Easy Traditional Scottish Potato Scones (Tattie Scones)

No full Scottish breakfast would be complete here in Scotland without potato scones, or tattie scones as we call them. Made from leftover potato these delicious scones are easy to make and go well with all sorts of things from breakfast to soup.

What’s to love about this recipe

• There are only 3 ingredients in this potato scone recipe and don’t we all love a recipe with just a few ingredients!
• This is a great way to use up leftover mashed potatoes turning them into tattie scones, zero waste!
• Potato scones are super easy to make and come together in just 10 minutes and that includes cooking them.
• They taste great.

This recipe for tattie scones is from my book Simply Scottish Cakes And Bakes where you’ll find over 50 fabulous recipes for all sorts of Scottish baking from bannocks to shortbread, scones to my wonderful cranachan cheesecake and so much more.

Potato Scones aka Tattie Scones

A scone is a scone no matter the shape or if it happens to be flat as these are!

Traditionally potato scones were made right after lunchtime using the potatoes that were still warm in the pan.

They were quickly mixed with flour, butter and a pinch of salt and the dough rolled out and baked on a girdle (a heavy flat iron pan with arched handle).

They would then be served warm with butter and a cup of tea. Just like a traditional Scottish scone only flatter and made with potato.

Full Scottish Breakfast

Stay in any good Scottish hotel or B&B and you are sure to be offered a ‘full Scottish’ of bacon, flat square sausage (aka Lorne sausage), eggs, tomatoes, haggis and of course these tattie scones.

Ingredients for tattie/potato scones

• Potatoes are the star of the show here. Any good mashing potato is fine. King Edwards are always a good choice or Albert Bartlets.
• flour – just plain flour here, not self-raising or strong bread flour.
• Butter – use either salted or unsalted whatever butter you have to hand. If unsalted then add a pinch of salt to your tattie scone recipe.

Don’t use leftover mashed potatoes

I know there are some recipes on the internet saying just use leftover mashed potatoes to make your potato scones.

This only works if you haven’t added milk or cream to your mashed potatoes in the first plave.

The milk or cream that make mashed potatoes such a delight is what would in fact make your potato scones too sloppy and loose.

Leftover boiled potatoes are perfect for this recipe. Preferably warm potatoes. So if they are completely cold warm them up a bit first to make them easier to work with to form a good dough for your tattie scones.

How to make potato scones

• If you are just boiling the potatoes for your tattie scones then drain them thoroughly, you want them as dry as possible to make a good dough.
• Mash the potatoes thoroughly and add the butter and plain flour to the pan and a pinch of salt if you are using unsalted butter or just fancy more salt.
• The butter will melt in the warm potatoes so all you have to do is stir everything to form a dough.
• Scoop this out of the pan onto a floured surface and roll it into a circle and use a plate on top to cut a circle if you want. The dough should be about 3mm thick. Make a cross in the dough so that you will easily be able to break apart the tattie scones when cooked through.
• Heat a girdle/griddle or just a low-sided frying pan/pancake pan on the hob and DO NOT add any butter or oil to the pan as you are going to dry bake these potato scones not fry them.
• Cook over moderate heat for about 3 minutes on each side till golden and flip the potato scones over.

How to serve potato/tattie scones

You can serve potato scones hot or cold.

They don’t have to be cut into the traditional triangles. Use a cookie cutter and make mini round potato scones and serve them with smoked salmon instead of blinis.

To me they are always best served hot and can be served with butter and sometimes like pancakes with sugar, syrup, honey or jam.

I like them served up plain alongside a full Scottish breakfast or just with bacon, eggs and grilled tomatoes, perfect!

Take them to another dimension by turning them into these minted pea potato scones. The flavour is amazing, a marriage made in heaven.

Pro tips for making potato/tattie scones

• Don’t use cold mashed potatoes with added milk/cream!
• Use warm dry potatoes to make the dough easier to work with
• Bake them in a dry pan
• Use a flat pan so that you can easily get a spatula underneath the scones to turn them over
• Flour your rolling pin so that it doesn’t stick to the dough when you are rolling it out
• Use a plate as a circle guide to get a nice round shape
• Keep the tattie scones warm in a tea towel when serving at the breakfast table

Can you reheat tattie scones?

Yes, once you’ve made your potato scones and they have cooled down youo can easily reheat them on a flat pan either with a little oil or butter so they crisp up to serve with bacon etc in a breakfast.

Or you can pop them in a toaster and serve with butter and jam/marmalade.

Can you freeze potato scones?

Yes, they freeze really well. Place them in a single layer with baking parchment between layers if stacking them up in a box. Freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost thoroughly before reheating and serving.

Looking for more super scone recipes? Then check these out before you go;

Simple traditional Scottish scones

3 Ingredient Prosecco scones

Savoury cheese scones (+video!)

Traditional treacle scones (+video!)

Traditional Scotch pancakes (aka drop scones)+ video!

Simple spiced apple scones

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