Easy Apple Cinnamon Scones
Welcome fall by baking fresh apple cinnamon scones topped with a spiced glaze. These scones are quick and easy to make from scratch. There’s shredded apple throughout the dough and plenty of cinnamon spice to make every bite flavorful.
Apple recipes are my favorite for fall (sorry, pumpkin). For breakfast this week I baked the best apple cinnamon scones with a cinnamon glaze. They turned out soft and tender thanks to the moisture in the apples. There is just the right amount of spice in the dough to satisfy your tastebuds and, if you like your scones sweet, the glaze hits the spot.
Why This Recipe Works
The scone dough is the same I use for my popular chocolate chip scones, but instead of chocolate chips I chose fresh apples instead! Shredding the apples for these apple cinnamon scones creates more flavor in every bite (I do the same thing for my apple cupcakes). It also make the scones moist so they don’t turn out dry or tough.
Recipe Ingredients
- Apples should be fresh. I suggest Granny Smith, Honeycrisp or Braeburn for baking as they keep their flavor and texture best with high heat.
- Cold unsalted butter is best for scones. I prefer frozen butter because it is easy to shred into small pieces while staying cold.
- Cold heavy cream makes flavorful scones. You can use whole milk or half-and-half as a substitute, but the scones won’t be as rich.
- Spices: If you don’t have ground cloves, you can use ground allspice or ground nutmeg instead.
Recipe variations
Apple cinnamon scones can be made with nuts if you like. I suggest mixing in 1/2 cup roughly chopped walnuts or pecans when stirring in the apple. If you like mini scones, you can make two discs with the dough and cut each disc into 6 triangles. This will create 12 mini scones and the baking time will be 16 to 18 minutes.
How to make apple cinnamon scones
- Whisk together the dry ingredients: flour, sugar, cinnamon, all spice, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
- Shred butter with a box grater and whisk it into the dry ingredients. Mix heavy cream and egg, then pour it into the bowl. Add the shredded apple and stir just until combined.
- Form dough into a ball. If the dough isn’t coming together, add more heavy cream one tablespoon at a time until large clumps form. If the dough is too wet, add another tablespoon of flour.
4. Transfer dough to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Form into an 8-inch round disk. Use a bench scraper to cut the dough into 8 triangles.
5. Sprinkle cinnamon sugar on top of scones. Place baking sheet with scones in the refrigerator. Preheat oven to 400° F.
6. Remove apple cinnamon scones from the refrigerator and transfer them to the oven. Bake for 20 to 22 minutes. Let scones cool on the pan for 5 minutes then transfer them to a wire rack.
7. Make the cinnamon glaze: whisk together confectioners’ sugar, cinnamon, milk and vanilla. Serve warm or wait for glaze to harden and serve at room temperature.
Helpful tips
When it comes to making scones, it is important all your ingredients are cold, especially the butter and cream. The butter will melt while the scones bake making little gaps in the scones. The texture will be tender and flaky. Work quickly when shaping the dough as the heat of your hands will warm the dough and we want to keep it cold!
My secret step to thick and soft apple cinnamon scones is putting them in the refrigerator while the oven preheats. This guarantees the dough is cold and the scones will rise properly. It also gives time for the oven to get nice and hot (also important for scones).
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, after you cut the dough into triangles, wrap each individual scone in plastic wrap and place in an airtight container or ziplock bag. Freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to bake, unwrap the scones and place them on a baking sheet. Leave the frozen scones at room temperature while the oven preheats. Bake according to the recipe.
Either the ingredients weren’t cold enough or there was too much apple in the dough. I recommend weighing your ingredients for accurate measurements.
The bottoms of scones are usually burnt if the baking pan is dark or thin. Heat will transfer from the bottom of the pan to the scones more quickly.
Related recipes
Apple recipes are abundant during the fall. Here are a few fan favorites, plus more fall recipes:
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Get the Recipe: Apple Cinnamon Scones
Ingredients
Apple Scones
- 2 cups (250 g) all purpose flour, plus more for dusting work surface
- ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves or allspice, optional
- 1 Tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 4 Tablespoons (56 g) frozen unsalted butter
- ⅔ to ¾ cup (160 ml to 180 ml) cold heavy cream
- 1 large egg, cold
- 1 cup (120 g) peeled and shredded apple
- Cinnamon sugar (1 Tablespoon sugar + ¼ teaspoon cinnamon)
Cinnamon Glaze
- 1 cup (120 g) confectioners’ sugar, sifted
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream or milk
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, cinnamon, allspice, baking powder and salt.
- Use a box grater to shred butter into small pieces (it's best if the butter is frozen).1 Whisk butter into dry ingredients. In a separate bowl or measuring cup, whisk together 2/3 cup heavy cream and the egg. Pour the heavy cream mixture into flour mixture. Add the shredded apple at this time as well.
- Use a wooden spoon or silicone spatula to mix ingredients together until large dough crumbles form (avoid over mixing!) Use your hands to form dough into a loose ball. If the dough is too dry and doesn't come together, add more heavy cream one tablespoon at a time. If the dough is too wet (like cookie dough), add another tablespoon or two of flour.
- Transfer dough ball to a floured work surface and press into an 8-inch round disc. Use a bench scraper or sharp knife to cut dough into 8 triangles. Place scones on prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar if desired.
- Place baking sheet in the refrigerator to keep the scones cold while the oven preheats (about 15 minutes).
- Preheat oven to 400° F. Once the oven beeps, wait 5 more minutes so ensure it is at 400 and hot!
- Remove scones from the refrigerator and transfer them to the oven. Bake for 20 to 22 minutes or until the edges are golden brown. Let scones cool on the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack and adding glaze.
- For the cinnamon glaze, whisk together confectioners’ sugar, cinnamon, milk and vanilla until smooth. Drizzle over scones. Serve warm or wait for glaze to harden and serve at room temperature.
