Cooler fall temperatures, have got us baking away! If you are wanting to fill your kitchen with the feeling of fall, this Apple Cinnamon Bread will be your go to recipe. Or try out Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars, they are no bake and have pretty layers.

Up close of a pumpkin scone with icing on a baking sheet.

Spiced Pumpkin Scones

As the hotter days disappear, a crisp breeze fills the air that rattles through now golden leaves. This is the very ambiance, that makes me crave a cozy sweater and all things pumpkin. That’s where these scones jump in, full of all of the warm spices and the softest texture you can imagine.

And the pumpkin spice icing on top, is perfectly accented with cinnamon and helps balance out the gentle sweetness of the scone.

Not only does pumpkin puree add flavor to this recipe, it also creates a fluffy and airy crumb that is not typical for a scone. It is definitely possible that these don’t even qualify as scones, but we shall call them scones none-the-less!

Three frosted scones lined up on a baking sheet.

Whether you pair these pumpkin scones with a hot, pumpkin latte (or pistachio latte if you want to get creative) or a dollop of whipped cream for dessert, they will give you all of the feelings of fall.

Recipe Ingredients

Flour: All purpose flour is needed for the scones, plus more for kneading the dough.
Sugar: You will need both white granulated sugar (in the scone) and confectioner’s sugar (in the icing) for this recipe.
Baking Powder and Baking Soda: Make sure that neither one is expired.
Seasonings: Cinnamon, ginger, ground cloves, all spice, and salt.
Butter: I put the unsalted butter in the freezer about an hour before I need it for this recipe. Then I can easily grate it in for small pieces.
Pumpkin: Canned pumpkin puree is what you want to get at the grocery store. Make sure you aren’t using pumpkin pie filling.
Vanilla: Use real vanilla extract not imitation vanilla.
Buttermilk

All of the ingredients needed to make pumpkin scones.

How to Make Pumpkin Scones

Here are the basic instructions to make pumpkin scones. Check out the recipe card at the bottom of this blog post with full ingredients and instructions to make it.

Step one is a small bowl with pumpkin puree, vanilla, and buttermilk. — **STEP 1:** In a small bowl, stir together the pumpkin puree, vanilla extract, and buttermilk.

Step two is a large bowl with the flour, spices, baking powder, baking soda, and salt whisked together. And the frozen butter grated in. — **STEP 2:** In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, spices, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Grate in the frozen butter.

Step three is the butter blended into the flour mixture. — **STEP 3:** Cut the butter into flour mixture using a pastry cutter or two forks until there are a some pea sized pieces.

Step 4 is the pumpkin mixture mixed into the flour. — **STEP 4:** Add the pumpkin puree mixture into the flour and mix together until just combined. The dough will be very sticky.

Step 5 is the dough shaped into a circle on a work surface. — **STEP 5:** Sprinkle some flour onto a work surface and add the dough. Sprinkle some flour on the dough. Press into a 1-inch thick circle.

Step 6 is the dough folded in on itself. — **STEP 6:** Fold half of the dough towards the center. Fold the other half over the top of that. Press back into a 1-inch thick circle. Repeat these steps 2 more times, adding a sprinkle of flour as needed.

Step seven is the dough reshaped into a circle and cut in half. — **STEP 7:** Form the dough into a flat circle. Cut the round in half.

Step 8 is each half formed into a circle. — **STEP 8:** Shape into two discs.

Step 9 is each circle getting cut into 6 equal pieces. — **STEP 9:** Cut each disc into 6 equal pieces. Place the pieces onto the prepared baking sheet. Bake until slightly browned.

Step 10 is the cooked scones getting a small spoonful of mixed icing. — **STEP 10:** While the scones are baking, in a small bowl mix together powdered sugar, cinnamon, ground cloves, and water. When cooled, spoon on 1 teaspoon of icing to each scone

Cooking Tips and Tricks

Keep the cold ingredients as cold as possible. Keep the butter in the freezer and buttermilk in the fridge until you need them.
Make sure not to over work the dough.
No need to use a rolling pin, only shape the dough with your hands.

Recipe Variations

Add an egg wash: Instead of adding the spiced icing, you can combine one egg with a teaspoon of milk or water in a small bowl. Use a basting brush to brush on a light coating to the tops of the unbaked scones. Then sprinkle on some coarse sugar. Bake as directed.
Chocolate or nuts: Add in 1/2 cup of chocolate chips or chopped nuts to add flavor and texture.
Pumpkin pie spice: Omit the ground ginger, all spice, and ground cloves and substitute in 1 1/2 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do these scones taste like pumpkin pie? They do have the same spices as pumpkin pie, but these taste closer to gingerbread than pie.

Can these scones be made in advance? You can make the scones in advance, but I recommend waiting to add the icing until you are going to eat them because it can melt into the scones.

How to Store & Reheat

How to store it? Put leftover scones in an airtight container. They will last about 2-3 days at room temperature, but the icing may melt.

How to freeze? Baked unfrosted scones need to be wrapped individually and put into an air tight, freezer safe container. They can be frozen for 3 months, just be sure to label with the recipe and date. Thaw frozen cooked scones at room temperature for 1-2 hours. Then pop in the microwave heating for 10 seconds at a time until heated through.