Drop scones (Scotch pancakes)

Name: Drop scones (Scotch pancakes)
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 25 min
Ingredients: 190 g (1 ½ cups) Self raising flour*; a pinch of salt; 50 g (¼ cup) caster sugar; 1 egg; 200 ml (1 cup) milk

Drop scones, or Scotch pancakes are a delicious, quick and easy snack that all the family will love. Light, fluffy and super tasty, they’re so simple to make they’re perfect recipe for kids to help with.

Drop scones (Scotch pancakes) are a traditional Scottish recipe. Whether you make them for an easy breakfast, brunch or just as a snack they’re so simple to make they’re perfect for kids who want to get busy in the kitchen

You can enjoy Scotch pancakes with any topping you like (syrup, Nutella, peanut butter etc), but when we make them we tend to have them just with butter or maybe even a little jam. They’re such a lovely, simple recipe it make them versatile to enjoy however you like.

How can kids help to make Scotch pancakes/drop scones?

This is a really easy recipe which makes it perfect for kids to try. As well as measuring the dry and wet ingredients, your kids can get to whisk it all together to make the batter.
If you have older children, that are safe around a cooker, they can also ‘drop’ the mixture into your pan and flip them to cook the pancakes.

What’s the difference between a drop scone / Scotch pancake and a regular pancake?

Drop scones, or Scotch pancakes are similar to American fluffy pancakes but a little bit sweeter and a little bit thicker. They’re nothing like a crepe style pancake, and nothing like a scone either!

Why are they called drop scones?

They’re called drop scones because you ‘drop’ the mixture onto your frying/girdle pan to cook them.

Can you eat drop scones cold?

Yes. Drop scones are delicious warm with a little butter on them, but you can still enjoy them as a snack once they’ve cooled down. If you want to reheat them you can pop them on a baking tray, cover it with foil then put them in the oven on a medium heat for 10 minutes or so. Alternatively, you can toast them for a few minutes to get some heat back into them.

How long do Scotch pancakes keep?

You can keep Scotch pancakes for a day or two in an air tight container. If you want to keep them for longer drop scones can be frozen for a few months. Once you’ve made them, stack them in a pile separated with baking paper then put them in a freezer bag or wrap them well in foil. Defrost them then, reheat them in the oven until they are warmed through.

What to serve with drop scones?

You can serve these with anything you like really. They are delicious just with a bit of butter, or you could add some syrup or jam. Try them with anything you would add to a pancake or regular scone.

What can I use if I don’t have any self raising flour?

If you don’t have self raising flour, swap it for an equal amount of plain or all-purpose flour and add 1 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder.

Other pancake recipes

If you liked these drop scones you’ll love our other delicious pancake recipes:

Fluffy American style pancakes
Blueberry pancakes
Chocolate pancakes

Or if you want to make something else Scottish, you’ll love some of our favourite Scottish recipes:

Millionaire’s shortbread
Cranachan
Oat cakes
Empire biscuits
Scottish shortbread
Scotch broth
Shortbread fingers
Potato scones

Useful equipment

You might need the following baking tools/gadgets to make these drop scones:

Digital scales
Mixing bowl
Measuring cups
Measuring spoons
Whisk
Frying pan
Girdle pan

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Ingredients

190g (1 ½ cups) Self raising flour*
a pinch of salt
50g (¼ cup) caster sugar
1 egg
200ml (1 cup) milk

* If you don’t have self raising flour, swap it for an equal amount of plain or all-purpose flour and add 1 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder.

How to make drop scones (Scotch pancakes)

Mix all the dry ingredients together

Get your kids to measure out the flour, salt and caster sugar and add them to a mixing bowl. Give them a little mix together.

Mix the wet ingredients together

Measure the milk out in a jug or if you have them, use the ml setting of your digital scales to measure it accurately.

Crack an egg into a small bowl, just in case any shell goes in then add it to your milk. If any shell does go in, simply fish it out with a larger piece of shell. It will stick to that better than it will your finger.

Whisk the egg and milk together.

Make the scotch pancake batter

Make a well in the middle of your dry ingredients then slowly pour in the milk/egg mixture. Whisk it together until all the flour is mixed in and you have a nice smooth batter.

Cook the drop scones

Heat a little oil in a frying pan (or girdle pan if you have one) then drop 2 spoons (dessert spoon or soup spoon) of batter on top of each other into the pan. Depending on the size of your pan, you should be able to cook a few drop scones at the same time. We were able to do 3 without them touching.

Cook the pancakes over a medium heat for a few minutes until bubbles start coming to the surface. Gently flip them over with a spatula and cook them on the other side for another minute or two until they are nice and golden. Older kids that can be trusted near a cooker should be able to help with this.

Remove them from the pan and pop them on a baking tray covered with foil or a clean tea towel to keep warm while you make the rest.

Serve them with butter, jam, syrup or fruit and enjoy.