I’ve been on quite the scone tear here lately, what with the maple-oatmeal scones and then the quiche lorraine scones, and now these! I had been meaning to post a fabulous pumpkin scone recipe since back in October (procrastination, anyone?), but time simply slipped away from me and then the holidays rolled around, and well, you all know how that goes. Thanks to a reader, Rocio, who left a comment on the Brown Eyed Baker Facebook page asking for a pumpkin scone recipe and kicked my butt into gear! Scones are so easy to whip up and bake that there really is no excuse for not making some as soon as the urge strikes. I absolutely adore this pumpkin scone recipe – it is the perfect combination of sweet and spicy and although I have never had the Starbucks original, I honestly can’t imagine them being better than this homemade version. Plus, anything with two levels of icing has to be good, as a matter of principal.
This dough appears a bit dry at first, but as you incorporate the wet ingredients it becomes stickier and more like typical scone dough. The only change I would make to this recipe would be to decrease the amount of milk in both glazes, as it was just a little too thin for my taste. While I usually always add milk just a little at a time for a glaze, I must have lost my mind for a moment and didn’t do it this time. It still tastes fantastic, I’d just like it a little thicker. This, of course, is a matter of personal preference!
Thanks again to Rocio for asking about these scones; I love getting requests from readers so feel free to email me anytime or leave a message on Facebook or Twitter!
Do you have a favorite coffee shop pastry or treat?
One year ago: Ham and Split Pea Soup
Two years ago: Almost Fudge Gateau
Pumpkin Scones with Spiced Glaze
Yield: 12 scones
For the Scones:
2 cups all-purpose flour
7 Tablespoons granulated sugar
1 Tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
6 Tablespoons cold butter
½ cup canned pumpkin
3 Tablespoons half-and-half
1 large eggFor the Powdered Sugar Glaze:
1 cup plus 1 Tablespoon powdered sugar
2 Tabelspoons milkFor the Spiced Glaze:
1 cup plus 3 Tablespoons powdered sugar
2 Tablespoons milk
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 pinch ground ginger
1 pinch ground cloves1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.
2. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger in a large bowl. Use a fork to cut the butter into the dry ingredients until mixture is crumbly and no chunks of butter are obvious; set aside.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the pumpkin, half-and-half and egg. Fold wet ingredients into dry ingredients, and form the dough into a ball. Pat out dough onto a lightly floured surface and form it into a 1-inch thick rectangle about 3 times as long as wide. Use a large knife or a pizza cutter to slice the dough twice through the width, making three equal portions. Cut each of the portions in an X pattern (four pieces) so you end up with 12 triangular slices of dough. Place on prepared baking sheet. Bake for 14-16 minutes, or until light brown. Place on wire rack to cool.
4. To make the powdered sugar glaze, mix the powdered sugar and milk together until smooth. When scones are cool, use a brush to spread plain glaze over the top of each scone.
5. To make the spiced glaze, while the powdered sugar glaze is firming, combine all of the ingredients for the spiced glaze. Drizzle over each scone and allow the icing to dry before serving (about an hour).
(Adapted from We [Heart] Food)
Tags: Fall, pumpkin, Scones
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These look absolutely delicious! I have them bookmarked and hope to try them soon!
They ARE delicious! My sister made them for a potluck brunch yesterday, and EVERYONE loved them and wanted the recipe. I liked that they weren’t as dense and dry as some scone recipes can be. They were moist and light. If you make them, don’t skip the glaze–it really makes the recipe.
Thanks for the review Annie, so happy to hear these were a huge hit!
I love pumpkin scones from Starbucks.
I’ve always wanted to try the Starbuck’s pumpkin scones, but like you said I’m sure they aren’t as good as these!!
Aren’t these awesome?
I have pumpkin in my freezer that may just have to be used for this…
I’m surprised by how easy-ish these are to make! I’ve always wanted to make scones, but, for whatever reason, I thought they would be difficult to make taste good.
These look so yummy! I wish I had one right now with my coffee.
If you are going to keep whipping up beauties like these keep ‘em comin! These look amazing!
These look amazing! I am going to do these for sure
All I can say is YUMMY.
