Light and crumbly Pumpkin Scones are the perfect fall breakfast! So easy to put together and with the addition of cranberries and maple syrup for sweetening, they're a delicious treat for any autumn morning.
If you like this recipe then you will also love my kumquat poppy seed scones I made a while back and these clementine cranberry scones.
I think this is one of the best pumpkin scones recipes out there, and I've tried quite a few. The dough uses melted butter, so there's no cutting in cold butter, and the pumpkin keeps the inside soft while the turbinado sugar gives the tops a little crunch. My best tip: handle the dough as little as possible.
I baked these twice in one weekend. The first batch used part whole-wheat flour, which I loved, but the kids and my husband wanted them sweeter. So for the second batch I used all-purpose flour, bumped the maple syrup up to 3 tablespoons, added ginger and an extra dash of cinnamon, and drizzled on a pumpkin glaze. That's the version below, and it disappeared fast.
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Ingredients for these pumpkin scones
- All-purpose flour: The base of the scone and responsible for its structure.
- Baking powder: The leavening agent that helps the scones rise.
- Cinnamon and ginger: These spices add warm, autumnal flavors to the scones.
- Dried cranberries: They provide a tart contrast to the sweet scone and keep the texture interesting.
- Pumpkin puree: Adds moisture and a distinct fall flavor to the scones.
- Butter: Gives richness to the scone and helps to create its tender, crumbly texture.
- Egg: Binds the ingredients together and aids in leavening.
- Vanilla extract: Enhances the flavors of the other ingredients.
- Maple syrup: Serves as a natural sweetener.
- Milk: Used to brush the tops of the scones, it adds helps the topping adhere.
- Turbinado sugar: Sprinkled on top for a sweet, crunchy finish.
- Confectioner's sugar, canned pumpkin, vanilla extract, and cinnamon: These ingredients make up the glaze, adding a sweet and spicy finishing touch.
How to Make Pumpkin Cranberry Scones
Preheat your oven: Set your oven to 350 F to ensure it's ready for baking when your scone dough is prepared.
Prepare the dry ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and cinnamon. Stir in the dried cranberries.
Prepare the wet ingredients: In a separate small bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, melted butter, egg, vanilla extract, and maple syrup.
Combine the ingredients: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Stir to combine, using a wooden spoon to gently bring the dough together.
Knead the dough: Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured counter. Knead the dough slightly to combine it, taking care not to overwork it. If the dough is too sticky, sprinkle a little flour on it and knead it once or twice.
Shape the dough: Pat the dough into a round shape, approximately 1-inch thick. Brush the top with milk, then sprinkle on the turbinado sugar.
Cut the scones: Use a biscuit cutter to cut out the scones. The size of the cutter will determine the number of scones (a small cutter yields about 12, a larger one yields 8).
Bake the scones: Place the scones on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Bake them for 15-18 minutes, or until golden and cooked through. Larger scones or scones cut into wedges may require about 20 minutes.
Prepare the glaze: While the scones are baking, whisk together the ingredients for the glaze: confectioner's sugar, canned pumpkin, vanilla extract, and cinnamon.
Finish the scones: As soon as you remove the scones from the oven, drizzle them with the glaze. Enjoy your Pumpkin Cranberry Scones warm!
Recipe Tips
- Don't overwork the dough: Kneading too much makes tough scones. Stop as soon as it holds together.
- No biscuit cutter? Pat the dough into a circle and cut it into 8 wedges, or use the rim of a drinking glass. Wedges and larger scones need about 20 minutes.
- Let them cool before glazing: A few minutes keeps the glaze from melting and sliding off.
- Want them less sweet? Use just 1 tablespoon of maple syrup and skip the glaze. That's how I like them, but my family prefers the sweeter version.
- Add more spice: A pinch of nutmeg or cloves makes them taste even more like pumpkin pie.
