These Pumpkin Scones are everyone’s favourite fall treat for pumpkin season! They taste even better than Starbucks’ Pumpkin Scones – they’re SO much more moist and tender!
Estimated reading time: 8 minutes
If we had to nail down our favourite fall recipe of all time it might have to be these copycat Starbucks Pumpkin Scones. Aside from a good Pumpkin Spice Latte, Pumpkin Scones are the real reason the coffee shop was our favourite place in the fall. That is, until we started making these delicious scones at home instead! Trust us, if you’re a fan of pumpkin scones but you’ve never tried making them at home, THIS is the recipe you need!
Here are just a few reasons why we absolutely LOVE these Pumpkin scones!
- They’re EASY to MAKE: This recipe is easy to follow and the scones are ready in only 40 minutes!
- They contain REAL PUMPKIN: This recipe calls for real, canned pumpkin puree which adds a ton of flavour and fibre.
- They’re perfect for a SNACK or BREAKFAST: They make a great sweet snack with a coffee or a quick breakfast treat!
- They’re BETTER than Starbucks: It’s true – scones produced en masse can never taste as good as the ones you make in your own kitchen. We’ve made this recipe hundreds of times and it always produces the softest, most flaky, tender scones with the BEST flavour – WAY better than Starbucks!!
Be sure to follow our tips and tricks for the BEST delicious, moist and flaky scones every single time!
Cold butter straight from the fridge is what helps create those flaky layers you see in bakery scones. Using warm or room temperature butter will cause your scone dough to be too liquid-y and you’ll end up with a mushy mess!
The best way to combine the dry ingredients and the butter is with your hands, using quick rubbing motions. Pick up a handful and rub it once between your hands to create small sheets of butter instead of tiny clumps. This will help create those flaky layers!
When the dough is just about mixed (when you still see flour), pour it out onto a work surface and fold it in half, and in half again (and again…) until everything is combined. This will also create those delicious layers and prevent the dough from becoming dry.
Nobody likes a tough, dry scone. Mix just until the flour disappears and you’ll be left with flaky layers and a nice, tender scone!
Having trouble with your scones? Here are all the things that might go wrong and how we recommend fixing them!
The scones can have a gummy texture if the pumpkin puree is too watery. Make sure to blot the excess water in the pumpkin puree with a paper towel or strain through a fine mesh sieve.
Over-mixing the dough will lead to scones that are tough and dense. Make sure to mix just until ingredients are combined.
Make sure ingredients are kept cold as this helps the dough stay light and flaky. Room temperature ingredients will make the dough too soft.
Make sure to roll out the dough to a uniform thickness so that they bake evenly. Use the folding process to form the scone dough before cutting to help them rise and bake evenly in the oven.
Make sure to preheat the oven. Follow the correct baking temperature and dough prep procedure so the scones rise properly and don’t spread. Folding the dough is a critical step in making sure they rise well when baked.
To make this pumpkin scone recipe, you’ll need these kitchen items on hand (paid links):
- mixing bowls
- a rubber spatula
- measuring cups and spoons
- wooden spoon
- a whisk
- a baking sheet
- a pastry cutter
- a piping bag or ziploc bag
- parchment paper
- cooling racks
You will need these ingredients to make this pumpkin scone recipe (paid links):
FOR THE SCONES:
- 1/2 cup pumpkin puree (canned pumpkin puree is best)
- 1 egg
- 1/4 cup whipping cream or heavy cream
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1/3 cup white sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- a pinch of salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon allspice
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/3 cup cold, unsalted butter
FOR THE GLAZE:
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 2-3 tablespoons whipping cream or heavy cream
- 2 pinches ground cinnamon
- 1 pinch each of ground cloves and ground nutmeg
Try these variations on this delicious pumpkin scone recipe!
- Maple Glaze – Use maple syrup to make a maple glaze for a pumpkin maple twist.
- Chocolate Chips – Add chocolate chips to the dough for a pumpkin chocolate chip scone.
- Pecans – Add in chopped or toasted pecans to the dough for an additional crunchy texture.
- Pumpkin Spice Latte – Add in espresso powder to the dough and make a coffee flavoured glaze.
Time needed: 40 minutes
Follow these steps to make these delicious pumpkin scones and glaze!
- Preheat the oven.
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit (190 degrees Celsius) and prepare a large baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper.
- Combine wet ingredients.
In a medium bowl, combine the pumpkin puree, egg, and whipping cream with a fork. Set aside.
- Whisk dry ingredients.
In a separate bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, ginger, and cloves with a wire whisk.
- Add in the cold butter.
Cut the cold butter into cubes and add to the flour mixture.
- Use your hands.
