Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Scones – Easy Pumpkin Scone Recipe for Fall
We should all be baking more scones. And eating more scones. And this pumpkin scone recipe is a great place to start! These pumpkin chocolate chip scones are tender and moist, not too sweet, and pair perfectly with a hot cup of coffee. Or coffee with a splash of cream. Or a latte. They embody all the best tastes and scents of the season. The point is, scones are perfect.
Maybe the best thing about pumpkin scones is that they bake right from the freezer. So go ahead and whip up a batch right now. It’s so quick and easy! Then, for a special weekend treat, you’ll be ready to slip them in the oven and treat your family (and yourself) to a beautiful and delicious breakfast that also makes the house smell cozy! Have I convinced you yet?
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Ingredients for Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Scones
- Cold Butter: Creates the tender crumb and those beautiful flaky layers.
- Heavy Cream: The high fat content of cold heavy cream lends to a moist, tender texture.
- Eggs: Provide stability without making the scones cakey.
- Pumpkin Purée: Either homemade pumpkin purée or from a can will work great here. Pumpkin purée gives these scones their fall flavor and a beautiful color as well!
- Chocolate Chips: I think a little bit of chocolate makes these scones extra special and pairs perfectly with the pumpkin.
- All-Purpose Flour: These scones are made with unbleached, white all-purpose flour. Feel free to sub part of the flour with freshly milled whole wheat for a heartier scone!
- Baking Powder: Helps the scones rise to create that tender texture.
- Salt: Balances flavor.
- Spices: Pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and nutmeg help bring out the flavors of the pumpkin and other fall spices.
- Maple Glaze: A quick glaze made with powdered sugar, milk, maple extract, and coffee. Adds depth and sweetness to the scones. You could also try a simple vanilla glaze or even a pumpkin glaze if you’d like a nice addition.
Top Tips for Making the Best Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Scones
Mix Dry Ingredients in a Food Processor
Pumpkin scones come together quick and easy in a food processor. And best of all, it helps ensure your scones have the perfect texture. We want a tender crumb that’s never cakey, and overworking our scones can make them tough. Add your dry ingredients (flour, salt, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg) to the bowl of a food processor. I set the bowl of my food processor on my kitchen scale and weigh each ingredient in.
Note for Micro-Bakers: Once we started to see that scones were one of our best sellers, we decided to invest in a heavy-duty food processor that would last. We went with this one and have loved it for scones and so much more. When making larger batches, we add a small portion of the flour (about 400 grams) to the food processor and all of the butter, and pulse until the butter is about pea sized. We then add this butter mixture to the remaining dry ingredients in an extra-large mixing bowl. Stir by hand to ensure that the butter is evenly distributed before adding in the chocolate chips and wet ingredients. Using this method, we can make up to four recipes at one time.
Don’t Over-incorporate Your Butter
Pulse the dry mixture a couple of times to mix, then add cubes of cold butter. We want to use butter that’s been cut into 1/2-inch cubes. Carefully use the pulse button to cut in the butter. I like to pulse four times before opening the processor to stir with a rubber spatula, then pulse four more times. You want coarse crumbs with small but visible pieces of butter—no smaller than the size of small peas, no larger than almonds.
If you don’t have a food processor, a pastry cutter or pastry blender works great. A lot of recipes suggest grating your butter before adding it to the dry ingredients, but I don’t recommend this. Using such small pieces of butter leads to a tight crumb that lacks large pockets of butter, resulting in a cakey scone. You can also use your fingers to break up the butter into smaller pieces. If you choose this method, chill your butter mixture afterward to solidify the butter.
Avoid Overmixing
Dump the flour mixture into a large mixing bowl or large bowl. Add the chocolate chips and stir to distribute them evenly throughout the flour.
In a small bowl, combine the wet ingredients: cream, pumpkin purée, and egg. Whisk them together with a fork. Make a well in the center of your dry ingredients and begin to stir gently with a fork or Danish whisk, starting in the middle and working out. Stir just until combined. The less you stir, the more tender the texture—overmixing develops gluten, which makes tough scones.
Shaping Pumpkin Scones
To shape your scone dough, start by dumping it onto a lightly floured surface. The dough should be very scraggly and may not stick together. You may have some dry bits of flour mixture at the bottom of the mixing bowl and that’s just fine! Divide the dough in half. Use your hands to gently bring each pile of dough together into a rough circle or round disk about 8 inches across.
At this point, I like to dust the top of the scone dough with excess flour so it doesn’t stick to my sharp knife. Then, using a sharp knife or pie divider, cut the disk into six large, or eight regular-sized equal wedges. Try to cut even slices so they will bake more evenly. Arrange the scones onto prepared baking sheets lined with parchment paper, six- eight scones per pan. There should be about two inches between each scone.
PRO TIP: We use a pie divider to ensure that our scones are cut into equal slices. Especially if you plan to offer your scones at market, this method helps to create consistency in sizing as well as baking time.
Baking Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Scones
Scones can be baked right away at 400°F for 15-20 minutes. They should be golden brown and set on top. For even baking, rotate the cookie sheet halfway through the baking time. An instant-read thermometer should register 200°F when done.
For the best scones, I suggest freezing them before baking. This helps the scones keep their shape while baking and improves the texture. It’s also really convenient to have a bunch of scones on hand in the freezer! Place the cut scones on a sheet tray, cover with plastic wrap, and freeze until solid. Then transfer to an airtight container or freezer-safe bag. Bake straight from frozen at 400°F for 15-20 minutes
Cool baked scones on a wire rack or cooling rack before glazing. Once they’ve cooled, use a spoon or pastry brush to drizzle the glaze in a zig-zag across the scone, making sure each bite has a good bit of glaze!
Serve your warm, flaky scones with coffee or tea for a cozy afternoon tea moment, and don’t forget to save a few in the freezer for next time. These pumpkin recipes always taste best when shared — but they also make the perfect excuse to slow down, sip coffee, and savor the season.
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Scones
Ingredients
- 170 grams Cold Butter In 1/2 inch cubes
- 1 cup Heavy Cream
- 2 Eggs
- 1 cup Pumpkin Purée
- 1 cup Chocolate Chips
- 600 grams All-Purpose Flour
- 200 grams sugar
- 2 tbs Baking Powder
- 1 tsp Salt
- 2 tsp Cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp Nutmeg
Maple Glaze
- 125 grams powdered sugar 1 cup
- 2 tablespoons strong brewed coffee room temperature
- 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch of fine sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F and line two baking sheets with parchment.
- In a food processor, pulse together the dry ingredients until combined. Add cold cubed butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with small butter pieces visible. butter pieces should be about pea sized.
- Whisk pumpkin puree, cream, sugar, egg, and vanilla in a small bowl.
- Pour the dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl. Add the chocolate chips and use a fork to disperse them evenly.
- Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in your wet ingredients. Using a fork, begin to stir the wet ingredients into the dry working from the center out. Stir until the ingredients are just combined. There may be some dry bits of flour at the bottom of the bowl.
- Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead to bring it together. Divide the dough in half and pat each half into a 1-inch thick circle. The circle should be about 8 inches in diameter. Cut each half into 6-8 wedges and place on the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake 15–20 minutes, until golden brown and firm to the touch. Cool completely before glazing.
- Note: For best results, freeze scones on the cookie sheet until completely frozen, at least two hours. Bake straight from the freezer per instructions above. The scones will hold their shape nicely and have a better texture.
For the glaze:
- Whisk together powdered sugar, maple syrup, coffee, vanilla, and salt until smooth. Adjust thickness as needed, then drizzle generously over cooled scones. Let set 10–15 minutes before serving.
