Spiced Pumpkin Scones

An easy recipe for Spiced Pumpkin Scones with an optional espresso glaze that yields light, tender and buttery scones without the use of eggs.

Making scones from scratch is a great way to start the weekend! They do not take long to make and are a perfect excuse for taking time out of your day to sit and enjoy a freshly baked scone with a hot cup of tea, coffee, or maybe even a pumpkin spice latte 😉.

These pumpkin scones are spiced with cinnamon, ginger and cloves and sweetened with brown sugar. An optional espresso glaze that complements the spices and pumpkin can be used to drizzle on the flaky scones. 

These scones are perfect for enjoying during pumpkin season or anytime you're in the mood for a pumpkin spice treat. And if you're looking for a pumpkin recipe you can make for the kids, these moist and tender pumpkin muffins are a favorite!

How to Make them

Made without eggs, this moist pumpkin scones recipe is perfect for those with an egg allergy or if you find yourself without eggs at home. 

These easy pumpkin scones are made in the food processor but you can mix them by hand as well. If you choose to do them by hand, a pastry cutter is great for blending the butter with the flour.

A few things to remember while making these pumpkin scones:

• You should use very cold butter
• Add the liquid a little at a time (because you might not need it all)
• Don't over-mix the dough or you will have tough scones. 

Here's an overview of the simple ingredients and steps for this pumpkin scone recipe. You can find the full recipe in the recipe card below.

Ingredients Overview:

• All-purpose flour
• Ground cinnamon, ginger and cloves: Can use pumpkin pie spice if that's what you have.
• Baking powder and soda
• Salt: Used to enhance the flavors.
• Cold unsalted butter
• Pumpkin purée: Make sure to use canned pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling.
• Brown sugar 
• Buttermilk: Works with the baking soda to obtain the perfect scone texture.

Tip: Make your own buttermilk substitute by adding ½ tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice to ½ a cup of milk. Let stand for 10 min. and then use as directed in the recipe.

Variations:

• Feel free to add ½ to ¾ of a cup of toasted walnuts, pecans, dried cranberries or chopped pitted dates to add texture to these pumpkin scones. Simply add them to the food processor at the same time as you add the pumpkin mixture (see step 6).
• Or if you enjoy the combination of pumpkin and chocolate, add ½ cup of mini chocolate chips (add at step 6).

Steps Overview:

1. Place a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat it. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, combine flour, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
3. Pour the dry ingredients (the flour mixture) into the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade.
4. Add the pieces of butter to the food processor, and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal.
5. In a small bowl, combine the pumpkin purée, brown sugar and buttermilk.
6. Pour the pumpkin mixture (wet ingredients) into the bowl of the food processor and pulse until the dough forms.
7. Transfer the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead a few times until the dough is smooth.
8. Shape the scone dough into a rectangle that is approximately ¾ inch thick. Cut the rectangle into six squares. Then cut each square diagonally to form two triangles. You should have a total of 12 scones.
9. Place on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 12 to 14 minutes until scones are a light golden brown on the bottom.
10. Let scones cool on the pan for a few minutes before moving to a cooling rack.

Espresso Glaze

The espresso glaze is a simple glaze that can be quickly prepared while the pumpkin spice scones are in the oven. When the scones are ready, let them cool for a few minutes and then drizzle the top of the scones with a bit of the glaze. 

If you prefer a more mild coffee taste, use less espresso in the glaze recipe.

Ingredients for Glaze:

• Instant espresso
• Hot water
• Heavy cream, half and half, or milk
• Icing sugar (powdered sugar)

Make the espresso glaze by combining the ingredients together and whisking until smooth. This glaze is really the perfect way to combine the flavors of coffee and pumpkin.

Serving Suggestions

Scones taste best freshly baked and while still slightly warm so make sure to enjoy them before the scones have completely cooled.

The flavour of the glaze is pretty strong so in order to avoid having it overpower the pumpkin flavour and to keep the scones from being overly sweet, I just drizzle the glaze over the scones instead of icing the entire scone.

You can also omit the glaze entirely if you prefer them plain.

Serve pumpkin scones with a cup of coffee or tea.

Storage Instructions

Cover leftover pumpkin scones with plastic wrap or store in an airtight container on the counter for up to two days at room temperature. Leftover scones can be re-warmed for that freshly baked taste.