Pick up a handful of the flour mixture and butter cubes and rub your hands together only once before dropping the mixture back into the bowl. Repeat this process until all the butter has turned into thin sheets distributed throughout the flour mixture.
- Partially combine dry and wet ingredients.
Pour the pumpkin mixture into the flour and butter mixture and gently mix together with a rubber spatula until it’s mixed about half way.
- Fold the dough.
Dump the half-mixed dough onto a floured work surface. Using your hands, pick up half the dough and fold it over the other half. Continue working the dough in this folding motion, very gently, until almost all the flour is incorporated. As you do this, slowly create a round shape about 2 inches thick.
- Slice into wedges.
Slice the round dough into 8 triangular pieces and place them on the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake.
Bake for about 20-22 minutes at 375 degrees Fahrenheit (190 degrees Celsius) or until the scones have puffed up slightly and are firm to the touch. If the scones start to brown on top, remove them from the oven so they don’t over-bake.
- Cool the scones.
Let the scones cool on the pan for a few minutes, and then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- Make the glaze.
While the scones are cooling, make the glaze by combining the powdered sugar and whipping cream in a medium bowl. Add the powdered sugar first and whisk while adding the whipping cream, one tablespoon at a time, until a thick glaze forms.
- Make two bowls of glaze.
Divide the glaze into 2 separate bowls. Leave one bowl aside (this will be the white glaze) and to the second bowl add the cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg and whisk to combine (this will be the spice glaze).
- Coat the top.
When the scones are cool, dip them upside down into the white glaze until the glaze coats the top of the scones. Set on a plate or cooling rack and let the glaze dry for about 5 minutes.
- Drizzle the spice glaze.
Add the spice glaze to a small piping bag or ziploc bag and snip off the end. Pipe the spice glaze on top of the white glaze to create a lined pattern, or any pattern you wish.
- Let them rest.
Allow the scones to sit for about 15 minutes before enjoying, so the glaze can harden just slightly.
How do I know when the scones are done?
Bake the scones for 20-22 minutes at 375 degrees Fahrenheit (190 degrees Celsius) or until the scones have puffed up slightly and are firm to the touch. If they are browning on top, remove from the oven immediately.
How long do the scones last?
Store in an airtight container for up to 2 days, or enjoy them while they’re fresh for best results.
Can I substitute Pumpkin Pie Spice for the individual spices?
Yes, feel free to substitute the individual spices with your favourite pumpkin pie spice blend.
Can I make this pumpkin scone recipe vegan?
We don’t recommend using vegan or plant-based ingredients to make scones because they don’t rise or bake the same way.
Can I substitute the whipping cream with heavy cream?
Feel free to use either whipping cream or heavy cream in this recipe.
We hope you love these Pumpkin Scones as much as we do! Let us know in the comments below, what’s your favourite fall recipe? We’ d love to know!
Looking for more delicious recipes? Try these!
- Pumpkin Waffles
- Healthy Pumpkin Oat Bread
- Crock Pot Apple Butter
- Easy Pumpkin Cake
- Easy Pumpkin Spice Latte
- Slow Cooker Chai Tea Latte
- Apple Cinnamon Baked Oatmeal
- Apple Oat Muffins
- Healthy Instant Pot Applesauce
Watch the video below to see exactly how we make this recipe. You can find many more deliciously simple recipe videos on our YouTube channel!
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Pumpkin Scones (Starbucks Copycat Recipe)
Recipe: Equipment
Recipe: Ingredients
For the scones:
- 1/2 cup pumpkin puree (canned pumpkin puree is best)
- 1 egg
- 1/4 cup whipping cream
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1/3 cup white sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- a pinch of salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon allspice
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/3 cup unsalted butter cold from the fridge
For the glaze:
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 2-3 tablespoons whipping cream
- 2 pinches ground cinnamon
- 1 pinch each of ground cloves and ground nutmeg
Recipe: Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit (190 degrees Celsius) and prepare a large baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, combine the pumpkin puree, egg, and whipping cream with a fork. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, ginger, and cloves with a wire whisk.
- Cut the cold butter into cubes and add to the flour mixture.
- Using your hands, pick up a handful of the flour mixture and butter cubes and rub your hands together only once before dropping the mixture back into the bowl. Repeat this process until all the butter has turned into thin sheets distributed throughout the flour mixture.
- Pour the pumpkin mixture into the flour and butter mixture and gently mix together with a rubber spatula until it's mixed about half way.
- Dump the half-mixed dough onto a floured work surface. Using your hands, pick up half the dough and fold it over the other half. Continue working the dough in this folding motion, very gently, until almost all the flour is incorporated. As you do this, slowly create a round shape about 2 inches thick.
