Just over two weeks ago, my parents brought home a new puppy, a cute little golden retriever boy. He’s super fluffy, full of energy, and always nibbling! Sometimes on sweatshirt strings, sometimes on shoelaces, and sometimes on the rocks in the wall on the side of the house. Don’t ask…
Whenever we catch him chewing on something he isn’t supposed to, we gently shove a toy towards his mouth while sneakily removing the tempting tree branch or tanbark previously occupying his jaws. With a huge basket full of toys from our two previous dogs, this little puppy is already spoiled… But as an empty nester, my mom still dotes on him by buying lots of new tennis balls and squeaky stuffed animals!
When she arrives home from work in the afternoons, Mom grabs a small handful of treats and ushers the puppy into the backyard where they work on various tricks. So far, he’s gotten really good at “Sit” and “Stay,” but his “Down” and “GENTLE!!!” could use a little work next week!
One day last week, while I putzed around in the makeshift laundry room “kitchen,” Mom deviated from their routine and brought the puppy into the front yard for training instead. Somewhat isolated from the street yet still without a fence, the puppy decided to make a run for it and chased birds, squirrels, and wild turkeys off of the lawn.
Slightly frazzled, Mom tried calling and chasing after him, but after napping all afternoon, that little pup had way too much energy and sprinted all around the lawn!
When she eventually wrangled him up and clipped on his leash to lead him back to the house, Mom tempted him towards the side door by asking, “Do you want a treat? Do you want a treat?”
Chuckling a little on the inside, I repeated the same thing to her as she walked into the room, offering her a plate of these…
Maple Pumpkin Scones! Full of cozy fall flavors, these lightly spiced breakfast treats are perfect for slowly savoring on chilly mornings. With their sweet hints of maple syrup and irresistible pumpkin taste, they easily beat out pancakes—and they’re just as simple to make!
Many people think of scones as dry, crumbly, or fat-laden pastries. These healthy ones are anything but! They’re made from only wholesome, clean eating ingredients—nothing refined or processed at all.
Both whole wheat and gluten free flours work really well in this easy recipe. Regardless of which you choose, make sure you measure it correctly with the spoon-and-level method. If you scoop the flour directly from the bag, you’ll end up with 1.5 times as much, which would really dry out the scones.
Tip: For the best results, use a kitchen scale! I own and love this inexpensive one, and it really helps cut down on dishes too. Fewer measuring cups to wash = one happy baker!
You only use 2 tablespoons of butter in this entire recipe. Compared to ½ to 1 cup of butter in typical scones, that’s practically nothing! The rest of the soft texture comes from the pumpkin purée (NOT pumpkin pie filling… that’s loaded with extra sugar!), which adds tons of moisture without the extra fat and calories. These were seriously some of the softest, moistest scones I’ve ever tasted, and both of my parents were completely in awe of their incredible texture!
When stirring everything together, do NOT over-mix the dough. Over-mixing does two things to scones: (a) it over-develops the gluten strands, making them tough and chewy, and (b) it warms up the chilled butter, which ruins the light airy texture of the insides and turns the scones dense and gummy instead. Mix the dough until all of the ingredients are just barely incorporated; then shape it into slightly flattened spheres to bake.
To me, scones must have a tender inside and lightly crisp crust on the outside. Without the crust, they’d just be misshapen muffins! So to create that, we’ll brush them with a combination of milk and maple syrup. The milk helps form the crust, while the sugar in the syrup slightly crystallizes while baking, adding to the characteristic crispness. It’s the best part, especially when you add the glaze!
And the glaze is super simple… Just Greek yogurt and maple syrup. The syrup is already sweet enough on its own and doesn’t need powdered sugar too, so the yogurt helps thicken it to create a drizzle-able (yes, that’s now a word!) consistency. For picture-perfect drizzles, use a zip-topped baggie with the corner snipped off. It always works like a charm!
Although they look really impressive, these Maple Pumpkin Scones are a cinch to whip up! From start to serving, they’re ready in just 45 minutes, making them perfect for weekend brunches or satisfying any carb cravings.
Ready to bake your own?
These fall-flavored scones are so simple to make! The insides are soft and tender, while the lightly crisp crust on the outside is the perfect complement.
