Pumpkin scones for two. This quick small batch scone recipe is full of real pumpkin and pumpkin spice! The best scones you've ever had because they're made with all cream and are super flaky!
If you like this recipe, you will also love my pumpkin ebook with 25 Pumpkin Recipe That Aren't Pie and 1 That Is!
The only time it's good to be flaky is when you're a scone. Wait, I should say that biscuits are definitely allowed to be flaky, too.
If you haven't seen my small batch biscuits recipe, you need to see that too!
How to make scones, the rule book:
First of all, a proper scone is made with all cream and a small amount of butter. It should puff up and out in the oven, and crack in a few places, too. While it's flaky on the outside, the inside of a scone, should be soft and muffin-y.
I don't make the rules for scones, friends, I just know how to make them the best way possible.
My small-batch pumpkin scones recipe makes 4 scones. It's perfect for a weekday morning when you want a quick breakfast treat. The scone dough is made all in one bowl, and then shaped and cut right on the baking pan.
They bake in less than 20 minutes, which gives you plenty of time to clean up the bowls and make the pumpkin spice glaze.
Pumpkin Scones Recipe Adaptations:
Because pumpkin is a very wet ingredient, I had to make a few adjustments to this recipe.
- Reduce the butter and omit the egg yolk.
- Add 2 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice. The moisture of the pumpkin replaced the egg yolk.
- Remember to use a big pan so the scones have room to breathe.
As a result of these changes, these scones are the BEST.
When I made my lemon scones for two recipe, you guys freaked because they're light and flaky, just the way they should be! I'm happy to report that the pumpkin scones are just as light and flaky.
Can you see how much these guys puffed up in the oven? The cracked portion and the crispy bit on the top is my absolute FAVORITE.
If you want great scones, don't use one of those scone pans! Scones need plenty of room to puff up in the oven, and they should have plenty of room around them while they bake. These pumpkin scones in the photo were pushed together for the photo; bake them spaced apart, please.
This is my quarter sheet pan, and it has plenty of room to space out 4 scones.
Are these better than Starbucks pumpkin scones?
In a word, yes, because the texture is better and they also have more spice!
I ordered a pumpkin scone at Starbucks to compare, and still, I love this recipe more!
Therefore, every morning, I resist the urge to hand out these pumpkin scones to everyone in line at Starbucks to prevent them from ordering their thin, flat ones!
Even though this recipe isn't overly sweet, you can sweeten it up with the icing. The pumpkin spice icing on top brings all the sweetness you need, but in my opinion, the glaze is optional. If you decide not to use the icing, pair the scones up with a cup of milky sweet coffee.
So are you ready to start baking? I'm going to hand this recipe over to you, friends, and then let you comment about their deliciousness. There's only so many times I can tell you how sweet, flaky, fluffy, tender, spicy and delicious these pumpkin scones are before you think I'm crazy!
Finally, I want to share my recipe for homemade pumpkin pie spice that really makes all of my pumpkin desserts sing.
Homemade pumpkin spice recipe:
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon grated nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- ½ teaspoon ground allspice
- scant ½ teaspoon of finely ground black pepper
Yes, black pepper is the key here! If you don't have all the ingredients in your pantry to make it, you can also buy pumpkin spice in a jar. Plus, I'm always struggling to use up my spices before they lose their flavor.
If you make these pumpkin scones, let me know on Instagram. And don't forget to subscribe to my newsletter so you never miss a recipe!
Pumpkin Scones
Pumpkin scones with pumpkin spice glaze.
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoon pumpkin spice
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold
- ¼ cup canned pumpkin puree
- ⅓ cup heavy cream
For the glaze:
- ⅓ cup powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon pumpkin spice
- 1-2 tablespoons heavy cream
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400.
- In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and pumpkin spice.
- Dice the butter and add it to the flour mixture. Work the butter into the flour mixture until it's evenly distributed and smaller than peas. Use two knives, a pastry cutter, or your hands.