- Slice the round dough into 8 triangular pieces and place them on the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake for about 20-22 minutes at 375 degrees Fahrenheit (190 degrees Celsius) or until the scones have puffed up slightly and are firm to the touch. If the scones start to brown on top, remove them from the oven so they don't over-bake.
- Let the scones cool on the pan for a few minutes, and then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- While the scones are cooling, make the glaze by combining the powdered sugar and whipping cream in a medium bowl. Add the powdered sugar first and whisk while adding the whipping cream, one tablespoon at a time, until a thick glaze forms.
- Divide the glaze into 2 separate bowls. Leave one bowl aside (this will be the white glaze) and to the second bowl add the cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg and whisk to combine (this will be the spice glaze).
- When the scones are cool, dip them upside down into the white glaze until the glaze coats the top of the scones.
- Set on a plate or cooling rack and let the glaze dry for about 5 minutes.
- Add the spice glaze to a small piping bag or ziploc bag and snip off the end. Pipe the spice glaze on top of the white glaze to create a lined pattern, or any pattern you wish.
- Discard any remaining glaze and allow the scones to sit for about 15 minutes before enjoying, so the glaze can harden just slightly.
- Store in an airtight container for up to 2 days, or enjoy them while they're fresh for best results!
Recipe: Notes
Make-Ahead Instructions
Feel free to make these scones up to 24 hours ahead of time. We recommend glazing about 1-2 hours before serving for best results.Freezer Instructions
These scones can be frozen (we recommend NOT glazing them before freezing) for up to 3 months in an airtight container. Thaw them at room temperature and then glaze them before serving.Recipe: Nutrition
Notice: Nutrition is auto-calculated, using Spoonacular, for your convenience. Where relevant, we recommend using your own nutrition calculations.
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How do I get the glazes to firm up like Starbucks has? I haven’t been able to ever make that successful 🙁
The glaze in this recipe will firm up after you put it on your scones.
So much better than Starbucks!! Yummy. And seriously don’t skip the spice drizzle. To die for. 🤤
Thank you for your feedback Chris! I’m so happy to hear that you like our recipe!
Recipe came together beautifully. I did substitute pumpkin pie spice for the individual spices and used egg nog instead of heavy cream as it’s what I had on hand. Definitely a recipe I will remake for family & friends.
The egg nog substitution sounds amazing! I’m happy you enjoyed them!
Excellent scone!
I did require a bit more moisture for my glaze mixture, but that was easy to modify.
I get rave reviews every time I make these for friends and family year round.
I have even frozen them in slices with parchment paper and let them thaw before I bake. Works like a champ to have them on hand whenever I have unexpected company or just the need for a pumpkin scone!
THANK YOU!
You’re welcome Lisa!! Glad everyone loves the recipe!🙂
Very balanced flavors. Glaze was a little thick. Delicious
Thanks for your feedback Heidi!!
Perfect! Great taste, and when blending the cold cubed butter with my hands, and then folding in the rest of the flour, my scones were flaky for the first time ever! I decided to use maple flavored glaze. Loved it.
So happy to hear you like the recipe!! Love the maple glaze addition!!
So I collect recipes and this is an excellent recipe. So tender…a perfect scone! I have made it twice in two days so I could share the love with others. The first batch, I refrigerated before baking and, like most doughs with cut-in butter, it worked perfectly so it is a great recipe to make the night before for weekends/holiday breakfasts or company. I did do my own thing with the glaze. I thinned powdered sugar/cinnamon with maple syrup for mine. It is a good option and it makes a nice consistency.
So glad to hear that Elizabeth!! Thanks for the feedback!🙂
Made these today and they turned out amazing! I needed to more than double the liquid for the glaze and next time I’ll just half the powdered sugar because there was ALOT of glaze. But everything tasted delicious and this is definitely going to be my new go to pumpkin scone recipe!
Thanks so much for your feedback Kate!!🙂
Can you make this recipe gluten free?
I’m sorry, i couldn’t tell you as I never tried it but it should work with a gluten free flour that performs similar to all purpose flour. Happy baking! 😊
Could I use whole wheat flour?
You could but I don’t actually recommend that as the scones will come out dry. You could maybe just substitute half of the flour with whole wheat flour. Happy baking!
In self isolation during Covid-19 in Canada…I am not a baker, and just made these. They are fantastic. I could not get whipping cream, but used 5% instead. Worked beautifully. Thanks for the lovely recipe. Delighted to have found your site.
Thank you Lisa! Glad to hear they turned out delicious! Happy you found my blog too😊
Can I make the dough the night before and refrigerate it and bake the scones in the morning?
Yes!