Pumpkin Scone Recipe with Candied Ginger

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Warm, flaky, fluffy, buttery Pumpkin Scones made with fresh candied ginger, copious amounts of butter, and drizzled with a creamy, sweet pumpkin spice glaze. This pumpkin scones recipe is super easy to make for the perfect Fall treat!

Breakfast breads are are favorite of mine - I especially like this brown sugar banana bread or these amazing cornmeal pancakes. But scones are in a league of their own.

Scones. Delicious, delicious, light and fluffy scones. Served warm out of the oven with that wonderful glaze and maybe a touch of butter, this easy pumpkin scones recipe is damn good.

Not too sweet, tender and flaky in the middle, while staying perfectly crisp and crumbly on top and in the corners, these buttery pumpkin scones will earn a special place in your heart.

If you follow this pumpkin scone recipe, they are EASY. And it's so awesome to be able to have fresh warm scones straight out of the oven, right in your own home. Can you say Christmas morning treat?

Why This Recipe Works

1. Using cold ingredients gives the scones a light and airy texture;
2. Candied ginger adds the perfect bite to the scones;
3. Chilling the dough before baking helps them to keep that light and airy quality;
4. With pumpkin spice flavor, these are the perfect Fall treat!

The Ingredients 

A combination of all purpose flour and cake flour give these pumpkin scones a light and airy texture.

Candied ginger you can buy, but I highly recommend making the candied ginger yourself. It's got no preservatives or chemicals and is just so delicious (and easy of course).

You can also use ginger paste as a substitute if you don't have candied ginger. Just add 1 tbsp. of ginger paste to the batter.

Buy the pumpkin puree, or make your own pumpkin puree. Making your own is a great way to use those Halloween pumpkins, plus it is fresher, which is always tastes better.

Get the ingredients at your local grocery store or through the below Amazon links - because who want to battle the aisles of the grocery store around the holidays! (affiliate links):

• All purpose flour
• Cake flour
• Cream
• Brown sugar
• Baking powder
• Baking soda
• Candied ginger
• Pumpkin pie spice
• Butter
• Canned pumpkin (Pumpkin puree)
• Powdered sugar

Step By Step Instructions

First off, ALWAYS make sure you're working with cold butter. If the butter gets too warm, it will cause the scones to spread while cooking.

Cold butter melts while cooking, filling the crevices in the dough making flaky layers and helping the scones to rise.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Mix the dry ingredients together. Cut in the butter using a fork or a food processor. If using a food processor, be careful not to over mix.

I typically just pulse it a few times and it's ready. If you have a food processor, I highly recommend using it. Your hands hold a lot of heat and will cause the butter to soften.

**You can also grate frozen butter and mix it in with the flour.

Mix in the cream and pumpkin puree until barely combined. Do not over mix - we do not want the butter to melt otherwise our scones will not hold their shape.

If the mixture is too dry, add more cream. If it is too wet, add more flour. It should form a dough.

Gently knead the dough a couple times (be careful not to overwork the dough), then form into an 8-10" circle.

**KEEP ALL INGREDIENTS COLD FOR BEST RESULTS**

Cut into 8 triangles. For the best results, chill the scones for at least an hour before baking. This gets the temperature of the butter back down and will result in a better texture when baked.

Brush them with cream and sprinkle with coarse sugar crystals.

Bake the scones for 18-20 minutes, until lightly browned on the outside. Remove from oven and let cool for 5-10 minutes.

Drizzle the glaze on top and serve slightly warm. This Pumpkin Scone recipe is best served fresh from the oven.

How to Make Pumpkin Glaze

To make the pumpkin glaze, mix the ingredients in a small bowl. Store in fridge until ready to use.

Now, let's say pumpkin is just not your thing (kinda wondering why you're here, but whatever). You may want to try these Blueberry Scones from Pinch of Yum or these Chocolate Scones from Sugar Spun Run.

Expert Tips

1. Substitute all purpose flour for the cake flour if you need to. The texture may not be as light and airy though;
2. Always be sure the butter is cold - this is what gives the scones a light, airy, crumbly texture;
3. To ensure the butter stays cold, you can use frozen grated butter;
4. Buttermilk can be substituted for the cream;
5. Be careful not to over mix the dough or the butter will start to melt.
6. For best results, chill the scones at least an hour before baking them.
7. Brush with cream before baking (helps the scones crisp on top and enables the sugar crystals to stick better).

They key to perfect scones is the use of cold ingredients. The cold butter melts while baking, which causes the flaky layers and helps the scones to rise.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Why don't my scones rise? If you forget to add the baking powder or soda (or it's not fresh), your scones will not rise. If you let the butter become too soft, your scones may not rise in the oven. If you knead the dough too much, your scones may not rise.
2. Why are my scones hard? If you have kneaded the dough too much, this can cause the scones to have a tougher texture. Also, if you do not have enough liquid, the scones may be too crumbly.
3. How do you make scones less dry? Heat a saucepan on medium heat. Place the scones inside, cover with a damp paper towel and place the lid on. Remove from heat and let them sit for about 10 minutes in the heat.
4. Why are my scones flat? See #1. Likely because you didn't use fresh baking soda/powder, the butter became too soft, or you kneaded the dough too much.
5. Why are my scones dense? If you used warm butter, the scones will not develop the air pockets and will come out more hard and dense.
6. Can I make scones ahead of time? You can make the dough ahead of time and refrigerate it overnight until you're ready to use it. Or you can freeze it (see below).
7. How do I keep scones fresh? Keeping them in an airtight container/bag in the fridge will help keep them as fresh as possible. They are best if eaten 1-2 days after making, however, they will keep in the fridge for about a week. Also, see freezing instructions above.

Freezing Options

Scones freeze very well. They can be frozen either before or after baking. If freezing before baking, to bake just lay them out on the baking sheet while the oven preheats to start the thawing process.

Add an extra 5 minutes to the bake time. They are done when they are brown on the outside.

To freeze, place on a baking sheet directly in the freezer for an hour. Transfer to a airtight container or freezer bag.

If freezing after they are baked, place them in a freezer bag or airtight container. They will keep several weeks in the freezer.

To reheat, let them thaw and reheat in the oven for 3-5 minutes until warmed throughout. Can also be eaten cold.

Favorite Pumpkin Recipes

• Pumpkin Pie Bars;
• Pumpkin Souffle;
• Curry Pumpkin Soup;
• Pumpkin Cheesecake Balls;
• Pumpkin Spaghetti Alfredo.

Fall Comfort Food

Fall is definitely the time to get all those soul warming feels. These recipes are all ultra comforting and prefect for Fall AND Winter!

• Caramel Apple Turnovers;
• Turkey Pot Pie;
• Masala Roasted Chicken;
• Instant Pot Turkey Chili;
• Seafood Gumbo Recipe;
• Browse all the FALL RECIPES!

Did you make this pumpkin scone recipe? Rate the recipe and leave a comment telling me how they turned out!

This recipe was originally posted in October 2018. It has been updated for content and photos.