Cinnamon Apple Scones with Brown Butter Glaze

When apple season arrives, the first thing I bake isn’t a pie, it’s these cinnamon apple scones. They taste a lot like apple pie in scone form: tender, crumbly, not too sweet, with tart pockets of cinnamon-sugar apple and a drizzle of brown butter glaze. While they bake, the whole house smells like a cozy fall afternoon.

This recipe uses just one apple, so it’s the perfect way to use the last one in the bowl, or the first one from the orchard.

Why you’ll love these apple scones

• Tastes like apple pie for breakfast. The apples are tossed with cinnamon and sugar first, just like pie filling.
• Brown butter glaze. It’s nutty and caramel-like, so each bite tastes a little like a caramel apple.
• Make-ahead friendly. The dough chills for at least an hour, or overnight, so you can make them a day ahead and bake fresh scones in the morning.
• You only need one apple. No peeling a whole bag of fruit.

What’s in apple scones (besides apples)?

I use a teaspoon ground cinnamon with a table spoon of sugar on the apples before incorporating them into the dough, just as I do when making apple pie.

• All-purpose flour
• Sugar, plus a tablespoon for the apples
• Unsalted Butter, frozen and grated (the secret, more below)
• Baking powder for lift
• Salt
• Ground cinnamon
• Egg
• Vanilla extract
• Cold heavy cream
• One apple, peeled and diced small
• Turbinado sugar (or another coarse sugar) for a crunchy top
• Butter and powdered sugar for the brown butter glaze
• The full measurements are in the recipe card below.

What kind of apples are best for apple cinnamon scones

With only one apple in the dough, you can use what you have. But a firm apple that holds its shape keeps the scones from turning soggy. Here’s how the most common varieties bake:

• Granny Smith – very tart and then hold up well in baking and are perfect with a sweet glaze
• Honeycrisp – sweet, tart, and juicy (my go-to when I have them)
• Pink Lady – tart and bright and they stay firm
• Braeburn – sweet, tart, and a little spicy with pairs well with cinnamon

The secret to perfect scones: frozen grated butter

This one is easy. It’s frozen grated butter. When I started grating frozen butter into the dough, my scones went to the next level. The cold shreds stay separate in the dough, then melt in the oven and leave behind tender, flaky pockets.

I always keep a box of butter in the freezer just for scones. Sometimes I grate it the night before and store it in the freezer. In the morning, I mix it into the dry ingredients, add the wet ingredients, and the dough comes together in minutes.

How to get your scones to rise

This recipe makes eight scones with two and a half teaspoons of baking powder, which gives them a nice, tall rise. A few things help:

• Check your baking powder. If it’s been open longer than six months, it may have lost its strength.
• Keep everything cold. Cold butter and cold cream create steam in the oven, and steam lifts the scones.
• Don’t overmix. Stir until the dough just comes together. Overworked dough bakes up tough and flat.
• Chill before baking. The hour in the fridge firms the butter so the scones hold their shape.
• Cut straight down. Use a sharp knife or bench scraper and press straight down rather than sawing, which can seal the edges.

Is a scone just a sweet biscuit?

No! Scones are a quick bread that traces back to Scotland. They share most of their ingredients with biscuits, but the texture is different. Biscuits are light and flaky, while scones are richer and more crumbly, usually thanks to egg and cream. Traditional scones are fairly plain on their own, which is exactly why they’re perfect for fall add-ins like apples and cinnamon. Biscuits have the same basic ingredients as scones, but if you don’t believe that a scone is not a biscuit, read this article in Bon Appétit!

How to make cinnamon apple scones

1. Toss the apples. Combine the diced apple with cinnamon and a tablespoon of sugar and set aside.
2. Make the dough. Whisk the dry ingredients, then work in the frozen grated butter. Beat the egg, cream, and vanilla together and stir them in, then fold in the apples into the mixture.
3. Shape and chill. Pat the dough into a disc, wrap it, and refrigerate for at least an hour or overnight.
4. Cut and top. Cut the disc into eight triangles or wedges, set them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, brush with cream, and sprinkle with turbinado sugar.
5. Bake. Bake at 400ºF until the bottoms are golden brown.
6. Glaze. Brown the butter, whisk in powdered sugar, and drizzle over the slightly cooled scones.

The full recipe with measurements is in the card below.

Special equipment for making scones

• Large mixing bowl and a smaller mixing bowl for wet ingredients
• A box grater to grate the frozen butter
• An electric stand mixer or hand mixer is optional–a wooden spoon and a large bowl work just as well!
• A pastry blender
• A dough pastry scraper
• Anchor Hocking Measuring Cup with Lid
• Baking Sheets (set of 2)
• Parchment paper
• Wire cooling rack

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How to store apple scones

Let the scones cool completely at room temperature, then store them in an airtight container for up to two days. For longer storage, freeze them (glaze off is best) for up to three months. You can also freeze the unbaked, cut scones and bake them straight from the freezer, adding a few minutes to the bake time. Details are in the FAQ below.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do you need to cook the apples before adding them to scones? No. Diced small, raw apples soften perfectly in the oven. Tossing them in cinnamon and sugar first draws out a little juice and seasons every piece.

Should I peel the apples for scones? I do, because peel can be chewy in a tender scone. If you like a little color and texture, you can leave it on, just dice it very small.

Can I use more than one apple? You can add up to about 1 1/2 cups of diced apple. Much more than that and the dough gets wet and hard to shape.

Can I make apple scones ahead of time? Yes. Refrigerate the shaped dough overnight and bake in the morning. Or freeze the cut, unbaked scones on a tray, transfer them to a freezer bag, and bake from frozen, adding 3 to 5 minutes.

Can you freeze baked apple scones? Yes, for up to three months. Freeze them unglazed, thaw at room temperature, warm in a 350ºF oven for 5 minutes, then glaze.

Why are my scones dry or tough? Usually it’s overmixing or too much flour. Spoon and level the flour rather than scooping, and stir only until the dough comes together.

Why did my scones spread flat? The butter got too warm. Use frozen butter, cold cream, and don’t skip the chill.

Can I make these without heavy cream? Half-and-half or whole milk will work, but the scones will be a little less rich and tender.

Can I add nuts? Yes. Fold in 1/2 cup chopped toasted walnuts or pecans with the apples.

What’s the difference between brown butter and melted butter? Brown butter is cooked until its milk solids toast, which gives it a nutty, caramel flavor. Plain melted butter just tastes buttery.

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Here are some of my other favorite fall favorites

• Apple Cinnamon Skillet Cake with Brown Butter Frosting
• Rustic slab apple pie
• Pumpkin Scones with Maple Glaze
• Small Batch Pumpkin Madeleines
• Pumpkin Spice Molten Chocolate Muffins
• Savory S’mores with Brie Bites
• Creamy Pumpkin Soup