These coconut scones are all about celebrating coconuts with coconut milk and desiccated coconut in the dough and a twang of lime to make them extra special. They’re perfect for the coconut lover.

With the perfect scone texture that’s light and a little crumbly with a tender interior and crisp exterior, you’ll be wanting to make these for breakfast, brunch, morning tea, afternoon tea and everything in between.

If you love this combo, definitely try this lime and coconut cake too. Want more scones? Try these cranberry white chocolate scones or how about a savoury twist with these cheese and herb scones.

A batch of scones sitting on a wire rack with wedges of lime around

Table of contents

Scones vs Biscuits

Scones are often compared to US biscuits and, while they have similarities, scones and biscuits are not the same.

The main difference is in the way the dough is handled. Biscuit dough is folded over itself to create lots of flaky layers. Scone dough, on the other hand, is lightly pressed together, and while they do have layers, it’s more of a crumbly texture than a flaky one. Scones also tend to be slightly drier than biscuits as they’re traditionally enjoyed with lashings of jam and cream with a cup of tea in hand. 

These coconut scones are a scone recipe with a slight twist – I’ve cut them into triangles (not the traditional round cut like my blood orange scones and chocolate scones) and they are drizzled with a lime glaze which is also not traditional for scones. Adding a glaze is more of an American take on scones.

You can also make these scones vegan by using coconut oil (solidified) in place of the butter and all coconut milk (rather than the half coconut and half dairy the recipe calls for).

A stack of two scones on a wire rack. Lime wedges in foreground. Whole lime in background. Grey table top

How to make lime coconut scones

Scones are quick and easy to make. Just a few simple ingredients and you’re away. Also, minimal baking time means you can have these babies fresh from the oven for breakfast in less than half an hour.

Jump to the recipe card for full ingredients and instructions.

  1. Grate the butter using the large grate of a box grater and place it in the freezer for 15-20 minutes.
  2. Mix together all the dry ingredients until well combined in a large bowl.
  3. Add the butter to the flour mixture and use just your finger tips, a pastry cutter or knife to carefully cut the butter into the flour, just until you have course looking flour with the small butter pieces still visible.
  4. Now add the wet ingredients and just stir it together with a spoon.
  5. Tip the dough out onto a sheet of baking paper (it will be a little sticky but don’t be tempted to add flour). Gently press it out into a disk about 1 inch high.
  6. Cut into 8 triangles and place them onto a baking sheet and brush the tops with cream or milk.
  7. Bake for 16 to 18 minutes until the outside looks dry and the sides are showing cracks all the way from bottom to top. The tops of these coconut scones don’t turn golden brown and, if they do, they may be overbaked.

Tips and Tricks

Once you know these tips and tricks, making your coconut scones is such a simple process.

  • Grate the butter: Doing this allows you to incorporated it into the dough quicker, without it melting in your hands. The large side of a box grater is perfect.
  • The butter should be very cold: The colder your butter, the more flaky and light the scones will turn out. Once grated, place it in the freezer for 15-20 minutes.
  • If it’s hot, freeze the flour too: I’m not joking. In summer I’ll often place the flour in the freezer along with the butter. 
  • Minimal handling: You should not knead scone dough. Lightly work the ingredients together and lightly pull it into a slab or disk. You don’t want the butter to melt while your handling it, you want that to happen in the oven. 
  • Flour the knife or cutter: When cutting, you don’t want to press the dough together on the edges or you won’t get those cracks and layers. Use a sharp knife or biscuit cutter, dip it in flour before each cut and wipe it off after each cut.
  • I prefer shaping these on the baking paper rather than a lightly floured surface as too much flour can make them dry.
Closeup of a scone on a wire rack with icing being drizzled on top

How to serve scones

Traditionally scones are broken in half (no knife required) and served with jam and clotted or whipped cream and most often at room temperature or just slightly warm.

For these coconut scones, I drizzle over a simple but absolutely amazing lime glaze. I then break them apart and spread a little coconut butter over them. Lime curd and some regular or coconut whipped cream would also work really well 

Can you freeze scones?

