They're known by many different names….Utah Scones, Indian Fry Bread, Deep Fried Scones or even Pan Fried Scones. No matter the name this sweet treat addictingly delicious! This recipe is easy, made without yeast and requires no rise time!

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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- If you're looking for the type of scone with soft chewy insides and crispy outsides this is it!
- A delicious scone dripping with melted butter and honey cannot be beat!
- Quick and easy recipe! No yeast! No waiting for dough to rise! Just whip up, cut out and fry!
Ingredient Notes
- Flour - Just regular all purpose flour.
- Baking Powder - The baking powder is an important ingredient in this recipe. Baking powder activates with heat. That's why this recipe calls for the milk added to the dry ingredients to be warm. Baking powder is also the reason the scones puff up in the hot cooking oil. Baking powder is what makes yeast unnecessary as well.
- Cooking Oil - I have olive oil pictured but you can use what oil you prefer to fry your scones. You could use vegetable oil, canola oil, peanut oil or even shortening.
How to make
- Pour oil of your choice into a deep frying pan, electric skillet or other deep pan to roughly 1 ½ inches to 2 inches of oil deep.
- Heat oil over medium heat to approximately 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- While the oil is heating, measure the flour, salt and baking powder into a large bowl.
- Carefully heat the milk in the microwave for 30-45 seconds. The milk should be warm but not hot. Think baby's bath water warm.
- Combine milk with the dry ingredients and mix with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula until a sticky and somewhat fluffy dough comes together.
- Dump the sticky dough onto a well floured cutting board, baking mat or flat surface.
- Sprinkle with flour, and knead just a couple times so the dough isn't sticky to the touch anymore but still a soft dough.
- Don't go overboard with the kneading. The warm milk has activated the baking powder and over kneading with deflate the dough and make the scones tough.
- Pat the dough out into a rectangle shape about ¼ inch thick with your hands as it's easier than using a rolling pin.
- You can use a biscuit cutter if you want round scones, I personally just use a pizza cutter to cut out squares or rectangles so I don't have to overwork the dough by having to re-roll it out.
- I get roughly 12 pieces of dough.
- Brush off excess flour from the dough pieces before carefully placing in the hot oil.
- Add more scone dough pieces to the frying oil to fill the pan without over crowding.
- Use tongs to turn the scones over once the bottoms are golden brown.
- Once golden brown on both sides, remove the hot scones with tongs and place them on a paper lined with paper towels to absorb the excess oil.
- Serve these Utah style scones hot with butter, honey, or powdered sugar!
Recipe FAQs
There's not a lot of difference except for what they're served with in my opinion. When I hear scones I think fried bread dough with butter and honey. When I hear fry bread I think Navajo tacos with ground meat and cheese.
Honestly, I have no idea. Just one of our regional quirks.
Butter and honey are my go to because they're right in the cupboard but flavored butters are seriously the way to go! Try some Easy Honey Butter, Cinnamon Honey Butter, or even some Raspberry Butter!
Related Recipes
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PrintFried Scones Recipe
- Prep Time: 10 min
- Cook Time: 3 minutes (per batch)
- Total Time: 13 minutes
- Yield: 12 Scones 1x
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Frying
- Cuisine: American
Description
They're known by many different names....Utah Scones, Indian Fry Bread, Deep Fried Scones or even Pan Fried Scones. No matter the name they are addictingly delicious! This recipe is easy, made without yeast and requires no rise time!
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ cups Flour
- 1 ½ Tbs . Baking Powder
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 ¼ cups Warm Milk
- Oil for frying
Instructions
- Pour oil of your choice into a deep frying pan, electric skillet or other deep pan to roughly 1 ½ inches to 2 inches of oil deep.
- Heat oil over medium heat to approximately 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- While the oil is heating, measure the flour, salt and baking powder into a large bowl.
- Carefully heat the milk in the microwave for 30-45 seconds. The milk should be warm but not hot. Think baby's bath water warm.
- Combine milk with the dry ingredients and mix with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula until a sticky and somewhat fluffy dough comes together.
- Dump the sticky dough onto a well floured cutting board, baking mat or flat surface.
- Sprinkle with flour, and knead just a couple times so the dough isn't sticky to the touch anymore but still a soft dough.
- Don't go overboard with the kneading. The warm milk has activated the baking powder and over kneading with deflate the dough and make the scones tough.
- Pat the dough out into a rectangle shape about ¼ inch thick.
- You can use a biscuit cutter if you want round scones, I personally just use a pizza cutter to cut out squares or rectangles so I don't have to overwork the dough by having to re-roll it out.
- I get roughly 12 pieces of dough.
- Brush off excess flour from the dough pieces before carefully placing in the hot oil.
- Add more scone dough pieces to the frying oil to fill the pan without over crowding.
- Use tongs to turn the scones over once the bottoms are golden brown.
- Once golden brown on both sides, remove the hot scones with tongs and place them on a paper lined with paper towels to absorb the excess oil.
- Serve these Utah style scones hot with butter, honey, or powdered sugar!
Notes
- Flour - Just regular all purpose flour.
- Baking Powder - The baking powder is an important ingredient in this recipe. Baking powder activates with heat. That's why this recipe calls for the milk added to the dry ingredients to be warm. Baking powder is also the reason the scones puff up in the hot cooking oil. Baking powder is what makes yeast unnecessary as well.
- Cooking Oil - I have olive oil pictured but you can use what oil you prefer to fry your scones. You could use vegetable oil, canola oil, peanut oil or even shortening.
- Nutritional Disclaimer
Keywords: fried scones, deep fried scones, utah scones, how to make fried scones, Navajo tacos, Indian fry bread
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