Even the late Queen Elizabeth II understood the role food plays in making guests feel welcome. While most of us will likely never have to host the prestigious guests and dignitaries that she did for gatherings, we can still take a lesson or two from her royal kitchen.
In August 1959, Queen Elizabeth welcomed President Dwight Eisenhower to Balmoral Castle near Edinburgh, Scotland, marking the very first visit from a U.S. president. Instead of leaving the menu up to her kitchen staff, she stepped in to prepare a beloved family recipe: drop scones.
Often compared to pancakes or thick blinis, drop scones cook up fluffy and tender and are traditionally paired with softened butter and jam. The key to Queen Elizabeth’s version comes from cream of tartar. This pantry staple activates baking soda in recipes, creating extra lift and giving quick breads, like her drop scones, their light, airy texture.
If brunch or afternoon tea is on your calendar soon, this recipe deserves a spot on the table. Below, you’ll find how to make Queen Elizabeth’s drop scones, along with a few simple ways to upgrade this charming British favorite.
How To Make Queen Elizabeth’s Drop Scones
Queen Elizabeth’s drop scone recipe takes a bit of prep before you start. As the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration discovered from a letter the royal wrote President Eisenhower, the original uses teacups for measurements, so a quick conversion helps. One teacup equals three quarters of a cup. Her recipe also skips detailed cooking instructions. But, thankfully, home cooks who tested it and reported back on Reddit, recommend treating the batter like pancakes and cooking the scones on a griddle.
To make Queen Elizabeth’s drop scones, begin by beating two eggs with 3/4 cup of milk and four tablespoons of caster sugar. Once blended, fold in three cups of flour and the remaining 3/4 cup of milk. Stir in two teaspoons of baking soda, three teaspoons of cream of tartar, and two tablespoons of melted butter.
At this stage, follow a standard pancake method. Let the drop scone batter rest for at least 15 minutes to hydrate the flour and relax the gluten, which helps produce fluffier, more tender scones. Heat a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, add butter, and spoon the batter onto the pan. Cook each scone until both sides turn golden and the centers cook through. The scones signal doneness as they puff up. This recipe yields about 16 drop scones.
Serve the drop scones warm with butter, or lean into an American-style brunch and drizzle them with maple syrup.
Tips for Queen Elizabeth’s Drop Scones
Developed in the 1950s, this recipe reflects a time when baking in the United Kingdom relied on straightforward techniques and ingredients. Follow Queen Elizabeth’s approach to savor a truly authentic drop scone, or try a few modern upgrades to help this treat shine at any afternoon tea:
- Season the batter. These drop scones start as a blank canvas, but you can add a teaspoon of vanilla and a pinch of cinnamon—or any of your favorite spices to boost the flavor.
- Add flavorful mix-ins. Because these drop scones resemble pancakes you can treat them as such. Fold in chocolate chips, ripe bananas, or coconut flakes to infuse extra flavor into the batter before it hits the griddle.
- Make a glaze or syrup. Finish the scones with a sweet compound butter, or a simple homemade lemon glaze.
