Pumpkin Scones with Cinnamon Icing
These easy pumpkin scones are the first thing I love to bake in the fall. Filled with warm autumn spices, moist and tender, and drizzled with cinnamon icing. They’re coffee shop perfect, especially with a morning latte.
And incredible with an Autumn Afternoon Tea.
Don’t you love fall? It’s that time of the year when everything becomes colorful and wonderful. Crisp and expectant.
Much like pumpkin. And that first mention of a Pumpkin Spice Latte, It sets the tone for a glorious season.
A season of expectation not only of the holidays to come, but wonderful savory and sweet foods we get to make in the fall.
From everything pumpkin, including Pumpkin Bread, Pumpkin Muffins, and Pumpkin Pie to more interesting savory flavors. Like we use in soups, stews, curries, and even Pumpkin Spice Granola.
Today, though, it’s all about Pumpkin Scones. Because for me, the season begins with these!
With a hint of sweetness, these scones are soft and incredibly delicious with the pumpkin spice flavors we love. Baked and ready in 30 minutes.
How to Make Pumpkin Scones
Like so many of our scone recipes, these Pumpkin Scones are really easy to make.
Begin by combining the flour, brown sugar, sugar, baking powder, salt and spices. Then cut in the butter until the butter is in tiny clumps throughout the mixture.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the pumpkin, cream, molasses, and vanilla. The fold it into the dry crumbs or add it to the food processor and mix just until the dough comes together.
Transfer the dough with floured hands onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Shape the dough into a disc and using a sharp knife, cut it into 8 equal wedges before baking.
How to Cut in Butter
This recipe uses butter, so let’s talk about how to cut butter into pastries so that they’re flaky and tender.
Land O’Lakes has a great article on “How to Cut in Butter.”
Here’s why I’ve dedicated a whole section of this post to the topic.
“Cold butter is the key to flaky, tender pie crusts, biscuits, and scones. In the oven, the cold pieces of butter melt and create gaps that result in the layers essential to certain baked goods. When cutting in cold butter, key is to combine the flour and butter as quickly as possible to ensure that the butter stays cold until it is ready to be placed into the oven.”
In it, they recommend 4 methods to achieve flaky and tender baked goods. And warn against two.
Recommended tools are a pastry cutter, two butter knives, a fork, or a food processor. I prefer the food processor because in a few quick pulses, it’s done. But do be careful about over-pulsing the crumbs.
Take a look at the article referenced above for further instructions on how to properly cut in butter.
And the two you aren’t supposed to use? Your hands or a stand mixer.
How to Store Pumpkin Scones
Store these pumpkin scones in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
For longer storage, I freeze baked scones in an airtight container for several months. That way, they’re ready at a moment’s notice.
To reheat, microwave for 15 to 20 seconds, depending on your microwave. Or frozen scones can be thawed at room temperature.
I would love to hear if you try these pumpkin scones!
Pumpkin Scones with Cinnamon Icing
These easy pumpkin scones are the first thing I bake when fall leaves begin to color. Filled with warm autumn spices, moist and tender, and drizzled with cinnamon icing. They're coffee shop perfect, especially with a morning latte. Or incredibly wonderful with afternoon tea.
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup light brown sugar
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 8 tablespoons butter, cold and cubed (1 stick)
- 1/2 cup pumpkin puree, drained *
- 3 tablespoons heavy cream *
- 1 tablespoon molasses
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Place the flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, salt, and cloves in the bowl of a food processor; pulse to combine the ingredients.
- Add the cubed cold butter to the dry ingredients in the processor; pulse until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Whisk together the drained pumpkin, heavy cream, molasses, and vanilla in a separate bowl. Add to the dry ingredientstogether and pulse together until a dough forms.
- Transfer the dough with lightly floured hands onto the parchment lined baking pan. Shape the dough into a disk, about 1 inch high. Cut into 8 equal wedges, and pull apart slightly on the pan.
- Bake for 20 to 24 minutes, or until set. Let cool before drizzling Cinnamon Icing (recipe below).
Notes
Cinnamon Icing
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2-3 teaspoons milk
Add the powdered sugar and cinnamon to a small bowl. Then add the milk, a little at a time, until it reaches the desired consistency. Very quickly, I like to add the icing to a plastic bag and snip a tiny corner off. It makes icing the scones super easy.
Straining the Pumpkin
This is an extra step that I think really improves the scone's texture. The first thing I do when I'm making these scones is to put the pumpkin in a fine mesh strainer. I let is drain any excess moisture while I mixing the other ingredients. Add the pumpkin and proceed with the recipe.
Heavy Cream
I ran out of heavy cream this morning while making yet another batch of scones. I substituted equal parts of milk and Greek yogurt (1 1/2 tablespoon each) for the heavy cream. It was a great substitution.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 311Total Fat: 14gSaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 37mgSodium: 321mgCarbohydrates: 44gFiber: 1gSugar: 18gProtein: 4g
What is pumpkin purée that you drain?
Can you use canned pumpkin?
Hi Sally. Yes on canned pumpkin – I’ll make that more clear. Take canned pumpkin and put it in a fine mesh strainer for a few minutes to drain off excess liquid. It won’t drain much – but enough that the step is worth it!