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Enjoy tender, buttery maple scones drizzled with a sweet maple glaze – a perfect homemade treat for any occasion!
I love a good scone - from raspberry and white chocolate scones to cheese and chive scones to jam scones.
But these maple scones are a little unique. Not only is maple syrup in the dough for added sweetness and a delicate crumb, but it is also used in the glaze on top.
Why This Recipe Works
- Easy to make - With simple ingredients and a unique approach by using a food processor, you can enjoy homemade scones without much effort.
- Delicious flavor - The rich, sweet taste of maple syrup perfectly complements the buttery, flaky texture of the scones. If you love maple syrup, these are right up your alley!
- Perfect for any occasion - Whether for breakfast, brunch or a snack, maple scones are perfect for any gathering.
Jump to:
Ingredient Notes
- All-purpose flour - Provides structure to the scones. Measure carefully to prevent them from becoming dense
- Light brown sugar - Adds a subtle caramel flavor that enhances the maple syrup.
- Baking powder - Ensures the scones rise properly, creating a light, fluffy texture.
- Ground cinnamon - Adds a warm, aromatic flavor.
- Salt - Balances the sweetness.
- Unsalted butter - Shredding the butter distributes small pieces throughout the flour, contributing to the flaky texture you desire.
- Heavy cream - Adds moisture/richness and works with the baking powder to create that rise you expect.
- Maple syrup - Choose pure maple syrup for a rich, authentic flavor and natural sweetness in the scones. It is used for both the dough and glaze.
- Vanilla extract- Adds a subtle, warm flavor.
- Maple extract (optional) - For a stronger maple flavor, consider adding a splash of maple extract to the dough.
- Powdered sugar - Sweetens the glaze.
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.
- Swap cinnamon for other spices like nutmeg, ginger or a pumpkin spice blend for a different flavor profile.
- Instead of heavy cream, you can use buttermilk, but you will need to add ½ teaspoon baking soda.
Step-by-Step Photos
Please note full ingredient list and instructions can be found in recipe card below.
In a food processor, pulse flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt until combined.
Add butter and pulse until coarse meal forms (about 15 pulses).
Whisk heavy cream, maple syrup and vanilla extract and maple extract if using. Add to the processor and pulse until crumbly with large clumps.
On a floured surface, knead dough briefly and shape into a 1-inch thick circle. Cut into 8 wedges.
Place wedges on a parchment-lined baking sheet, brush with heavy cream, and freeze for 15 minutes.
Preheat oven to 400°F. Bake for 18-20 minutes until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.
For the glaze, mix maple syrup and butter in a bowl before whisking in sugar and salt. Drizzle over the cooled scones.
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.
For the butter step, stop when the mixture resembles coarse meal with small, pea-sized butter pieces.
Once you add the liquid, you want to pulse until it just starts to form large clumps.
Not a problem. Just do it the old fashioned way by grating the butter before adding to the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Blend the grated butter in with the flour mixture using a pastry cutter or 2 knives.
Add in the wet ingredients and mix until just combined before dumping out on the countertop and forming into a disk.
Yes, freezing helps them maintain their shape and results in a better texture when baked.
If your dough is too sticky, it may be due to overmixing or not enough flour. Gradually add more flour, one tablespoon at a time, until the dough is manageable but still slightly sticky.
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 these maple 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 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.
Equipment
The equipment you use is important to how the recipe turns out. What is needed is the following:
- Food processor - Easy way to get all of the ingredients to come together.
- Baking sheet - What you bake the scones on.
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.
- Pulse the dough until just combined to avoid tough scones. A crumbly texture is ideal.
- Feel free to mix in nuts, chocolate chips or dried fruit. Just add them just before working the dough into a disk.
- For extra flakiness, chill the shaped scone dough in the freezer for 15 minutes before baking. This helps solidify the butter and relax the gluten.
- Leftover maple scones will keep at room temperature for 2 days or in the fridge for 5 days.
Similar Recipes
If you’ve tried these maple scones or any other recipe on Chisel & Fork, please let me know how it turned out in the comments below! You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube to see more tasty meals and anything else I'm up to.
Maple Scones
Ingredients
Scones
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup light brown sugar
- 2 ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp sea salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter, frozen
- ¾ cup heavy cream
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon maple extract (optional)
Maple Glaze
- 2 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
- ⅔ cup powdered sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
- Add the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt to a food processor and pulse until combined.
- Cut the butter into 8 pieces and add to the food processor. Pulse until it looks like coarse meal, about 15 pulses
- Whisk together the heavy cream, maple syrup, vanilla extract and maple extract before adding to the food processor. Pulse until crumbly with large dough clumps. You don't want to form a ball.
- 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 inch 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 heavy cream. Transfer to the freezer for 15 minutes. Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Take out of the freezer and bake for 18-20 minutes or until the tops are golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.
- While the scones are cooling, make the glaze. Mix together the maple syrup and butter in a small bowl. Whisk in the sugar and salt until combined. Drizzle over the cooled scones.
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.
- Pulse the dough until just combined to avoid tough scones. A crumbly texture is ideal.
- Feel free to mix in nuts, chocolate chips or dried fruit. Just add them just before working the dough into a disk.
- For extra flakiness, chill the shaped scone dough in the freezer for 15 minutes before baking. This helps solidify the butter and relax the gluten.
- Leftover scones will keep at room temperature for 2 days or in the fridge for 5 days.
Kenda says
I’ll take 2.
Ryan says
Yep they're addicting!
Jean says
These were delicious!
Ryan says
Glad you enjoyed them!
Stacey says
Absolutely marvelous recipe. This is delicious and a winner winner for the fall and chilly mornings. Your photos and added hints help me make the perfect scone. Love it. Thank you.
Ryan says
Glad you enjoyed them!