Oh, there is pumpkin in my pantry right now! i was thinking about cookies, but no…these scones are a MUST! Yum-o!!!
DELICIOUS!
Let then sit for on hour before serving??? Not in my house!
I just made scones yesterday for the first time! I made strawberry chocolate chip, but mine aren’t even as close to as beautiful as yours! I need to try these next, I love pumpkin anything!
i am going to make this right now! i’ve been waiting since your facebook teaser status last night!
They look super! Crazy question, but have you ever tried making scones without butter? Maybe butter flavored shortening instead? Just wondering.
I tried this recipe today and found that the batter is too dry to stay together to roll and cut into the correct pieces. I ended up having to add additional pumpkin and egg white so everything stays together and just moulded them each by hand rather than cutting them. I’m not sure how they’ll taste. Has anyone else had this problem?
I made them yesterday and did not have this problem. They were delicious!
Ooh, if we can make requests, I love cherry turnovers, the type with a flaky outside and drizzled with glaze. Yum!
I’ve never actually made scones, but these look delicious!
these scones look amazing! I am actually from Pittsburgh too! do you sell any of your baked goods locally?
Krispy Kreme has these amazing Pumpkin Spice doughnuts! They only sell them during certain times of the year. I wish they sold them year-round! I’ll have to make these to get my fix.
Yum! These pumpkin scones look and sound amazing. I’m saving it to my recipe box and will for sure give it a try!
it is not easy to find canned pumpkin in Feb, but well worth it. These were awesome. The starbucks ones are a weakness of mine, not any more! thank you.
I just made these and they were so easy! I’m brewing a pot of coffee to go with them – gonna share them with my neighbor. I’ve already tried one and they are delish!! Thanks!
Ooh… I’ve been on a scones kick lately, too. And, I love pumpkin, so these are going on my must-bake list right away!
YUM-these look delicious! I made a batch of these the other day and used eggnog in the place of milk to make the glaze-it turned out wonderful
I just made these and oh man, these totally made my day. I made them for a friend coming by for coffee tomorrow morning. She’s going to love them. I skipped the spice glaze, just did the powdered sugar one, and instead of half and half (which I didn’t have) I used vanilla coffee creamer.
Hi Michelle, I made these scones and they are wonderful! I created a blog and am becoming a blog addict. Thanks for sharing. Looks like people like the cookie recipe that I sent you. I had to make them my first recipe, because we love them, but I mentioned your blog. Come visit. ~Jane~
I found your wonderful food website on Tasty Kitchen.
I love it.
Okay, after I make the Russian cake and the Fig Cheesecake, I’ll make these!
I’ll dig out my big jeans and buy another pair of running shoes!
Baked goods are love!
Hi Vicki, welcome! Always great to hear how readers found their way here, thanks for sharing! Enjoy the goodies!
I LOVE the Starbucks pumpkin scones, but these are way better! I used a heart-shaped cookie cutter to cut out mini scones and made a couple regular sized ones too. The mini ones are dangerous to have around! Thanks for the great recipe
Oh I love the idea of using a heart-shaped cookie cutter to cut these! Great idea!
It was today or never on some left over pumpkin I had in the fridge so I broke down and made these for the kids after school snack. Can you say “seconds please?” I think I caught the four year old on the verge of licking her plate. But, in the spirit of my recipe altering fetish……I added mini chocolate chips to them. But that is it. And, yah. They were GOOD! I can see the spicy icing being good on many other things. Thanks for a great recipe.
Regards,
Amanda
Yay for awesome after-school snacks! I’m so happy to hear your kids enjoyed these! Thanks for the tip on the chocolate chips, sounds like an awesome addition!
I think I’m in love! <3
I just made these the other day and they are AWESOME!!! Thank you so much for the recipe.
Since my family is not a big fan of sugar glaze, I left out the first one and only used the one with spices. It was delectable. http://madeincropal.blogspot.com/2010/10/finally-scones.html
Yay! So glad you and your clan loved these!
I featured these scones on my blog today!! They are sooo tasty. thanks for sharing!
Blessings~
Alisa
Glad you enjoyed them enough to blog about them, Alisa!
