These easy Pumpkin Scones come together in minutes in just one bowl. The spiced scones are tender, buttery and flakey with crisp outside for contrast. Drizzled in a maple glaze, these scones are like a warm hug during Fall.
By now, you realise that making scones is one of my favourite things to make. They come together quickly, can be kept simple, filled with various flavourings and topped in different glazes. My Sultana Scones, Chocolate Chip Scones and Cherry Scones make the perfect afternoon snack for my girls after school.
These spiced scones are up there on the delicious factor. With cinnamon, ginger and cloves, the scones taste and smell heavenly. The pumpkin adds incredible moisture to the dough, making it uber-flakey.
With crunch from coarse sugar on the outside, the pumpkin scones can be drizzled in a sweet maple glaze and topped with pumpkin seeds or pecans or just left plain! However you like to eat yours, I'm here to share my simple method to get perfectly baked scones every time.
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🌟 Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Uses basic ingredients. All the ingredients are basic pantry or fridge staples. Pumpkin puree is easily found canned in grocery stores- or you can make your own!
- Smells and tastes incredible. Trust me when I say that your kitchen will smell incredible once these scones have been baked. And from there, the knock-on to the taste does not disappoint. You'll love them! They're Autumn on a plate!
- Simple to make. These use a straightforward method of making dough. No fancy tricks, no fancy equipment necessary. But I provide you with my tried and tested tips so you have the flakiest, tastiest scones ever!
- Make ahead - Make the dough, shape and cover. Pop the unbaked scones in the fridge. The following day, egg wash and sprinkle with sugar, then bake. Imagine enjoying these with your coffee for breakfast!
🧾 Ingredients Needed
The list of ingredients to make these easy pumpkin scones use basic scone ingredient - all we're going to add is pumpkin and some spices to bring out the Fall, spiced flavours we're after in the recipe. I've made some notes below on specific ingredients that's worth a read.
- Pumpkin Puree - I've used canned Pumpin Puree, readily available at large supermarkets. You can use store-bought or make your own pumpkin puree - bear the amount of moisture in mind. If it pools liquid when sat in the bowl, then pop the puree in a fine mesh sieve for 20 minutes and allow the excess moisture to drip through. If using store-bought- don't confuse it for pumpkin pie filling- they are two different products.
- Salt & baking powder - Salt adds depth to the flavour, and the extra baking powder helps create a little more lift.
- Caster sugar - Add sweetness, feel free to use granulated sugar and even light brown sugar if that is all you have. If you don't add the glaze, then double the sugar in the scones to add a little more sweetness.
- Buttermilk - A beautiful addition to these scones, providing richness and helping with their tender texture. Double cream/heavy cream, sour cream or yogurt can be used as a substitute. To make homemade buttermilk, see the tip below.
- Large egg - The egg helps bind the ingredients together and increases the richness and flavour.
- Spices - I've used a combination of ground cinnamon, ginger and cloves in the dough. You can play around with the ratios, add nutmeg or substitute pumpkin spice.
TIP: To make homemade buttermilk: Add 30ml lemon juice (or white vinegar) to 210ml milk and set aside at room temperature for 30 minutes. Once the milk has started to curdle, you are ready to use your homemade buttermilk.
📖 Variations
- Simple Pumpkin Scones: Don't fancy adding in the spices? Leave them out. In Australia, where I lived for 15 years, Pumpkin Scones never have spices or glaze. They're usually cut into rounds and, once baked, served with butter. So delish.
- Add nuts: Instead of sprinkling nuts over the glaze- add toasted pecans or pumpkin seeds/pepita seeds into the dough. You'll have a beautiful crunch amid the soft dough.
👩🏻🍳 How to Make
I can't wait to dive head long into showing you how to make these pumpkin scones. I love them so much!
*Be sure to see the recipe card below for the full ingredients list & instructions!*
STEP 1. Sift together dry ingredients. Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Into a large mixing bowl, sift in your dry ingredients, flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger cloves and salt. Add in the sugar and stir together (Image 1).
