Scone vs. Muffin — What's the Difference?
Edited by Tayyaba Rehman — By Fiza Rafique — Updated on May 19, 2024
Scones are British, biscuit-like baked goods often served with tea, while muffins are American, cupcake-like treats eaten as breakfast or snacks.
Difference Between Scone and Muffin
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
Scones are traditionally British and often enjoyed with tea. They have a crumbly, biscuit-like texture and are usually less sweet. Scones are often served with clotted cream and jam, making them a staple in British tea culture. Muffins, on the other hand, are American and resemble cupcakes in appearance but are less sweet and more dense. Muffins are typically enjoyed for breakfast or as a snack and come in a variety of flavors, often with fruits, nuts, or chocolate chips mixed in.
Scones are made with a dough that is rolled out and cut into shapes before baking. This method gives them their signature dense and crumbly texture. In contrast, muffins are made with a batter that is poured into molds or muffin tins, resulting in a softer and more cake-like texture.
Scones are often plain or contain simple ingredients like currants or cheese. They are meant to be split open and topped with spreads. Muffins, however, are typically more varied in their ingredients, with popular flavors including blueberry, banana nut, and chocolate chip. They are usually eaten whole without additional toppings.
In terms of preparation, scones require cold butter to be cut into the dry ingredients to create a flaky texture. Muffins use oil or melted butter mixed with wet ingredients, which contributes to their moist and tender crumb.
Comparison Chart
Origin
British
American
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Texture
Dense and crumbly
Soft and cake-like
Sweetness Level
Less sweet
More sweet
Preparation Method
Rolled and cut dough
Poured batter
Common Ingredients
Currants, cheese
Fruits, nuts, chocolate chips
Compare with Definitions
Scone
A small, lightly sweetened biscuit-like cake.
She enjoyed a scone with her afternoon tea.
Muffin
A versatile baked item often enjoyed as a snack.
Muffins are perfect for a quick and easy breakfast.
Scone
A traditional British baked good served with clotted cream and jam.
The café serves fresh scones every morning.
Muffin
A small, cake-like bread typically eaten for breakfast.
She grabbed a blueberry muffin on her way to work.
Scone
A baked item that can be plain or contain currants or cheese.
She prefers her scones with a hint of lemon zest.
Muffin
An American baked good, similar to a cupcake but less sweet.
Muffins come in various flavors, including banana nut and chocolate chip.
Scone
A dense, crumbly treat often paired with tea.
Scones are a staple in British tea culture.
Muffin
A quick bread that can contain fruits, nuts, or chocolate.
He baked a batch of cranberry muffins for the holidays.
Scone
A pastry made from dough that is rolled and cut before baking.
He learned to make scones in his baking class.
Muffin
A muffin is an individual-sized, baked product. It can refer to two distinct items, a part-raised flatbread that is baked and then cooked on a griddle (typically unsweetened) and a cupcake-like quickbread (often sweetened) that is chemically leavened and then baked in a mold.
Scone
A scone ( or ) is a baked good, usually made of either wheat or oatmeal with baking powder as a leavening agent, and baked on sheet pans. A scone is often slightly sweetened and occasionally glazed with egg wash.
Muffin
A small, cup-shaped quick bread, often sweetened.
Scone
A small, rich, biscuitlike pastry or quick bread, sometimes baked on a griddle.
Muffin
An English muffin.
Scone
(Utah) Yeast bread dough, deep-fried and served with honey and butter or with a savory filling.
Muffin
(British) A type of flattish bun, usually cut in two horizontally, toasted and spread with butter, etc, before being eaten; an English muffin.
Scone
A small, rich, pastry or quick bread, sometimes baked on a griddle.
Muffin
A cupcake-shaped baked good (for example of cornbread, banana bread, or a chocolate dough), sometimes glazed but typically without frosting, eaten especially for breakfast (in contrast to a cupcake, which is a dessert).
Scone
Frybread served with honey butter spread on it.
Muffin
(computing) A mechanism used in the Java Network Launching Protocol analogous to the cookie mechanism and which permits a program running in a browser to perform operations on a client machine.
Scone
The head.
Muffin
(slang) Term of endearment.
I love you, muffin!
Scone
To hit on the head.
Muffin
Female pubic hair; female genitals (vulva, vagina), like muff.
Scone
A cake, thinner than a bannock, made of wheat or barley or oat meal.
Muffin
A less talented player; one who muffs, or drops the ball.
Scone
Small biscuit (rich with cream and eggs) cut into diamonds or sticks and baked in an oven or (especially originally) on a griddle
Muffin
(slang) A charming, attractive young man. en
Muffin
(dated) A small plate, smaller than a twiffler.
Muffin
Another word for a roll, bap or cob, even one that isn’t flat or toasted.
Muffin
To eat muffins.
Muffin
To feed muffins.
Muffin
To become like a muffin; to increase in size.
Muffin
To make like a muffin.
Muffin
Alternative case form of MUFFIN
Muffin
A light, spongy, cylindrical cake, used for breakfast and tea.
Muffin
A sweet quick bread baked in a cup-shaped pan
Muffin
A soft, moist treat made from batter poured into molds.
The bakery offers fresh muffins every morning.
Common Curiosities
Which is typically sweeter, a scone or a muffin?
Muffins are typically sweeter than scones.
How are scones typically served?
Scones are usually served with clotted cream and jam.
What common ingredients are found in muffins?
Muffins often contain fruits, nuts, or chocolate chips.
How is the preparation method different for scones and muffins?
Scones use rolled and cut dough, while muffins use a poured batter.
Do muffins require a mold or tin to bake?
Yes, muffins are typically baked in muffin tins or molds.
What is the main difference between a scone and a muffin?
Scones are dense and crumbly, while muffins are soft and cake-like.
Are scones or muffins more popular in the UK?
Scones are more popular in the UK.
Can scones be savory?
Yes, scones can be savory, often containing cheese or herbs.
Which is more likely to be served with tea, a scone or a muffin?
Scones are more likely to be served with tea.
Do scones require cold or melted butter?
Scones require cold butter cut into the dry ingredients.
Which has a flakier texture, a scone or a muffin?
Scones have a flakier texture.
Can scones contain fruit?
Yes, scones can contain dried fruits like currants.
What is a typical time to eat a muffin?
Muffins are commonly eaten for breakfast or as a snack.
Are muffins considered quick bread?
Yes, muffins are a type of quick bread.
Can muffins be savory as well?
Yes, muffins can also be savory, though it's less common.
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Written by
Fiza RafiqueFiza Rafique is a skilled content writer at AskDifference.com, where she meticulously refines and enhances written pieces. Drawing from her vast editorial expertise, Fiza ensures clarity, accuracy, and precision in every article. Passionate about language, she continually seeks to elevate the quality of content for readers worldwide.
Edited by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
