Who doesn't love a good homemade Pumpkin Scone on a crisp fall morning?! These tender, soft and fluffy scones are made with just a handful of simple ingredients you probably have on hand already - just as easy as going out to buy some!
Prep: Line a baking sheet with parchment or a silicone baking mat and flour well. Preheat the oven to 425°F.
Cut butter into dry ingredients:Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, pumpkin spice and salt in a medium bowl. Cut in the butter until coarse crumbs form.
Combine scone dough:Whisk togteher the pumpkin, milk, egg and vanilla in a separate measuring jug. Pour into flour mix. Use a spatula to fold the two together. Only fold JUST until combined. Do NOT overmix! It will look scraggly, that's fine.
Shape scones:Empty the dough on the prepared baking sheet. Lightly flour the top, then push into a flat 9-inch circle. Cut into 8 wedges. Pull them about 2 inches apart to leave room for expansion during baking.
Bake the scones: Bake for 14-16 minutes, or until done. Cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then place on a cooling rack to cool completely.
Glaze the scones: Stir all ingredients for the white glaze together. Generously glaze the top of each scone and allow to set. Mix all ingredients for the maple glaze together and drizzle over the scones.
Notes
Baking tips
use all cold ingredients (butter, milk and egg; the other ingredients can be at room temperature)
Just like pie crust, you want to avoid overworking the dough - otherwise you'll develop the gluten in the flour too much and your scones will come out more chewy like bread vs light and fluffy.
combine the dry ingredients very well to evenly distribute the baking powder - unevenly distributed baking powder can be a reason for lopsided scones.
cut the scones with a sharp tool to get clear cuts - this helps a lot to create evenly risen scones!
don't forget to preheat the oven, baked goods like scones need the appropriate heat right as they enter the oven for the baking powder to work with full power.
Glaze: The glaze is optional - if you don't want to use it, sprinkle the scones with granulated sugar or light brown sugar before baking. If you do glaze them, make sure the scones are cooled completely, or the glaze won't set.
Ingredient notes
Gluten free: Since scones don't rely on gluten (on the contrary - you want to avoid developing the gluten too much!), they are well suited to make gluten free. Use a cup-for-cup gluten free flour blend and make sure to check all ingredients to make sure they are certified gf; especially the baking powder.
Pumpkin Pie Spice: If you don't have any pumpkin spice mix, either see my Homemade Pumpkin Spice Mix; or use ground cinnamon and a few pinches of ground ginger instead.
Canned Pumpkin: You can also use homemade pumpkin puree; just make sure it's firm and not runny (or your dough will be too slack). Drain and pat dry if necessary.
Butter: Please do not use any substitutes for the butter!
Storage tips
Unfortunately, scones do not keep too well. They are best eaten the day they are made so they're the softest and fluffiest they can be.
Freezer instructions
These freeze well without the glaze.Let the scones cool completely, then place in a freezer-friendly bag or container, close well and label with the name and use-by date (freeze for up to 3 months).To defrost, unpack and place on a rack on the counter for a few hours, until defrosted. I like to warm them in the oven for a few minutes (or in the microwave for a few seconds) for that freshly-baked taste!