These vegan and gluten free pumpkin scones are topped with a maple glaze for a sweet and decadent fall treat. Pumpkin pie spice lends that familiar fall flavor while a sprinkle of toasted and crushed pecans adds nuttiness and crunch.
Remember how I mentioned in this post that I was going to share several new pumpkin and winter squash recipes this season? So far I’ve shared these roasted honeynut squashes with apple fennel slaw and this acorn squash tomato soup with thyme and rosemary. Now it’s time for a little something sweet: maple glazed pumpkin scones!
These scones have a healthy dose of pumpkin puree to give them that characteristic earthy pumpkin flavor along with pumpkin pie spice because ’tis the season. To make the scones a little more sweet and decadent, they’re topped with a thick maple syrup glaze. If you want to balance the sweetness of the glaze and add a crunchy texture, you can sprinkle the tops with some crushed toasted pecans before the glaze sets. Overall, these scones are the perfect fall treat, especially with a mug of coffee or tea.
Tips for Making the Best Scones
Similar to biscuits, scones are all about the temperature of your butter as it goes into the oven. You want the butter as cold as possible so that as it hits the hot oven, it releases steam. This steam is what puffs up the scones and creates flaky layers! Make sure that you don’t skip the part of the recipe that ask you to chill the dough. This helps with the overall texture of the scone and keeps the butter from melting out and creating a flat and unappetizing baked good.
What You’ll Need to Make These Pumpkin Scones
These scones are vegan and gluten free but you wouldn’t really know it upon taking a bite! Here’s what you need to make these delicious maple glazed pumpkin scones:
- A gluten free baking flour mix – you want one that is meant to be subbed for all-purpose flour in a 1 to 1 ration. These types of mixes create the best texture in gluten free baked goods and are easier than having to buy multiple types of flour. This one is my favorite.
- Fine grain sea salt – balances and enhances the flavors.
- Baking powder – helps to add lift which is especially helpful in gluten free and vegan baked goods.
- Granulated sugar – adds just a hint of sweetness to the scones.
- Pumpkin pie spice – lends that delicious and familiar fall flavor to the scones. If you’d like to make your own, I have a recipe for you here! If you can’t find it, you can sub a teaspoon of cinnamon in its place.
- Cold vegan butter – the cold fat in the butter hitting the hot oven is what creates lift and a nice, flaky crumb. This is the one I use for baking.
- Pumpkin puree – you can’t have a pumpkin baked good without earthy and sweet pumpkin puree!
- Non-dairy milk – adds just enough moisture to the scones to keep them from being too dry. I typically use oat or cashew but you can use any non-dairy option that you like.
- Powdered sugar – forms the base of the smooth and thick maple glaze.
- Maple syrup – adds its characteristic smoky sweetness to the glaze.
- Crushed toasted pecans – these add crunch and nuttiness to the scones and a bit of visual interest to the glaze. These are optional but highly recommended!
Why are the measurements mostly in grams?
When I develop gluten free and vegan baked goods from scratch, the easiest and most accurate way to do this is by using weight measurements (grams or ounces) over volume (cups). 100g of say flour will always be exactly the same amount whereas 1 cup of flour could vary depending on how the flour is measured (i.e. is it scooped or spooned and leveled?). If you like to bake and haven’t done so already, I highly recommend investing in an inexpensive kitchen scale. They’re typically around $20 or $30.
Why You Should Make This Recipe
- These scones taste like fall: earthy pumpkin, warm spices, and smoky-sweet maple syrup.
- They’re vegan and gluten free and only require 11 ingredients.
- They’re better than what you can get at a coffee shop plus you can enjoy them in the comfort of your own home.
- They’re perfect for a fall breakfast or brunch spread.
Maple Glazed Pumpkin Scones (gluten free and vegan)
- Total Time: 30-32 minutes
- Yield: 8 scones 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
These vegan and gluten free pumpkin scones are topped with a maple glaze for a sweet and decadent fall treat. Pumpkin pie spice lends that familiar fall flavor while a sprinkle of toasted and crushed pecans adds nuttiness and crunch.
Ingredients
- 240g gluten free 1 to 1 baking flour such as this one
- 1/4 tsp fine grain sea salt
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 3 tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice blend
- 90g cold vegan butter, diced
- 100g pumpkin puree
- 80g non-dairy milk plus more as needed
- 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- 2 tbsp toasted and crushed or finely chopped pecans, optional
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set it aside.
Add the flour, salt, baking powder, granulated sugar, and pumpkin pie spice to a bowl. Whisk to combine. Add the cold diced butter and cut it into the flour until it is roughly the size of peas or a bit smaller. You can do this with a fork or a pastry blender (my personal favorite method).
Mix together the pumpkin puree and non-dairy milk in a separate bowl. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and begin to mix with a wooden spoon to bring the dough together. I often bring the last of it together by hand to make sure I incorporate all of the flour. Form the dough into two one-inch thick rounds. They will be roughly four inches in diameter. Place these rounds on your parchment lined baking sheet then place the baking sheet in your freezer for 10-15 minutes. You want the dough to be fully chilled but not frozen solid.
After the dough has chilled, remove the pan from the freezer. Using a knife dusted in flour or a pastry cutter, cut each round into four equal pieces. Space the scones out onto your baking sheet so that there’s at least an inch between each one. Immediately get the scones into the oven. Bake the scones in your preheated 425 degree oven for 15-17 minutes or until they have puffed and are just barely beginning to turn golden around the edges. Cool the scones completely before glazing.
To make the glaze, add the powdered sugar to a bowl along with the maple syrup and a splash of non-dairy milk. Begin to whisk these two together vigorously. The goal is to get a thick yet pourable consistency. If the glaze seems too thick, add a splash more milk. Drizzle the glaze over the top of each scone and sprinkle with the crushed pecans.
These scones are best the day they are made but can be kept in an airtight container and enjoyed within 2 days.
Notes
- Try to use a vegan baking butter if you can (typically sold in sticks or blocks) rather than a vegan butter spread.
- If you can’t find pumpkin pie spice, use an equal amount of ground cinnamon instead.
- If your baking pan won’t fit in your freezer, you can wrap the dough in parchment or cling film before placing it in the freezer without the pan.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15-17 minutes
- Category: baked good
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