Pumpkin Spice Scones

4.50 from 2 votes

Light, flakey and buttery pumpkin scones are the perfect treat for fall!

Total Time1 25

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings: scones

Calories: 422kcal

Author: Jessica

In a large bowl combine the flour, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, and kosher salt. Stir ingredients together well.
Add cold, cubed butter to the dry ingredients. Using a pastry cutter, cut the butter into the dry ingredients until it resembles coarse pea-sized cubes. Set aside.
In another small mixing bowl combine the brown sugar, granulated sugar, egg, egg yolk, milk, pumpkin puree, and vanilla extract. Whisk until smooth.
Fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients using a wooden spoon or sturdy spatula until a shaggy dough has formed. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and with floured hands work the dough into a ball. Be mindful not to work the dough too much, you don't want the butter to melt.
On a floured surface, flatten the dough ball into a 9-inch round disc.
Using a knife or bench scraper dipped in flour, cut the disc into 8 pie-shaped pieces.
Place the scones on a baking sheet, leaving space in between and refrigerate for 20 minutes.
In the meantime, preheat the oven to 400°F.
Bake the scones for 15-17 minutes or until the bottoms are golden brown.
Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely before adding the vanilla cream cheese icing.

In a small mixing bowl add the softened cream cheese and blend with a hand mixer until creamy, about 2 minutes.
Add the confectioners' sugar, milk, vanilla extract, and salt. Blend until smooth.
Transfer the icing to a piping bag or a ziplock bag and drizzle over top of the scones.

Any kind of milk may be substituted for the whole milk in this recipe.
Easily make a homemade pumpkin pie spice blend to use in these scones.
The butter must be cold and kept cold throughout the whole scone-making process. You want to see little chunks of butter in the dough. If the butter warms and incorporates with the dough your scones will be dense.
Yes, you really do need to use 1 tablespoon of baking powder. This will ensure the scones rise properly and have those delicious flakey layers.
Cut the scones with a floured knife to ensure a sharp and perfect cut, this will also help seal the edges of the scone.
Refrigerating before baking will re-harden the butter chunks and help the scone keep its shape during baking.
Scones are easily made gluten-free. Use a 1 to 1 gluten-free flour blend in place of the all-purpose flour and make sure that all of your other ingredients are gluten-free, especially the baking powder.
The icing is optional, if you are planning on using the icing, let the scones cool completely before adding it so it sets properly. If you want to serve the scones warm, serve the icing on the side and drizzle the icing on top right before serving.