Pumpkin Spice Scones for Brunch or Afternoon Tea

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When I first started baking, scones were among the first few recipes that I tried and tested. I loved the simplicity of scones, and how easy they are to make.

If you're a pumpkin spice lover, these scones are for you! Made with real pumpkin, sweet honey, and warming spices, these make the perfect pairing with a hot latte or tea. Get the recipe: https://foodal.com/recipes/breakfast/pumpkin-spice-scones/

In my opinion, scones are the perfect sweet snack – great for accompanying a hot cup of tea or coffee (especially with our pumpkin coffee creamer during fall!) in the afternoon, and for satisfying your sweet tooth.

Naturally, when I was living in the US last fall and pumpkins were everywhere, I knew that I had to make a batch of pumpkin spice scones that featured the flavors of this popular winter squash, and warming spices as well.

I remember savoring them the moment they came out of the oven, eating one after the other because they were just too good for me to stop.

Pumpkin Spice Scones | Foodal.com

These pumpkin spice scones are a constant reminder of that fall in the US, and today, I want to show you how easy they are to make.

If you’ve already had enough of those overly sweet pumpkin desserts (pumpkin pie or pumpkin cheesecake, anyone?), but still want to make use of the bounty of the harvest, I can assure you that this recipe is your answer.

Plus, we have other more savory pumpkin recipes in spades –  such as pumpkin hummus, soup, nut bread, and even pumpkin curry.

And if you don’t like pumpkin (try some of these recipes before your decide for sure), you may love our fresh blackberry, grapefruit oat, or caramel apple options.

Pumpkin spice scones, still warm from the oven and served with a drizzle of local honey... these can be yours (and scones are easier to make than you might think)! Get the recipe: https://foodal.com/recipes/breakfast/pumpkin-spice-scones/

If you’ve never made scones before, don’t be afraid. They’re really much easier than they may seem to whip up in your own kitchen.

When baking, it’s important to consider how you work the dough, and to knead it well until it comes together. Here in Argentina where I currently live, people say you have to “amasar con ganas” – which literally means to knead the dough with desire, or better said, with intention.

The trick is in combining both the dry and wet ingredients together and then kneading the dough until it is smooth and can easily be shaped into a circle. Once that’s done, all you need to do is to cut it into pieces and bake.

I like to shape mine into triangles, but you could just as well cut out circles instead.

That’s how easy it is to make scones. Ready to bake a batch right now? Let’s go straight to the recipe!

The Recipe

Pumpkin Spice Scones Recipe | Foodal.com
Pumpkin Spice Scones
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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These moist, soft pumpkin spice scones are just sugary enough to satisfy your sweet tooth. Perfect for breakfast or alongside your afternoon cup of coffee.
Servings Prep Time
8 scones 15 mins
Cook Time
15 mins
Servings Prep Time
8 scones 15 mins
Cook Time
15 mins
Pumpkin Spice Scones Recipe | Foodal.com
Pumpkin Spice Scones
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
You:
Rate this recipe!
Print Recipe
These moist, soft pumpkin spice scones are just sugary enough to satisfy your sweet tooth. Perfect for breakfast or alongside your afternoon cup of coffee.
Servings Prep Time
8 scones 15 mins
Cook Time
15 mins
Servings Prep Time
8 scones 15 mins
Cook Time
15 mins
Ingredients
  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground Ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1 stick cold unsalted butter
  • 3/4 cup unsweetened pumpkin puree (fresh or canned)
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 3 tablespoons heavy cream
Servings: scones
Units:
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
  2. Whisk the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves together in a large bowl until combined.
  3. Grate the butter with a box grater and scatter it over the flour mixture, cutting the butter in with a pastry cutter or two knives until you get a sandy texture that resembles cornmeal.
  4. In a separate bowl, combine the pumpkin puree, honey, heavy cream, egg, and vanilla and whisk well until the ingredients are blended together completely.
  5. Pour the pumpkin mixture into the flour mixture and stir well until you get a soft dough. It will still be quite crumbly.
  6. Transfer the dough to a floured piece of parchment paper and knead it well with floured hands until it comes together.
  7. Use your hands to shape it into a circle about 2 inches thick, and then slice it into 8 even triangles.
  8. Transfer the parchment paper with the dough triangles onto a baking sheet and bake on the middle rack of the oven for 12 to 15 minutes, until the scones are golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center of one comes out clean.
  9. Let the scones cool for a few minutes a wire cooling rack before serving.
Recipe Notes

 

