One of our favourite things about Scottish food is all the delicious baking recipes. There’s definitely plenty to choose from! We thought we’d pull together some of the most traditional Scottish baking recipes that we’ve made, with a list of honourable mentions below.
How many have you tried?
Shortbread
Shortbread in all it’s buttery goodness is one of the most recognisable Scottish bakes, and is exported around the world. Although it’s made in many other places, it’s origin is undoubtably Scottish, and there’s even a story about how Mary Queen of Scots particular favoured the Petticoat Tails version of shortbread.
It’s traditionally made with a 3:2:1 measure of flour, butter, and sugar, so we stuck with this for our recipe and made it into the petticoat tails shape too! It’s an easy recipe and a great way to dip your toe into Scottish baking.
Scottish Tablet
Scottish Tablet is sort of a balance between fudge and toffee. It’s too soft to be toffee, although it has the delightful taste of it, and too hard to be fudge. It’s sort of like a more crumbly, sugary fudge, and is thoroughly delicious! It’s a must-try Scottish food.
Unlike the above, it can also be temperamental to make! However, the end result is well worth the effort, and we have lots of tips and tricks to help out those who are new to the tablet-making scene.
Dundee Cake
Dundee Cake is one of those recipes where you wouldn’t think it all works but somehow it comes together perfectly! The combination of bitter orange marmalade, burst of fruitless from the raisins and currents, and the blanched almonds balanced on top that toast while the cake cooks is simply delicious. There’s no other way to put it!
It’s an easy, lighter alternative to a Christmas Cake that also doesn’t need icing, but we eat it all year round too. If you want to make it even more Scottish, you can put a dash of whisky in too.
Scotch Pies
Neither of us are strangers to savoury pies, coming from England and New Zealand, but there’s something a little different about a Scotch Pie.
For one, traditionally the filling would have been mutton, and while that version is still sold widely you’ll also find beef and lamb about too.
Secondly, the pastry is “hot water pastry” which is traditionally used for handmade pies, rather than the puff pastry you find elsewhere. Hot water pastry means the fat is melted in hot water before being added to the flour and is then quickly made into a mould that will set.
It’s sounds complicated, but it’s actually really easy, and once you get the hang of it you can make all sorts of delicious other fillings for your Scotch Pies too!
Butteries
Butteries are a flat, layered pastry, sometimes said to resemble a squashed croissant. They hail from Aberdeenshire and were an alternative bread roll for fisherman to have while out at sea, since they didn’t go stale as quickly and had a high fat content to keep them going.
The process to make them isn’t too complicated but does take some time. They’re definitely a treat to eat though!
Oatcakes
Oatcakes are so versatile! These flat cakes are more like crackers, and can be served with soup, cheese, or any number of toppings really. You might as well call them Scotland’s alternative bread!
Super simple to make, these can be whipped up in less than 15 minutes are had with your favourite topping.
Bridies
Bridies originally came from Forfar, in the Angus area. They’re a handheld meat pie made into a horseshoe shape. They were traditionally made with beef and beef suet in a shortcrust pastry, but can also be found with added onions or even made with minced lamb, and in a puff pastry.
We don’t really mind which version we have, they’re just delicious any way!
Clootie Dumpling
This fruit pudding takes it name from the cloth or “cloot” that it’s boiled in.
Fruit, flour, and various spices are mixed together and formed into a ball that’s wrapped up in a floured and boiled in a pot of hot water. This allows a thin “skin” to form on the outside of it’s that’s then dried out in the oven, or traditionally, in front of the fire.
Whenever we ask people about their favourite Scottish dessert Clootie Dumpling is inevitably mentioned. It’s a winter-warmer type of recipe, popular at Christmas, Hogmanay, and Burns Night.
It’s not necessarily found on a lot of menus, so making your own is the way to go!
We also have a cheats microwave Clootie Dumpling (recipe here).
Steak Pie
Steak Pie is traditionally eaten on New Year’s Day in Scotland, and you’ll find them selling out in butchers across the country in the leadup to it! We like to make our own, and then we can throw in different variations like sausages or even haggis.
Fly Cemetery
While the name may not exactly be appealing, this yummy fruit slice will definitely have you going back for more. It has a shortcrust top and bottom layer, with a mix of currents, raisins, butter, and spices sandwiched in-between. Easy to make and even easier to eat!
Honorable Mentions
Of course, there are way more than 10 Scottish baking recipes that you should try, but we figured we’d start with the most traditional and a bit of variety between savoury and sweet. Below are some of our other favourites (click to take you through to the recipe). Some authentic and others new inventions!
- Empire Biscuits – Double biscuits with a layer of jam in-between and icing on top
- Sticky Toffee Pudding (microwave version!) – Delicious and SO EASY
- Pineapple Tarts – A pastry tart filled with cream and pineapple jam, covered in bright yellow icing.
- Jam Flapjacks and Fruity Flapjacks – Perfect for a snack
- Sultana Loaf Cake – A simple loaf cake to have for afternoon tea
- Macaroni Pie – Yes, it’s a thing
- Millionaire’s Shortbread – Shortbread topped with caramel topped with chocolate. What’s not to like?
- Scones – Not strictly Scottish but we do think Scottish scones are some of the best!
As you can see, Scottish baking invariably involves meat and pastry, or fruits and sugar! How many of these have you tried?
Phil & Sonja x
U forgot Tattie scones and square sausage
They’re not usually baked, you should have a look at our foods to try for a more rounded look at traditional Scottish foods 🙂 https://scottishscran.com/scottish-foods-to-try/
Does anyone remember Scott Lyons Waterloo rolls.
We don’t remember them, but we have certainly heard good things about them!
Thank goodness someone remembers them ! It used to be a favourite treat at my gran’s Wish I could find a recipe !!
Greetings from Los Angeles, California.
I have been enjoying your website while seeking concepts to introduce to my
culinary students here in Los Angeles.
I vividly recall from my childhood a family car trip from our home in Cheshire to Edinburgh for the festival and Military Tattoo at the castle.
I possess a lasting and fond memory of the different foods we enjoyed at a variety of wayside inns and restaurants along the way.
Your site brought it all back, an experience I shall always treasure of the Scots people, their legendary hospitality and astonishingly beautiful nation.
Thanks so much that’s great to hear!
What about mince n doughballs Shepard’s pie or cottage pie or a fry up with the works sausage egg black pudding fruit pudding tatties scones my auntie used to make clootie dumpling at Xmas for my dad lasted for ages ..