture, but okay for stale scones
Disclaimer: It’s pretty hard to reheat scones.
If the scones have gone stale, there is very little you can do to rescue them – your best bet is to try the skillet and serve them with a big cup of tea and lots of cream and jam.
This should hide the dryness.
The microwave will soften the scone, but they can become a bit gummy.
Fresh scones are less of a problem and will reheat well in the oven. Pro tip: setting your toaster oven to ‘toast’ will also work well.
Reheating scones in the oven
Heat your scones in a 300°F (150°C) oven for 5-10 minutes. Sometimes I cut the scones in half to reduce the reheating time. And to make the scones extra moist, butter them before putting them in the oven. If the scones are stale, place a baking tray with a thin layer of water in the bottom of the oven.
How to reheat scones in the oven:
- Preheat your oven to 300°F (150°C).
- Place your (room temperature) scones on a baking tray.
- Place the tray in the oven and heat your scones for 5-10 minutes.
- Check the scones regularly to prevent them from drying out or burning on the edges.
If your scones are stale, you need to introduce some moisture back into them.
Placing a tray of water in the oven along with the scones will help because the water will evaporate and turn to steam.
Just don’t expect miracles!
My verdict
Pros: the oven is good for fresh scones that only need a little warming before serving. You can reheat lots of scones at once, and the oven retains the crisp outside.
Cons: if your scones are already slightly dry, then the oven can make this worse. It’s also a slow method.
Reheating scones in a skillet
Take your scones and slice them in half. Melt some butter in a pan on medium-low heat. Place the scones in the skillet (along with a splash of water if they’re stale) and cover with a lid. Heat the scones for 3-4 minutes until warmed through. Remove from the pan and serve.
How to reheat scones in a skillet:
- Allow scones to reach room temperature.
- Melt some butter in a pan on medium-low heat
- Place the scones in the skillet and sprinkle over a tablespoon of water if they’re stale or dry.
- Cover the skillet with a lid.
- Heat the scones for 3-4 minutes until warmed through.
- Remove from the pan and serve warm.
The lid will trap any steam in the pan and create a mini oven-type environment, which will warm the scones quickly and evenly.
Like with the oven method above, the water will turn into steam and soften stale scones.
My verdict
Pros: the scones were soft and moist, and they’d soaked in the butter so tasted delicious!
Cons: you lose the crunch on the outside, but for some it’s a price worth paying.
Reheating scones in the toaster
For a quick and easy way to heat your scones in the morning, slice them in half and put them in the toaster. Make sure to get rid of any loose crumbs after you cut them in half so you don’t end up with a load of burnt crumbs in the bottom of your toaster.
How to reheat scones in the toaster:
- Slice your scones in half (if needed to fit in the toaster).
- Put the half-scones into the toaster and heat for 60 seconds.
- Pop the toaster and check on the scones. Heat for longer is necessary.
Scones can be pretty crumbly, and if you’re not careful, you’ll create quite a mess in your toaster.
To avoid this, tap the scone halves gently on the counter before placing them into the toaster. And loose crumbs will drop right off.
My verdict
This was a pretty good method and one that I will use again.
It’s quick, and the scones warmed nicely while retaining their crunch on the outside.
Reheating scones in the microwave
For quick results, reheat your scones in a microwave. Place 1-2 scones on a microwave-safe dish and cover with a damp paper towel. Heat the scones for 10-20 second intervals until warm. Avoid microwaving the scones for too long or they’ll become rock hard.
How to reheat scones in the microwave:
- Place 1-2 scones on a microwave-safe dish.
- Cover the scones with a damp paper towel.
- Heat the scones for 10-20 second until warm.
The damp paper towel creates steam which helps to re-moisturize stale scones.
Scones only need to be warm – if you overheat them in the microwave, they’ll become dry, hard, and chewy.
That’s why I recommend checking on them every 10 seconds.
Frequent checking gives you more control over the final results and means you can take the scones out as soon as they’re warm enough for you.
My verdict
Pros: this method is quick and convenient and the scones weren’t dry.
Cons: the scones took on a gummy texture and stuck to my teeth.
Bottom line: you can salvage dry scones with lots of cream, but a gummy scone is hard to hide. This method is okay if your sconces are really stale, but otherwise, I would avoid it.
How to store scones
For best results, you should eat your scones the day you make them or freeze them to preserve their freshness.
However, you can keep scones at room temperature for 1-2 days. Cool the scones and put them in a paper-towel-lined airtight container. Place a second paper towel over the scones and seal the container.
The paper towel will absorb any excess moisture in the container and prevent the scones from getting too soft.
An alternative storage option is to wrap the scones in plastic wrap or foil. This will keep the scones fresher for longer, but the outside crust will go soft.
It’s important to let the scones reach room temperature before you store them, or condensation will turn them mushy.
Can you freeze scones?
Scones freeze really well and will last for up to 3 months in the freezer. You prevent any further staling when you freeze a scone, so it’s best to freeze them freshly baked. Or you can freeze unbaked scones. Always let the scones cool fully before freezing them.
How to freeze scones:
- Allow the scones to cool to room temperature.
- Pack the scones into an airtight container or freezer bag, separating them with parchment paper to avoid sticking.
- Eat the scones within 3 months.
If you freeze scones while they’re still warm, condensation will turn to ice as they freeze, which will ruin the texture of your scones.
Another trick to avoiding sticking is to first spread the scones out on a baking tray and freeze them for 2-3 hours (known as flash freezing). Once the scones are frozen solid, you can transfer them to a freezer bag.
Or you can wrap each individual scone in plastic wrap or foil.
How to reheat frozen scones
It’s best to thaw scones before you reheat them. Leave the scones to defrost in their packaging at room temperature for 2-3 hours. If you’re in a hurry, you can use the defrost setting on the microwave.
Once the scones are thawed, refresh them in a 300°F (150°C) oven for 5-10 minutes.
Exactly How To Reheat Scones
Ingredients
- 1 portion scones
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 300°F (150°C).
- Place your (room temperature) scones on a baking tray.
- Place the tray in the oven and heat your scones for 5-10 minutes.
- Check the scones regularly to prevent them from drying out or burning on the edges.
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