These Pumpkin Scones are the perfect fall treat and a fan favorite, saved over 16,000 times! Tender, easy, and moist, they’re made with real pumpkin, sweetened with pure maple syrup, and infused with classic pumpkin pie spices. Each scone is finished with a rich browned butter maple glaze for that cozy, seasonal flavor. I’ll reveal my secret to achieving moist, tender scones that taste a lot like the ones you love from Starbucks!
One reader raved: “
These are amazing!! Loved every bite!! Especially loved the maple browned butter icing/glaze!!” ~ Traci
I enjoy giving precise details in my recipe posts to lead my readers through any questions. If you’re just here for the printable recipe, use the Jump to Recipe to head straight there!
The Secret to Making Tender, Moist Pumpkin Scones
The secret to perfect scones? After baking scones for decades, I can tell you—it’s all about cold ingredients! These pumpkin scones are on my fall must-bake list every year. Rather than creaming the butter, you want to keep little flecks and chunks visible in the dough without overworking it. A trick I swear by is grating my butter and freezing it while I prepare the other ingredients. This simple step makes all the difference!
I also tend to underbake my baked goods slightly. Whether it’s due to altitude or simply because I love a softer, chewier texture, that gentle underbaking results in a scone that’s extra moist and absolutely delicious!
Success Tips for the Best Pumpkin Scones Recipe
- Handle the Dough Gently – Mix just until the dough comes together to avoid tough scones.
- Chill Before Baking—Shape and chill the dough for 15-30 minutes to keep the butter solid for a flakier texture.
- Finish with a Cream Brush & Sugar – For a golden, sparkly crust, brush with heavy cream and sprinkle with coarse sugar before baking.
With these tips, you’ll achieve bakery-style pumpkin scones every time!
Pumpkin Scone Ingredients
- Flour – I used light whole wheat flour, though you can also use unbleached all-purpose flour.
- Butter—Use real, cold butter—either grated or diced—straight from the fridge. Return it to the fridge while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
- Spices – Cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and allspice—the classic pumpkin pie spices! Or feel free to substitute with Pumpkin Pie Spice.
- Pure Pumpkin – Not pumpkin pie filling, just simple, pure pumpkin purée.
- Vanilla Extract – A must for almost all baking recipes!
- Maple Syrup—Go for the real maple syrup; it’s worth the splurge in this recipe. You may also add some maple flavoring if desired.
- Eggs – I always use large eggs in my baking.
- Cream – Heavy Cream gives the scones their lift and lightness!
Get the full recipe in the recipe card below.
How to Make Maple Pumpkin Scones
Start by placing dry ingredients including your spices, salt and baking powder (see note) into a large mixing bowl and mix well with a whisk.
Dice butter into small chunks or if desired, grate your butter using a box grater — the butter will incorporate easier into the dough. Place in freezer until ready to use.
In a small mixing bowl whisk together pumpkin, maple syrup, maple flavoring (optional) and eggs until smooth, set aside.
Cut the butter into the dry ingredients using a pastry cutter, your fingers, or two knives. Gently work the butter in until it is about the size of peas. Do not overwork; you should see some larger pieces of butter.
Making a well in the center of the dry ingredients, pour the pumpkin mixture into the dry ingredients, stirring until a moist dough forms.
Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface, pressing and gently kneading (1 or 2 times) to incorporate any rogue dry ingredients into the dough, then divide into two equal halves.
On a parchment lined cookie sheet pat out dough into two 5 inch discs (about ¾ inch thick) then using a bench scraper or a knife cut the disc into 8 wedges. Gently pull the wedges away from one another using a small spatula.
Want to Save this Recipe?
Enter your email below & we'll send it straight to your inbox. Plus you’ll get great new recipes from us every week!
Place the baking sheet in the fridge or freezer for 15-30 minutes. This will marry the flavors and help the scones set.
Preheat your oven to 425ºF (220 ° C). Once the scones have spent time in the freezer (see tip* below), brush the tops with a little milk or cream, then bake for 18-21 minutes, until they are lightly golden and a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Allow to cool for 2 minutes, then transfer to wire cooling rack.
Can You Freeze Scones?
Absolutely. Unless baking for a crowd, I recommend wrapping the second disc of scones tightly in plastic wrap or parchment paper and then placing it in a gallon freezer baggie with baking instructions for a future date.
When ready to bake, just remove from the freezer and bake as directed, adding a minute or two. If desired brush with milk or cream right before baking.
Browned Butter Maple Glaze Ingredients
- Powdered Sugar
- Butter, Browned
- Maple Syrup plus maple extract for vanilla extract
- Cream or Milk
How to Make Browned Butter Maple Glaze
- Slowly brown your butter in a small saucepan; it shouldn’t take more than a minute or two.
- In a small mixing bowl, combine powdered sugar, maple syrup, maple flavoring, cream, and brown butter with a pinch of salt, mixing until smooth and pouring consistency.
- For more details, visit this post on Browned Butter Glaze.
If you would like more of a glazed look on the scones, then let scones cool for 15 minutes before drizzling glaze on, it will melt into the scone a bit. If you want more of a drizzled look, then wait until scones cool completely and drizzle glaze on scones.
Storing Starbucks Pumpkin Scones
Scones are best eaten the day they are made, but they can also be wrapped and frozen or kept on the counter in an airtight container for 2-3 days.
To warm, simply place the desired scones on a small pan and bake in a preheated 250° oven for 5 minutes or warm in the microwave for 15-20 seconds.
Enjoy with a steaming Chai Latte, Creamy Golden Milk, or a rich cup of coffee.
