Light and Fluffy Drop Scones Recipe (Scotch Pancakes)

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If you’re looking for super light and fluffy drop scones, then THIS is the place to be! Also known as Scotch pancakes, these gorgeously soft drop scones are thick, tall, and perfect for topping with your favourite fruits and sauces! Keep reading for the easy peasy recipe, and lots of helpful tips…

A stack of drop scones topped with whipped cream and berries.

Why you’ll love this recipe

Being born in Scotland but not living there anymore, always has me craving traditional Scottish foods. And drop scones are definitely one of them! I’ve made these more times than I can count. Me and my daughter love eating them on the weekend, topped with strawberries, cream, and honey. Or even spread with lemon curd and sweetened whipped cream for a tasty treat!

A plate of Scotch pancakes surrounded by bowls of berries and toppings.

Ingredients

Confused about what ingredients to buy? Not sure about a substitution? Here’s everything you might need to know…

Flour – You need self raising flour to get a light and well risen drop scone. If you only have plain flour, you can make your own homemade self raising flour instead.
Baking Powder – This is equally important for a well risen Scotch pancake. Don’t substitute for bicarbonate of soda, as they react differently in baking, which won’t work here.
Sugar – I use caster sugar (superfine in the US). Don’t use a sugar with larger granules. They take longer to dissolve into a batter, meaning you could overwork the flour. Which will result in dense and chewy drop scones.
Salt – I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, you season your dinner, why wouldn’t you season your bakes?
Egg – I use large free range eggs straight out the fridge. You don’t have to bring them to room temperature for this to work well.
Milk – I prefer full fat milk as I think it really boosts the flavour. And just like the eggs, I use it straight out the fridge. You could use any other milk you like though, and you would still get decent drop scones.
Oil – This is simply for cooking your drop scones, so go with what you prefer. I mostly use sunflower oil, as it’s fairly flavourless and has a pretty high smoke point.

Someone flipping a drop scone in a frying pan.

Emma’s top tips

Here are tips you’ll find helpful when making this recipe.

Drop scone batter should be more of a ‘dropping’ consistency, not pouring.
Place your cooked drop scones on a plate and cover with foil or a clean tea towel to keep them warm and soft while you cook the rest.
Scotch pancakes are best served fresh. Although you can freeze them for up to 2 months. Toast straight from the freezer until soft and warm, or defrost thoroughly in the fridge.
Frying drop scones in oil is what gives them their distinctive rings/mottled look. If you don’t use oil, they will look like American pancakes.
You will likely need to lower the heat after cooking the first batch.
Don’t walk away when cooking drop scones. You need to keep a close eye on them do they don’t burn.

Someone spooning strawberries out of a bowl.

Timings

Have limited time? Struggle with recipe timings? Or juggling around other things? Here’s some time managing info to make your life easier!

Making the batter will only take 2-3 minutes.
Batch cooking your drop scones could take anywhere between 10-20 minutes, depending on the size of your pan.
They are then ready to serve immediately.
Make and freeze in advance to save time another day.

Someone forking a stack of Scottish pancakes with berries.

When is best to make the batter?

There seems to be a bit of debate as to whether it’s best to make the batter for Scottish pancakes just before cooking, or make it the night before and rest in the fridge. So I decided to test the theory.

When raising agents are mixed with liquids, it’s usually best to use them straight away. And I found the same to be true with drop scone batter.

Two plates of drop scones, one set is thicker and fluffier than the other.

The batter for the drop scones on the left was made just before cooking, and the one on the right was made the night before. As you can see, it’s quite clear that when the batter was made just before cooking, it gave a much better rise and texture.

So ideally you need to make the batter just before cooking.

A white plate of scotch pancakes topped with cream and berries.

Easy Drop Scones (Scotch Pancakes) – Step by Step Picture Recipe

(For a printer friendly version, see the recipe card at the end of this post)

Ingredients

Here is what you will need to make 6-8 large scones (10cm diameter).

Please note, this recipe includes both UK metric and US Cup measurements.

180g (1 + 1/4 Cups) Self Raising Flour
1 tsp Baking Powder
50g (1/4 Cup) Caster Sugar
Pinch of Salt
200ml (3/4 Cup + 1 tbsp) Full Fat Milk
1 x Egg
Oil, for cooking

Essential equipment

Sieve
Large Mixing Bowl
Jug
Whisk
Large Frying Pan
Spatula

Instructions

To make the batter, sieve the flour (180g | 1 + 1/4 Cups) and baking powder (1 tsp) into a large mixing bowl, then add the sugar (50g | 1/4 Cup) and salt (pinch). Mix together until combined.

Drop scone dry ingredients in a glass mixing bowl with a fork.

Measure the milk (200ml | 3/4 Cup + 1 tbsp) into a jug, then add the egg (x 1) and whisk it together.

Next, gradually mix the milk into the dry ingredients, stirring constantly. NOTE, you might not need all the milk. You want the batter to be smooth and thick. When stirred, it should slowly lose it’s shape and become flat again.

Scotch pancake batter in a glass mixing bowl.

Then place a large frying pan over a low ish heat, and add a little oil when hot. Now spoon 2-3 heaped tbsp of batter into the pan for each drop scone. (Be careful not to overcrowd your pan.)

Drop scone batter in a frying pan on the stove.

Allow to cook for a few minutes. When the surface looks dry (lost it’s shine), it’s time to flip it over with a spatula.

Cook for 1-2 minutes more, just to brown the other side, then remove from the pan and keep warm.

Repeat for any remaining batter, adding a little more oil for each batch. Note, you may need to reduce the heat a little as you go.

Serving suggestions

Treat your drop scones just like any other kind of pancake! You could have them plain with some melted butter and syrup (maple or golden). Or top with squirty cream and berries, lemon curd, or strawberries and fresh whipped cream.

You could even go savoury and enjoy them with air fryer bacon and eggs!

5 stacked drop scones topped with berries and cream. There are bowls of different berries to the side.

FAQs

What are drop scones? And are they different to pancakes and pikelets?

Drop scones are traditional Scottish pancakes, and are quite thick. A traditional British pancake is more like a crepe, large and very thin. Pikelets are a kind of hybrid between a pancake and a crumpet.

What’s the difference between drop scones and American pancakes?

American pancakes tend to have more leavening agents and a bigger rise. Drop scones are usually less sweet and a little flatter.

A plate of drop scones topped with berries and cream, next to a frying pan with 3 dropped scones in it.

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A stack of drop scones topped with berries and cream. A text overlay says "drop scones (Scotch pancakes)".