If you’re looking for the ultimate fall-inspired baked good, look no further than these pumpkin scones. With their tender, buttery texture, warm pumpkin spice flavor, and luscious brown butter glaze, they’re sure to become a favorite in your kitchen.
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Ingredients you will need
Dry ingredients: You’ll need all-purpose flour, salt, and baking powder to make this pumpkin scone recipe.
Unsalted butter: Pop your butter into the freezer for 10–20 minutes before grating it. For the glaze, no preparation is needed—the butter will go straight into the saucepan for melting.
Sugar: I use brown sugar for the scones and powdered sugar for the glaze.
Milk: Cold whole milk is essential for making the dough.
Egg: Use one large egg straight from the fridge.
Pumpkin purée: If your purée is too watery, place it in a cheesecloth and gently squeeze to remove the excess water before using it. You can also make your own pumpkin or butternut squash purée at home.
Flavorings: I use vanilla extract and ground cinnamon for this recipe, but feel free to experiment with different spices and essences.
Tips for the best pumpkin scones
Keep your ingredients cold: Ensure that the butter, milk, and eggs are cold when making the dough. Don’t skip the step of refrigerating the dough before baking if you want flaky scones.
Don’t overwork the dough: When mixing the wet and dry ingredients, be gentle to avoid overworking the dough. This will help keep the scones flaky and tender.
Make the brown butter carefully: Keep a close eye on the butter while browning—it can quickly go from perfectly golden to burnt. Once you see golden brown speckles at the bottom of the pan and smell a nutty aroma, it's ready!
How to make perfect pumpkin scones
Prepare the dry ingredients: Start by mixing the flour, salt, baking powder, and cinnamon in a large bowl.
Incorporate the butter: Grate your frozen butter using a box grater (this trick helps create flaky layers). Then, cut the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs with some larger pieces of butter.
Add the wet ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, egg, vanilla extract, milk, and pumpkin purée. Pour this mixture into the dry ingredients and gently bring the dough together. It will be a bit sticky, but that’s what makes the scones moist!
Shape the dough: Transfer the dough to a floured surface and form a thick 2” (5 cm) disk. Cut the dough into 8 triangles and place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Chill the scones in the fridge while preheating your oven to 400°F (200°C).
Bake to golden perfection: Brush the scones with heavy cream (optional, but it adds a beautiful golden finish) and bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown on top and crisp around the edges. Let them cool completely before adding the glaze.
Make the brown butter glaze: While the scones cool, melt the butter over medium-low heat until it turns golden brown and smells nutty. Pour the brown butter over the sifted powdered sugar, add vanilla extract, and whisk in milk (or water) until the glaze is thick but pourable.
Glaze and enjoy: Drizzle the glaze over the cooled scones, and let it set at room temperature. Now, your pumpkin scones are ready to enjoy!
Possible variations
There are plenty of ways to tweak this pumpkin scones recipe to suit your taste. Here are a few ideas to inspire you:
Pumpkin spice blend: Instead of just using cinnamon, try adding a full pumpkin spice blend. A mix of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves will enhance the fall flavors. Use about 1teaspoons of the blend in place of or alongside the cinnamon.
Add-Ins: For extra texture and flavor, consider mixing in some chopped nuts (like pecans or walnuts) or dried fruit (such as cranberries or raisins) into the dough. About ½ cup of nuts or dried fruits will do the trick without overwhelming the scones.
Chocolate pumpkin scones: For a sweeter variation, add ½ cup of dark chocolate chips to the dough or make a chocolate glaze like I did with my Cranberry scones instead of brown butter glaze.
Looking for more delicious bread and bun recipes? You might enjoy this fluffy Dinner rolls, the no-knead Cranberry walnut bread , or this easy-to-make Sandwich bread.
Storing and freezing scones
Place your glazed scones on a plate and cover them with plastic wrap. Store them at room temperature for up to 4 days.
To freeze unbaked scones, cut the dough into triangles, place them on a cutting board, and freeze until solid. Then, transfer the frozen scones into a zip-lock bag and store in the freezer for up to 2 months. When you're ready to bake them, place the frozen scones on a baking sheet and let them sit at room temperature while the oven preheats. Brush with heavy cream, then bake as directed. You might need to add a minute or two to your baking time if baking from frozen.
Recipe card
Pumpkin scones
Equipment
- Digital kitchen scale
- Grater box
- Parchment paper
Ingredients
- 275 g all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 115 g unsalted butter frozen
- 50 g brown sugar
- 1 large egg cold
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 100 ml whole milk cold
- 120 g pumpkin puree
- 2 tablespoon heavy cream for brushing optional
Brown butter glaze
- 70 g unsalted butter
- 100 g powdered sugar sifted
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1-2 tablespoon milk or water
Instructions
- In a bowl, combine the flour, salt, baking powder, and ground cinnamon.
- Grate the frozen butter using the side of a box grater with large holes.
- Cut the grated butter into the dry ingredients using a pastry cutter, fork, or your hands until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some larger pieces of butter.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, egg, vanilla extract, milk, and pumpkin purée.
- Add the wet ingredients to the butter-flour mixture and gently bring the dough together. The dough will be sticky.
- Transfer the dough onto a well-floured surface and dust the top with flour. Form the dough into a 2” (5 cm) thick disk, adding more flour as needed. Cut it into 8 triangles and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, leaving at least 2” (5 cm) of space between each scone.
- Place the baking sheet in the fridge, then preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
- When the oven is hot, brush the scones with the heavy cream and bake for 20 minutes or until golden around the edges.
- Allow the scones to cool to room temperature before glazing.
For the glaze
- Melt the butter in a light-colored pan over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until it turns golden brown and smells nutty.
- Pour the browned butter into a bowl with the powdered sugar and vanilla extract. Whisk well to combine.
- Add the milk or water, one tablespoon at a time, and whisk until the glaze is glossy and has a thick but pourable consistency.
- Drizzle the glaze over the fully cooled scones using a spoon or piping bag. Let it set at room temperature before serving.
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