Pumpkin Scones

A great fall treat or quick breakfast, these pumpkin scones have a crisp outside with a crumbly but soft interior. With warm spices and a sweet cinnamon maple glaze, these fall scones have a great flavor that pair perfectly with a morning cup of coffee.

This Fall twist on a sweetened scone recipe is perfect for the cooler days of autumn. Pumpkin scones are flavored with pumpkin puree and warming spices, then lightly sweetened with a bit of cinnamon maple icing to double up on those fall flavors.

I love doing seasonal twists on recipes, like my pumpkin snickerdoodle cookies. This scone recipe is based on my other Fall scone recipe: cinnamon apple scones. Using the same cinnamon maple glaze that pairs great with apple or pumpkin, this gives the scones a bit more flavor while also sweetening them just a bit more.

Feel free to adjust this recipe to your liking as well. If you prefer a more British-style scone, omit the egg for a bit of a drier and crumblier scone. I like the added sweetness from the drizzled glaze, but you can also leave it off for less sweetness or spread it over the whole top for an even sweeter type of scone.

Pumpkin Scones

Flour – Use all-purpose flour here for the base of the scones.

Leaveners – I use both baking powder and baking soda here for rising agents. Like biscuits, you’ll use a good amount of baking powder as well.

Spices – Here I use my homemade pumpkin pie spice and some added cinnamon. If you don’t have pumpkin pie spice or wish to make it, use a combination of a ½ teaspoon ground ginger and nutmeg with a ¼ teaspoon of ground allspice and cloves, if possible, plus the added cinnamon.

Butter – Use unsalted butter here or just omit the added salt if using salted. I like to freeze the butter at least 15-20 minutes before using it and then grate it into the dry ingredients.

Heavy Cream – Use heavy cream to add a richness to the scones. The larger far content also adds flavor and moisture to the scone compared to regular milk. Use some more to brush on the top before baking also.

Sugar – I used light brown sugar here, but dark brown or even regular is fine as well, though I prefer the added flavor from brown sugar. Top with some coarse sugar like demerara or turbinado before baking as well for added crunch and a bit more sweetness.

Pumpkin – Be sure to use 100% pumpkin puree or homemade pumpkin puree here. Do not use pumpkin pie filling as it is sweetened and spiced already. Blot the puree with some paper towels as well so you don’t add too much moisture to the mix.

Egg – Not typically used in scones in the UK, this is an optional ingredient that can help make the crumb a little more tender and moister instead of being as crumbly and dry as a normal scone.

Vanilla – Add a bit of vanilla extract to balance the flavors.

Maple Cinnamon Glaze

Sugar – Use powdered sugar for the base of the glaze.

Maple – Be sure to use real maple syrup and not “pancake” syrup here.

Cinnamon – Use a bit of ground cinnamon here for added flavor.

Heavy Cream – A bit of heavy cream makes the glaze creamy in flavor and helps to thin it out. Use enough to make the glaze as thick or thin as you prefer. I like to keep it slightly thick, but thin enough to easily drizzle over the scones.

Pumpkin Scone Batter

Start by blotting the pumpkin puree to remove excess moisture. Pour the ½ cup of puree into a small bowl and gently press some paper towels down into it. Press the towels around the sides to soak up moisture and let them sit for a few minutes before removing the paper towels and using the puree.

In a large mixing bowl, add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices and whisk together. Remove the butter from the freezer and grate it into the dry ingredients and then mix it into the flour with a pastry cutter or by hand.

In another mixing bowl, add the heavy cream, brown sugar, pumpkin puree, egg, and vanilla extract. Whisk thoroughly until the sugar has dissolved and there are no obvious streaks of egg remaining.

Now add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, mixing until just combined.

Dump the scone batter onto a floured work surface, dust the top with more flour, and work everything into a ball. If it feels too wet and sticky, add a bit more flour. If it feels too dry, add a little more cream. Flatten the ball into a disc shape, roughly 8-inches in diameter and about 1-inch or so thick.

Portion & Bake the Scones

Using a sharp knife or bench scraper, cut the disc into 8 wedges. From here, you can bake if you want, but I recommend placing it in the fridge or freezer for at least 15-20 minutes while preheating your oven. This gives the butter time to get cold again.

Preheat your oven to 400°F / 200°C and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Transfer the scone wedges to the baking sheet spaced about 1-2” apart and brush on some heavy cream. Optionally, you can also top with some coarse sugar.

Bake for 18-22 minutes, until golden brown on the outside. Remove from the oven and cool on the backing sheet for a few minutes until cool enough to transfer to a cooling rack.

Cinnamon Maple Glaze

While the pumpkin scones are baking, you can make the cinnamon maple glaze.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, or in a mixing bowl if using a hand mixer, add the powdered sugar, maple syrup, and ground cinnamon and mix until combined. Add heavy cream a bit at a time while mixing until thick but pourable, about 2-3 tablespoons.

Once the pumpkin apple scones have mostly cooled, drizzle on the cinnamon maple glaze with a spoon or a squeeze bottle. If you don’t plan on serving and eating all the scones that day, I recommend glazing only what you plan to eat for now. Serve warm and enjoy.

🍽 Recommended Equipment

No need for any fancy equipment to make sweet scones like these. Here’s just a few items to make things easier, that I like to use.

Rotary Grater – Box graters work fine, but I love this rotary cheese grater for shredding blocks of cheese and grating frozen butter into recipes. They’re not expensive and you don’t have to worry about cutting your fingers getting that last bit of cheese shredded or melting the butter while trying to grate it.

Bench Scraper – These handy tools have lots of uses, including cleaning your work surface after working with doughs. Use a bench scraper to cut the disc into even wedges and scrape off your counter afterwards.

❄️ Storing Pumpkin Scones

Scones tend to be their best the day they are made, but leftovers tend to be inevitable. Just keep in mind that their texture, even when reheated, is much less crispy but still very tasty.

Once cooled completely, you can store these pumpkin scones in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 days or so. If you want more time, you can alternatively store them refrigerated for up to 5 days. Again, I recommend only glazing as many as you think you’ll eat after making them and storing the glaze until ready to reheat more.

If making ahead of time or planning to make and freeze part of the recipe, you can freeze the scones before or after baking. Place unbaked or baked scones on a plate or small sheet pan and set in the freezer for about an hour. Once hardened, move the scones to a freezer-safe bag or container and freeze for up to 2-3 months.

If the frozen scones are unbaked, you can bake as normal and add a few minutes to the cooking time, or thaw overnight in the fridge and continue as usual. If they were already cooked and frozen, thaw overnight in the fridge or at room temperature for an hour or two.

To reheat, you can microwave for 30-40 seconds if you don’t mind a soft texture, or in a 300-325°F oven for 10-12 minutes.