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Pumpkin Scones

Buttery, flaky, and tender, these easy pumpkin scones will quickly become your favorite fall recipe. They’re packed with warm spices and hearty pumpkin, and topped with a rich brown sugar icing. 

Light & Flaky Pumpkin Scones

I get excited every year when autumn shows up because it means one thing: it’s pumpkin season! I love all things pumpkin, and these tender pumpkin scones have quickly become one of my go-to recipes. These scones are as moist and tender as a muffin but as flaky and buttery as a biscuit. And they’re covered in smooth brown sugar and vanilla icing.

But the star of the scones is the pumpkin, which is rich, earthy, and so flavorful. Combined with the pumpkin pie spice, it makes these scones taste exactly like fall. Whether you’re eating these for breakfast or dessert, you’re going to love these light and creamy scones. 

Why You’ll Love This Pumpkin Scones Recipe

There’s so much to love about these easy pumpkin scones. Even people who aren’t a big fan of pumpkin or scones tend to love them! Here’s why this is a recipe you’ve got to try making. 

  • So easy. These golden brown scones taste like they came from your favorite bakery, but they’re actually very easy to make! It’s a straightforward and mess-free recipe, and it only takes half an hour. 
  • Super flaky. In my opinion, the secret to a good scone is to have it be a little bit flaky. The butter and baking powder in this recipe combine to make the edges of the scones crispy and flaky, while the inside stays moist and tender. 
  • A fall favorite. Is there anything better than a baked treat in the fall? I really don’t think there is. This is the perfect recipe for autumn because it’s loaded with pumpkin, brown sugar, vanilla, pumpkin pie spice, and butter. 
  • Versatile. You can eat this recipe at any time of day. Sometimes I make these scones for breakfast, sometimes I make them for an afternoon snack, and sometimes I make them for dessert. There are no rules! 
Close up of a pumpkin scone with icing dripping off it.

What You’ll Need

Here are all the ingredients that you’ll need to make these light pumpkin scones with brown sugar icing. Head to the recipe card at the end of the article to see the exact amounts for all the ingredients.

For the Scones:

  • All-purpose flour
  • Baking powder
  • Granulated sugar
  • Kosher salt – You can also use table salt but only use ¾ as much salt if you do. 
  • Salted butter – Make sure the butter is very cold, and cut into cubes.
  • Heavy cream
  • Pumpkin pie spice – If you don’t have pumpkin pie spice you can make your own mixture out of ground cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, allspice, and ginger. 
  • Pumpkin puree – Make sure to use unsweetened and unseasoned pumpkin.
  • Turbinado sugar – You can use granulated sugar in place of turbinado sugar, but it won’t have the same texture.

For the Icing: 

  • Butter
  • Light brown sugar – Dark brown sugar also works, and will have more of a molasses flavor. 
  • Milk – Use whole milk for the creamiest icing.
  • Vanilla extract – Make sure to use 100% pure vanilla. 
  • Powdered sugar

How to Make Pumpkin Scones

These buttery pumpkin scones are so easy to make, and only take 30 minutes! Here’s how to make this cozy fall recipe. 

  • Prep. Preheat your oven to 425F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper
  • Mix the dry ingredients. Add the flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder to a mixing bowl, and whisk together. 
  • Add the butter. Put the butter in the bowl with the flour, and cut it into the mixture with a pastry cutter or a fork. The dough should resemble wet sand. 
  • Mix the wet ingredients. In a separate bowl, add the pumpkin puree, pumpkin pie spice, and most of the heavy cream. Whisk until well combined. 
  • Finish the dough. Make a well in the center of the butter and flour mixture, and pour the wet ingredients into it. Mix the dough until it holds together and is not crumbly. It will be a little bit dry. 
  • Flatten. Form the dough into a ball and place it on a lightly floured counter. Flatten the dough until it’s about 1 ½ inches thick. 
  • Cut. Cut the dough into 6 wedges. 
  • Top with cream and butter. Put the scones on the prepared baking sheet. Brush the rest of the heavy cream over the scones, and sprinkle the turbinado sugar on top.
  • Bake. Put the scones in the oven until lightly golden, about 15-20 minutes.
  • Make a caramel. While the scones are in the oven, add the butter for the icing to a small saucepan with the brown sugar. Place the saucepan over medium heat and stir frequently. Bring the caramel to a boil, then boil for 3 minutes before removing from the heat.
  • Finish the icing. As soon as you remove the caramel from the heat, add the milk, vanilla, and powdered sugar. Whisk until completely smooth. 
  • Add the icing. Drizzle the brown sugar caramel icing over the scones and allow to set.
  • Serve. Serve the pumpkin scones while still warm or at room temperature.

Tips for the Best Pumpkin Scones

Try out some of these tricks and tips when you bake this recipe for pumpkin scones.

