5 Best Butter Substitutes for Scones

Quick tip: Use solid coconut oil chilled to mimic butter's texture; it produces a similar flaky texture with a mild coconut aroma.

Coconut oil is solid at cooler temperatures, which allows it to create pockets of fat within the dough similar to butter. This fat melts during baking, creating steam that helps develop the characteristic flakiness of scones. The saturated fat content is comparable to butter, making it an effective structural substitute.

For best results, chill the coconut oil until firm and cut it into small pieces before incorporating it into the flour. Avoid melting it beforehand, as liquid fat will not create the desired texture. Watch for a slight coconut flavor, which can be subtle or pronounced depending on the brand.

Compared to butter, coconut oil may impart a slightly different aroma and a slightly denser crumb, but the overall texture and rise remain very close to traditional scones.

Quick tip: Provides a neutral flavor and solid fat structure but can yield a slightly less rich taste.

Vegetable shortening is 100% fat and remains solid at room temperature, which helps create the flaky layers in scones by trapping air and moisture during baking. It lacks water content, so it won't cause dough to become soggy.

When substituting, ensure the shortening is cold and cut into the flour similarly to butter. Because shortening lacks the milk solids and water found in butter, scones may bake faster and brown less, so monitor baking time closely.

The final scones will have a tender, flaky texture but may lack the buttery richness and flavor complexity, resulting in a more neutral taste.

Quick tip: Clarified butter with a rich, nutty flavor but lacks water, which may slightly alter texture.

Ghee is butter with the milk solids and water removed, leaving almost pure fat. This concentration of fat helps create flakiness in scones, but the absence of water can affect gluten development and moisture balance.

Use chilled ghee cut into the flour to mimic butter’s solid fat distribution. Because ghee has a higher smoke point, it can tolerate slightly higher baking temperatures without burning.

Scones made with ghee will have a rich, nutty flavor and a tender crumb but may be slightly less moist and less flaky compared to butter-based scones.

Quick tip: Adds moisture and richness but results in a denser, less flaky scone.

Cream cheese contains fat and moisture but is much softer and more hydrated than butter. It contributes richness and a slight tang but does not provide the solid fat needed to create flaky layers.

When substituting, reduce other liquids slightly to compensate for cream cheese’s moisture. Incorporate it cold and mix gently to avoid overworking the dough.

The resulting scones will be tender and moist with a creamier texture, but they will lack the traditional flaky structure and may be denser and more cake-like.

Quick tip: Increases moisture and tenderness but does not replicate fat’s role in flakiness.

Greek yogurt adds moisture and protein but contains little fat compared to butter. It can tenderize scones but will not create the flaky layers associated with solid fats.

Use less yogurt than butter by volume to avoid overly wet dough and adjust baking time accordingly. Mix gently to prevent gluten overdevelopment.

Scones made with Greek yogurt will be softer and more tender but lack flakiness and may have a tangy flavor that alters the traditional profile.