Full of crisp apples, warm spices, and topped with a delicious maple cinnamon glaze, these apple spice scones with maple cinnamon glaze are full of fall flavors. Light, fluffy and moist on the inside with a beautiful sugary exterior crust. A must-bake for fall!
When it comes to fall flavors, there are certain combinations that just go together. They stand the test of time, and there’s just no reason to reinvent the wheel. Take apple and cinnamon for instance. You simply cannot go wrong. But add more warm spices like ginger, cloves, and nutmeg, along with the sweet flavor of maple, and now we’re really talking. Take all these flavors and put them into a scone? Maybe grab a cup of coffee or tea to go with? Now you’ve got yourself a real cozy fall situation.
This is my base scone recipe that I zhushed up a bit for fall. These apple spice scones with maple cinnamon glaze are light, fluffy, and super moist- not crumbly or dry in the least bit. I use cake flour instead of regular all-purpose flour, which makes all the difference. Using cake flour in your scones makes them exceptionally soft and tender. Also, heavy cream instead of milk- it’s a must! Using heavy cream steps up the moisture game when it comes to scones.
These apple spice scones with maple cinnamon glaze make for the perfect fall treat. And they’re so quick and easy to whip up! If you’re new to the scone game or have had trouble with scones in the past, see my notes below. I’ve got lots of scone tips that will help you achieve mouthwatering scone success!
Happy fall baking, friends! Excited for y’all to try these scones!
What you’ll need to bake these scones:
Butter: Butter adds flavor & flakiness. Because the butter is cold when it hits the oven, this helps the scones rise, giving them a light & fluffy texture.
Heavy Cream: Adds moisture & richness.
Egg: For binding & structure.
Vanilla: For flavor.
Cake flour: The cake flour in this recipe makes all the difference! Because it has a lower protein content than other flours, cake flour helps create an exceptionally light & fluffy texture to these scones.
Sugar & brown sugar: I use a combination of granulated & brown sugar in my scones to give a boost of sweetness. The granulated sugar also helps form a sweet and crisp exterior, while the brown sugar adds extra moisture to the scones.
Baking powder: For leavening.
Kosher salt: To balance out all the sweetness. TIP: While I recommend kosher salt, if you don’t have it on hand, use ½ the amount of table salt.
Spices: Ground cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and cloves add warmth and lots of fall flavor to these scones.
Apples: For great flavor and texture!
Powdered sugar, cinnamon, maple syrup and milk/ heavy cream for the maple cinnamon glaze.
FAQs:
Why is this recipe primarily listed in grams? I develop my recipes in grams because weighing your ingredients is the best, most accurate way to bake. Baking is a science and precision is key to success! Measuring cups are not standardized, and what’s more, the way each baker uses them varies drastically, which ultimately gives you inconsistent (and sometimes negative) results. For instance, did you know that scooping flour out of a cannister can give you 50% more flour than what’s called for in the recipe? By weighing your ingredients rather than using measuring cups, you can confidently know that you are using the correct amount of each ingredient, giving you greater success & delicious results. I highly recommend using a kitchen scale, like this one when you bake. Plus, it makes clean up a lot easier!
What is the dough supposed to feel/ look like? Scone dough is kind of a Goldilocks situation- you don’t want it too dry, & you don’t want it to be wet either. The dough will be a bit crumbly, but should be moistened enough that when you press it together with your fingers the dough will stick together.
Can I use milk instead of heavy cream? I don’t recommend it. Milk is thinner than heavy cream, which can cause your scones to spread too much in the oven. Heavy cream also makes these scones really moist! If you don’t have heavy cream on hand, you can try whole buttermilk instead.
Do I have to chill the dough? Yes. Keeping the dough cold is crucial to baking up scones that are light & fluffy. When the cold ingredients (particularly the butter) hit the hot oven, steam is created, which helps the scones rise. If your ingredients are at room temperature, the butter will simply melt, causing your scones to spread and become flat & dense.
What kind of apples should I use? I use Honeycrisp apple for these scones- I think they have the perfect balance of crisp, sweet mand tart. But any apple should work as long as it’s not mushy or mealy.
A few notes before you bake:
When it comes to making scones, keep things cold! Cold ingredients are crucial to getting a light & fluffy scone. Room temperature ingredients cause your scones to spread in the oven, causing them to become flat & dense. Here are some tips on how to keep things cold:
- Leave ingredients in the fridge until you need them (i.e. cubed butter & combined wet ingredients)
- Cut your butter into small pieces. This reduces the amount of time you spend cutting the butter into the flour mixture, therefore keeping it from getting too warm.
- Chill the dough in the freezer after cutting into wedges.
Don’t overwork your dough. Be careful not to overmix or overwork. Overworked dough= tough scones.
If glaze isn’t your thing, try a sprinkling of turbinado sugar after brushing with heavy cream!
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Apple Spice Scones with Maple Cinnamon Glaze
- Prep Time: 15 minutes (plus 30 minute chill time)
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour, 10 minutes
- Yield: 8 scones 1x
- Category: Breakfast/ Brunch
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Breakfast, Snack
Description
Full of crisp apples, warm spices, and topped with a delicious maple cinnamon glaze, these apple spice scones with maple cinnamon glaze are full of fall flavors. Light, fluffy and moist on the inside with a beautiful sugary exterior crust. A must-bake for fall!
Ingredients
For the apple spice scones
- 180 gm (3/4 cup) cold heavy cream, plus more for brushing
- 1 large egg, cold
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
- 281 gm (2 1/4 cups, spoon & leveled) cake flour
- 50 gm (1/4 cup) granulated sugar
- 25 gm (2 tablespoons) light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 113 gm (1/2 cup) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
- 80 gm (3/4 cup) apple, peeled & diced into 1/2” pieces
For the maple cinnamon glaze
- 120 gm (1 cup) powdered sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
- 2–3 tablespoons whole milk or heavy cream
Instructions
To make the scones:
- In a small bowl, combine the heavy cream, egg, and vanilla extract and place in the refrigerator until needed.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the cake flour, sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, kosher salt, and spices. Using a pastry cutter or 2 sharp knives, cut the cold butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
- Slowly add the cold heavy cream mixture to the flour mixture while simultaneously stirring with a wooden spoon. Gently mix until all the dry ingredients are moistened and mostly incorporated. Gently fold in the diced apples, being careful not to overmix the dough.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead a few times by hand until the dough comes together (NOTE: The dough will be crumbly, but it will come together as you work with it!) . Shape and press the dough together to form a flat disc, about 1″thick. Cut the disc into 8 wedges. Place the scones on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, spacing about 2″ apart, and place in the freezer for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 375°F.
- Remove the scones from the freezer and lightly brush the tops with heavy cream. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the tops and edges of the scones are beginning to lightly brown. Allow to cool on the pan for 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
To make the glaze:
- Whisk together the powdered sugar and ground cinnamon in a small bowl. Add the maple syrup and 2 tablespoons of milk or heavy cream and whisk to combine. The glaze should be thick, but thin enough to spread and/or drizzle over the scones, similar to a honey-consistency. Add more liquid, 1 tablespoon at a time, if necessary to reach the desired consistency.
Notes
Storage: These are best enjoyed fresh from the oven or the same day they are baked. However, they will keep in an airtight container for 2-3 days. If eating them leftover, I like to pop them in the microwave for a few seconds to soften them a bit.
Make ahead/ Freezing: Prepare the dough and cut into wedges as directed in the recipe. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet and pop in the freezer until frozen solid, at least 1 hour. Frozen scones can be stored in an airtight container or zip-top bag for 3 months. When you’re ready to bake, just add a few extra minutes to your bake time!
