Queen Elizabeth II’s Drop Scones (Scotch Pancakes)
Published Jan 24, 2023
Updated Aug 18, 2024
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Queen Elizabeth II's drop scones, an easy and quick Scotch pancakes recipe brings a delightful afternoon tea dessert to the table in less than 30 minutes. It's easy to prepare and simply delicious with butter and syrup served on top.
Drop Scones Recipe
This drop scones recipe is initially found in the letter that Queen Elizabeth II’s sent to President Eisenhower back in 1960. It’s also how it was named and soon became a popular recipe worldwide.
Drop scones are also called Scotch pancakes. The name may trick you, but the recipe will tell the truth. These drop scones are actually pancakes, and they’re not baked but cooked on a griddle or nonstick pan just like any other pancakes.
Why This Recipe Works
If you love sweet and fluffy pancakes, this recipe will never do you wrong. These small, round drop scones are softer, thicker and richer in taste with extra eggs, whole milk and butter.
It’s also a quick and easy recipe that will bring a delicious breakfast to the table in less than 30 minutes.
The pancakes are served perfectly for a classic afternoon tea dessert with butter, maple syrup, fruit jam and fresh fruit on top.
Drop Scones Ingredients
This classic Queen Elizabeth II’s drop scones recipe only calls for a few ingredients from your pantry:
- Room temperature eggs
- Caster sugar, the superfine granulated sugar
- Whole milk
- All-purpose flour
- Baking soda
- Cream of tartar
- Butter
According to Queen’s notes, caster sugar can also be substituted as sugar syrup. Plus, adding baking soda and cream of tartar to the batter helps scones rise high and fluffy.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients.
How To Make Queen Elizabeth II’s Drop Scones
First, bring eggs to room temperature before combining all ingredients in a bowl. Beat eggs, sugar and half of the whole milk in a bowl until well combined.
Next, add all dry ingredients to the same bowl and mix well with a whisk. Then, slowly add the rest of the whole milk little by little while mixing the batter. Once the batter becomes smooth and slowly drips off while lifting the spoon, stop adding the milk. Then, fold in melted butter.
Finally, cook drop scones with a preheated griddle or a pan over medium or medium-low heat. Drop the batter into the pan, and space each pancake for 1 to 2 inches apart.
Let pancakes cook for 1 to 2 minutes on each side until golden brown.
Dish out and serve immediately.
Tips
- When combining the wet and dry ingredients, slowly add the rest of the whole milk a bit at a time while whisking. The batter should be smooth and slowly drip off while lifting the spoon. Discard any remaining milk to avoid a watery batter.
- Do Not sit the batter for too long or overnight. For the most fluffy drop scones, prepare the batter right before cooking.
- To make the perfect golden brown drop scones, keep the griddle on medium or medium-low heat and cook the pancakes patiently.
Frequently Asked Questions
Pack the leftover pancakes in an airtight bag or freezer-safe container (ziploc bag) and stack them in between with parchment paper. Store them in the freezer for up to 3 months.
To reheat, warm them up in a microwave or toaster for 30 seconds until soft and fluffy again.
Drop scones are sweeter and taste richer than American pancakes due to more sugar and eggs added. Also, drop scones are smaller and thicker than regular pancakes since the batter contains less milk and butter.
This recipe has 530 calories per serving.
What To Serve With Scotch Pancakes
For a delightful afternoon tea, I recommend the following recipes:
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Queen Elizabeth II’s Drop Scones (Scotch Pancakes)
Ingredients
- 2 eggs, 60 g with shell each, room temperature
- 4 tablespoons caster sugar, fine granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 cups whole milk, divided
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 3 teaspoons cream of tartar
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted
Instructions
- Add eggs, sugar, and half of the milk to a large bowl, and keep beating the ingredients with a whisk until well combined.
- Add the flour, baking soda, and cream of tartar to the wet ingredients, whisking continuously while gradually adding the rest of the milk little by little until the batter becomes smooth and slowly drips off the spoon. Then, fold in the melted butter.
- Heat a griddle or nonstick frying pan over medium-low heat. Drop 1 1/2 tablespoons of batter into the pan, spacing each pancake 1 to 2 inches (2.5 to 5 cm) apart.
- Let the pancakes cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until small bubbles form on the surface, then flip them over with a spatula. Continue cooking the other side for 1 to 2 minutes, until golden brown.
- Dish out and serve immediately with butter and syrup on top.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