STEP 2. Whisk wet ingredients together. Set aside a teaspoon of the whisked egg - this will be used for your egg wash later on. Add into the remaining egg the pumpkin puree, buttermilk, and vanilla, and mix together (Image 2).
TIP: Keeping your ingredients cold is super important
If your kitchen is warm then measure out the ingredients and refrigerate all of them for half an hour (mixing bowl included) before you crack on with the method. If you have warm hands, run them under cold water to reduce their temperature, then pat dry before handling the butter.
STEP 3. Add butter to flour. Add the chopped butter and, using your fingertips, toss the pieces until they are separated and coated with flour. Using your fingertips, rub the flour and bulk of the butter together until it looks like breadcrumbs. (Alternatively, use a pastry cutter)
Some of the butter can be left larger, like the size of peas (Images 3 & 4).
STEP 4. Combine wet with the dry ingredients. Make a well in the dry mix and add the pumpkin mixture into the centre (Image 5). Using a fork, stir together (Image 6). It'll still be very shaggy at this point and feel quite sticky. If necessary, use your hands to lightly bring it all together, incorporating the dry flour left at the bottom of the bowl.
Depending on the moisture in the pumpkin puree- you may need to add a little more buttermilk or milk, one tablespoon at a time, to catch the bits at the bottom.
STEP 5. Bring the dough together and roll it out. Tip the scone mix onto a lightly floured surface (Image 7). Using your hands, bring it together and gently flatten it out.
Fold the dough in half and then half again using the bench scraper. This creates flaky layers and prevents you from over working the dough (Image 8).
Split the dough into two (Image 9) and using your hands, shape each portion into round discs or gently roll with a rolling pin until the dough is roughly 4 cm (11⁄2 inches) thick (Image 10).
STEP 6. Prepare scone rounds and refrigerate. Add the two pumpkin scone discs onto the prepared baking tray. Use a sharp knife to cut each disc into 6 wedges (Image 11).
Refrigerate. The scones need a chance to rest for the flour to hydrate and the butter to firm up again. This is a surefire way for you to get those flaky layers. Refrigerate the scones for 30 minutes, or pop them in the freezer for 15 minutes whilst the oven pre-heats to 200C/390F.
Once the oven is at temperature and the dough has chilled, brush each disc with the remaining beaten egg set aside earlier (Image 12). Sprinkle the top with demerara sugar (Image 13).
STEP 7. Bake. Bake for 15-18 minutes until golden brown and well risen (Image 14)
🥣 How To Serve
STEP 8. Make the maple glaze. Sift in powdered icing sugar in a bowl, then add the maple syrup and whisk. Add a touch more if needed. The glaze should be thick (Image 15). Once scones are baked, cool slightly, then drizzle with glaze (Image 16).
If you fancy decorating them, sprinkling the scones with chopped toasted pecan or pumpkin seeds adds nuttiness and crunch. A winning combination.
The are best eaten the day they are made but they can be warmed in the oven to bring back their freshness over the following couple of days.
💭 Recipe Pro Tips
- Use cold ingredients and cold hands. This prevents the scones from spreading when baked.
- Chop the butter into small cubes, it's far easier to rub into the flour! You can even grate the butter to make it even easier! Just pop it into the fridge for 15 minutes first.
- Don't over-mix. This creates tough scones, which we don't want! Instead of kneading the dough, I tend to squeeze it together.
- Refrigerate the dough. This need to be done before baking. Don't skip this step - it helps cool and harden the butter which in turn helps with the rise in the oven.
- Share these around! These scones are definitely at their best when freshly baked. They literally melt in your mouth with such a light and moist texture. Perfect to share with family and friends.
📋 Recipe FAQs
My top 3 tips are: Use cold ingredients; don’t overmix and refrigerate the dough before baking. Follow these three points, and you'll have perfect scones every time.
The tops of the scones should be golden brown, and when you pick it up and tap the bottom, it should sound hollow. When you break one open, the interior should be soft and fluffy and not wet and doughy.