Scones can also be frozen for up to three months. Place un-glazed scones in an airtight container with wax paper between layers before freezing. Thaw frozen scones overnight in the refrigerator and warm them in a low oven before serving.

If you're in the mood to browse more scone recipes, you can find them here.

More Pumpkin Recipes to Enjoy

• Pumpkin Chocolate Swirl Bundt Cake
• Maple Pumpkin Roll Cake
• Chocolate Swirled Brown Sugar Pumpkin Loaf
• Pumpkin Walnut Loaf

Spiced Pumpkin Scones

Author: Adapted from the New York Times Cooking, Martha Rose Shulman

This easy recipe for made from scratch Spiced Pumpkin Scones with an optional espresso glaze yields light, tender and buttery scones without the use of eggs.

4.88 from 8 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save Saved!

Prep Time 18 minutes mins

Cook Time 12 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Course Breakfast, Dessert/ snack

Cuisine American

Servings 12 scones

Calories 204 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

Ingredients for Pumpkin Scones:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• ½ tsp. ground ginger
• ⅛ tsp. ground cloves
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• ½ tsp. baking soda
• ½ tsp. sea salt
• ½ cup cold unsalted butter cut into pieces
• ½ cup pumpkin purée
• ⅓ cup brown sugar packed
• ¼ cup buttermilk ¼ to ⅓ cup, see notes

Ingredients for Espresso Glaze:

• 1 tbsp. instant espresso
• 1 tbsp. very hot water
• 1 tbsp. heavy cream half and half, or milk
• ½ cup icing sugar powdered

Instructions

 

For the Scones:

• Place a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 400°F.
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• In a medium bowl combine the flour, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
• Pour the dry ingredients in the bowl of your food processor fitted with the steel blade.
• Add the pieces of butter to the food processor, and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal (crumbly with little pieces of butter in it).
• In a small bowl, beat together the pumpkin purée, brown sugar and buttermilk.
• Pour the pumpkin mixture into the bowl of the food processor and pulse until the dough comes together.
• Lightly flour your countertop. Dump the dough onto your countertop and knead a few times until the dough is smooth.
• Shape the dough into a rectangle that is approximately ¾ inch thick. Cut the rectangle into six squares. Cut each square diagonally to form two triangles. You should have a total of 12 triangles.
• Place on the baking sheet and bake for 12 to 14 minutes until scones are lightly browned on the bottom.
• Let cool on the pan for a few minutes.

Instructions for the Espresso Glaze:

• Dissolve one tablespoon of instant espresso into one tablespoon of very hot water. If espresso doesn't dissolve completely place mixture in microwave and microwave on high for 10 to 15 seconds.
• Add cream, half and half or milk and mix to combine.
• Add icing sugar and whisk until you have a smooth consistency. Add more cream or milk for a thinner consistency.
• Drizzle glaze onto scones while still slightly warm.
• Serve immediately.

Notes

1. No need to go out of your way to buy buttermilk, you can easily use milk instead, just add ½ tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice to ½ a cup of milk. Let stand for 10 min. and then use as directed in the recipe.

2. Substitute ground cinnamon, ginger and cloves with pumpkin pie spice if that's what you have available. Use 1 and ¾ teaspoon of the spice mixture.

3. The recipe for the glaze makes enough to drizzle on the scones but not to cover the entire surface of the scone.

4. Although best to consume scones right away, they keep well at room temperature for 2 days. You can also freeze leftover scones (best to freeze them as quickly as possible after having baked them to preserve their freshness). Thaw and warm in a low oven before serving.

5. This recipe is made without eggs so it's perfect for those with egg allergies.

Nutrition

Calories: 204kcalCarbohydrates: 29gProtein: 2gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 22mgSodium: 143mgPotassium: 184mgFiber: 1gSugar: 11gVitamin A: 1850IUVitamin C: 0.4mgCalcium: 60mgIron: 1.4mg

Keyword Autumn, Breakfast, Pumpkin, Scones

Tried this recipe? Have any questions, comments or suggestions? Leave a comment below!Mention @sweetandsavourypursuits or tag #sweetandsavourypursuits!

SaveSaveSaveSave