I made the scones twice this weekend. The first time was with part whole wheat flour. I really liked the part whole wheat flour version. It's not easy for me to sneak whole-wheat flour in every recipe and get the kids to enjoy the recipe.
I will try another time and maybe just use ½ cup whole wheat flour and 1 ½ cups all-purpose. It's important to not work the dough too much. If you feel it is too sticky to work with, you could sprinkle on a little more flour into the dough while you knead it.
The second time I baked the pumpkin cranberry scones, I used entirely all-purpose flour, I increased the maple syrup another tablespoon (so total 3 Tablespoons maple syrup) and I added an egg.
If you decide to bake with part whole-wheat flour and follow the original recipe, the scones will be a little more dense. I added ginger and another dash of cinnamon. The next time I bake them, I am going to sub the butter for coconut oil for a delicious fall vegan breakfast idea. If you change up the recipe, let me know what you did and how it turned out!
Storage and Freezing
- Room temperature: Scones are best the day they're baked. Keep leftovers in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
- Freezing: Freeze unglazed scones in a freezer bag for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature, warm briefly in the oven, then glaze.
Serving Suggestions
I serve these warm with coffee or tea for a fall breakfast. For a brunch spread, add my Sourdough Pumpkin Coffee Cake or Baked Pumpkin Spice Donuts.
More posts like this:
- Banana Scones with Maple Espresso Glaze
- Clementine Cranberry Scones-Soft and Flaky Vegan Scones
- Kumquat Poppy Seed Scones
- Authentic Scottish Scones Recipe-Soft and Crumbly Tea Scones
- Easy Pumpkin Bundt Cake with Coconut
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Pumpkin Cranberry Scones
Equipment
Ingredients
Dough
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ginger
- ½ cup dried cranberries
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 4 Tablespoons butter melted
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 Tablespoons maple syrup
For the top
- 2 Tablespoons milk
- 1 Tablespoon turbinado sugar
Pumpkin Glaze
- 1 cup confectioner's sugar
- 2 Tablespoons milk or milk
- 2 Tablespoons canned pumpkin
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F. In a large bowl whisk together the flours, baking powder and cinnamon. Stir in the dried cranberries.
- In a small bowl whisk together the pumpkin, butter, egg, vanilla and maple syrup. Add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir to combine.
- Bring dough together gently with a wooden spoon.
- Turn dough out onto a lightly floured counter and knead it just a bit to combine (do not overwork the dough. If it is too sticky, sprinkle a little flour onto the dough and knead it once or twice before flattening.
- Pat dough into a round approximately 1-inch thick. Cut with a small biscuit cutter (yields about 12 pieces. Cut with larger biscuit cutter yields 8 scones)
- Place the scones on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Brush with milk. Sprinkle on the turbinado sugar. Bake for 15-18 minutes or until golden and cooked through (if you are cutting them with large biscuit cutter or cutting them into wedges, will take about 20 minutes).
- While scones are baking, whisk together the glaze ingredients. Drizzle on the scones as soon as you take them out of the oven.
Nutrition Disclaimer
Please keep in mind that the nutritional information presented below is an approximation and may vary depending on the exact ingredients used.
Notes
Substitutions/Variations
- All-purpose flour: Can be replaced with whole wheat flour or a gluten-free flour blend for those with dietary restrictions.
- Maple syrup: Honey or agave nectar can be used as a substitute for a different type of natural sweetener.
- Dried cranberries: Try using raisins, dried currants, or chopped dried apricots for a different flavor profile.
- Butter: Coconut oil can be used as a dairy-free alternative that still provides richness.
Nutrition
FAQ
Take care not to overmix this dough. It should all just be combined. The scones could become tough from overmixing.
When you flatten your dough into 1-inch thickness you'll feel the consistency. If it seems too wet and sticky, sprinkle a little flour on top and knead it in gently and flatten again.
Once the scones have cooled completely, simply keep the scones in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. Wrap them up and place them in a zipped lock freezer bag stored in freezer for up to 3 months.
