Cinnamon Swirl Pumpkin Scones

When I first made these, I proclaimed they are the best scones I've ever had and I stand by it! I have several scones recipes on this site that suit different seasons, and these Cinnamon Swirl Pumpkin Scones that are perfect for Fall may just be my best yet! These pumpkin scones are incredibly soft, tender and flaky in a pillowy way. They are actually moist and not dry. They are so rich in flavor from pure pumpkin, butter, a wonderfully cozy blend of spices and yogurt. The cinnamon glaze on top is an absolute must. These do not need any jam, nor cream, nor any additional butter - they are perfect on their own warm or at room temperature. They are good enough to satisfy a dessert craving and I'd rival them against my favorite brownie for a late night snack (yes, they're THAT good!).

My method for making scones is different from the rest because I do not use cold butter. In fact, I use soft, cool butter so it incorporates evenly into the dry ingredients for softness and tenderness. Try my method and I think you will love these! If you enjoy making scones, check out my popular Lemon Blueberry Scones and Raspberry Almond Scones as well.

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS

• Soft and moist texture - this recipe makes very soft, moist and tender scones. They are certainly not dry!
• Flaky pumpkin scones - it is possibly to achieve flakiness and moistness in one. Wait until you try this recipe and you will become a believer!
• Rich pumpkin spice flavor - there's a whole ½ cup of pure pumpkin and a warm cozy blend of cinnamon, ginger, allspice, clove and nutmeg.
• Cinnamon swirl scones - these are extra special because there is a cinnamon swirl baked into the dough and it makes these the absolute BEST. It's the same concept as making cinnamon rolls where you spread a layer of cinnamon sugar over the dough and roll it up before slicing.
• Cinnamon glaze - I would like to say this is not optional because even though these scones are delicious without it, once you add the glaze you will be over the moon with delight! That extra bit of melt-in-your-mouth sweetness makes these extra delicious.

INGREDIENTS FOR PUMPKIN SCONES

• All purpose flour - regular unbleached all-purpose flour will work fine in this recipe because I use soft butter. If you want an extra tender scone, you can use half cake & pastry flour which has a lower protein content (higher starch content) and finer particle size.
• Brown sugar - light or dark brown sugar will add rich flavor to these scones and it pairs so well with pumpkin and spice. You also don't need a lot of sugar to make scones because they are meant to be just lightly sweet, especially when combined with the cinnamon glaze.
• Baking powder - make sure it is fresh. Scones use quite a lot of baking powder as it is the only leavening agent that will give rise to them and help create a tender texture.
• Pumpkin spice - I add individual spices to create a warming pumpkin spice blend. You can also use your favorite brand of pumpkin spice, or use follow my recipe below to blend your own.
• Unsalted butter - I like to make scones with unsalted butter for a smooth creamy taste. You can still make this recipe with salted butter, but then reduce the added salt by half.

Reader review!

"Just added these to my thanksgiving menu for next week!"

- @riverrisebakery

• Egg - one large egg will add nice structure and help with the soft texture.
• Yogurt - this adds rich dairy notes and tanginess, while also adding fat to contribute further to tenderness. Make sure you use thick full fat yogurt. You can also substitute with full fat sour cream.
• Pumpkin puree - make sure you use pure pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling which contains sugar and spices. I use canned puree for consistency.
• Cinnamon sugar - a blend of brown sugar and cinnamon is the simple filling for the dough which adds a caramel-like sweetness and it's just dang GOOD! It also looks so special.

STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS

• STEP 1). Blend dry ingredients. Combine flour, baking powder, brown sugar, spices and salt in a large bowl.
• STEP 2). Blend in butter. Add butter and rub it in with your fingertips or use a hand mixer until it resembles coarse crumbs and it is well incorporated. Make sure there are no large lumps of butter.
• STEP 3). Combine wet ingredients. Whisk together pumpkin puree, egg and yogurt in a small bowl.
• STEP 4). Combine wet and dry ingredients. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the pumpkin mixture. Fold together gently using a spatula until just moistened enough to come together.

• STEP 6). Form the dough. Generously dust your work surface with flour and turn the mixture out onto it. Fold it over just once or twice (max!) - do not knead. Sprinkle the soft sticky dough with more flour and pat it down into a 10-inch circle pressing in loose bits as necessary. Brush off excess flour with a pastry brush.
• STEP 7). Sprinkle cinnamon sugar over the dough.
• STEP 8). Roll the dough.
• STEP 9). Brush with cream. Transfer each scone to a parchment lined baking tray and brush tops lightly with cream or milk.
• STEP 10). Bake for 5 minutes. Lower oven temperature and continue baking for until evenly golden on top and on the bottom. Transfer scones to a wire rack to cool.
• STEP 11). Make the glaze. Combine glaze ingredients in a small bowl and whisk until smooth, adding a little more milk as needed to achieve a drizzling consistency and spoon it over the scones while still warm.

