These Apple Scones are deliciously tender and perfectly moist! Studded with sweet, juicy apples and fragrant cinnamon, they are an easy fall treat that’s made with basic pantry ingredients. They bake up golden brown and slightly crisp on the edges, just begging for a generous drizzle of maple glaze!
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These homemade Apple Scones are the perfect fall breakfast! They’re lightly sweet, super tender in the middle, and full of fresh apple flavor. But my favorite part might just be the creamy maple glaze on top - so good!
If you’re looking for more breakfast recipes, I recommend these Apple Pie Biscuits - like a combo of cinnamon rolls and apple pie scones! This Easy Butterscotch Monkey Bread is also delicious.
🍵 What are scones?
Homemade scones mean different things depending on which side of the pond you are from. English scones are usually not sweetened whereas American scone recipes have a bit of sugar in them. Either way, they are perfect with a hot cup of coffee, cup of tea, or even a glass of apple cider.
My favorite basic scone recipe is America’s Test Kitchen cream scones. We based this recipe off of their base, but added apples, cinnamon, and maple glaze for the perfect apple scone recipe.
🏅 Why this recipe is great
- Pillowy soft in the middle with slightly crispy, golden brown edges.
- Lightly sweetened and gently flavored.
- Easy to make.
- Great recipe for freezing ahead.
🍎 Ingredients
- All-purpose flour: Make sure to measure with a light hand to avoid dry, crumbly scones. The spoon and level method works well.
- Baking powder: This is the main lift agent, meaning it will help the scones be nice and fluffy in the middle. Make sure to use fresh baking powder that isn’t expired.
- Cinnamon and nutmeg: Just enough to taste like fall.
- Sugar: These are very lightly sweetened, so you just need a little.
- Butter: Use very cold butter. The cold butter will melt during the baking, creating a fluffy center with flaky layers. Room temperature butter just isn't the same.
- Fresh apples: Fuji, Granny Smith, or Honeycrisp would be good choices. I leave the skin on, but you can peel them if you prefer.
- Heavy cream: Cream makes these scones extra soft and moist. Make sure it is super cold before using.
🔪 How to make apple scones
The best part about apple cinnamon scones is that they are easy to make. Just six simple steps is all it takes. Plus, there's no need for a traditional pastry cutter or pastry blender.
1. In a food processor (afffiliate) or stand mixer, combine the dry ingredients. Add the cold cubed butter and pulse (or mix on medium-low).
2. The flour mixture should resemble damp sand.
3. Pour into a large bowl and stir in the apples. Add the cream and mix until the dough begins to form. It will look dry and shaggy, but will come together in the next step.
4. Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface for 5-10 seconds, or until the dough forms.
5. Pat the dough into a circle ¾ inch thick and 7.5 inches wide. Cut into 8 equal wedges with a sharp knife or bench scraper (affiliate).
6. Refrigerate the dough for 15 minutes. Then brush the tops with a little bit of cream and bake on a prepared baking sheet at 425° for 13-15 minutes, or until golden brown.
Allow the tender scones to cool slightly. You can eat them on their own, but I highly recommend adding a generous drizzle of this maple glaze recipe to the warm scones! It's the perfect caramely combo of maple syrup and brown sugar.
👨👩👧👦 For a crowd
When making a double batch of apple scones, I suggest making each batch separately to get tender scones. Doubling the batch, even in a large mixing bowl, will cause the dough to be overworked. This is also a great time to make and freeze the dough in advance.
🙋 Questions and Answers
The best baking apples are firm and tart. Fuji, Honeycrisp, and Granny Smith apples are all good choices for this apple scones recipe.
Make sure to use fresh baking powder that isn’t expired. Another key to a good scone is to refrigerate them before baking so that they rise instead of spreading.
Apple scones are crumbly if the dough is not moist enough before baking. It will appear very dry and shaggy at first, but it should come together into a moist dough after kneading. If needed, you can add an additional ½-1 tablespoon of cream as you are kneading it.
Yes! You can make apple scones ahead and store in the fridge in an airtight container or covered in plastic wrap for up to one day before baking. You can also freeze the raw scones on a cookie sheet, then store in a zipper bag. Bake from frozen, adding an additional 1-3 minutes.
👨🏼🍳 Tips & Tricks
- Avoid over mixing and overworking to keep the scones soft and tender.
- Use very cold butter and cream. This will help the dough rise and make the scones fluffy.
- Don’t skip the chilling time. It really ensures that they stay flaky in the middle and rise tall instead of spreading.
👋🏻 Connect with us!
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📋 Recipe
Moist Apple Scones with Maple Glaze
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- 3 tablespoon sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 5 tablespoon butter very cold and cut into ¼ inch cubes
- ½ cup apples peeled if desired and chopped into ¼ inch cubes
- 1 cup heavy cream + more to brush the tops
- 1 recipe of Easy Maple Glaze
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- In a food processor (or stand mixer), combine the dry ingredients. Add the cold butter and pulse (or mix on medium-low) until the mixture resembles damp sand.2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 tablespoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon nutmeg, 3 tablespoon sugar, ½ teaspoon salt, 5 tablespoon butter
- Pour the mixture into a large bowl (or leave in the stand mixer bowl). Stir in the chopped apples. Then add the cream and mix with a rubber spatula until the dough begins to form. It will look dry and shaggy, but will together in the next step.½ cup apples, 1 cup heavy cream
- Transfer the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Knead for 5-10 seconds, or until the dough fully comes together.
- Pat the dough into a circle that is about ¾ inch thick and 7.5 inches wide. Cut into 8 even wedges.
- Refrigerate the scones for 15 minutes. Brush the tops with about 2 tablespoons of heavy cream.
- Bake for 13-15 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool on the pan for 10 minutes.
- While scones are baking, make the maple glaze. Drizzle on lightly cooled scones and serve.1 recipe of Easy Maple Glaze
- We love comments! Please come back and leave us one after you’ve tried this recipe.
Notes
- Avoid over mixing and overworking to keep the scones soft and tender.
- Use very cold butter and cream. This will help the dough rise and make the scones fluffy.
- Don’t skip the chilling time. It really ensures that they stay fluffy in the middle and rise tall instead of spreading.
Nutrition
All nutrition information is provided by a third party and is an estimate only. Use your own nutritional calculator for more specific measurements.
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