It is an age-old question and one that can cause controversy. Some say scones shouldn’t have eggs; some say they should (like me). I believe scones benefit from the egg as they bind the ingredients, add flavour, and act as a leavener and aids in the rise, leading to increased fluffiness.
❄️ Storage and Freezer Instructions
To store: These easy Pumpkin Scones are best served fresh and slightly warm. To store them, wrap them in plastic wrap or place them in a ziplock bag to retain their moisture and prevent them from drying out. Leave at room temperature. They should last 1 to 2 days.
To freeze: Once the scones are cooled, wrap them immediately in plastic wrap or place them in a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature and reheat in the oven or microwave.
🍁 More Fall/Autumn Recipes
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📖 Recipe
Pumpkin Scones Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
Pumpkin Scones
- 375 g plain flour (all-purpose), Alternatively, use self-raising flour and add only 1 teaspoon of baking powder into the dough.
- 3 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon fine salt
- 100 g caster sugar
- 115 g pumpkin puree
- 60 ml buttermilk, cold
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 90 g unsalted butter, chilled and cubed
- 1 tablespoon coarse turbinado sugar or Demerara sugar
Maple Glaze
- 120 g powdered icing sugar (confectioners’ sugar)
- 3-4 tablespoon maple syrup
- chopped toasted pecans or pumpkin seeds
Instructions
Pumpkin Scones
- Sift dry ingredients together. Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Into a large mixing bowl, sift in your dry ingredients: flour, baking powder cinnamon, ginger, cloves and salt. Add in the sugar and stir together.
- Whisk wet ingredients together. Remove one teaspoon of the whisked egg and set aside - this will be used for egg wash later on. Into the remaining egg, add the pumpkin puree, buttermilk, vanilla and mix together.
- Add butter to flour. Add the chopped butter to the flour mix and using your fingertips, toss the pieces until they are separated and coated with flour. Rub the flour and butter together until it looks like breadcrumbs with some larger pieces the size of peas. (Alternatively, use a pastry cutter).
- Combine wet with the dry ingredients. Make a well in the dry mix and pour in the pumpkin mixture into the centre. Use a fork to stir until the mixture starts to come together to form a dough. It will still be very shaggy at this point and feel quite sticky. If necessary, use your hands to lightly bring it all together incorporating the dry flour left at the bottom of the bowl. If you need to add a little more moister, then add buttermilk one tablespoon at a time.
- Bring the dough together and roll it out. Tip the pumpkin scone mix onto a lightly floured surface and, using your hands, bring it together. Gently flatten it out. We will use a folding technique to create flaky layers and incorporate air into the dough. I use a bench scraper to help me out. Fold the dough in half and turn, then fold in half again. Divide the dough in two. Using your hands, shape each portion of dough into a round disc or gently roll with a rolling pin until the dough is roughly 4 cm (11⁄2 inches) thick.
- Place dough on the prepared tray. Place discs onto the prepared baking tray. With a sharp knife (or using the bench scraper), cut each disc into 6 equal-sized wedges. Now refrigerate the tray for 30 minutes to rest the dough. Pre-heat oven to 200°C (425°F) whilst the scones are in the fridge.
- Egg wash and bake. Using the egg wash that you set aside earlier, brush the tops of the scones. Take care not to let any drip down the sides of the scones, as this can inhibit their rise. Sprinkle with coarse sugar. Bake for 15-18 minutes until golden brown and well risen.
Maple Glaze
- Make maple glaze. Sift in powdered icing sugar in a bowl, then add maple syrup and whisk. Add a touch more if needed. The glaze should be thick. Once scones are baked, cool slightly, then drizzle with glaze. An option to decorate further is to sprinkle the glaze with chopped toasted pecans or pumpkin seeds. Scones are best eaten the day they are made.
All recipes are developed and tested in Metric grams. I strongly recommend that you bake using digital scales for a more accurate result. I have provided a conversion to US customary in the recipe but please note that I haven’t tested using this method.
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