Pumpkin Scones with Maple Glaze

Shorter days and cold mornings call for spice-filled baked goods. This easy pumpkin scone recipe has a warming kick of pumpkin spice and a comforting drizzle of sweet maple glaze.

By
Mark Beahm
Mark Beahm
Mark Beahm
Mark is the head baker at Hjem Kensington, a Danish café in London. He has been developing recipes for home bakers for the last two years.
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Published September 23, 2022
Mark Beahm
Pumpkin Scones on Plate Surrounded by Cups of Coffee and a Bowl of Sugar

Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm

The shorter the days, the more spices show up in my baking. These easy-to-make pumpkin scones have a warming kick of pumpkin spice and a comforting drizzle of sweet maple glaze. The pastry is tender and flaky and unquestionably pumpkin flavored. Nothing warms up a cold autumn morning quite like pumpkin, spice, and maple.

Pumpkin scones make a special weekend treat for a family breakfast or brunch. You don’t have to worry about waking up too early to get these on the breakfast table, and you could even start them the night before for a rare chance to sleep in. My favorite part is saving a leftover scone for a quiet coffee break in the afternoon.

Pumpkin Scones on a Baking Sheet

Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm

Tips for Perfectly Tender Scones

Similar to biscuits, tender scones require cold ingredients and a gentle hand. If you have time, dice the butter ahead of time and freeze it for at least 30 minutes before mixing the dough. Don’t worry about getting your eggs to room temperature for this recipe. This is a time when it’s actually best to use them straight from the fridge.

When stirring the wet ingredients into the flour mixture, avoid overmixing. It's okay if there are still some dry bits of flour. When the dough is overmixed, the gluten overdevelops, making scones tough and chewy instead of tender and flaky. After shaping the scones, chill them in the freezer while preheating the oven. They'll hold their shape better, and the butter will melt at the optimal time for flakiness.

Choosing Canned Pumpkin Purée

For baking, I almost always use canned pumpkin purée. It saves so much time compared to making homemade pumpkin purée, and I usually get a better result. When buying canned pumpkin, make sure it's 100% pure pumpkin and not pumpkin pie filling. I always reach for Libby's 100% Pure Pumpkin. It’s noticeably thicker and more flavorful than other brands I’ve tried.

Pumpkin Scones on a Plate Surrounded by Cups of Coffee

Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm

Pump Up the Flavor with Add-Ins

So many fall flavors combine flawlessly with pumpkin. Think of these scones as a base recipe that is excellent on its own, but can also be used to create cozy combinations by adding:

  • Nuts or seeds: My favorites are toasted chopped pecans or pumpkin seeds. Mix them directly in the dough, or sprinkle them on the maple glaze before it sets.
  • Chocolate chips: Chocolate and pumpkin pair surprisingly well together. Try milk or dark, or my personal favorite, sweet and creamy white chocolate.
  • Dried cranberries: They’re sweet, tangy, and chewy.
  • Diced crystallized ginger: Add even more sweet bites of spice.

Add any mix-ins after method step 3, after cutting in the butter, but before mixing in the wet ingredients.

Make Ahead Strategies

These pumpkin scones can be mixed the night before and baked in the morning for an easy breakfast treat. Mix the dough the day before and after shaping the dough into a disk, wrap it and chill in the fridge overnight. 

The next morning, continue where you left off: divide the dough into wedges and bake, skipping the freezing step since the dough is already cold.

Pumpkin Scone on a Plate

Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm

Make All of These Scones!

Pumpkin Scones with Maple Glaze

Prep Time 15 mins
Cook Time 22 mins
Chill Time 30 mins
Total Time 67 mins
Servings 8 servings
Yield 8 large scones

Ingredients

For the pumpkin scones

  • 3/4 cup (170g) unsalted butter, cold

  • 3 cups (360g) all-purpose flour

  • 1/2 cup (107g) dark brown sugar

  • 1 tablespoon baking powder

  • 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice

  • 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

  • 3/4 cup (170g) canned pumpkin purée

  • 2 large eggs, cold

  • 2 tablespoons whole milk, for brushing

  • 2 tablespoons turbinado sugar, for sprinkling

For the maple glaze

  • 1 cup (113g) powdered sugar

  • 1/4 cup (60ml) maple syrup

  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

  • 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

Method

  1. Freeze the butter:

    Chop the cold butter into 1/2-inch cubes and chill it in the freezer while preparing the dry ingredients.