- Next, add the pumpkin and heavy cream in a small bowl and whisk together. Pour this on the flour mixture and stir until a shaggy dough forms. Don't overmix, but incorporate things well.
- Scoop the dough out, place it on the baking sheet, and use the warmth of your hands to make it stick together into a circle.
- Shape the dough into a disc 5" in diameter.
- Slice the dough circle into 4 even pieces. Brush each piece with extra heavy cream.
- Bake for 16-19 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean and the scones are lightly brown on the edges.
- While the scones bake, whisk together the glaze ingredients. Pour on the scones when they come out of the oven. Serve immediately.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 378Total Fat: 16gSaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 46mgSodium: 344mgCarbohydrates: 55gFiber: 2gSugar: 23gProtein: 5g
Betsy says
I baked these this morning and they are
wonderful, especially with butter and honey!
Christina Lane says
Yay, Betsy! thanks so much for sharing!
Jenni says
Made the dough last night and put them in the fridge. Popped them in at 7 this morning and had the best autumn breakfast anybody could want!
Made my husband jealous (he's not a pumpkin lover, which means more for me!) so I'm headed into the kitchen to make lemon scones. Thanks for the awesome recipe!
Jodi says
I was skeptical on the black pepper, but you are totally right. The spices are perfect.
Erin P says
My hubby is usually skeptical when it comes to pumpkin snacks, but with these, he asked for seconds! I had to make a second batch so I could have breakfast in the morning for at least a couple of days. Delicious, and so easy!
Christina Lane says
yay! Pumpkin scones are the gateway to pumpkin desserts! :)
Peter Gordon says
Made these this morning. Had to keep looking for the eggs which are not needed. I added about 1/2 t of vanilla extract and about a teaspoon of sour cream. I put them in the refrigerator for about 20 minutes while I worked the crossword puzzle. I had separated the sections by about an inch. They really puffed up and out with delightful cracked crusts. I separated them at 19 minutes but they were a little raw looking where they had joined so I stuck them back in the cooling oven for another 5 minutes.
Wow! They came out light with a delightful crust on the outside. I made the homemade spice blend and it was perfect. Really great recipe...even if you did leave out the eggs.
Mara says
I just made these. They are incredible!
The pumpkin spice takes these to a whole new level! The black pepper adds a little bit of heat and the flavor is to die for!
Here’s what I did to make them even better. Instead of canned pumpkin I used fresh, steamed and puréed. Instead of granulated sugar I used raw cane sugar or sugar in the raw that has larger granules. It didn’t dissolve completely and added a little bit of crunch on the outside and bottom while the inside is soft and fluffy!
Thank you for this recipe! The best scones I’ve ever tasted!
Theresa Cummings says
Made these this weekend and they were a hit! thanks for the recipe! :)
Anamika @ Supplement Crunch says
I just found your blog through Cooking for Seven and I am so excited! I love to bake frequently and often find myself with too many recipes, too little stomach-room.
Mandy says
I made these twice in the last week. I didn't have heavy cream either time, but I did have some coffee creamer that I needed to use up (caramel flavored almond based). The first time, I followed the recipe as written (didn't use the frosting and used store bought pumpkin spice). It was soft and had a good pumpkin flavor. The second time, I added three teaspoons of pumpkin spice, and I added too much liquid by mistake. I had to 'plop' four circles on my pan instead of getting that scone shape. I also added a handful of dark chocolate chips in the batter (yum!). Even with the extra liquid, these were still soft and tasty.
BellaDonna says
Thank you for a small batch recipe of the yummiest Fall flavour scones. My husband is a nut for pumpkin spice and, while I love to bake, it is so difficult to get a good result cutting recipes in half when I’m only feeding two of us. These were delicious - perfect cake in the middle, pleasing crunch on the outside. Not too sweet, not too spicy...just right.