Pumpkin Scones
These tender, flaky pumpkin scones are made with pure pumpkin and a hint of pumpkin pie spice. They are tender, flaky, and warmly spiced. Perfect with your favorite hot cup of coffee or tea!
Why You’ll Love These
This pumpkin scones recipe is super easy to make. They are tender, flaky, and moist on the inside with a slightly crispy outside.
They are full of warm, cozy flavors, including pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves. All the flavors of fall in every bite!
They are absolutely delicious on their own or drizzled with a simple pumpkin spice glaze.
Some of our other delicious pumpkin recipes are Baked Pumpkin Donuts, Pumpkin Spice Latte Biscotti, Pumpkin Cheesecake, Gingersnap Crust Pumpkin Pie, and Bakery Style Pumpkin Muffins.
Please see the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients, measurements, and instructions.
How to Make Pumpkin Scones
Tips
- Be sure to use pure pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling. I don’t recommend using homemade pumpkin puree unless you know that it doesn’t contain too much moisture. Too much liquid will change the texture of the scones.
- Keep the dough as cold as possible. By freezing the butter, keeping the heavy cream cold, and freezing them after shaping.
- You can also use a pastry cutter to incorporate cubed butter if you don’t want to grate the butter.
- Do not overwork the dough. Just like biscuits, it will develop gluten and become tough.
- When forming the dough, gently pat it down and avoid compressing it too much.
- If your oven tends to run hot, be sure to start checking them for doneness at 15 minutes.
- If you don’t have pumpkin pie spice, you can use 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp ginger, 1/2 tsp nutmeg, and 1/4 tsp cloves.
Variations
- Brush the tops with heavy cream and sprinkle the tops with pearl sugar or turbinado sugar instead of a pumpkin glaze.
- Add nuts such as chopped pecans or walnuts.
- Stir in some semi-sweet chocolate chips or white chocolate chips.
FAQs
Yes, but don’t bake until ready to serve! Flash freeze the dough wedges on a parchment-lined baking sheet for at least 1 hour. Once frozen, layer them with parchment paper in an air-tight freezer container or resealable freezer bag. Bake from frozen, adding a few extra minutes of baking time. Or you can thaw them in the refrigerator overnight and bake them as directed.
Overnight Version: Prepare the scones up to cutting them into wedges. Cover tightly with plastic wrap on a prepared baking sheet, and refrigerate overnight. Continue the recipe the following morning.
Yes, but freeze without the glaze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight and glaze them when ready to serve.
Scones are best the day they are baked, but you can store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. Warm in a low 300ºF oven for 5 to 10 minutes. Just know that the glaze will melt.
More Breakfast Bread Recipes
Pumpkin Scones Recipe
Ingredients
Scones
- 2 1/4 cups All-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 tsp Baking powder
- 1/4 tsp Baking soda
- 2 tsp Pumpkin pie spice
- 1/2 tsp Kosher salt
- 1/2 cup Unsalted butter shredded and frozen
- 1/2 cup Pure pumpkin puree not pumpkin pie filling
- 1 large Egg
- 1/2 cup Heavy cream
- 1/3 cup Dark brown sugar or light brown
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
Pumpkin Glaze
- 3/4 cup Powdered sugar
- 1 tsp Pumpkin pie spice
- 3-4 tbsp Heavy cream or more for drizzle consistency
Instructions
- Shred and freeze the butter. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.1/2 cup Unsalted butter
- Whisk the flour, baking powder, spices, and kosher salt together. In a large bowl, whisk the pumpkin, egg, heavy cream, brown sugar, and vanilla together until combined.2 1/4 cups All-purpose flour, 1 1/2 tsp Baking powder, 2 tsp Pumpkin pie spice, 1/2 tsp Kosher salt, 1/2 cup Pure pumpkin puree, 1 large Egg, 1/2 cup Heavy cream, 1/3 cup Dark brown sugar, 1 tsp Vanilla extract
- Toss the shredded frozen butter in the flour mixture to coat.
- Make a well in the center of the flour and butter mixture. Pour the pumpkin mixture into the well, and stir just until the dough starts to come together and no large pockets of flour remain.
- Flour a flat surface, pour the dough out onto the surface, bring the dough together, and start lightly folding the dough in half (laminating). Gently turn the dough and fold, repeat about 2 to 3 times without overworking the dough.
- Shape the dough into a 1-inch thick round. Cut into 8 wedges. Place each wedge on the baking sheet, placing about 2 inches apart. Freeze for 20 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 400ºF.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes until they are lightly golden on top and bottom. Cool completely if using the pumpkin glaze. Stir together the powdered sugar, pumpkin pie spice, and heavy cream until the desired consistency. Then drizzle over the tops of each scone.
- Stir together the powdered sugar, pumpkin pie spice, and heavy cream until the desired consistency. Then drizzle over the tops of each scone.3/4 cup Powdered sugar, 1 tsp Pumpkin pie spice, 3-4 tbsp Heavy cream
Notes
- If your oven tends to run hot, be sure to start checking them for doneness at 15 minutes.
- If you don’t have pumpkin pie spice, you can use 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp ginger, 1/2 tsp nutmeg, and 1/4 tsp cloves.
- See tips, variations, and the FAQ section for more information.