Raspberry Cottage Cheese Scones are tender, flaky, and packed with 11 grams of protein. Made in one bowl with juicy raspberries, lemon zest and protein-rich cottage cheese!

Raspberry cottage cheese scones and raspberries on a counter.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Last year I made zucchini cheddar cottage cheese scones and we were all in love! This year my raspberry bush delivered loads of juicy raspberries and I knew raspberry cottage cheese scones had to happen next!

Overall, I’m totally in love with the buttery, flaky dough you get from using a mix of cottage cheese and butter. That same dough is the star of both this raspberry cottage cheese scone recipe and my cottage cheese biscuits.

Because the cottage cheese melts right into the dough almost like butter, it adds protein and lets you use significantly less butter. These raspberry scones bake up tasting like the originals but with lower fat, fewer calories, and higher in protein.

I tested this recipe twice. I didn’t freeze the raspberries the first time but did the second, and it helped a lot. If I could give one big tip, it’s to keep your dough very thick and sprinkle it with flour as soon as the raspberries start to melt and get wet.

The scones turned out so flavorful and beautiful, bursting with raspberry goodness and topped with a sweet, crunchy sugar crust. My favorite part is that you can make them year round for breakfast or dessert because they’re designed to use frozen raspberries!

Ingredients for Raspberry Cottage Cheese Scones

Cottage cheese, all-purpose flour, sugar, baking powder, lemon zest, vanilla, milk, frozen raspberries, cold butter.

Flour: My scone recipe calls for regular all-purpose flour, see Variations below for other flours. Make sure to scoop it into your measuring cup and level it off. Set a little extra aside for dusting.
Sugar: I used organic cane sugar. There’s just enough in the dough to keep it lightly sweet, with a little extra sprinkled on top. Regular granulated sugar works too.
Baking powder: Gives the scones a nice lift, so they bake up light and fluffy.
Lemon zest: Makes the raspberry flavor pop even more.
Cottage cheese: It melts right into the dough and makes the scones soft and tender. I used 2%, but any kind will do just fine.
Vanilla: Adds depth to the flavor. I always use pure vanilla extract.
Cold butter: It needs to be very cold to create the flaky layers. If you’re using unsalted butter, I’d add about 1/4 teaspoon of salt to keep the flavors balanced.
Raspberries: You can use previously frozen raspberries, or if you have fresh, freeze them solid first.
Milk: I brushed the tops with milk to help the sugar stick. Any milk works.

How to Make Raspberry Cottage Cheese Scones

Mix dry ingredients: Combine 2 1/4 cups flour, sugar, baking powder, and lemon zest in a large bowl.
Add wet ingredients: Stir in cottage cheese and vanilla.
Add butter: Grate cold butter over the mixture and work it in with a spatula until crumbly.
Add raspberries and form dough: Add frozen raspberries and gently bring the dough together with your hands. Sprinkle the extra flour and knead it into a firm, dry, reddish dough.
Shape and cut: Place dough on a parchment lined baking sheet sprinkled with flour. Flatten into a 1-inch circle, then cut into 8 triangles. Space them out.
Brush and sprinkle: Brush each scone with milk and sprinkle sugar on top.
Bake: Bake at 400 F for 28-30 minutes until golden brown and enjoy warm!

Hot Day

If it’s a hot day, set the dough in the fridge to chill for 10-15 minutes before baking. This helps keep the butter cold, which is key for those flaky layers and prevents the scones from spreading too much in the oven.

Tips for Best Results

Here’s how I got that perfect scone texture in this raspberry scone recipe.

Use only frozen raspberries: If you have fresh berries fully freeze them on a plate in a single layer first. Always add frozen raspberries to the dough. They release less juice and help keep the dough from getting too wet.
Spoon and level the flour: Spoon the flour into your measuring cup and level it off with a knife to prevent dry scones.
Make sure you use cold butter: Don’t let the butter sit at room temperature. Grate it straight from the fridge into the bowl and handle the dough as little as possible to keep it from melting. If it’s a hot day, work quickly and chill the dough in the fridge before baking, if needed.
Add more flour: As soon as you start mixing the raspberries into the dough they will start melting and things will get wet and a bit messy. You want to sprinkle the flour in to absorb this moisture.
Be patient: Your goal is to have the dough and raspberries stick together. So incorporate the raspberries, add flour, shape the dough, and add more flour.
Dough should be thick and not smooth: I like to call it shaggy and sandy. Those little pieces of buttery dough are what create flaky scones.

Two raspberry scones stacked on top of each other showing texture.

Variations

Add vanilla glaze: Whisk together 1/2 cup powdered sugar, 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla, and 1/2 tablespoon milk or lemon juice until smooth. Add more liquid until you reach a pourable glaze, then drizzle over cooled scones.
Other berries: Swap in blueberries, blackberries, cranberries, chopped strawberries, or peaches. Just be mindful of how juicy the fruit is, frozen works best.
Self-rising flour: Use the same amount of flour, but leave out the baking powder.
Other flours: I believe you could use an all purpose gluten free flour like Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 ratio. If you’d like to try whole wheat flour, use a tad less, about 2 1/4 cups. Coconut and almond flour will not work.
Omit the lemon: Totally fine, but I personally think it adds a big boost of flavor that really makes the raspberries pop. You could also try a little orange zest in its place.

Can I Make Them Ahead?

Yes! You can definitely make raspberry cottage cheese scones ahead of time. I recommend flash freezing the unbaked scone triangles. Freeze them on a baking sheet first, then transfer to a Ziploc bag and keep frozen for up to a month.

I’m worried storing the dough in the fridge will make the dough very wet from the porous raspberries releasing juice.

How to Store and Reheat

Store: Keep scones covered with a linen towel for the first day, then move them to an airtight container for up to 3 days. After that, freeze what’s left.

Freeze: Put scones in an airtight container or Ziploc bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Let them thaw on the counter for a few hours before eating.

Reheat: Warm them up in the microwave or air fryer for a few minutes, or bake at 300 F until heated through.

More High Protein Recipes to Try

Raspberry cottage cheese scones on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.