Yes, scones freeze well. Freeze them without the icing, wrapped in plastic wrap and then in an airtight container. Let them thaw completely before giving them a light warm up in the oven or microwave. 

Scone split in half on a white plate, smeared with coconut butter. Lime wedges in front, coconut flakes scattered around. More scones on a rack in the background

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3 scones stacked on a wire rack. Lime wedges in front. whole lime in background. Grey bench top

Coconut Scones with Lime

Yield: 8 scones
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
0 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
4.6 from 27 ratings
These coconut scones have a kick of tangy lime and are a tropical twist on a classic scone recipe. They're so quick and easy to make too.
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Ingredients

For the Scones

  • 360 g plain flour (all purpose flour) (2 ¾ cups / 12.7oz)
  • ¼ cup icing sugar (powdered sugar) (35g/1¼oz)
  • 4 teaspoons baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 57 g unsalted butter grated & frozen, (2 oz / ½ stick)
  • ½ cup fine desiccated coconut (45g/~1 ½oz)
  • 1 teaspoon lime zest
  • 2 teaspoons lime juice
  • ⅔ cup canned coconut milk cold, shaken well (160ml)
  • ½ cup milk cold (125ml)
  • 2 teaspoons thickened cream (heavy cream)

For the Glaze

  • ¾ cup icing sugar (powdered sugar) (95g / ~3½oz)
  • 3 teaspoons lime juice
  • ½ teaspoon lime zest

For best results, always weigh ingredients where a weight is provided

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 200C (180C fan forced) / 400F. Line a large baking tray with baking paper.
  • In a large mixing bowl, use a whisk to combine the flour, icing sugar, coconut, baking powder and salt.
  • Add the cold grated butter and using either your fingertips, a knife or pastry blender, gently blend the butter into the flour until only small pieces remain.
  • Add the lime zest, juice, coconut milk and milk and stir with a spoon to sticky dough.
  • Turn the dough out onto a sheet of baking paper and gently press it out into a round disk about 1 inch high.
  • Use a sharp knife, dipped in flour, to cut the dough into 8 triangles.
  • Transfer to the prepared baking tray and brush the cream over the tops.
  • Bake for 16-18 minutes until they look dry and lightly golden on the edges. Transfer to a wire rack for 15 minutes to cool before drizzling the glaze over the tops.
  • FOR THE GLAZE (optional)
    Mix the icing sugar, juice and zest together in a small bowl. Once the scones have cooled a little spoon the glaze over the top
  • Please take a moment to leave a comment & rating. It's appreciated and so helpful.

Notes

  1. For best results you should always weigh ingredients like flour and sugar. Kitchen scales are relatively cheap but if you can’t weigh the ingredients, use the spoon and level method (don’t scoop).
  2. Make sure the butter and both milks are very cold.
  3. Don’t overprocess the butter into the flour – you should still see small lumps of butter.
  4. Don’t handle the dough too much, it’s important it stays cool.
  5. You’re after unsweetened coconut here and desiccated. If you can only get shredded coconut, you can blitz it in a food processor to make it fine like desiccated coconut.
MORE BRUNCH IDEAS!
Calories: 362kcal
Author: Marie Roffey
Course: Afternoon Tea, Breakfast, Brunch, Morning Tea, Snack
Cuisine: American, British
Love this recipe?Add Sugar Salt Magic as a preferred Google source.
Nutrition information is approximate only and derived from an online calculator. The brands you use and any changes you make may cause variations.
Nutrition Facts
Coconut Scones with Lime
Amount Per Serving (113 g)
Calories 362 Calories from Fat 135
% Daily Value*
Fat 15g23%
Saturated Fat 11g69%
Trans Fat 0.2g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g
Monounsaturated Fat 2g
Cholesterol 19mg6%
Sodium 87mg4%
Potassium 351mg10%
Carbohydrates 53g18%
Fiber 2g8%
Sugar 16g18%
Protein 6g12%
Vitamin A 223IU4%
Vitamin C 1mg1%
Calcium 120mg12%
Iron 3mg17%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.