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There’s so much flavor in these tender, flaky scones. The top is sprinkled with coarse sugar before baking creating a lightly crisp and delicious exterior. Our Pumpkin Scone Recipe is simple, easy to make and practically fail-proof. A terrific treat to make for breakfast or brunch especially when hosting holiday company.

A pumpkin scone with the tip broken off to show the soft interior.

Pumpkin Scones with a Maple Glaze

All our seasonal scone recipes are terrific and this version is no exception. This easy recipe is flavored with pumpkin spice, pumpkin puree and optional pumpkin spice chips. The simple sweet glaze is enhanced with maple extract and strong brewed coffee. This combination of pumpkin and maple is a winner!

What you need to know about our Pumpkin Scone Recipe

The ingredient list might look a little long but almost everything is probably in your pantry.

Be sure you are using pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling. You won’t need an entire can of pumpkin puree but no worries, we have lots of recipes for you to use the leftovers including this super easy Pumpkin Pie Smoothie.

Use homemade or store-bought pumpkin spice (affiliate link). You may find it labeled “pumpkin pie spice” or just “pumpkin spice.” The name varies by manufacturer but both work well.

We used pumpkin spice baking chips for this recipe however they can be a little hard to find. Walmart sometimes carries them during fall. If not you can try ordering them from either Walmart or Amazon (affiliate link).

If you can’t find pumpkin spice baking chips, don’t worry about it. We also love these scones with cinnamon baking chips, white chocolate chips or mini semisweet chocolate chips. Chocolate and pumpkin are really great together so don’t hesitate to fold in some mini’s, bittersweet, semisweet or even milk chocolate chips. They’ll all be great in our scones.

Cold butter is what makes these scones flaky. Don’t skip this step!

These scones are great with or without the maple icing.

We always sprinkle coarse white sugar on top before baking. This helps create the nice crisp, sweet top everyone loves.

A bowl with butter chunks being cut into flour for scones.

Pumpkin spice chips being folded into dry scone dough ingredients.

Pumpkin scone dough being mixed together in a large bowl.

A cake pan filled with scone dough to form a circle before cutting.

Eight pumpkin scones on a parchment lined baking sheet ready to go in the oven.

How to Make our Pumpkin Scone Recipe

1. First prep the pans and pre-heat the oven

Start by preheating the oven and lining a baking sheet with parchment paper. Line an 8-inch cake pan with plastic wrap with extra hanging over the sides. Set aside.

2. Next make the scone dough

Whisk together the milk, vanilla extract, pumpkin puree and sugar. Refrigerate until needed.

Combine the dry ingredients including the all-purpose flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda and pumpkin spice. Using a pastry cutter or pastry blender (affiliate link) cut the small cubes of cold butter into the flour mixture until small pea size pieces remain. Add the pumpkin baking chips (or other baking chips) and fold together until incorporated.

Add the milk and pumpkin mixture and fold together using a spatula until no dry flour remains. The dough might seem a little dry but it will come together.

3. Form the scone cake

Transfer the dough to the cake pan and gently press to form an 8-inch round. Place the cake pan in the freezer for 5 minutes.

Using the plastic wrap as a sling, lift the dough out of the pan and place on the prepared baking sheet. Discard the plastic wrap.

Using a sharp knife cut the dough into 8 wedges. Lightly brush the tops with a little milk, an egg wash or melted butter. Sprinkle coarse sugar over the scone cake.

4. Finally, bake, glaze and serve

Separate the scones on the baking sheet. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack to cool slightly before glazing.

Whisk the glaze ingredients together in a small bowl. Spoon or drizzle the glaze over the scones and serve immediately.

An overhead view of 8 baked sugar topped scone wedges placed in a circle on a cooling rack.

An overhead view of 8 iced scone wedges placed in a circle on a cooling rack.

Storing and freezing leftover Pumpkin Scones

While these scones are best eaten the day they’re made, leftovers can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. Refrigerate for longer storage.

Baked scones can be frozen for up to 3 months well sealed in an airtight container.

An iced pumpkin scone on a plate with more in the background.

A pumpkin scone on a plate broken ope to show a soft interior.

Pumpkin Scone Recipe

Prep Time: 20

Cook Time: 30

Total Time: 50

Yield:

Course: Breakfast, Brunch

Author: Tricia

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The perfect cozy fall treat for breakfast, brunch or afternoon tea. Our flaky, golden scones are packed with autumnal spices, pumpkin puree and pumpkin spice chips then drizzled with a delicious maple icing.

Ingredients

For the scones:

½ cup cold whole milk (4oz)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup pumpkin puree (122g)
⅓ cup granulated sugar (74g)
3 cups all-purpose flour (378g)
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
10 tablespoons unsalted butter cold (5oz)
1 tablespoon pumpkin spice
1 cup pumpkin spice chips (6oz) or use cinnamon, white chocolate, or semisweet chocolate chips
2 tablespoons coarse sugar for topping (optional)

For the glaze:

1 cup powdered sugar sifted (115g or 4oz)
½ teaspoon maple extract or maple flavoring
1 tablespoon milk or cream more or less for desired consistency
1 tablespoon unsalted butter melted
1 tablespoon strong brewed coffee decaf is fine too
pinch of salt

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375℉. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. Line an 8-inch cake pan with plastic wrap with extra hanging over the sides. Sprinkle flour over the plastic wrap. Set aside. The cake pan will be use to form the scone round.
Whisk together the milk, vanilla, pumpkin puree and sugar. Refrigerate until needed.
Combine the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda and pumpkin spice in a large bowl. Cut the butter into 1/2-inch pieces and add to the flour mixture. Blend using a pastry cutter until only small pea size pieces remain.
Add the pumpkin chips to the flour and butter mixture. Fold together until incorporated.
Add the milk and pumpkin mixture to the flour and fold together using a spatula until the dough comes together and no dry flour remains. Using lightly floured hands gather the dough together and transfer to the 8-inch cake pan. If sticky, lightly flour the top of the dough. Gently press the dough into the pan to form an even 8-inch round. Place the cake pan in the freezer for 5 minutes.
Using the plastic wrap as a sling, lift the dough out of the cake pan and place on the prepared parchment lined baking sheet. Discard the plastic wrap.
Cut the dough into 8 wedges. Lightly brush the tops with a little milk or melted butter. Sprinkle coarse sugar over the scone cake.
Separate the scones on the baking sheet. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack to cool slightly before glazing.
Whisk the glaze ingredients together in a small bowl. Add more sugar or milk as needed for desired consistency. Drizzle over the scones and serve immediately.

Recipe Notes

Scones can be frozen for up to 3 months.
These scones are best eaten the day they’re made but will keep for up to 3 days at room temperature well sealed in an airtight container.
Refrigerate for longer storage.
Substitute white chocolate chips, cinnamon chips or any kind of chocolate chips for the pumpkin spice baking chip

Nutritional information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered as an estimate. When multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.

Nutrition

Pumpkin Scones with a Maple Glaze

What you need to know about our Pumpkin Scone Recipe

How to Make our Pumpkin Scone Recipe