    Butter Cut into Cubes for Pumpkin Scones Recipe

    Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm
  2. Line a baking sheet:

    Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.

  3. Mix the dry ingredients:

    In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, dark brown sugar, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, and salt. Make sure to break up any clumps of brown sugar.

    Dry Ingredients Whisked Together for Pumpkin Scones Recipe

    Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm
  4. Cut in the butter:

    Add the cold, cubed butter to the flour mixture, tossing with your hands to distribute and coat the butter in the flour. Cut in the butter with a pastry blender until the mixture is crumbly and the butter is cut into pea-sized pieces. 

    If you don’t have a pastry blender, use the tips of your fingers to work the butter into the flour, pressing and flaking the butter into pea-sized pieces throughout the flour.

    Cold Butter Added to Dry Ingredients for Scones Recipe

    Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm
    Butter Cut into the Dry Ingredients for Pumpkin Scones

    Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm
  5. Mix the wet ingredients:

    In another mixing bowl, whisk together the pumpkin purée and the eggs until smooth.

    Wet Ingredients for Pumpkin Scones Whisked in a Bowl

    Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm
  6. Make the dough:

    Pour the pumpkin mixture into the flour mixture. Gently stir with a rubber spatula until the dough holds together. Don’t overmix. It’s okay if the dough is crumbly or a few dry bits remain.

    Wet Ingredients Folded into Dry Ingredients for Pumpkin Scones

    Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm
    Pumpkin Scones Dough in a Bowl with a Spatula

    Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm
  7. Shape and divide:

    Scrape the dough onto a lightly floured work surface. Gently knead the dough with your hands a few times to form a cohesive mass. Press the dough into an 8-inch circle about 1 1/2 inches thick. 

    Use a kitchen knife or a bench scraper to cut the disk into 8 equal-sized triangles.

    Place the wedges on the prepared baking sheet, spacing them at least 1-inch apart.

    Pumpkin Scones Dough Shaped into a Disk

    Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm
    Dough Cut into Pumpkin Scones Pieces

    Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm
  8. Chill:

    Place the baking tray in the freezer to chill the scones while preheating the oven, 20 to 30 minutes.

  9. Arrange a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 425°F.
  10. Brush scones with milk and sprinkle with sugar:

    Remove the scones from the freezer. Use a pastry brush to brush the tops of the scones lightly with some milk and sprinkle them with turbinado sugar.

    Pumpkin Scones with Milk Wash and Turbinado Sugar

    Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm
  11. Bake and then cool scones:

    Bake the scones until golden on top and browned underneath, 17 to 22 minutes. Allow the scones to cool completely on the pan before adding the glaze.

  12. Make the maple glaze:

    While the scones cool, make the maple glaze. In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, maple syrup, vanilla extract, and salt until the glaze is smooth. Adjust the thickness to your preference by adding slightly more maple syrup to thin the glaze, or powdered sugar to thicken it.

    Bowl of Maple Glaze for Pumpkin Scones

    Simply Recipe / Mark Beahm
  13. Glaze the scones:

    Use a spoon to drizzle the scones with the maple glaze. Allow the glaze to set for 10 minutes, then serve.

    Maple Glaze Drizzled on Pumpkin Scones

    Simply Recipe / Mark Beahm
  14. Storage:

    The scones will keep in an airtight container on the counter for up to 2 days. For longer storage, the scones can be frozen for up to 2 months in a reusable freezer container or freezer bag. Let the scones defrost at room temperature for about 1 hour before eating.

    Did you love the recipe? Leave us stars below! 

    Pumpkin Scones on Plates Surrounded by Cups of Coffee

    Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
490 Calories
19g Fat
74g Carbs
7g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 8
Amount per serving
Calories 490
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 19g 24%
Saturated Fat 11g 57%
Cholesterol 93mg 31%
Sodium 348mg 15%
Total Carbohydrate 74g 27%
Dietary Fiber 2g 6%
Total Sugars 37g
Protein 7g
Vitamin C 1mg 6%
Calcium 154mg 12%
Iron 3mg 16%
Potassium 170mg 4%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.