Delicious and light pumpkin scones, served with an easy cranberry butter. These pumpkin scones need only a 1/2 cup of pumpkin puree, so they are a great to use up a bit of leftover pumpkin.
I make these pumpkin scones every year after I make my pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving. The amount of pumpkin left-over in the can from my pies is exactly the amount needed for these scones.
And of course, I have to say a word about the cranberry butter. It’s simply dried cranberries, that are plumped in hot water, then mixed with butter and a touch of icing sugar. Sweet, tangy and creamy, this butter is a treat with the pumpkin scones, so you don’t want to skip it!
Ingredients and Substitutions
For the Pumpkin Scones:
Brown sugar – light or dark brown sugar will work here. As the dark brown sugar contains molasses, the resulting scones will be darker and richer in molasses flavour. I used light brown sugar in the scones shown here.
Cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg – or replace them all with the same amount of Pumpkin Pie Spice
Butter – salted or unsalted
Milk – any fat level will work here, though I prefer at least 2% or higher. I haven’t tested these with non-dairy milks, but I feel like it should work here. Non-dairy milk may affect the hydration, so you may need a touch more flour in the dough.
Canned pumpkin puree – not pie filling.
You will also need – Egg (1), all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt
For the Cranberry Butter – dried cranberries, boiling water, softened butter and icing/confectioners’ sugar.
Recipe Tips
- When mixing the scones, you want the finished dough to be not crumbly, but not super sticky. If it seems dry in the bowl, add a splash more milk. If the dough seems really sticky (like it might stick to the parchment paper), add a touch more flour. If it seems sticky after patting it into a round on the baking sheet, pop it into the fridge or freezer for a few minutes before cutting into wedges.
- If you’d like to add some nuts into the mix, stir 2 Tbsp of finely chopped pecans into the batter.
- The cranberry butter is optional, but highly recommended! it’s such a lovely flavour combination. The cranberry butter will keep in the fridge for several days.
Making Ahead, Storing and Freezing
Scones are best enjoyed freshly baked, but they will keep a couple of days. Store scones in an air-tight container at room temperature. These scones will freeze well.
Want to Save This Recipe?
Enter your email & I'll send it to your inbox. Plus, get great new recipes from me every week!
By submitting this form, you consent to receive emails from Seasons and Suppers.
Get the Recipe: Pumpkin Scones with Cranberry Butter
Ingredients
Pumpkin Scones:
- 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
- 1/4 brown sugar, packed (light or dark)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon salt, reduce to 1/8 tsp if using salted butter
- 1/2 butter, cold and cut into 8 pieces
- 1/3 cup milk
- 1/2 cup canned pumpkin puree
- 1 large egg
Cranberry Butter:
- 2 Tablespoons dried cranberries
- 1/2 cup boiling water
- 1/2 cup salted butter, softened
- 3 Tablespoons icing/confectioners' sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, spices and salt.
- In a small bowl or measuring cup, whisk together the milk, pumpkin puree and egg. Set aside.
- Add the cubed butter to the flour mixture and using a pastry cutter or your fingertips, cut or rub the butter into the flour until it is reduced to pea-sized pieces. Set aside briefly.
- Add the pumpkin mixture to the flour mixture and using a wooden spoon, stir until all the flour is moistened and there isn't any loose flour at the bottom. *The mixture should not be crumbly, but should not be super sticky, either. Add a bit more flour or milk to adjust, as needed.
- Remove the dough to the parchment-lined baking sheet. Pat the dough into a 7 1/2 to 8-inch circle. If the dough seems sticky after patting it into a round on the baking sheet, pop it into the fridge or freezer for a few minutes before cutting into wedges. Using a sharp knife, cut the circle into 8 even wedges. Using a spatula, carefully pull apart the wedges so there is space between each one. They will rise considerably, so leave an inch at least between the wedges.
- Bake the scones in preheated oven until well set and starting to turn golden, about 12-15 minutes. Remove from oven, then remove to a cooling rack to cool. Dust with icing sugar to serve, if you like.
- For the cranberry butter: Add the dried cranberries to a bowl with the boiling water and let stand 5 minutes. Drain and pat dry. Add to a clean bowl, together with the softened butter and icing/confectioners' sugar. Stir to combine well. Serve softened alongside the scones. Left-over cranberry butter can be covered and refrigerated for several days.
Notes
More Scone Recipes to Love!
Hi! I’m Jennifer, a home cook schooled by trial and error and almost 40 years of getting dinner on the table! I love to share my favourite recipes, both old and new, together with lots of tips and tricks to hopefully help make your home cooking enjoyable, stress free, rewarding and of course, delicious!
These scones very fantastic! Nice and light, yet didn’t crumble as soon as I sliced them. The cranberry butter was a great addition too – so glad I decided to try it. 😀
So glad you tried them and enjoyed them, Susan :) Thanks!
I’ve been craving everything pumpkin lately and NEED to make this pumpkin scones soon. I know I’ll have 1/2 cup of puree leftover at some point. This is brilliant paired with that cranberry butter. What a terrific combo! Pinned :)
Thanks Tricia :)
These scones are perfect for a
Holiday brunch and that cranberry butter sounds like a delicious spread for all sorts of breakfast pastries and muffins!
Thanks Leanne and yes, lots of ways you could use that cranberry butter :)
These scones sound absolutely delicious on their own, but paired with cranberry butter? Yes please! Love to have one right about now, fresh out of the oven. They look delicious :)
Thanks so much, Dawn :)