Pumpkin Scones Recipe that practically melt in your mouth. They are light and buttery, with a crisp sugary topping. A sweet maple glaze finishes them with a touch of sweetness.
author’s note
Pumpkin Scones That Beat the Coffee Shop!
Nothing says fall like a warm-from-the-oven Pumpkin Scone. These are buttery, light, and filled with cozy spices, finished off with a sweet maple glaze that ties everything together. They’re inspired by the famous Starbucks pumpkin scones, but dare I say… even better.
If you’re anything like me, those Starbucks bakery runs start adding up fast. So I set out to make the perfect Pumpkin Scones recipe at home. I wanted that same rich pumpkin flavor, crisp sugary top, and soft, flaky inside. And this one checks all the boxes. These are the pumpkin scones I dream about every fall.
They’re just right with a mug of Hot Chocolate or a Pumpkin Spice Latte Steamer. And they make your whole kitchen smell like October.
Ingredients In Pumpkin Scones Recipe
| Ingredient | Swaps or Tips |
|---|---|
| Canned Pumpkin | Use 100% pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie mix. Press out moisture with paper towel. |
| Frozen Butter | Grate on a box grater for easy mixing. Keep it super cold. |
| Heavy Cream | You can use half-and-half in a pinch, but cream gives better texture. |
| Pumpkin Pie Spices | Mix your own: cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves. |
| Maple Syrup (Glaze) | Sub with honey if needed, but maple gives the best flavor. |
How To Make Pumpkin Scones
- Dry Ingredients: Combine flour, baking powder, spices, and salt in a large bowl.
- Wet Ingredients: Whisk together pumpkin, cream, egg, sugar, and vanilla in another bowl.
- Cut In Butter: Grate frozen butter and cut it into the dry mix until crumbly.
- Form the Dough: Add wet to dry and mix until just combined. Form into a disc.
- Shape & Chill: Cut into wedges, brush with cream, sprinkle with sugar, then freeze.
- Bake: Bake at 400°F until golden (about 16–20 minutes).
- Glaze: Whisk glaze ingredients until smooth, then drizzle over warm scones.
Quick Tip
Top tip: Keep both the butter and dough as cold as possible! I refrigerate the flour, freeze the butter after cutting it, and use wet ingredients directly from the fridge. The colder your dough, the better your pumpkin scones will be; they’ll be lighter and less dense.
Storage
- Pumpkin scones are best fresh from the oven, so bake about an hour before serving.
- Make ahead: Shape dough, refrigerate in an airtight bag, and bake the next day.
- Freeze: Place unbaked scones on a lined sheet, freeze, then transfer to a bag for up to 1 month. Bake from frozen, adding 1–3 minutes to the bake time.
Use Leftover Pumpkin In:
Desserts
Small Batch Pumpkin Cookies
Beverages
Pumpkin Spice Latte Steamer
Desserts
Pumpkin Cupcake Recipe
Desserts
Pumpkin Coffee Cake Recipe
Pumpkin Scones Recipe
This Pumpkin Scones Recipe is melt-in-your-mouth delicious! It's light, buttery, and topped with a crisp sugary layer and sweet maple glaze for the perfect fall treat!
Video
Equipment
- Sheet pan (15" x 10")
Ingredients
- 2 cups flour see note 1
- 2-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 3/4 teaspoon allspice
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon cloves
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter frozen in small cubes, see note 1
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup + 2 to 3 tablespoons heavy cream divided
- 1/4 cup canned pumpkin with liquid pressed out with paper towels, see note 2
- 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons light brown sugar firmly packed
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- White sparkling sugar or sparkling sugar, for topping
Glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine flour (spooned and leveled), baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, nutmeg, cloves, and salt.
- In a small bowl, whisk together cream, egg, pumpkin, brown sugar, and vanilla until smooth.
- Add frozen butter cubes to dry ingredients. Use a pastry cutter to cut butter into flour mixture until butter is evenly dispersed and the size of small peas.
- Make a well in the center of the dry mixture, pour wet ingredients in, and gently stir with a wooden spoon until dough begins to form. Mix as little as possible—just until everything is moistened and mostly combined.
- Lightly dust a surface with flour and turn the mixture onto the surface. With lightly floured hands, gently work dough into a ball, handling dough as little as possible. If dough is too sticky, add a tiny bit more flour; if it is too dry, add 1–2 tablespoons heavy cream. Press dough into a disc and cut exactly in half. Form each half gently into a smaller disc, about 5 inches wide.
- Wrap discs tightly and chill for 20 minutes in the freezer. Remove and cut (with a sharp knife) each disc into 8 equal wedges. Try to cut each wedge in one decisive cut. Place wedges on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat, about 2 inches apart. Pour remaining 2 (3 if needed) tablespoons heavy cream into a small dish. Using a pastry brush, brush cream over scones. Sprinkle with coarse/sparkling sugar if desired.
- Place pan of scones in the freezer for 20 minutes. Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Bake scones for 17–23 minutes or until edges are light golden brown and the top is lightly browned (overbaking scones will make them less flavorful and more dense). Cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack.
- Whisk together glaze ingredients. If glaze is too thick, add more maple syrup (or heavy cream or milk) 1 teaspoon at a time. Drizzle glaze over just-barely-warm scones. Let set and enjoy!
Final step! Please let us know how it was by leaving a review.
Recipe Notes
Note 1: Keep all ingredients as cold as possible! Chill flour in the fridge ahead of time if possible (10–20 minutes). Cut butter into small cubes and place in the freezer to chill until needed.
Note 2: Use cheesecloth or paper towels to press any excess liquid out of the pumpkin. Don’t skip this step or the scone dough will be too wet; strain out as much liquid from the pumpkin as possible.
Storage: To make ahead, Shape dough into scones and place in an airtight bag in the fridge overnight. Bake fresh the next day. To freeze, freeze unbaked scones on a lined baking sheet, then transfer the frozen scones to an airtight bag and freeze for up to 1 month. Bake scones straight from the freezer (add 1–3 minutes on baking time).
Nutrition
Serving: 16servings | Calories: 300kcal | Carbohydrates: 50g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 39mg | Sodium: 187mg | Potassium: 74mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 26g | Vitamin A: 901IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 65mg | Iron: 2mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I made these this morning. They are fabulous. I make a lot of scones. This recipe was spot on. I used a tad more liquid, but just a splash. The pumpkin flavor/spices are subtle. Highly recommend. Thanks for sharing.
So happy to hear that! Thank you for the comment 🙂
These scones look amazing! I love the pumpkin 🙂
I am a scone lover, a pumpkin lover
So this recipe lands in The Perfect Scone Recipe roster.