If you are someone who does not do much baking or finds it intimidating, these Classic Pumpkin Scones are easy to make! They don’t take much time, and your whole house will smell just like a bakery. The maple thyme butter is a lovely addition, I really recommend giving it a try!
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Autumn Scones
There is something really special about Fall baking. Especially fluffy scones. I think it could have something to do with the weather cooling down and not feeling guilty about turning the oven on in the middle of Summer.
But those Fall ingredients though! The warm spices, the pumpkin, and all the other things to love. I have been making these scones for years now, and they have been on the blog since Fall of 2020. I decided to add some new photos and additional helpful information to this post.
When many of us think of Fall baking, our minds go to things like pumpkin bread or pies. While there is nothing wrong with any of that, pumpkin does something really magical when you add it to buttery scones. They become a more moist, delicious, and fluffy scone than they otherwise would be.
What You’ll Love About These Classic Pumpkin Scones
What’s not to love about these Fall flavored scones? They are SO easy, and they have all those Autumn flavors you crave: cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, brown sugar, and last but not least, pumpkin. I can’t think of a better way to start the morning.
Another thing to love: whether you or someone you love has an egg allergy, or you just need to conserve your eggs for your other Fall Baking endeavors, these are scones without egg!
I personally don’t make scones with eggs most of the time, but there are many scone recipes out there that do call for them. This one does not.
Ingredients Needed for This Recipe
- All Purpose Flour
- Unsalted Butter
- Granulated Sugar
- Light Brown Sugar
- Pumpkin Puree
- Ground Ginger
- Cinnamon
- Nutmeg
- Heavy Cream
- Fresh Thyme
- Maple Syrup
- Salt
Equipment Needed To Make Classic Pumpkin Scones
- Two Mixing Bowls
- Rubber Scraper
- Pastry Blender, Two Knives, or a Food Processor
- Rimmed Baking Sheet
- Measuring Cups and Measuring Spoons
Fluffy Scones
There is nothing worse than going to the trouble of baking something and have it not come out right. Scones should be soft with a tender crumb, fluffy, and tall.
What is the trick in making good scones? Here are my tips for tall and fluffy scones:
- After you have mixed the dough and cut it into scones, freeze it right on the baking sheet before putting them in the oven. Cold dough = tall fluffy scones!
- You will only need to freeze the dough for maybe 10 minutes. It doesn’t take long!
- Before assembling your dough, make sure your heavy cream, butter, and pumpkin puree are cold. This helps the scones rise more.
- Cold ingredients and freezing the dough briefly prior to baking both go a long way to ensure tall fluffy scones.
How To Make Classic Pumpkin Scones
Here is a basic overview of how to make these pumpkin scones. The photos show the steps as a guide, and for more detailed instructions please see the recipe card below.
- Gather the ingredients.
- Blend together the dry ingredients in a bowl.
- Cut the butter into the dry ingredients.
- Stir together the wet ingredients in a separate bowl.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients.
- Stir until a dough forms.
- Turn the dough out onto your baking sheet and form into a circle and cut the dough into pieces.
- Place the baking sheet with the prepared scone dough in the freezer.
- Bake and serve!
When cutting the butter into the dry ingredients, you can use either two knives, a pastry blender, or a food processor. I actually like using a pastry blender. Not only does it make for less cleanup because you don’t have to wash your food processor bowl (just your small pastry blender), I also like the added control you get from cutting in the butter by hand. In the food processor, you really have to watch that the butter pieces don’t end up TOO small.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, just be sure it is not pumpkin pie filling. You will want plain canned pumpkin puree.
Most definitely, and that is what I prefer for this recipe! Check out my post on Make Your Own Pumpkin Puree for all the details.
Yes, you can use dark brown. It will bring a stronger molasses flavor but that shouldn’t affect anything.
How To Store Classic Pumpkin Scones
You can refrigerate them, or leave them on a plate on your kitchen counter covered with a dish towel or plastic wrap. If you plan to wait more than a few hours to eat them, I recommend refrigerating them. They will keep in the fridge for about four days.
Can You Freeze Scones?
Yes you can, here’s how:
- After baking, allow them to cool completely.
- Once cooled, place them in a gallon freezer bag with parchment or wax paper in between to keep them from sticking together once frozen.
How To Defrost Scones:
Remove them from the freezer and let them sit on the kitchen counter until defrosted. It will take at least a couple of hours, maybe longer.
You can also test the defrost feature of your microwave, though I have never used this method so I’m unsure how they would come out.
How To Reheat Scones:
You can reheat them for 5 minutes or so in a 300 degree oven, or pop them in the microwave for about 30 seconds for one scone.
Maple Thyme Butter
This yummy addition to your scones adds something a little sweet and a little savory. If you haven’t tried this combination, it is really quite nice!
How To Make Maple Thyme Butter
All you need is very soft unsalted butter, fresh thyme, and real maple syrup. Don’t skimp and use the fake stuff here!
This is as easy as stirring the three ingredients together until well combined. Be sure to check out the recipe card below for additional details.