- Preheat the oven to 425°F, and cover a baking sheet with foil. Lightly coat the foil with nonstick cooking spray.
- To prepare the scones, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in a medium bowl. Cut in the butter with a pastry cutter or the back of a fork until the mixture resembles a fine meal. Add in the pumpkin purée, 8 teaspoons maple syrup, and 10 teaspoons of milk, mixing until just incorporated.
- Divide the dough into 8 equal portions, and shape each into a ball. Place onto the prepared baking sheet, and flatten slightly. Mix together the remaining 1/8 teaspoon maple syrup and ½ teaspoon milk in a small bowl, and brush over the tops of the scones. Bake at 425°F for 12-14 minutes, or until light golden brown on top. Cool on the pan for 5 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack.
- Once the scones have cooled, stir together the yogurt and maple syrup in a small bowl. Add to a small zip-topped bag, snip off the corner, and drizzle over the cooled scones.
Notes: For the gluten-free flour, I used as follows: 1 cup (120g) millet flour, ¼ cup (35g) brown rice flour, ¼ cup (30g) tapioca flour, and 1 ½ teaspoons xanthan gum.
For a vegan version, substitute Earth Balance buttery sticks in place of the butter, your favorite non-dairy milk in place of the nonfat milk, and soy, coconut, or almond yogurt in place of the Greek yogurt.
These were the first scones I have ever made and they turned out great! The pumpkin taste was great and I went ahead and subbed in some pumpkin pie spice instead of cinnamon. I also used almond milk which ended up tasting great. The scones themselves were flaky and crisp on the outside, but perfectly moist and rich on the inside. I loved them!!
I’m so glad you enjoyed the scones Ellen!
I made these this morning (along with one of your brownie recipes) and froze for later snacking. They came out great, with a perfect scone texture. Also not to sweet, with a touch of sweetness in the glaze. My son and husband liked them – and neither of them like scones or pumpkin! Great recipe!
I’m so glad you enjoyed the scones and brownies Nadiys! That’s a huge compliment if both your son and husband enjoyed the scones as well. I’m touched — thank you for sharing that!
Can I substitute the pumpkin puree for date puree and put date puree in centre before baking as well as in dough mixture. If the answer is yes would I omit maple syrup since dates are very sweet? I purchase sugar free date turnovers and they are made with date puree in dough & also filled ….hopefully I could make it work the same with these….Thank you
I haven’t worked with date purée before, so I’m not entirely certain how that would work. It sounds like a lovely idea though! 🙂
Looks great! Do the scones need to be refrigerated due to the yogurt glaze? Would the glaze spoil at room temp? Thanks so much!
Thanks Alex! Yes, it’s best to refrigerate because of the yogurt glaze. Pumpkin baked goods also spoil quickly at room temperature compared to other baked goods, so chilling them helps them from molding too quickly as well.
I had everything on hand this morning except the yogurt so I made these scones, substituting 1 cup of stiff levain whole wheat sourdough starter for part of the flour and all of the milk. Turned out well, fluffy and delicious! Thanks so much for a good recipe. Pinned and shared as Recipe of the Day on my Facebook page, Cooking with Whole Grains & Real Whole Foods.
I’m so glad you enjoyed the scones Kathryn, and thank you very much for sharing on Pinterest and with your Facebook page! 🙂
Getting ready to make my second batch of these wonderful scones. My husband gobbled them up, think I will us honey instead of the maple syrup this time. Thanks you for a wonderful recipe
My pleasure, and thank you for sharing your story about your husband! That’s quite the compliment! 🙂
Can i use unsweetened almond milk?
Yes! I hope you enjoy the scones Kathrin! 🙂
These turned out great! Even my husband, who scoffs at my healthy recipes, really liked them.
That’s the best sort of compliment — thank you so much for sharing Mindy Rae! I’m glad both you and your husband enjoyed the scones!
These are delicious! Not too sweet and very soft. Yum!
I’m so glad you enjoyed the scones Lisa!
These were really tasty! We loved the icing – perfect flavor combo.
I did find myself eating two instead of my normal one scone because they seemed rather small. Maybe I just like BIG scones. Ha!
I used fresh ground white wheat flour for the win.
I’m so glad you enjoyed the scones Stacy! It’s hard for me to stop at just one too. 😉