Sourdough Pumpkin Scones Recipe
Sourdough pumpkin scones with a delicious maple glaze and pumpkin spice flavor go great with a cup of coffee or tea. These scones make a great fall breakfast or snack idea!
As soon as we leave summer behind and start thinking about fall, I start dreaming of pumpkin everything. I make a batch of homemade pumpkin pie spice and get out all the pumpkin recipes. Pumpkin waffles, pumpkin muffins, pumpkin bars, and pumpkin butter are just a few of my favorite pumpkin-y recipes.
In addition to pumpkin, I’m also huge fan of all things sourdough. Whether it’s sourdough artisan bread, overnight sourdough biscuits, or just a loaf of pumpkin-shaped sourdough bread, I love it all. (If you need a sourdough starter, it’s so easy to make your own starter from scratch.)
One of my favorite things about these sourdough pumpkin scones is that they blend two of my favorite flavors. I can’t guarantee that these taste just like Starbucks pumpkin scones, but they’re still pretty delicious!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Pumpkin spice scones are perfect for a quick breakfast (when they’re made ahead of time). I love making sourdough discard pumpkin scones when I need something for breakfast that’s ready to go.
- We usually serve these with eggs (Instant Pot boiled eggs are a great make-ahead option) and milk if we’re having them for breakfast. The eggs and milk give some added protein.
- They’re also great for a cozy afternoon snack paired with your favorite coffee or tea.
- You can use either active sourdough starter or sourdough discard in this recipe.
- This recipe is a great way to use up some extra sourdough starter if you have it.
Sourdough Pumpkin Scones Notes
- This recipe calls for pumpkin puree. You can also make your own pumpkin purée.
- If you don’t have any pumpkin pie spice, you can make homemade pumpkin pie spice.
- You can double the maple glaze ingredients if you prefer more of a completely frosted scone. The recipe I’ve included will make a glaze that you can drizzle over the scones, but it could be easily doubled.
- Be sure to use very cold butter in this recipe. I like to cut my butter into small cubes and then put it into the freezer while I get out the other ingredients and get everything ready.
- You can use either active sourdough starter or sourdough discard for this recipe.
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Equipment
- Large mixing bowl
- Small mixing or batter bowl
- Whisk
- Glass measuring cup
- Measuring cups
- Measuring spoons
- Pastry dough blender
- Baking sheet
- Parchment paper
Ingredients
The full list of ingredient amounts and instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Butter (unsalted)
- Unbleached all-purpose flour
- Brown sugar
- Baking powder
- Pumpkin pie spice
- Cinnamon
- Salt
- Egg
- Pumpkin puree
- Sourdough starter (discard or active)
- Heavy cream
- Vanilla extract
Here are the ingredients for the maple glaze:
- Powdered sugar
- Pumpkin pie spice
- Cinnamon
- Maple syrup
- Milk
How to Make Sourdough Pumpkin Scones
The full ingredients and instructions are found below in the printable recipe card.
1. Cut butter into cubes and put into the freezer.
2. Combine the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon and salt together in a large mixing bowl. Sir to mix.
3. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the egg, pumpkin puree, sourdough starter, heavy cream and vanilla extract.
4. Cut the cold butter into the dry ingredients with a pastry cutter until the butter resembles small peas.
5. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ones in the large bowl. Mix with a spoon and then knead the ingredients together with your hands just until the dough forms into a ball. Do not over-knead the dough. The less it is handled the better!
6. Turn the dough out on a work surface or a dinner plate, and press into a disk about one inch thick. Cut the disk into eight wedges.
7. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Put the dough into the fridge for 10 to 15 minutes while the oven heats up. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
8. When the oven is heated, remove the dough from the fridge and place it on the prepared baking sheet, with the scones not touching each other. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from oven and allow to cool on a wire rack.
9. While scones are cooling, make the glaze. Mix all of the glaze ingredients together in a small bowl. Drizzle glaze over the cooled scones.
Enjoy your delicious scones!
How to Store
Although the pumpkin sourdough scones taste best if eaten within the first day, you can store leftover scones covered, at room temperature for up to 3 days, in the refrigerator for up to a week, or freeze for up to 3 months.
You can freeze pre-baked or baked scones in a freezer safe airtight container for up to 3 months. To bake the unbaked frozen scones, follow baking instructions above. To warm already-baked scones, bake in a 350 degree F oven for 25-30 minutes.
Make Ahead Instructions
To make ahead, you can follow the recipe up to the step where you cut the scones and put them in the freezer. Put them in an airtight container and freeze them for up to 1 month. When you’re ready to bake, remove them from the freezer and bake from frozen, adding a few extra minutes to the baking time.
How to Long-Ferment the Scones
To long-ferment these sourdough pumpkin scones, you can simply mix up the dough and then put it in an airtight container and store in the fridge for a day or two. After the dough has fermented, you can then proceed with the rest of the recipe instructions.
Or, you can mix up and shape the scones and then store the shaped scones in the refrigerator overnight and bake the following day.
More Sourdough and Pumpkin Recipes
- How to Make a Sourdough Starter from Scratch
- Easy Sourdough Bread Recipe (Perfect for Beginners)
- Pumpkin-Shaped Sourdough Bread Loaf
- Sourdough Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
- Sourdough Pumpkin Bread
- Homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice
- Slow Cooker Pumpkin Butter
If you make this recipe and enjoy it, please leave a comment with a 5-star recipe rating and let me know! Thank you!
Sourdough Pumpkin Scones
Ingredients
Sourdough Pumpkin Scones
- 1/2 cup butter unsalted
- 2 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
- 1/2 cup sourdough starter discard or active
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Maple Glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 2 Tbsp maple syrup
- 1-3 Tbsp milk
Instructions
- Cut the butter into cubes and put it into the freezer.
- Combine the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon and salt together in a large mixing bowl. Sir to mix.
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the egg, pumpkin puree, sourdough starter, heavy cream and vanilla extract.
- Cut the cold butter into the dry ingredients with a pastry blender until the butter resembles small peas.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ones in the large bowl. Mix together with a spoon in the large bowl. Mix with a spoon and then knead the ingredients together with your hands just until the dough forms into a ball. Do not over-knead the dough. The less it is handled the better.
- Turn the dough out on a work surface or a dinner plate, and press into a disk about one inch thick. Cut the disk into eight wedges.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Put the dough into the fridge for 10 to 15 minutes while the oven heats up. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- When the oven is heated, remove the dough from the fridge and place it on prepared baking sheet, with the scones not touching each other. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from oven and allow to cool on a wire rack.
- While scones are cooling, make the glaze. Mix all of the glaze ingredients together in a small bowl. Drizzle glaze over the cooled scones.
Notes
- You can double the maple glaze ingredients if you prefer more of a completely frosted scone. The recipe I’ve included will make a glaze that you can drizzle over the scones, but it could be easily doubled.
- Be sure to use very cold butter in this recipe. I like to cut my butter into small cubes and then put it into the freezer while I get out the other ingredients and get everything ready.
We love these delicious scones for fall breakfasts!
Can I sub the heavy cream with oat milk?
I’ve only made this recipe with heavy cream. If you decide to try it using oat milk, let me know how it turns out!