Pumpkin Scones

This small-batch pumpkin scones recipe is completely refined sugar free and made with real pumpkin puree. Enjoy a taste of autumn with one of these maple cream cheese frosted scones and a hot mug of dark roast coffee.

Well, this is it, friends. These Refined Sugar Free Pumpkin Scones are the final bake in our Pinch of Pumpkin series this year. And what a recipe to go out on!

I don’t know how you feel, but to me, autumn just isn’t complete without a fluffy, spiced pumpkin scone.

Growing up I used to rush straight out to Starbucks on the first of October and grab myself a grande PSL and one of their scones. They were so sweet, perfectly spiced, and went down a right treat with the coffee.

Of course, after I started watching my refined sugar intake, Starbs pastries were one of the first off the list. Did you know just one of their scones contains 46 grams of sugar?!

I’ve been making my own refined sugar free versions ever since. This recipe is a long-time coming and I’m so proud to bring it to you today – on my birthday! These Pumpkin Scones are soft and fluffy, lightly sweetened with maple syrup, made with real pumpkin puree, and topped with a lip-smacking cream cheese icing.

This is autumn in a pastry.

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Why you’ll love this recipe

• This is a small-batch recipe. It makes just six pumpkin scones, so you can enjoy the fruits of autumn without having a ton of scones leftover going stale on you.
• These scones are made with REAL ingredients. Unlike some coffee shop scones, these ones are made with real pumpkin puree, pure maple syrup, and real butter, so they’re a much more natural alternative and lower in sugar.
• You want soft and fluffy scones? You got ‘em! This recipe makes the fluffiest and softest scones. Perfect for an afternoon coffee break.
• These Refined Sugar Free Pumpkin Scones, as well as the cream cheese frosting, are naturally sweetened with maple syrup.

15 Sweet Pairings For Pumpkin

I couldn’t let our Pinch of Pumpkin series go by without giving you a list of my favourite sweet pairings for this gloriously versatile vegetable.

Some will be obvious to you (like cinnamon or maple), but did you know pumpkin also works pretty darn well with things like almond, lime, and coffee? Here are my favourite pumpkin dessert pairings!

1. Cinnamon
2. Salted Caramel
3. Ginger
4. Almond
5. Apple
6. Espresso
7. Chestnut
8. Cranberry
9. Lime
10. Chocolate
11. Nutmeg
12. Pecan
13. Maple
14. Chai
15. Cream Cheese

Ingredients in this refined sugar free pumpkin scones recipe

• Plain flour: I’ve only tested this recipe with plain flour, so substitute at your own risk!
• Pumpkin pie spice: A heady mix of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, and allspice. Perfect for pairing with pumpkin and so autumnal!
• Baking powder: Helps give the scones their lift once they hit the oven.
• Baking soda: A touch of baking soda goes a long way to creating the super fluffy texture of these scones.
• Pumpkin puree: The star of the show! You can’t make these pumpkin scones without the puree.
• Egg white: To bind the scones together.
• Pure maple syrup: Lightly sweetens the scones and adds a lovely flavour that pairs perfectly with the pumpkin.
• Milk: Adds a touch of richness and moisture. You can also use cream or buttermilk.
• Pure vanilla extract: Adds a little flavour and seasoning.
• Cold butter: A key ingredient. Make sure your butter is very cold to create the pockets of air that lift the scones.
• Cream cheese: To make the glorious icing to top off the scones.
• Chopped pecans: Optional, but add a nice texture and crunch.

How to make this pumpkin scones recipe

1. Mix together dry ingredients.
2. Mix together wet ingredients.
3. Crumble grated butter into the dry ingredients.
4. Stir in the wet ingredients.
5. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and shape into a disc.
6. Cut the disc into 6 equal triangles and then chill the triangles in the fridge.
7. Bake the scones.
8. Make the icing and decorate.

Full details are in the recipe card at the end of this post.

Why haven’t my scones risen?

There are quite a few factors that can result in flat scones, such as working the dough too much, too much liquid in the batter, not using the right leavening agents, the butter being too warm/soft when added to the dry ingredients, etc.

Here are a few troubleshooting tips for baking up fluffy, well-risen pumpkin scones:

• Did you use cold ingredients? I usually keep all of my cold ingredients – butter, milk, maple syrup – in the fridge or freezer until the last possible moment. The cold butter is what reacts with the heat of the oven to produce pockets of air and give the scones their rise. The colder your ingredients are when they go into the oven, the better.
• Did you chill your cut scones? Similarly, once you cut your scones, put them into the fridge to get as cold as possible before you bake them.
• Did you overwork the dough? Try to resist touching the dough too much while you’re shaping and cutting. Not only will the heat from your hands warm up the butter, but the more you knead or work the dough, the more gluten will develop and the tougher your pumpkin scones will become.
• Did you mix up the leaveners and/or amounts specified in the recipe? Using the right leaveners and amounts is crucial to help create lift and rise. I wouldn’t recommend substituting leaveners in a scone recipe. If you use what’s listed and your scones still won’t rise, you might want to check your baking soda/powder is still active.

