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Tessa’s Recipe Rundown
Taste: Pumpkin spice flavor in every bite, topped with a lightly sweet pumpkin cinnamon glaze that takes these scones to the next level. Don’t skip it!
Texture: Flaky, tender, moist centers with lightly crisp edges and a soft pumpkin glaze on top that sets beautifully.
Ease: Quick and easy to make, with no mixer required!
Why you’ll love this recipe: These scones are one of my favorite ways to use canned pumpkin in the fall. They’re easy to make and so good with a pumpkin spice latte or coffee!
If you’re looking to capture Autumn in a single dessert, look no further! These Pumpkin Scones are flaky but soft and tender, and covered in the most delicious and flavorful cinnamon pumpkin glaze.
Perfect with a hot cup of coffee, tea, or chai, these scones will become a tradition in your family. You may just end up eating them year-round!
These are so yummy! Recipe is easy to follow and clearly written! My family loved these!
I dare you to bake these Pumpkin Scones and not immediately enjoy one fresh from the oven! They’re absolutely full of the best cozy pumpkin flavors that we all love. They truly are the epitome of Autumn in every bite.
Delicious!! I subbed about 2 1/2 teaspoons of pumpkin spice for the spices (trying to get rid of it) and they are divine! Not too pumpkin-y for the pumpkin naysayers, but warm and rich for a cool fall morning. Will definitely be making these again!
While these scones can easily be eaten on their own, I highly recommend dipping them in the glaze. Besides making them look so pretty, it also adds an extra oomph of pumpkin spice, plus a bit of sweetness that just perfects these scones without making them too sweet.
Pumpkin Scones can easily be prepared the night before (or longer if stored in the freezer – see below for more details), then baked in the morning to make for an easy and elegant addition to a holiday breakfast, brunch, or just as a special weekend treat.
Recipe Ingredients
Canned Pumpkin Puree: Adds pumpkin flavor, moisture, and color to the scones. Use pure pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling, which contains added sugar and spices. More on this below.
Cold Unsalted Butter: Cold butter is essential for flaky scones with tender centers. As the butter melts in the oven, it creates steam that helps form flaky layers.
Buttermilk: Buttermilk adds moisture, tangy flavor, and tenderness. I recommend using real buttermilk for the best results, though heavy cream can be substituted if needed.
Light Brown Sugar: Adds sweetness and a subtle molasses flavor that complements the pumpkin and warm spices.
Warm Spices: Ground cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves give these scones their classic pumpkin spice flavor. Make sure your spices are fresh for the best flavor.
Powdered Sugar: Forms the base of the pumpkin glaze, creating a smooth, sweet finish that complements the spiced scones.
What Type of Pumpkin for Pumpkin Scones?
- I used Libby’s canned pumpkin puree for this Pumpkin Scones recipe.
- Note: Be sure NOT to use canned pumpkin pie filling for this recipe – it is not the same thing as pumpkin puree.
- I don’t recommend using homemade pumpkin puree for this recipe, as it may add too much excess liquid and change the consistency of your scones.
- Check out my Fresh vs. Canned Pumpkin article for more comparison photos and the differences between using fresh pumpkin puree, regular canned pumpkin, and organic canned pumpkin.
How to Get FLAKY Pumpkin Scones
The key is using COLD butter and keeping it cold! The cold butter takes a moment to melt once it hits the heat of the oven. As it melts, it releases pockets of steam that create those tall flaky layers. I like to cube and freeze my butter before using it whenever I make scones.
How to Make TALL Pumpkin Scones
My #1 tip for baking tall scones that rise higher is to laminate your scone dough (open the Sprinkle of Science section below for instructions!). Don’t worry, this step sounds more complicated than it actually is. Just take a look at what a difference this step makes:
Sprinkle of Science (open me!!)
Turn the craggly mass of dough out onto your work surface. Shape it into a rectangle. Fold the rectangle horizontally in thirds, like you’re folding a piece of paper to go into an envelope. Flatten it out into a rectangle again.