  • Use super cold butter. The colder the butter, the flakier the scones will be. I like to cut my butter into cubes, and then put the cubes on a plate in the freezer for about an hour. That will give the scones the best texture possible.
  • Rotate. I recommend rotating the baking sheet about halfway through the baking time. A lot of ovens don’t heat evenly, which can result in some scones baking faster than others. Rotate halfway through to ensure even baking. 
  • Adjust the cream if necessary. The scone dough should be a little bit dry, but if it’s too dry you can add a little bit of extra cream. You want the dough to hold together and not be crumbly. If it’s too crumbly and shaggy, add a splash of cream until the dough holds together. 
  • Cut to the same size. When cutting the scones, make sure that all of the wedges are a very similar size. If your scones are different sizes then they won’t bake at the same speed.
  • Cool before icing. I like to eat these scones while they’re still warm. But even if you’re eating them warm, let them cool for 5-10 minutes before adding the icing. If you add the icing as soon as the scones are done baking, the icing will melt. 
  • Adjust the size. If you want to make smaller scones, you can cut them into smaller wedges. Just make sure to bake them for a shorter time. 
Close up of a scone with a bite taken out of it, on a cooling rack.

Serving Suggestions

I like to eat these moist fall pumpkin scones for dessert, or with a cup of coffee as a midday treat. But my favorite way to serve them is as a sweet side dish with a savory breakfast. Here are a few breakfast recipes that I think go really well with rich and creamy pumpkin scones.

Proper Storage

Leftover scones should always be stored in an airtight container. They’ll last at room temperature for 2 days, or in the fridge for 5 days. I recommend reheating them in a toaster oven on medium-low heat.

Can I Freeze Pumpkin Scones?

This is a great recipe to freeze! Store the scones in a double layer of airtight bags and they’ll last in the freezer for 6 months. Defrost or thaw completely before reheating the scones.

Overhead view of scones with brown sugar icing on a cooling rack.

More Pumpkin Desserts

If you couldn’t tell by now, I love all things pumpkin! Here are some more of my favorite pumpkin recipes that I think you’ll enjoy this fall. 

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Close up of a pumpkin scone with icing dripping off it.

Pumpkin Scones

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4.9 from 7 reviews
  • Author: Shelly
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 20 minutes
  • Total Time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 6 scones 1x
  • Category: Scones
  • Method: Oven
  • Cuisine: Breakfast

Description

These pumpkin scones are moist, flaky, and buttery, with a smooth brown sugar icing. They’re easy to make and the perfect fall dessert or breakfast. 


Ingredients

Scale

For the Scones:

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 cup cold, salted butter, cut into cubes
  • 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons heavy cream
  • 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
  • 1/4 cup pumpkin puree
  • 2 tablespoons turbinado sugar (like Sugar in the Raw) 

For the Icing:

  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1/4 cup light brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoons milk
  • 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1/3 cup powdered sugar

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 425°F, then line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt. 
  3. Cut the butter into the flour mixture using a pastry cutter or a fork until the mixture resembles coarse sand. There should still be some larger pieces of butter.
  4. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk 1/2 cup heavy cream with the pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie spice until smooth. 
  5. Make a well in the center of the dry mixture and pour the wet ingredients into the well.
  6. Mix the dough together using a wooden spoon or rubber spatula. It should have a slightly dry texture and hold together, but not be crumbly. If the dough is too dry and shaggy, add a tablespoon of heavy cream and work it in. Repeat until the dough holds together. 
  7. Form the dough into a ball and place it on a lightly floured work surface. Flatten the ball into a circle about 1 1/2 inches thick.
  8. Cut the dough into 6 wedges using a knife or pizza cutter. 
  9. Place the wedges onto the prepared baking sheet and brush with the remaining 2 tablespoons heavy cream. Sprinkle the turbinado sugar on top.
  10. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the scones are lightly golden.
  11. While the scones are baking, place the butter for the icing and the brown sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring the mixture to a boil while stirring frequently. Allow the mixture to boil for 3 minutes and then remove from the heat.
  12. Immediately whisk in the milk, vanilla, and powdered sugar until smooth and no lumps remain.
  13. Drizzle the icing onto the scones and allow it to set.
  14. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Notes

  • Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 days, in the fridge for 5 days, or in the freezer for 6 months.
  • Reheat in the toaster oven at medium-low heat. 

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 scone
  • Calories: 441
  • Sugar: 39.9 g
  • Sodium: 222.8 mg
  • Fat: 14.3 g
  • Carbohydrates: 74.4 g
  • Protein: 5.2 g
  • Cholesterol: 40.8 mg

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22 comments on “Pumpkin Scones”

  1. Loved these! They were quick and easy and came out fluffy and moist. I didn’t have heavy cream on hand so I used half and half and they still turned out great!






  2. I finally tried these pumpkin scones this morning for the first time. Thank you for a quick and easy recipe…amazing scones with flaky layers but still moist and delicious. I love them?






  3. Have made three batches. First batch did not turn out – think my oven at 425 was too hot. Adjusted to 400 for 18 minutes and got perfect light golden brown edges and flaky moist inside. I also cut mine in 8 rather than 6 since they rise quite a bit in oven. Delish!






  4. Jennifer decker

    These are great! Much lighter in texture than other pumpkin scone recipes I’ve tried. Just a teeny bit sweet for me. Do you foresee an issues with the texture if I knocked back the sugar a bit?






  5. I must be missing something as I don’t see where the cold butter is added to the dough mixture. For this type of thing I generally grate frozen butter into the dry ingredients but I’d like to know the way you do it. These scones look beautiful (and delicious)!

  6. Hello…Thank you for this yummy looking recipe. It’s exactly what I’ve been wanting to try since the weather has cooled off. I have one question about the icing: Once the butter and sugar start to boil, do I stir it or let it boil for 3 minutes and then whisk in the other ingredients? Thank you, Jennifer

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