EXPERT BAKING TIPS

• Blend in the butter. We're not making pastry, we're making scones so we don't want lumps or "pea-sized" pieces of butter in the flour. You want the butter to be evenly incorporated into the flour so that it coats the flour particles and becomes well dispersed for a soft, tender texture. Butter that is in pieces is good for lamination when making pastry or biscuits that are intended to either be crisp or served with lots of sauce or gravy.
• Use "cool" butter. This is probably the opposite of what you have seen in most scone recipes that require cold butter... specifically "rub the cold butter into the flour so it is the size of small peas". Leaving cold butter in large bits in the scone dough will leave you with flaky yet dry scones that are only enjoyable when they are warm and fresh from the oven. Cool butter (not warm and seeping, but not straight from the fridge) mixes in easily and also makes the softest texture because it incorporates evenly and coats the flour particles to protect the proteins from hydrating and developing gluten which is what makes scones dry and tough. Butter that is cold will just melt out of the scones and we want the butter blended right in to soften the texture. Cold butter is for pastry that is baked until crisp and browned when the layers of flour toast up between layers of butter. In a scone dough, the flour will taste raw if it is not over-baked, and then they will stale quickly since the flour is not protected by fat.
• Do not over-mix the dough. Once the flour is mostly combined (with a few light streaks), then the dough is ready for patting and folding. Just flour the dough and use your hands in a cupped shape to bring the dough together and pat it out into a rectangle. You can fold it over itself once or twice, but do not knead!
• Brush with milk or cream before baking. This will prevent them from drying out excessively and also helps promote a nice golden brown top. That's because the milk proteins react with the milk sugars in a process called "Maillard browning" to create a brown color and caramel-like flavors.

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Video

Cinnamon Swirl Pumpkin Scones

Christina Marsigliese

These may be the best scones I've ever had! They are pillowy soft and moist, and also flaky. It's almost as though those texture cannot exist simultaneously, yet they do. You'll have to make them to believe it! The cinnamon swirl is so delicious through the scones and they are perfectly sweet and buttery. These are a must make for Fall!

5 from 9 votes

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 18 minutes mins

Chill Time 15 minutes mins

Servings 7 scones

Ingredients

  

Cinnamon sugar:

• 2 tablespoon (30g) packed light brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Scone dough:

• 2 cups (284g) all-purpose flour, plus more for hands and work surface
• ⅓ cup (70g) packed light brown sugar
• 2 ½ teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ground ginger
• ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
• ⅛ teaspoon each ground clove and nutmeg
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 7 tablespoons (100g) unsalted butter, softened
• ¼ cup (60ml) full fat plain yogurt
• ½ cup (120ml) pure pumpkin puree
• 1 large cold egg

Cinnamon glaze:

• ¾ cup (90g) powdered confectioner's sugar
• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• pinch of salt
• 1 tablespoon (15ml) whole milk

Instructions

 

• Make the cinnamon sugar. Combine brown sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl and blend well.
• Make the scone dough. Combine flour, brown sugar, baking powder, spices and salt in a large bowl and whisk to blend well. Add the soft butter and use an electric hand mixer to mix on low speed for 1-2 minutes until it resembles breadcrumbs and it is well incorporated. There shouldn't be much dusty flour in the bowl and there shouldn't be any larger pieces of butter (if some are the size of oat flakes, that's ok).
• Combine pumpkin, yogurt and egg in a small bowl and whisk until smooth. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the pumpkin mixture. Fold together gently using a spatula until just moistened enough to come together. Combine using a rubber spatula until slightly incorporated, it will look like a shaggy dough. Do not over-mix. The dough will be quite soft and sticky but resist adding more flour.
• Dust your work surface with flour and turn the shaggy scone dough out onto it. Gather it together and fold it over itself just once to bring it together. Do not knead it. Sprinkle the soft sticky dough with more flour and pat it down into a 10 inch circle pressing in loose bits as necessary. Use a bench scraper to help lift and turn the dough to ensure it isn't sticking to your surface. Lift it up and sprinkle the surface with more flour if necessary. Use a pastry brush to brush off excess flour from the surface of the dough and then sprinkle the cinnamon sugar evenly over top. Use your hands to pat the sugar into the dough gently. Roll the dough up like a cinnamon roll to make a log, then flatten the log so it forms a rectangle about 1 inch high and 12 inches long. Use a bench scraper or a knife to cut the flattened log on alternating diagonals to make 7 or 8 triangular scones/wedges. If it's sticky, lightly flour the bench scraper/knife.
• Place the triangles/wedges onto a plate or other baking sheet lined with parchment paper and place in the freezer for 15-25 minutes while you preheat the oven.
• Preheat the oven to 400°F and line another large baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Once the oven is preheated, transfer the scones to the prepared baking sheet leaving at least 2 inches of space between them. Brush the tops lightly with milk or cream and bake for 15-18 minutes until puffed. The bottom and edges will be nicely browned and the tops should be lightly golden. Transfer scones to a wire rack to cool.
• Make the glaze. Combine powdered sugar, cinnamon and salt in a small bowl and whisk to blend. Add the milk and whisk until smooth. You can add a little bit more milk as needed to achieve a thick drizzling consistency. You're looking for a thicker glaze that's not too runny so it sets on the scones. Spread it over the slightly cooled scones and then sprinkle with cinnamon sugar (optional) before letting the glaze set completely.