These Apple Scones are perfect for lazy fall weekends! Buttermilk gives them a moist, tender crumb while baked apples and cozy spices make them absolutely delicious.
Glazed Cinnamon Apple Scone Recipe
When the weather gets cool, I love to turn my oven on and warm up the house with the sweet smell of apples and cinnamon. Chocolate Chip Scones are usually my favorite scone variety, but these apple scones may have taken their place, especially in the fall! The scones aren’t too sweet, so the glaze gives it the perfect balance of sweetness in every bite. Like my Lemon Cranberry Scones, Strawberry Scones, and savory Zucchini Asiago Tomato Scones, these apple scones are perfect for a light breakfast, adding to a brunch spread, or enjoying as an afternoon snack with tea.
What Makes These Scones Work
I love scones and love making these apple scones in the fall, a favorite in my home. Traditional scones are made with lots of butter and full-fat dairy. My version uses only a small amount of butter and replaces much of the fat with applesauce. This gives the apple scones a slight cake-like texture, but they’re still delicious.
- Lightened Up: Applesauce replaces much of the butter, lowering fat while still keeping rich flavor.
- Coffee shop quality at home: These scones taste bakery-worthy but are easy to make in your own kitchen.
- Cozy Fall Flavor: If chilly weather puts you in the mood for baking recipes like Apple Cobbler and Apple Cinnamon Muffins, add these apple scones to your list too! They’re everything that makes fall the best season of the year: cozy, warm, and sweet.
Yield: servings
Serving Size: 1 scone
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Preheat oven to 375°F.
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Combine the first five ingredients in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk.
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Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.
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Combine the flours, baking powder, cinnamon nutmeg, and salt in another large bowl, stirring with a whisk.
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Cut in chilled butter with a pastry blender, or you could use 2 knives, until the mixture resembles coarse meal.
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Fold in diced minced apples.
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Add buttermilk mixture, stirring just until moist.
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Place dough onto a floured surface and knead lightly four times with floured hands.
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Form dough into an 9-inch circle onto baking sheet, about 3/4″ thick. Using a knife, cut dough into 12 wedges all the way through.
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Bake until golden, about 18-20 minutes, depending on your oven.
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Place on a cooling rack about 10 minutes.
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Meanwhile, to make the glaze: Mix powdered sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg with 2 tbsp of milk, adding 1/2 tbsp more (1 tsp at a time) if necessary to get the consistency to the right thickness. Stir until completely smooth.
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Place scones on parchment or wax paper and drizzle the glaze over the scones using a spoon – or- place the glaze in a shallow bowl and dip the top of the scones into the glaze, then let it sit on the waxed paper to harden. Makes 12 scones.
Last Step:
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Serving: 1 scone, Calories: 184 kcal, Carbohydrates: 37 g, Protein: 3 g, Fat: 4 g, Saturated Fat: 2 g, Cholesterol: 23 mg, Sodium: 250 mg, Fiber: 2 g, Sugar: 19 g
Ingredients You’ll Need
Here are some notes to keep in mind when picking up the ingredients for these apple scones. See the recipe card below for the exact measurements.
- Buttermilk helps give the scones a tender crumb and a slight tang. I recommend buying it in a bottle rather than making your own; store-bought is both thicker and tangier.
- Unsweetened Applesauce keeps us from having to add so much butter and it also adds an apple flavor to the dough.
- Dark Brown Sugar adds sweetness with a note of caramel.
- Vanilla Extract, or use vanilla bean paste if you want little flecks of vanilla in your apple scones.
- Egg helps bind everything together.
- Cooking Spray, or an oil mister if you have one on hand.
- White Whole Wheat Flour has a milder texture and flavor than regular whole wheat flour.
- All-Purpose Flour; I prefer using unbleached flour.
- Baking Powder helps the scones rise in the oven.
- Cinnamon and Nutmeg add warm fall flavor.
- Salt balances and enhances the flavor of these scones.
- Butter to help make the scones flaky. Remember, because we’re using less butter than a typical scone recipe, they’re not AS flaky as traditional scones, but truth be told, I actually prefer this version. (My Pomegranate Scones are also made with only 3 tablespoons of butter!)
- Apples, peeled and cored. I use Granny Smith, but any firm apple you like to use for baking will work.
For the Glaze:
- Powdered Sugar, also known as confectioners’ sugar.
- Cinnamon and Nutmeg, to flavor the glaze.
- Fat-Free Milk combines with the sugar to create a pourable consistency to drizzle over the scones.
How to Make Apple Scones
Here’s a step-by-step guide to making these spiced apple scones. See the recipe card above for printable directions.
- Mix the Wet Ingredients: Whisk together the buttermilk, applesauce, brown sugar, vanilla, and egg.
- Mix the Dry Ingredients: Whisk them in a large bowl, then stir in the apples.
- Add the Butter: Use a pastry blender or two butterknives to cut the chilled butter into the flour, until it resembles a coarse meal.
- Finish the Dough: Fold in the apples, then stir in the wet ingredients.Â
- Knead: Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead four times with floured hands.Â
- Form the Scones: Pat into a 9-inch circle on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Cut into 12 wedges.
- Bake: Place the pan in a 375ºF oven and bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until golden. Set on a wire rack to cool.
- Make the Glaze: Whisk the powdered sugar and spices with 2 tablespoons of milk. Add more milk 1 teaspoon at a time if needed to reach the right consistency.
- Glaze the Scones: Set the scones on parchment or wax paper and drizzle the glaze on top, or dip the tops of the scones in the glaze. Let the glaze set, then serve.
Variations
- Use Less Sugar: If you want to cut back on your sugar, you can make half the glaze.
- Skip the Glaze: Instead of glazing the scones, sprinkle Demerara sugar over the tops before baking.
- Try Other Spices: Replace the cinnamon and nutmeg with apple pie spice, pumpkin pie spice, or chai spices. Cardamom also pairs well with apples.
- Make Gluten-Free Apple Scones: Replace both the white whole wheat flour and all-purpose flour with a 1:1 gluten-free flour substitute.
Proper Storage
- Room temperature:Â Store apple scones in an airtight container on the counter for up to 2 days.
- Freezer: Freeze apple scones in a zip-top bag or airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before serving. (You can warm them in the microwave if you’d like, but note that the glaze will melt.)
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