Yes, to make these scones vegan, you can use a dairy-free butter substitute and replace the egg with a flax egg (1 tablespoon of ground flaxseed mixed with 2.5 tablespoons of water).
Yes, but keep in mind that fresh cranberries are much more tart than dried ones, so you may want to increase the amount of sweetener in the recipe.
To keep your scones moist after baking, allow them to cool completely on a wire rack before storing them in an airtight container. If you're planning to eat them over several days, consider storing them without the glaze and adding it just before serving. You can also reheat scones in the oven for a few minutes to refresh their texture.
Baked a batch of these this morning! They came out super flaky, and the tart cranberries balance the sweet maple glaze so well. Enjoyed one with my morning coffee!
I enjoyed the warm pumpkin spices and tart cranberries, and the crunchy sugar topping added a lovely texture.
I loved the tender, crumbly texture and how the tart cranberries balanced the sweet pumpkin glaze.
Pumpkin cranberry scones looks delicious I made a huge batch, Thanks for sharing this.
These were wonderful! I made them mini size with my smallest cutter and split them between us and two other families. We all got to taste test this new to me recipe. I got about 21 cute little scones. I did not glaze them but did do the turbinado sugar. One family does not like too sweet so these were perfect. I had to add more flour because my dough was too wet to pat out. I actually had to add about 1/2 cup to be able to work it and cut it. Also used 6 oz of dried cranberries.They turned out perfect. Thanks for this great recipe.
I love scones and this recipe seems delightful! Yummy!
[…] Breads and Breakfast 1. Pumpkin Challah Bread (pictured above) 2. Browned Butter Pumpkin Beer Bread 3. Vegan Pumpkin Bread 4. Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls 5. Pumpkin Cranberry Scones […]
these scones are delicious!! I just made a batch! I love how easy they were to put together and that they only dirtied one bowl and one small pot from the butter!
I used half whole wheat pastry flour and fresh cranberries because i had them around. i skipped the glaze and am so happy to have found a healthy, simple, breakfast treat!
thanks!!!
Wow, these are awesome. Pumpkin in the glaze, how interesting! Scones are one of my obsessions, and there are never enough recipes in my files. Adding this one!
You know, cranberries are so under-appreciated. I'm so glad you included them in these scones... I think the tartness really takes it to a whole new level.
Sorry I've been MIA recently. I've missed you!
Just lovely Lora - I'm pinning for the holidays 😉
I'll take half dozen please ; )
These are lovely, Lora! Fall on a plate.
these look delicious, especially the pumpkin glaze!
Hello!!!! I feel like its been forever since I've been to your blog. I just realized that Bloglovin isn't bringing your feed in! Not sure why, but I haven't seen any of your posts since April!!! No wonder I haven't been doing 12 Loaves....Sheesh!
These scones look marvelous! So yummy!!! I am definitely putting them on my "to make" list!
Oooh! Pretty round pumpkin cranberry scones, Lora! Love that you made a pumpkin glaze and made the scones lower in sugar using maple syrup. I'm working with pumpkin, too, this week. (Who isn't? LOL!) I adore using orange juice in glazes, too. They're just so much sunnier. 😉 Thanks for sharing! P.S. Still not able to follow your blog in Bloglovin'. Not getting the feed and not sure what is up with that. But! You have been added to my blogroll.
Oh I wish we could trade scones too! These are so pretty, I love your pumpkin glaze! 🙂
Delish! Love the fact that you used maple syrup as the primary sweetener (aside from the dreamy glaze topping, of course!). 😀 .
I wish I had a couple of these for breakfast right now!
Oh I'll definitely try these out! What I actually love about scones is the delicate flavor without a lot of sugar so we can eat them warm with either jelly or cheese. I love the pumpkin-cranberry mix... just too perfect for an autumn weekend! And look how high yours rose!!!