Oh my!! I am a huge fan of Starbucks’ pumpkin scones, but this recipe has S-bux beat! Absolutely delicious. I will be making this recipe every Fall for sure. Thank you for sharing. I’ve never made scones before, but it was so easy.
Woo for beating Starbucks! Glad you loved these!
Scrumptious! Love the spice glaze – why have I never thought of adding spices to glaze before? Hmmm….what ELSE would this enhance?
Wonderful recipe again! I made these the other day and OMG..Delicious! I shall be totally making these again soon. Hhmm, I wonder if they’ll freeze well? Any ideas?
Hi Helen, Yes, scones freeze extremely well. Just rewarm them in a 350 degree oven and then drizzle! You could also freeze them prior to baking and just add a minute or two to the baking time.
Just popped these babies out of the oven and they are GOOD! The texture is fantastic….tender with a wonderful crust. I added more spice to the spiced glaze, just my personal preference. I’d definitely make these again!
Woo! So glad you enjoyed these, they are fab!
I just made these to mail to my husband in Iraq. The recipe was very easy to double, and as far as scones go, the dough was a dream to work with! Instead of twelve, I cut small scones and ended up with 36 small but good size scones (due to the great rise on this dough). Plenty to share with his soldiers. I also mixed up the sugar and spices for the spiced glaze and taped a card with directions to the outside. Add milk, spoon over the scone, and a soldier gets a nice pumpkin scone with his/her coffee. Wonderful easy treat to mail to the soldiers who are away from home this holiday season! Thank you.
Darcy, What a wonderful idea! I’m so thrilled to know that these are giving some soldiers an extra-special breakfast treat. My best to your husband and those with him.
These were amazing! I used to be addicted to Starbucks pumpkin scones but could stop eating them after one because they were so dry. These were not dry and there is no limit to how many i can eat, which might be a problem!
thanks for posting the recipe. Also i have a dear friend who is stuck on bedrest that loves pumpkin and i’m going to make them for her and if she loves them as much as i do i plan to freeze some for her. How long do you think they will last in the freezer? have you ever froze yours and then made them later? Thanks much!
Hi Allyson, I haven’t frozen mine, but I would say about a month or two if you wrapped and stored them well.
These are wonderful! And I used buttermilk instead of cream and put cinnamon sugar on top before I baked them–then I just used the spiced glaze–they are now part of my “go to” recipes!
Can you use pumpkin pie spice instead of the cinnamon, nutmeg, Ginger and cloves?
Absolutely!
Just made these and they are great. A little bit too much clove for me so I will adjust next time. I made a pot of pumpkin soup to use up the rest of the pumpkin. Thanks so much!
I was wondering if I could subsititute equal parts butter for pumpkin puree. I don’t keep a lot of butter in the house, and I love the idea of using pumpkin puree in a pumpkin scone. Do you think that might work?
Hi Audrey, The butter in the recipe is what contributes to its flaky texture; without it they may end up being rather mushy.
I made these and added finely chopped crystallized ginger. They are delicious! I am a ginger lover and love the extra ginger kick.
I absolutely love your site! I am so glad I came across it. I am planning on making these scones during the impending hurricane this weekend, but I was wondering if whole milk could be used in place of the half and half? I get nervous about swapping out ingredients in new recipes. Keep up all the fabulous work!!
Hi Amanda, If you don’t have access to actual half and half you could sub half whole milk, and half heavy cream. You could do all whole milk if you’re in a pinch though.
Hi! How many ounces of canned pumpkin do you use? I have 29 oz cans of pumpkin at home and know smaller sized-cans are available. Can’t wait to bake these and thanks!
Kai
Hi Kai, The 1/2 cup of canned pumpkin called for in this recipe is the equivalent of 5 ounces.
I made these last week with the first ripe pumpkin from my garden–they were exactly what I hoped they would be. However, I did double the spice in the scone and icing as I like ‘em “spicy”. Thanks for the fantastic recipe.
My house smells wonderful and my sweet tooth is satisfied because of these great scones. Even though they turned out awesome, I screwed up the recipe and forgot the egg. I thought an egg was an essential part of baking? Thanks Michelle, I love your blog, recipes and stories.