Other Uses For Maple Thyme Butter
This butter is great on pancakes, waffles, french toast, or muffins. You can even make extra if you know you will want some left over.
Recipe Tips For Classic Pumpkin Scones
- If you are using homemade pumpkin puree, be sure to put the amount you will need into a colander or mesh sieve to drain excess water out. You can skip this step if you are using canned pumpkin.
- Once you add the cream, pumpkin, and vanilla to the dry ingredients the dough will still seem dry. Try to avoid the temptation to add more cream. This dough will come together with some stirring or using your hands. If you really need to, add more cream 1 tablespoon at a time. You should not need more than 2 tablespoons of additional cream at the most if any needs to be added.
- When the dough is ready, you don’t need to turn it out onto a floured board. Just lightly flour the baking sheet and put the dough directly on it to shape into a round
- It does take a little kneading to get all the dry bits moistened when working the dough, but don’t be worried about overworking it. They will still come out nice and soft.
How To Serve Pumpkin Scones
I love to make these on a cool foggy morning and enjoy them with a cup of hot tea. If you use canned pumpkin they can even be made year round! Because they are great the next day, you can make them ahead of time, and just pop one in the microwave for a few seconds to warm it.
Of course, these would not be complete without the Maple Thyme Butter. It really adds something nice!
These classic pumpkin scones are a lovely addition to a Brunch table with my Zucchini Mushroom Frittata, Vanilla Dutch Baby, or Peanut Butter, Banana, and Oat Muffins.
If you are reading this, thank you for being here. I certainly hope you love these pumpkin scones!
If you tried this recipe, I’d love to hear how it turned out! Just leave a rating or comment below.
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Classic Pumpkin Scones
These Classic Pumpkin Scones are easy and have all those Fall flavors you love. The Maple Thyme Butter is a lovely addition!
Ingredients
- 3 cups All Purpose Flour
- 4 tsp Baking Powder
- 1/4 tsp Salt
- 1/2 tsp Ground Ginger
- 1/4 tsp Nutmeg
- 1 tsp Ground Cinnamon
- 1/4 cup Light Brown Sugar
- 1/4 cup Granulated Sugar
- 1/2 cup Unsalted Butter
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract or Paste
- 2/3 cup Pumpkin Puree
- 1 cup Heavy Whipping Cream
For the Maple Thyme Butter
- 1/2 cup Unsalted Butter, very soft
- 1 Tbsp Fresh Thyme
- 2 Tbsp Maple Syrup
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine 3 cups flour, 4 tsp baking powder, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp ginger, 1/4 tsp nutmeg, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 cup light brown sugar, and 1/4 cup granulated sugar and whisk well to incorporate.
- Cut 1/2 cup unsalted butter into cubes, and use a pastry blender or two knives to cut the butter into the flour until the butter pieces are pea-sized.
- In a small bowl, combine 1 cup heavy cream, 2/3 cup pumpkin puree and 1 tsp vanilla and stir well.
- Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture, and using your hands or a rubber scraper mix the ingredients together until the dry ingredients are well incorporated into the wet mixture. You may add 1 or 2 tbsp of additional heavy cream if you feel it is needed.
- Once a soft and slightly sticky dough has formed, lightly flour the center of a rimmed baking sheet, and turn the dough out onto it. Using your hands, form the dough into a large circle about in 1 inch thick.
- Turn oven on to 425 degrees. While the oven is heating, place the rimmed baking sheet of dough into the freezer for about 15 minutes.
- Remove the baking sheet from the freezer and place in the center of the oven. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until the tops are slightly firm and light golden, check doneness after 15 minutes.
- While the scones are baking, combine 1/2 cup softened butter, 1 tbsp fresh thyme, and 2 tbsp maple syrup in a small bowl and stir well.
Notes
- Canned pumpkin or homemade pumpkin puree may be used.
- Don't worry about overworking the dough when adding the wet ingredients.
- Be sure not to skip the step of freezing the dough, it helps with rise and flakiness.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 728Total Fat: 46gSaturated Fat: 28gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 15gCholesterol: 126mgSodium: 443mgCarbohydrates: 73gFiber: 3gSugar: 22gProtein: 8g
All information presented and written within this site are intended for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist or registered dietitian and any nutritional information should only be used as a general guideline. Statements within this site have not been evaluated or approved by the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is provided for recipes contained on this site. This information comes from online calculators. Although The Copper Table attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates.
These scones sound fantastic! I am especially excited about the thyme maple butter. My hubby just bought me a lemon thyme plant and I think this will work perfectly in the maple butter!
Thank you Cindy! Lemon thyme would be great in the butter!
These scones are delish and have the perfect texture! I had fun making these. Thanks for the recipe 🙂
That’s great to hear Lilly! Glad you enjoyed them!
A true scone recipe. Ah the days before gluten-free. I am going to try and covert this to gf and df and ill let you know how it goes! Thanks for the scones recipe.
You’re welcome Jules, I hope your adjustments work well!
Love these scones! Perfect for fall mornings!