These pumpkin scones have craggy edges, a tender middle, and a thick vanilla glaze with a little pumpkin pie spice stirred in. The dough is only lightly sweet, so the glaze earns its place. Let it settle into the ridges on top before taking the first bite.
Frozen, grated butter makes it easy to get little pieces of butter throughout the dough. From there, you mix in the pumpkin, pat out a thick round, and cut it into eight wedges. There’s no rolling pin needed, and the shapes don’t have to be perfect.
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What You’ll Need
The scones and glaze use many of the same pantry ingredients. Measure the flour and sugar before starting, and leave the butter, pumpkin, and egg cold until you need them. The recipe card below includes both cup and gram measurements.
Pumpkin purée: Use plain pumpkin purée, not sweetened pumpkin pie filling. You’ll need ¾ cup (175 g), chilled. The spice and sugar are measured separately in this dough.
Frozen unsalted butter: Grate the butter while it’s firm, then work it into the flour with your fingertips. Those small pieces are what you want to keep; don’t melt the butter first.
Flour, baking powder, and salt: All-purpose flour gives the dough its structure, while baking powder helps the wedges rise. If you have a kitchen scale, use the 270 g flour measurement to avoid packing too much into a measuring cup.
Light brown sugar and pumpkin pie spice: The brown sugar sweetens the dough, and the spice blend seasons both the scones and glaze. Break up any firm sugar lumps before adding the wet ingredients.
Egg and vanilla: Whisk these into the pumpkin before it meets the flour. That way, you can distribute them without having to keep stirring the finished dough.
Powdered sugar and cream: These make the glaze, with more vanilla and pumpkin pie spice. Keep a little extra cold cream available for the dough, too, but add it only if the mixture is too dry to hold together.
How to Make Pumpkin Scones, Step by Step
Step 1: Mix the pumpkin, egg, and vanilla
Preheat the oven to 400°F / 200°C and line a baking sheet with parchment or a nonstick baking mat. In a small bowl, whisk together the cold pumpkin purée, cold egg, and vanilla extract until combined.
Keep the pumpkin and egg cold until you’re ready to mix them. Set the bowl aside while you put the dry ingredients together.
Step 2: Work the cold butter into the dry ingredients
In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, light brown sugar, salt, and pumpkin pie spice. Break up any lumps of brown sugar. Add the frozen, grated butter and use your fingertips to distribute it through the mixture, breaking up any large clumps.
You want small pieces of butter throughout the flour. Work briefly so the butter stays cold; you don’t need to rub it into a completely smooth mixture.
Step 3: Bring the dough together gently
Pour the pumpkin mixture into the flour mixture. Stir gently until you have a shaggy dough. If it is too dry to hold together, add cold cream 1 tablespoon at a time, using only what you need.
The dough doesn’t need to look tidy at this point. Stop stirring once it comes together rather than working it until it looks perfectly smooth.
Step 4: Shape a thick round and cut eight wedges
Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and use your hands to bring it into a ball. Pat it into a circle about 1 inch thick, then cut it into 8 equal wedges.
Keep the round thick rather than flattening it into a thin disk. Transfer the wedges to the lined baking sheet with a little space between them.
Step 5: Bake until puffed and lightly golden
Bake for 15–17 minutes, until the edges are lightly golden and the tops look dry and puffy. Leave the scones on the baking sheet for 10 minutes, then move them to a cooling rack.
Look at the surface as well as the timer. The pumpkin gives the dough color before baking, so the dry tops and lightly browned edges are more useful than waiting for the whole scone to turn golden.
Step 6: Spoon on the pumpkin spice glaze
Stir the vanilla and pumpkin pie spice into the powdered sugar. Add 1 tablespoon of cream, then add more as needed, up to 2 tablespoons total, to make a thick, pourable glaze. Spoon or drizzle it over the scones while they are still warm.
Set the rack over a tray to catch the drips and let the glaze set before serving. The scones can be eaten slightly warm or at room temperature and are best the day they’re baked.
Tips for Tender Scones
Keep the butter cold. Grating makes it quick to distribute, but the small pieces can also soften while you work. Have the other ingredients measured so the butter doesn’t sit out while you find the baking powder or line the tray.