TRY MORE PUMPKIN and FALL RECIPES
- Butternut Squash Autumn Soup
- Creamy Pumpkin Curry Soup
- Pumpkin Bread with Maple Browned Butter Glaze
- Maple Whiskey Sour
- Pumpkin Spice Coffee Cake
- Gluten-Free Apple Pie with Crumb Topping
- Pumpkin Yogurt | Copycat Noosa
- Chocolate Pumpkin Graham Crisp {+ Video}
More from The Fresh Cooky
Like this recipe?
Don’t forget to give it a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ star rating and leave a comment below the recipe!
Equipment
Ingredients
Maple Pumpkin Scones
- ½ cup butter cold (grated or diced)
- 2 ¾ cups all-purpose unbleached white flour or light whole wheat flour (see note) + 1 tablespoon for high altitude
- 1 tablespoon baking powder reduce to 2 ½ teaspoons for high altitude
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon Or use 1 ¾ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice and omit cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and allspice
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅔ cup pumpkin puree use 100% pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling
- ⅓ cup maple syrup + 2 Tablespoons. Use real maple syrup.
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon maple flavoring optional
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream + 2 tablespoons for brushing
Browned Butter Maple Glaze
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons butter browned
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- ½ teaspoon maple extract or vanilla
- 1-2 tablespoons heavy cream or milk
- pinch salt
Instructions
For the Maple Pumpkin Scones
- Preheat oven to 425ºF (220 ° C) and line a half sheet baking pan with parchment.
- Dice butter into small chunks or if desired or better grate the butter using a box grater— the butter will incorporate easier into the dough. Place grated butter in freezer until ready to use.½ cup butter
- Whisk flour, spices, salt and baking powder in a large mixing bowl.2 ¾ cups all-purpose unbleached white flour, 1 tablespoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon ground ginger, ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg, ¼ teaspoon ground allspice, ¼ teaspoon salt
- Next in a small mixing bowl whisk together pumpkin puree, eggs, vanilla extract, maple syrup and heavy cream until smooth⅔ cup pumpkin puree, ⅓ cup maple syrup, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, ½ teaspoon maple flavoring, 2 large eggs
- Cut butter into the dry ingredients using a pastry blender or using your fingers or two knives. work the butter until it's incorporated about the sizes of peas or smaller.
- Making a well in the center of the dry ingredients, pour your pumpkin mixture into the dry ingredients, stirring until a moist dough forms.
- Turn your dough onto a lightly floured surface, pressing and gently kneading (1 or 2 times) any extra dry ingredients into the dough, then divide into two equal halves. It's okay if it's a little dry and crumbly, as long as when you gently press it together, it sticks together.
- On a parchment lined cookie sheet pat out dough into two 5 inch discs (about ¾ inch thick) then using a bench scraper or a knife cut the disc into 6-8 wedges. Alternative you can make one large disc, about 8 inches, no higher than 1 inch and cut into 8 triangles. After cutting, using a small spatula, gently pull the wedges away from one another. Keeping the dough closer together helps the scones puff up rather than out.
- Place the baking sheet in the fridge or freezer for 15-30 minutes, the flavors will marry and it will help the scones set.
- Remove from fridge/freezer and brush tops with a little milk or heavy cream and if desired, sprinkle with a little coarse sugar. Bake for 18-21 minutes, until they are puffed, lightly golden and a toothpick inserted comes out clean.2 tablespoons heavy cream
- Allow to cool for 2 minutes, then transfer to wire cooling rack to cool completely before glazing.
Browned Butter Maple Glaze
- Over medium-low heat, add butter to a small saucepan and brown. It will melt, bubble violently, then settle once you see brown flecks, remove it from heat. It will smell "nutty".2 tablespoons butter
- In a small mixing bowl pour your powdered sugar, maple syrup, maple flavoring, cream and browned butter with a pinch of salt, mixing until smooth and pouring consistency. Drizzle over scones or dunk tops of cooled scones½ cup powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons maple syrup, ½ teaspoon maple extract, 1-2 tablespoons heavy cream, pinch salt
Want to Save this Recipe?
Enter your email below & we’ll send it straight to your inbox. Plus you’ll get great new recipes from us every week!
Notes
- Reduce baking soda to 1 ¾ teaspoons
- Increase flour by 1 tablespoon
- Bake as directed
Nutrition
Traci
These are amazing!! Loved every bite!! Especially loved the maple browned butter icing/glaze !!
Love reading that Traci!!
Susan
In a hurry and Ididn’t nt freeze as directed and didn’t have the maple flavoring, still they turned out fabulous! I sprinkled a little sea salt on top of glaze and now they are going into the case at our coffee shop! Thank you!
YAY! So glad that even with your rushing and changes they turned out amazing, LOVE the idea of sea salt on the top!! YUM! Thanks so much for your kind comment, have a beautiful day!
Carrie Murdock
I didn’t see in the instructions where to add the 2T of heavy cream. Unless I missed it. I added it to my wet ingredients.
Thanks for catching that Carrie, I’ve adjusted the recipe, you added it exactly in the right place! Happy baking!
Sharon I noticed not show salt or any amount. Is salt required and if so what amount?sharon
I. I noticed you had salt in the directions but in the actual recipe it does not show salt or any amount. Is salt required and if so what amount?
Hi Sharon, so sorry about that! Yes, ¼ teaspoon salt, I have amended the recipe, thanks for catching that!
Colleen
Hi,
When making this recipe I noticed that you mention sugar in the directions, but there is no measurement under the ingredient list. I made them without sugar and they were delicious.
Just wanted to see if you actually use sugar.
Thanks,
Colleen
Colleen, thank you so much! I did indeed, probably so used to it, but no, there isn’t any sugar in the scone itself, just maple syrup sweetened, only sugar in the glaze, thank you for pointing that out, glad you liked them! They are a favorite of ours too!