Kylie
I’ve love scones and anything pumpkin, so this was a must-try recipe for me! These were delicious. They are definitely moister and a different texture than a traditional scone, but that is fine with me. More like a really moist muffin or cake. Presentation was nice and they were quick and easy to make with ingredients I always have on hand. You’ll definitely want to use the icing; it lends extra moisture and flavor! I’ll definitely make these every fall.
Note: I did not have any half and half and subbed 2% in milk.
One more thing – brush the thinner, plain glaze on the scones and let dry completely. Once dry, drizzle the thicker, spicy glaze back and forth over the top. It adds nice contrast and makes them look like you purchased them from a bakery!
my dough was a little more sticky then i was expecting but i just added some flour to work that out, not sure if that was normal for everyone that tried it.
I doubled the recipe since i had a can of pumpkin and just froze the extra. These are super good. I also had a bit of extra pumpkin left in the can and added it to the spice glaze which gave it just that extra pumpkin taste which was great! I love pumpkin!
These sound amazing….but we font have half and half here in England. What could I use instead?? Love your sight…keep the pumpkin recipes coming.
:):):)
I used milk and they turned out just fine, I think a few others did as well judging by the comments
Thanks a million Shannon, I look forward to having a go at these!
Me again. If I make these scones on Sunday evening,do you think they will taste as good on Monday morning? I want to take them to work.
Thanks,
Jennifer
Honestly, they won’t taste AS good (scones are always best fresh), but they will still be delicious! Just store them in an airtight container.
Thank you for the recipe! I made them this morning!
Really?? NO one had the same problem is had? The “dough” was so sticky it just was mush, I followed the recipie exactly. I measure flour without packing and that’s the only thing I can see as a possible mishap. Seriously no one else got mush?? It wasn’t even close to a scone dough.
Amanda, I had the exact same problem! The dough was so wet and sticky that I added in extra flour, but then they turned into flavorless lumps when I baked them! I consider myself a pretty stellar baker, and the dough had great flavor before I had to add extra flour … but this was kind of disappointing!
Just took these babies outta the oven and they look and smell fantastic! No probs with the dough…followed the directions to the letter..except! I did not have any parchment paper and they did just fine on an ungreased cookie sheet. Thanks for an awesome recipe!
I adapted these scones to be gluten-free, dairy-free, and soy-free and blogged about it here. Oh my gosh! So good! Thanks for inspiring Sweet Pea’s Kitchen to make them!
You must make these scones. They are sooo good and way better than Sbux! Moist and flavorful. Thank you.
Made these scones three times now. My one addition is mini cinnamon chips (from KAF- Baker’s Catalogue)- WOW. Tried the two glaze method twice and loved. Then I tried with just the spice glaze. I didn’t like it as well, might have made it too thin. Just found your site recently, my new favorite recipe site.
I think dry/wetness depends on elevation, mine were very moist and i had to add a touch of flour when flattening out so not to stick on the counter/pan, i also instead of just cutting with knife used a pumpkin cookie cutter. it worked very well even balling and reshaping the dough. i didn’t do both glazes on them, just the spiced since i was wanting to do less sugar since they’re going to my son’s preschool as a snack. but i tried them and it was more than enough to give it a good flavor.
I absolutely love scones first-thing in the morning; add pumpkin spice & I’m SOLD. Keep the scones comin’! I included your Pumpkin Scones recipe in a recipe round-up on the Mr. Food Blog, thanks so much
http://www.mrfoodblog.com/easy-pumpkin-pie-muffins/
Has anyone tried using buttermilk instead of the half and half?
made the dough two days ago and baked them today, they turned out great!! now, if they weren’t so fattening, LOL
I made these for brunch, and they were a big hit! They were just as good as Starbucks’s pumpkin scones, if not, better. The glaze looks so pretty, and adds a lot to the flavor.
Just made these for breakfast for my husband and I. Can’t believe how easy they were to make. Thanks!
Made these yesterday mid-morning and were quickly gone! There has been a request to whip these up again for breakfast. Very good and SO easy! Also, our 19 yr old son who is employed by Starbucks gave them two thumbs up.
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