Now fold it in thirds once more, but going the opposite direction. This will also help you to gently ‘knead’ the dough so it comes together into a more cohesive disk without overmixing it. Overmixing leads to rubbery and tough scones and biscuits.
Check out my How to Make Tall Scones & Biscuits article for more step-by-step instructions.
Note: This photo shows the folding technique using a different scone dough. Your pumpkin scone dough will be orange.
How to Avoid Dry, Tough Scones
Avoid over-mixing the Pumpkin Scone dough or allowing it to get too warm. Doing so will result in flatter, tougher, and less flaky scones.
Also, avoid adding too much flour. I highly recommend using a digital kitchen scale to ensure precision when measuring – but the spoon and level method will work too.
My favorite tool for making biscuit or scone dough quickly and easily by hand (so I don’t have to lug out my food processor) is this OXO bladed pastry blender.
Storage & Make ahead
Storage: These Pumpkin Scones are best enjoyed the day they’re baked. If you have leftovers, store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. Keep in mind that they’ll lose some of their crisp exterior as they sit.
Make-Ahead: You can prepare the scones the night before to make breakfast easier. Shape and cut the dough into wedges, arrange them on a parchment-lined baking sheet, cover, and refrigerate overnight. Brush with egg wash just before baking, then follow the recipe as directed. There’s no need to adjust the baking time when baking directly from the refrigerator.
Freezing: These Pumpkin Scones freeze well before baking. Arrange the shaped, unbaked scones on a baking sheet and freeze until solid, then transfer them to an airtight container and freeze for up to 1 month. Bake directly from frozen, adding about 2 minutes to the baking time. Brush with egg wash just before baking, and prepare the glaze fresh once the scones have cooled.
Frequently Asked Questions
I don’t recommend it for this recipe. Homemade pumpkin puree can contain more moisture than canned pumpkin puree, which may change the consistency of the dough and the texture of the finished scones. For the most reliable results, use canned pure pumpkin puree (like Libby’s).
Yes! Heavy cream works as a substitute, but it will change the flavor and texture of the scones slightly. I recommend real buttermilk for the most tender, flavorful results.
If you’re baking outside of the U.S., some kind readers have let me know how they find buttermilk or something similar in their home country:
France: Lait ribot or lait fermenté
Italian: latticello
UAE: Laban
India: Chaas leftover from paneer
Britain: Tesco and Asda sell buttermilk
Sweden: Filmjölk
The pumpkin puree adds moisture to the dough, so a little stickiness is normal. Lightly flour your work surface and hands as needed, but avoid adding too much extra flour, which will make the scones dry and tough.
They’re delicious on their own, but the pumpkin glaze adds extra pumpkin spice flavor (and color), so I personally wouldn’t skip it!
Absolutely! Instead of cutting each dough round into 8 wedges, cut it into 4 wedges to make 8 larger scones. They’ll need a little more time in the oven, so keep an eye on them and bake until golden and cooked through.
Sure! Simply divide each ingredient in half to make 8 scones. For the egg, beat it in a small bowl first, then measure out about two tablespoons, or half by weight. One large egg without the shell weighs about 50 grams, so use about 25 grams of beaten egg.
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Ingredients
For the scones:
- 2 1/4 cups (286 grams) all-purpose flour
- 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/3 cup (66 grams) light brown sugar
- 1 stick (113 grams) unsalted butter, cold and cubed
- 1/2 cup (122 grams) canned pure pumpkin puree
- 1/4 cup (59 grams) buttermilk or heavy cream
- 1 large egg
For the egg wash:
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon water
For the glaze:
- 1 cup (125 grams) powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon (15 grams) canned pure pumpkin puree
- 1 tablespoon milk
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
Make the scones:
- Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda, spices, and sugar until well combined. Be sure to break up any clumps of brown sugar.
- Using a pastry blender, cut the butter into the flour mixture until it’s the size of large peas.