Tips for making this pumpkin scones recipe perfectly

• Keep the butter refrigerated until you add it to the dry ingredients. This way the butter stays cold instead of sitting out on your counter while you mix together the other ingredients.
• Chilling the Pumpkin Scones before baking is necessary. If you don’t do this step, your scones will likely spread out instead of rising up in the oven.
• Be very gentle with the dough when shaping it. This will ensure the heat from your hands doesn’t melt the butter and reduce the amount of gluten that develops, which can create tough scones.
• Flour your work surface well. This dough is quite wet, so it needs a generously floured surface to keep it from sticking while you shape and cut. I also flour my hands and the top of the dough.
• Store the scones and icing separately. If you’re not going to eat all of these scones the day they are made, it’s best to store them separately and ice them as you eat them. The scones should be stored at room temperature in an airtight container and the icing in the fridge.

Looking for more refined sugar free pumpkin recipes?

Pumpkin Cauliflower Cheese
Roasted Pumpkin Soup
Bacon-Wrapped Acorn Squash with Maple & Chilli
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
Sausage Pumpkin Bubble & Squeak
Pumpkin Spice Bread Pudding
Vegan Pumpkin Spice Cake
Pecan Pretzel Crusted Pumpkin Pie
Homemade Vegan Pumpkin Spice Lattes

If you make this recipe, let me know by snapping a picture and tagging me on Instagram @naturallysweet_kitchen. I love seeing your creations and sharing them in my Stories. Or let me know you love this Refined Sugar Free Pumpkin Scones recipe by leaving a comment and rating below!

New to cooking with pumpkin?

Download your free copy of The Little Book of Pumpkin and learn how to identify and correctly use the 6 most common varieties of pumpkin to avoid bland, fibrous dishes.

Includes two exclusive BONUS recipes!

send me the guide

By subscribing you agree to our privacy policy

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Pumpkin Scones

This small-batch pumpkin scones recipe is completely refined sugar free, made with real pumpkin puree, and topped with maple cream cheese icing.

Category Breakfast

Cuisine American, British

Keyword healthy pumpkin scones, pumpkin scones, pumpkin scones recipe, pumpkin spice scones, sugar free pumpkin scones

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Chill 30 minutes

Total Time 1 hour

Serves 6 scones

Author Amanda | Naturally Sweet Kitchen

Ingredients

Pumpkin Scones

• 150 g plain flour
• 1 ½ tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1 ½ tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp baking soda
• ¼ tsp fine sea salt
• 100 g pumpkin puree
• 1 large egg white
• 60 ml pure maple syrup
• 1 tbsp milk
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 56 g cold unsalted butter, grated

Cream Cheese Icing

• 120 g cream cheese room temperature
• 4 tsp pure maple syrup
• ⅛ tsp fine sea salt
• Chopped pecans for topping (optional)

Method

Pumpkin Scones

1. Prepare a baking tray with a silicone mat or non-stick parchment.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, egg white, maple syrup, milk, and vanilla extract. Set aside.
4. Grate the cold butter into the large bowl of dry ingredients. Using a fork, crumble the butter gratings into the dry ingredients until all the larger pieces have broken down.
5. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and bring together using the fork until all the flour disappears. This dough will be quite wet.
6. Dust a work surface with flour then scrape the dough out onto the floured surface. Dust your hands and the top of the scone dough with flour and then bring the dough together into a 15 cm (6 inch) diameter disc. Be very gentle with this dough and try to work it as little as possible.
7. Using a sharp knife, cut the dough evenly into 6 triangles. Gently place the scones on the prepared baking tray, spaced evenly apart. Refrigerate the scones for 30-60 minutes.
8. Preheat the oven to 190ºC (375ºF) and bake the scones for 14-16 minutes. They should be well-risen and golden brown all over.
9. Remove the scones from the oven and allow them to cool on the tray for 5 minutes, then place them on a wire rack to finish cooling.

Cream Cheese Icing

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the cream cheese, maple syrup, and salt until very smooth.
2. Once the scones are completely cool, divide the icing evenly between the 6 scones and spread it over the tops using the back of a spoon or a small palette knife.
3. Sprinkle with the optional chopped pecans and a dusting of pumpkin pie spice.

Notes

• These scones are best eaten the day they are made.
• It is best to store the scones and icing separately. Store the scones in an airtight container at room temperature and the icing in an airtight container in the fridge. Both will keep for 3 days.