Stop once the dough holds together. A rough-looking dough is fine. Use your hands just enough to gather it into a round, and resist kneading it to smooth out every crack.
Don’t flatten the round too much. Aim for about 1 inch thick before cutting. The wedges should look substantial on the baking sheet, with room to rise.
Add the glaze cream gradually. Start with 1 tablespoon. It’s easier to loosen a thick glaze with a little more cream than to fix one that runs straight off the scones.
Serving the Scones
Give the glaze time to set, then serve the scones slightly warm or at room temperature. Coffee or tea is plenty alongside them. For breakfast with a few other people, set out fruit and yogurt and let everyone help themselves.
These are best the day they’re baked, when the edges still have some crispness against the tender middle. If you’re planning them for a morning visit, allow for the 10-minute rest on the baking sheet and time for the glaze to set, as well as mixing and baking.
A Few Questions Before You Bake
Can I use pumpkin pie filling?
Use plain pumpkin purée here. Pumpkin pie filling already contains sweetener and spices, which would change the balance of this dough.
Why does the butter need to be frozen and grated?
Firm butter is easier to grate into small pieces and distribute through the flour. Keeping those pieces cold helps preserve the texture the recipe is designed for.
What if the dough looks too dry?
Try gently pressing a little dough together first. If it won’t hold, add cold cream 1 tablespoon at a time and mix gently. Use only enough to bring it together; the cream is optional, not an automatic addition.
Do I need a rolling pin?
No. Gather the dough with your hands and pat it into a round about 1 inch thick. Cut that round into eight wedges without rolling it thin.
Should the scones be completely cool before glazing?
This recipe calls for glazing them while they’re still warm, after their 10-minute rest on the baking sheet and transfer to a rack. Let the glaze set before serving.
Can I make my own pumpkin pie spice?
Yes. Combine 1½ teaspoons cinnamon, 1 teaspoon ginger, ½ teaspoon nutmeg, and ½ teaspoon cloves. Add ½ teaspoon cardamom if you like. This makes more than you need: measure 1½ teaspoons of the blend into the dough and ½ teaspoon into the glaze.
Pumpkin Scones With Spiced Vanilla Glaze
Tender pumpkin scones with craggy edges and a thick vanilla and pumpkin spice glaze.
Total: about 40–42 minutes, plus glazing and time for the glaze to set.
Equipment
- Baking sheet and parchment or a nonstick baking mat
- Large and small mixing bowls
- Box grater, whisk, and mixing spoon
- Kitchen scale or measuring cups and spoons
- Knife or bench scraper and cooling rack
Ingredients
For the scones
For the glaze
Instructions
- Mix the pumpkin, egg, and vanilla. Preheat the oven to 400°F / 200°C and line a baking sheet with parchment or a nonstick baking mat. In a small bowl, whisk together the cold pumpkin purée, cold egg, and vanilla extract until combined.
- Work the cold butter into the dry ingredients. In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, light brown sugar, salt, and pumpkin pie spice. Break up any lumps of brown sugar. Add the frozen, grated butter and use your fingertips to distribute it through the mixture, breaking up any large clumps.
- Bring the dough together gently. Pour the pumpkin mixture into the flour mixture. Stir gently until you have a shaggy dough. If it is too dry to hold together, add cold cream 1 tablespoon at a time, using only what you need.
- Shape a thick round and cut eight wedges. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and use your hands to bring it into a ball. Pat it into a circle about 1 inch thick, then cut it into 8 equal wedges. Transfer the wedges to the lined baking sheet with a little space between them.
- Bake until puffed and lightly golden. Bake for 15–17 minutes, until the edges are lightly golden and the tops look dry and puffy. Leave the scones on the baking sheet for 10 minutes, then move them to a cooling rack.
- Spoon on the pumpkin spice glaze. Stir the vanilla and pumpkin pie spice into the powdered sugar. Add 1 tablespoon of cream, then add more as needed, up to 2 tablespoons total, to make a thick, pourable glaze. Spoon or drizzle it over the scones while they are still warm. Let the glaze set before serving.
If you’re in the mood for another baking project, try our maple chocolate chip cookies next.