There’s nothing better than baking in the fall! Welcome to your new favorite fall comfort food – Pumpkin Scones with Bourbon Maple Vanilla Glaze. Yes, this is really happening. They’re everything we love about fall wrapped up in one cozy pastry – crisp, buttery, easy to make, and super flavorful thanks to real pumpkin and real vanilla extract! Bake a warm pan of these scones for all the crisp, fall mornings to come!
This recipe is sponsored by our friends at Rodelle! All opinions are my own.
Fall is here, friends! It’s the best time of the year – and it also happens to be prime baking season. Fall flavors like pumpkin and apple are in full swing, and I am baking ALL. THE. THINGS. Starting with these Pumpkin Scones! They’re simple to make and can’t you just imagine taking a warm pan of homemade Pumpkin Scones with your family on a chilly fall morning?
Mmmm. Fall perfection. Let’s learn how to make the BEST pumpkin scones!
How to Make Pumpkin Scones
First, blot your pumpkin. Wait, what?? Ok, I’ll explain. It’s a simple technique that involves a paper towel and a plate. Measure our your pumpkin and blot it with a few paper towels to absorb excess moisture. This is a SUPER important step to ensure that your scones will have a nice crisp buttery texture. We don’t want the soft moist texture of muffins here – these are scones, after all. And pumpkin is a very liquidy ingredient – so it needs to be blotted.
Below, you can see what the pumpkin looks like once it’s been blotted with 4 paper towels (on the right) and you can see what it looked like earlier in the blotting process on the lefthand plate, and what the pumpkin looks like when you take it out of the can (no blotting) in the small container in the right hand photo.
Next, whisk up the dry ingredients in a large bowl. In a smaller bowl, whisk up the blotted pumpkin, an egg, milk, and our Rodelle Gourmet Vanilla Extract. Don’t skip the vanilla – it adds an amazing flavor boost that will take your fall baking up a notch (or two!).
Next, cut cold butter into the dry ingredients until you have different size crumbs. Add the wet ingredients and gently stir to form a dough. Work it into a ball with floured hands.
Flatten the ball into an 8-9 inch disc on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Slice into 8 equal pieces. Chill in the fridge for 15 minutes before baking – this will help the scones hold their shape and turn out nice and flaky on the inside! Brush with milk and sprinkle with coarse sugar just before baking.
While the scones are baking, mix up the glaze. The glaze is super simple – melted butter, maple syrup, powdered sugar, and a splash of bourbon. We’re using Rodelle Gourmet Vanilla Extract in the glaze, too, for amped up flavor. Again, don’t skip it – it just deepens the flavor and helps create the most smooth, creamy glaze!
Drizzle the glaze over the scones while they’re still warm from the oven – and DIG IN. You could also straight up dunk your scones into the glaze. I won’t tell. In fact, I have tested that method of scone-consumption and I have only good things to say about it.
Now go, get out there! Fall is calling – and you must bake! And please invite me over when you do – I will NEVER tire of these buttery, crisp, pumpkin scones. I think we just won fall brunch.
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Pumpkin Scones with Bourbon Maple Vanilla Glaze
Ingredients
For the Scones
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 and 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 and 3/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp nutmeg
- 1 tsp ginger
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
- 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
- 3 TBSP granulated sugar
- 9 TBSP cold salted butter
- 2/3 cup canned pumpkin
- 1/4 cup milk + 1 TBSP
- 1 egg
- 1 TBSP Rodelle Gourmet Vanilla Extract
- 1 TBSP more milk for brushing scones
- raw sugar, for sprinkling on scones
For the Glaze
- 4 TBSP salted butter, melted
- 2 TBSP maple syrup
- pinch of salt
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tsp bourbon can omit, if necessary
- 1 and 1/2 tsp Rodelle Gourmet Vanilla Extract
Instructions
- Prep: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Blot the Pumpkin: This is a simple technique that involves a paper towel and a plate. Measure your canned pumpkin onto a large dinner plate and blot it with a paper towel to absorb excess moisture. Do this four times (with four full paper towels). This is a SUPER important step to ensure that your scones will have a nice crisp buttery texture. We don't want the soft moist texture of muffins here - these are scones, after all. And pumpkin is a very liquidy ingredient - so it needs to be blotted so the excess moisture is removed.
- Make the scones: Whisk the dry ingredients together in a large mixing bowl (including the sugars). In a smaller bowl, whisk together the egg, blotted pumpkin, milk, and vanilla. Cut the cold butter into large chunks, and use a pastry blender, two forks, or your hands to cut it into the dry ingredients until you have pea-sized crumbs. They don't all need to be the same size. Gently stir in the wet ingredients, and stir until a dough forms. Using floured hands, gently work the dough into a ball. You may need to sprinkle a little extra milk in the bottom of the bowl where the driest crumbs like to hide. Next, place the ball of dough on the prepared baking sheet and gently flatten it, with your hands, into a 8-9 inch disc. Spray a large knife with cooking spray (it keeps the dough from sticking) and slice into 8 equal slices. Cover gently with a kitchen towel and chill in the fridge for 15 minutes.
- Bake: Bake for 20 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven, and carefully re-slice down the edges of the scones and nudge them apart a bit on the baking sheet, so the inside edges can crisp up. Return to the oven and bake for 12 more minutes. The scones should have a nice crisp sound when you tap the top part of them around the edge. You can add an extra minute or two if they seem like they need it.
- Make the glaze: Melt the butter. Whisk in the maple syrup, then the powdered sugar. Next, whisk in the bourbon and vanilla, and a tiny pinch of salt.
- Serve + Store: Drizzle glaze over the scones after they've cooled on the pan (or a rack) for 5-10 minutes. Enjoy right away! Scones are best while they're still warm out of the oven, but they can be stored on a plate, tightly covered with foil, at room temp for 2-3 extra days. Store extra glaze, covered, in the fridge. Reheat for 10-15 seconds in the microwave as needed.
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Anna says
Looks amazing! I’ve just thought what to cook with the pumpkin my mother-in-law gave me. Thank you for this fall recipe, Stephanie!
Stephanie Simmons says
You’re so welcome, Anna! Hope you love these scones! ❤️