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These apple scones are loaded with fresh apples and candied pecans, giving them a slightly sweet but buttery taste with a crumbly exterior.
I've been on a scone kick lately - from chocolate chip scones to bacon cheddar scones to blueberry scones to blackberry scones to raspberry and white chocolate scones to cheese and chive scones to jam scones.
But with it being peak fall, I figured it was time to add fall's most popular fruit - apples.
If you've never had a scone, it is Britain's version of biscuit. But at the same time it isn't a biscuit. Biscuits are light and airy with well-flaked layers. Scones should crumble and be slightly dryer.
And while most people just have biscuits, which by the way there is nothing wrong with that, scones are made to add a ton of different flavors.
These apple scones are great on their own for breakfast or with a nice warm cup of coffee or cider. Before you say I've never made scones, just take a leap of faith and give these a try. They're surprisingly easy and quite addicting.
And if you still have some extra apples on hand, this cinnamon apple bread is the perfect way to use them up.
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Ingredient Notes
- Baking powder/soda - super important as it helps the homemade scones rise.
- Unsalted butter - by shredding the butter you get bits throughout the flour which help creates the flaky crust you expect.
- Apples - you want a tart apple like Granny Smith so it offsets the sweetness.
- Pecans - either buy some at the grocery store or make your own candied pecans.
- Buttermilk - the acidity reacts with the leaveners and creates a nice rise.
Ingredient Swaps
Like any recipe, you can mix up some of the ingredients if needed. Some variations include:
- While I use all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour can be substituted.
- I use granulated sugar in the dough and to top the scones, but raw can sugar or coconut sugar work too.
- It is a apple scones recipe for a reason, but you can sub with another fruit like pears or strawberries.
- I like pecans for added crunch, but walnuts are a good substitute.
Step-by-Step Photos
Mix together the dry ingredients in a large bowl then use a cheese grater to shred the cold butter.
Add the butter to the flour mixture and use a pastry cutter or 2 knifes to mix in and then fold in apples and pecans. Mix the buttermilk and vanilla extract into the dry ingredients until just incorporated.
Then place the dough on a floured surface and form into a disc about 1 ½ inches thick. Cut into 8-10 slices. Place the apple scones on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Brush with some buttermilk and add a little bit of sugar. Bake at 400°F for 22-25 minutes or until golden brown on top.
Now make the glaze. Add butter to small saucepan over medium-high heat and brown until it smells toasty, about 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the powdered sugar, maple syrup, vanilla extract and salt. Let the apple scones cool slightly and then drizzle on the glaze.
The Key to Light and Flaky Scones
As with anything that you bake, you do not want to overwork the dough. Use a pastry cutter or knives to get the cold butter into small crumbs.
You then use your hands to shape and pat the dough into a disc. Yes your hands will get messy, but the end product is worth it.
FAQs
Yes and no. Scones are the British version and generally have eggs in them, where biscuits do not. However I've "Americanized" these homemade scones and taken the egg out which gives you a light, flaky texture.
If you don't have buttermilk you can easily make it at home. Simply add 1 tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice to 1 cup of milk. Let stand at room temperature for 10 minutes and it’s ready.
As mentioned above, eggs are commonly in scones as it gives it a richer mouthfeel. However I like a flakier scone so I omit the egg.
Granny Smith has the tartness that offsets the sweetness of the scones. With that said, you can use your favorite apple in this recipe.
You can break one open to check for doneness. The interior shouldn't be doughy or wet, but slightly moist.
Freezing Instructions
You can either freeze the apple scones before baking or after baking.
- Freeze Before Baking: Cut the scone dough into wedges than place on baking sheet and freeze for 1 hour. Once frozen, you can layer them into a bag or container. To bake from frozen, just add a few minutes to the bake time or thaw overnight and bake as directed.
- Freeze After Baking: Place the baked and cooled apple scones on a sheet and the freeze for at least 1 hour. You can then layer them into a bag or container. Thaw on the counter or overnight in the fridge. Warm in the microwave for 30 seconds or on a baking sheet at 300°F for 10 minutes.
Pro Tips/Recipe Notes
- Use cold or even frozen butter. The cold butter coats the flour which creates crumbs that melt and steam, thus creating that flakiness you expect in scones.
- Do not overwork the dough. Mix everything until just combined or you will have tough scones.
- You can drizzle apple cider caramel instead of a glaze if you prefer.
- Leftover apple scones will keep at room temperature for 2 days or in the fridge for 5 days.
Other Breakfast Recipes
If you’ve tried this apple scones recipe or any other recipe on Chisel & Fork, please let me know how it turned out in the comments below! And if you are a scone fan, you can't go wrong with these maple scones. You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube to see more tasty meals and anything else I'm up to.
Apple Scones
Ingredients
Scones
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup raw cane sugar
- 1 ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter, cold
- ¾ cup diced Granny Smith apples
- ½ cup candied pecans, roughly chopped
- ¾ cup buttermilk, cold
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Glaze
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 3 tablespoon powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoon maple syrup
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.
- Grate the cold butter using a cheese grater. This is an easy way to get it into small pieces to incorporate in the dry ingredients. If you do not have a cheese grater, you can just cut into small cubes. Blend the grated butter in with the flour mixture using a pastry cutter or 2 knives. The mixture should be clumpy and look like course crumbs. Mix in the apple and pecans.
- In a small measuring cup, mix together the buttermilk and vanilla. Mix into the flour mixture until JUST incorporated. DO NOT over mix, this will make the scones too dense.
- Put a small amount of flour onto a clean surface and knead the dough briefly. Shape the dough into a circle that is about 1 ½ inches thick. Cut the circle in half and then each half into 4-5 wedges (depending on how big you want your scones).
- Put the wedges on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper. Brush the tops with a little bit of milk and then lightly sprinkle with sugar and/or cinnamon.
- Bake for 20-22 minutes until tops are golden brown and toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- While scones are baking make the glaze. Add butter to small saucepan over medium-high heat and brown until it smells toasty, about 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the powdered sugar, maple syrup, vanilla extract and salt.
- Let the scones cool slightly and then drizzle on the glaze.
Notes
- Use cold or even frozen butter. The cold butter coats the flour which creates crumbs that melt and steam, thus creating that flakiness you expect in scones.
- Do not overwork the dough. Mix everything until just combined or you will have tough scones.
- You can drizzle apple cider caramel instead of a glaze if you prefer.
- Leftover scones will keep at room temperature for 2 days or in the fridge for 5 days.
Tom says
Definitely going to make these.