Adapted from Inspired Taste

Nutritional Information*

Nutrition Facts
Pumpkin Spice Scones
Amount Per Serving
Calories 296 Calories from Fat 18
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 2g 3%
Saturated Fat 1g 5%
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.1g
Monounsaturated Fat 1g
Cholesterol 8mg 3%
Sodium 261mg 11%
Potassium 154mg 4%
Total Carbohydrates 64g 21%
Dietary Fiber 4g 16%
Sugars 17g
Protein 6g 12%
Vitamin A 38%
Vitamin C 2%
Calcium 12%
Iron 19%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

 

Cooking by the Numbers…

Step 1 – Preheat Oven and Prepare Mise en Place

Begin by preheating the oven to 350°F.

Pumpkin Spice Scone Ingredients | Foodal.com

It’s important to read through the entire recipe and make sure you have everything you need. Assemble all of the necessary cooking equipment, and measure each of your ingredients, both wet and dry, so they will be ready to go.

Step 2 – Combine Dry Ingredients and Butter

Combining Dry Ingredients for Pumpkin Spice Scones | Foodal.com

Whisk the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves together in a large bowl until combined.

Grated Butter for Scone Dough | Foodal.com

Grate the butter with a box grater and scatter it over the flour mixture. Cold butter is best.

Cutting Butter into Flour for Scones | Foodal.com

Cut the butter into the flour with a pastry cutter or two knives, until it resembles cornmeal.

Butter Cut into Flour for Scones Resembles Cornmeal | Foodal.com

Step 3 – Combine Wet Ingredients and Dry

In a separate bowl, combine the wet ingredients. Add the pumpkin puree, honey, heavy cream, egg, and vanilla. Whisk until combined completely.

Pumpkin Spice Scones Wet Ingredients | Foodal.com

Pour the pumpkin mixture into the flour mixture, scraping the bowl with a rubber spatula so you don’t miss any. Stir well until a soft, crumbly dough forms.

Combining Wet and Dry Pumpkin Spice Scone Ingredients | Foodal.com

Transfer the dough to a floured piece of parchment paper, and knead it well with floured hands until a smooth dough comes together. Be careful not to overwork the dough, or your final product will not come out light and tender.

Step 4 – Shape

Use your hands to shape the dough into a circle that’s about two inches thick, and then cut it into 8 even triangles (the way you would slice a pizza).

Shaping Pumpkin Spice Scone Dough | Foodal.com

If you prefer, use a floured cookie cutter to cut it into circles instead, and push the remaining dough back together to continue cutting circles out until you have used it all up.

Cutting Pumpkin Spice Scone Dough | Foodal.com

Transfer the parchment paper with the dough triangles onto a baking sheet.

Portioned Pumpkin Spice Scones

Step 5 – Bake

Place the baking sheet in the middle of the oven and bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the scones are golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Let the scones cool on a wire rack for a few minutes before serving.

Pumpkin Spice Scones Cooling | Foodal.com

Drizzle and Impress!

In my opinion, these scones are amazing on their own, or served with a smear of butter. But if you prefer to sweeten them up a little more, you can always drizzle on a bit of honey, or some other type of glaze of your choosing.

Try a simple confectioner’s sugar icing with a touch of vanilla extract or orange zest.

Or use our super easy spiced glaze, that you can make with freshly ground spices.

Not only will a drizzle of honey or sweet sugar glaze increase the flavor impact even more, the beautiful presentation will also impress your guests.

If you’re a fan of this cinnamon pumpkin treat, you may like our gooey brioche cinnamon rolls recipe! Give it a try.

What other types of sweet pumpkin treats do you like to make at home? Let us know in the comments below!


Don’t forget to Pin It!

If you’re a big fan of pumpkin and also love sweet treats, then these pumpkin spice scones are your answer. They come together easily in just 30 minutes, and taste simply amazing. Your family and friends are going to love them!

Photos by Felicia Lim, © Ask the Experts, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. See our TOS for more details.

*Nutritional information derived from a database of known generic and branded foods and ingredients and was not compiled by a registered dietitian or submitted for lab testing. It should be viewed as an approximation.

About Felicia Lim

Felicia Lim is a Singaporean who moved to Argentina for love. Based in Buenos Aires, also known as “the Paris of South America,” she fills her days with freelance writing, recipe development, and food photography – three passions that give her endless joy. When she isn’t typing away at her computer, cooking in the kitchen, or shooting in her balcony-studio, you can probably find her curled up on the couch, lost in the pages of a good book.

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