- In a measuring glass, whisk together pumpkin puree, buttermilk, and 1 egg.
- Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients, and add the liquid mixture. Mix until partially combined but still shaggy.
- Transfer the dough to a floured surface and pat into a rough rectangle. Fold it into thirds, like a letter. Don’t worry if it’s not perfect. Rotate the dough 90 degrees, gently pat it into a rectangle again, and fold it into thirds once more.
- Cut the dough in half. Gently press each half into 3/4-inch thick, 6-inch diameter rounds. Cut each round into 8 wedges and place on your prepared baking pans, spacing them out about 2 inches apart.
- Place the unbaked scones in the freezer while you heat the oven. Adjust the oven rack to the center position and preheat to 400°F.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining egg with 1 teaspoon water. Once the oven is preheated, use a pastry brush to brush a light layer of the egg wash on the tops of the chilled scones (you may not use all the egg wash).
- Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown. Remove pan to a cooling rack and let cool while making the glaze.
Make the glaze:
- In a small bowl, combine all glaze ingredients with a fork until a smooth and thick glaze forms. Drizzle each scone with the glaze. If dipping scones, add an extra splash of milk to thin out slightly before dipping in glaze. Let set before serving, if desired.
- The scones are best served the day they’re baked.
This post was originally published in 2015 and updated with recipe improvements, more baking tips, and new photos in 2023. Photos by Joanie Simon | The Bite Shot
The recipe calls for 2 large eggs divided . For the 1egg muses into the batter, are you using the yolk or whites?
Sorry, just seeing this now! Great question. We’re using one whole egg (both the yolk and white) in the dough, and the second whole egg is for the egg wash. I just updated the recipe ingredient list and instructions to make this clearer! If you’ve already printed the recipe, you can reprint it to get the updated instructions. 🙂 I hope you enjoy your scones!
oh I love scones <3
If I were to make them round….how many would I get?
We haven’t tried that, so I can’t say for sure! Please let us know if you do 🙂
NA
was tasteless and not very sweet and it took longer to bake then the recipe said it would. It took at least 20 minutes to bake instead of 15.
Hi Zoey, thanks for your feedback! If you skipped the glaze, the scones will taste much more pumpkin-forward and less sweet, but they definitely shouldn’t be tasteless. If you added the glaze and the flavors still felt bland, it’s worth double-checking your spices, since older or expired spices can really dull the flavor.
As for bake time, that can vary by oven. Many ovens run a bit cooler than they indicate, which can easily add a few extra minutes to the bake time. When my oven beeps that it’s ready, it’s actually about 20°F cooler and needs extra time to fully preheat, so I fully rely on my oven thermometer! If you don’t have one, it’s a helpful tool for understanding how your oven really runs.
Can I use a food processor to make these
We haven’t tried that, but you should be able to! Be careful to not overmix — you’ll process just until it starts to form a dough, then continue with step #5. Let us know how it goes!
These turned out so good! Light and fluffy yet still slightly crispy. Not overly sweet. Easy to make too. Will definitely be making these again!
Delicious!! I subbed about 2 1/2 teaspoons of pumpkin spice for the spices (trying to get rid of it) and they are divine! Not too pumpkin-y for the pumpkin naysayers, but warm and rich for a cool fall morning. Will definitely be making these again!
I’m planning to make these this week. Has anyone ever pat the dough into just one circle and cut larger scones? Any advice as to what the baking time would then be?
Hi Deb, that’ll work just fine! It’ll depend on your oven, but I’d add about five more minutes to the bake time and check to see how they look before possibly adding a few additional minutes. Let us know how it goes!
I am going to try these today – think I can sub almond flour for all-purpose?
Did you end up giving that a try? I personally don’t find that to be a good substitution most of the time, nuts are so different than wheat. Especially considering the expense of almond flour!
Nutrition info?
Great scone recipe! These are fabulous and people just keep asking for more.
Happy to hear they were such a hit, Clint!