Pumpkin scones are quick and easy to make. These warmly spiced scones are perfect with a coffee on cosy autumn morning or afternoon tea get together.

Pumpkin spiced scones are a tasty variation on our buttermilk scone recipe. These scones use a combination of warming spices: cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and ginger. Almost like pumpkin pie, but in scone form!

Pumpkin spice scones, one in the foreground cut open and spread with butter on a pink plate and the remaining batch in the back on a old round wire trivet and sitting on a dark blue backdrop with orange flecks.

They are a delicious Autumnal treat as the seasons change. Straight from the oven, these warm pumpkin scones are delicious with a slather of butter. However I do enjoy adding some Apple Jelly, which just works beautifully with the spices in the scone.

How to bake a light scone?

As with all scones its important not to overwork the dough. Too heavy a hand results in flat, dense scones. You want to create a scone with a nice rise, a crisp crust and a fluffy centre. This is even more important if you’re adding heavier flavouring to the scone, as in the case of this scone with pumpkin puree. The less you work the dough the lighter the scone will be!

Pumpkin scones cut into wedges and served on a salmon pink plate

Once you’ve got all your ingredients looked out lightly rub the dry ingredients together with the butter to create what looks like fine breadcrumbs. Don’t over handle the butter or make the mix greasy. Simply allow the ingredients to mix gently through your finger tips.

The addition of pumpkin to the scone mix can make it a little heavier. So to avoid over working the dough we’ve gently rolled it out to a large circle. Instead of using a scone cutter which results in reworking the dough, we’ve simply cut it into wedges using a sharp knife. After sprinkling on some pumpkin seeds these are ready for the oven.

Recipe steps:

Ingredients laid out to make pumpkin spice scones, including flour, salt, brown sugar, egg, pumpkin spice and buttermilk and cold cubed butter. — Measure out all your ingredients.

A glass bowl showing flour and cold butter rubbed together as the start of making scones to show how the texture should be that of breadcrumbs. — Gently rub the butter, flour, sugar, salt and spices together with your hands, taking care not to press too hard. You want to achieve a breadcrumb-like consistency.

Pumpkin spice scone mixture ready to be formed into individual scones or one large one. — Add the remaining ingredients to the flour mix and gently bring together with a fork. Take care not to over-work the dough.

One large pumpkin spice scone mix formed into a round and then sliced like a pizza into 8 potions, brushed with leftover buttermilk and topped with pumpkin seeds ready for the oven to be backed. — Gently flatten out the ball of dough into a large circle on a lined baking sheet. Cut the circle into 8 individual scones, as shown above. Brush with any leftover buttermilk, scatter on some pumpkin seeds and place in the oven at 200CFan for 15-18 minutes until baked.

Should I use baking powder?

Many scone recipes require the addition of baking powder to help the scones rise. Where possible we prefer to leave it out as too much baking powder can leave a funny fizzy taste in your mouth when eating, not pleasant. Instead we prefer to leave out where it’s possible and work the dough as little as possible. We’ve always had success with lovely risen scones.

A batch of pumpkin spied scones fresh from the oven on top of a non stick silicone mat and dusted with flour. — Once baked

How to make your own pumpkin puree?

Pumpkin puree comes ready pureed in tins. However if you can’t find a tin of pumpkin puree it’s really simple and cost effective to make your own. Simply cut up a pumpkin and remove the seeds. Place the pumpkin skin side down on a baking tray and place in an oven at 180CFan for 20-30 minutes until the pumpkin is soft.

Remove the pumpkin from the oven and allow the tray to cool so that you can handle the pumpkin. Using a sharp knife, remove the outer skin and any bits that might have caught in the oven. Place the pumpkin flesh into a food processor and blitz to a smooth puree.

Pumpkin puree freezes well so you can save any extra for later.

A bag with pumpkin puree and a set of weighing scales. — Save any extra pumpkin puree, spoon it into a bag and place it in the freezer for use at a later date! It’s a great idea to mark to the quantity on the bag.

Pin the recipe:

A close up view of a pumpkin spice scone on a pink plate ready to eat and the rest of the scones blurred in the back as well as a large white border to the bottom with the name Pumpkin Spice Scone and Lost in Food as the author.

Additional recipe suggestions:

If you like this recipe then try out some of our other scone recipes:

For some other deliciously fruity and spiced seasonal bakes try some of these recipes:

If you enjoyed this bake have a look at our Ultimate Guide to Baking with Kids, full of great recipe suggestions for baking with children.

pumpkin scones