Move over Starbucks pumpkin scones! I’m excited to bring you the best pumpkin spice scones you’ll ever taste, and they also happen to be gluten-free. This gluten-free pumpkin scones recipe was born out of my love of classic pumpkin scones, but I needed to keep them gluten-free due to allergies and intolerances in my home. I searched everywhere, but store-bought options just weren’t cutting it in.
So I took matters into my own hands. And after many rounds of testing, I’m happy to say I’ve nailed the subtly sweet, spiced, fall flavor I was going for. All while keeping the scones crisp around the edges with a soft and flaky crumb. They’re my favorite way to start the day, especially when paired with this warm pumpkin spice butter coffee. Even better, friends and family don’t even realize they’re gluten-free, which is a big win in my book when it comes to gluten free baking.
Recipe Highlights
These gluten-free pumpkin scones have jumped to the top of my list of favorite pumpkin recipes. Here are just a few reasons why it always turns out perfect even when using gluten-free flour:
- I was a little intimidated to try my hand at homemade scones but was pleasantly surprised when they turned out to be so easy to prepare and take a total time of less than 30 minutes. All I had to do was mix the wet ingredients and dry ingredients in a large bowl, use a sharp knife or pastry cutter to add the cold butter, bake until golden brown in a preheated oven, and wait for the scones to cool
- I love to make a double batch for family gatherings or to store for later and often wrap up bags of scones and spiced pecans to give away as gifts during the holidays
- Every bite delivers incredible sweet spiced pumpkin flavor without being too overpowering, because the ground cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, ground cloves, and ground ginger balance the sweetness of the pumpkin puree and sweetener
- I think the scones are delicious on their own but I’ve also had fun experimenting with mix-ins like chopped pecans and chocolate chips and adding different icings in place of the glaze made from powdered sugar and vanilla extract
- I can easily make these scones dairy-free and nut-free to suit a variety of dietary needs in addition to celiac disease
Make Them Egg-Free
I like to use high-quality large eggs because it adds a boost of nutrition. However, if you need an egg free version, you can use an egg replacer. Or make a flax egg by combining 1 tablespoon of ground flax seed and 3 tablespoons of water for every egg used. Let the mixture sit for 5 minutes to thicken. Then, stir the flax liquid into the scone dough just like you would a regular egg. I find that a good rule of thumb is that when a recipe calls for just one egg, like this one does, I can almost always use an egg-free substitute with great results.
Make Them Nut-Free
When preparing these scones for guests or for my kids to take to school, I make sure to omit the chopped pecan topping. It doesn’t alter the flavor drastically but keeps the recipe nut-free.
How To Serve
I love to serve my gluten free pumpkin scones with a cup of my favorite coffee or a cinnamon coconut latte. They make for a fun breakfast addition, afternoon snack, or after-dinner dessert.
That said, when serving them as part of a meal in the morning, I like to make sure I add extra protein and nutrients from the addition of bacon or another breakfast meat, butternut squash and apple hash, sweet potato breakfast casserole, and fresh fruit.
How To Store
Let the scones cool on a wire rack to prevent them from becoming soggy. Then, I transfer the cooled scones to an airtight containers and store them at room temperature for up to 2 days. But I will say, they never last that long in my home.
For that reason, I’ll often make a second batch to store in the freezer. They keep well for up to 3 months. Then, all I have to do is thaw them in the fridge or at room temperature when I want a sweet treat.
I’ve also tried freezing the dough, and it works like a dream. To bake, I thaw the dough in the fridge overnight. Then, I shape my scones, arrange them on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, and bake as normal. In minutes, my whole house smells like a bakery!
Video: How to make pumpkin scones
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Gluten-Free Pumpkin Scones Recipe
These sweet, spiced gluten free pumpkin scones are crisp on the outside, soft and crumbly in the center, and easy to make. Feel free to mix and match different add-ins and toppings, and pair them with coffee or tea.
Ingredients
For the Scones:
- 2 cups gluten-free flour (265-270 grams)*
- ⅓ cup cane sugar (67 grams)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice**
- 6 tablespoons cold butter, cut into small pieces
- ½ cup canned pumpkin puree (116 grams)
- 1 egg
- 1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Glaze: (See Notes Below)***
- ⅓ cup powdered sugar
- 1 ½ – 2 teaspoons half-and-half or milk of choice
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Optional Toppings:
- Chopped pecans
- Sprinkle of ground cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400℉. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or spray with cooking spray.
- In a medium bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder and pumpkin pie spice. Whisk to combine.
- Using two knives or a pastry cutter, cut cold butter into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse sand.
- Add the pumpkin puree, egg, and vanilla. Stir with a large spoon until dough comes together in a soft, smooth ball. Dough will appear dry, but mix with your hands to work it into a dough ball.
- Place the dough ball on a lightly floured surface and using your hands, gently flatten the ball into a 7-inch round disc. Avoid handling the dough too much so it doesn’t become too dense. Cut the disc into 8 even pieces using a knife or scraper.
- Transfer wedges to the baking sheet, spacing them out so they have room on all sides to expand slightly (this also prevents them from being doughy inside).
- Bake for 8-10 minutes or until bottoms are lightly browned and tops appear slightly dry and cracked. Remove from oven, transfer scones to a wire rack to cool before icing.
- To make glaze, whisk powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla together in a small bowl until smooth. Drizzle over cooled or slightly warm scones and sprinkle with pecans (if using) before serving.
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days, or on the counter for 2 days.
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Notes
* For gluten-free flours, I like Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Flour Blend or King Arthur Gluten Free Measure for Measure Flour. If you don’t need gluten-free scones, you can use an equal amount of regular all-purpose flour.
** If you don’t have pumpkin pie spice, you can use a mix of 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon allspice, ¼ teaspoon ginger, and ⅛ teaspoon cloves
*** For a lower-sugar option, may substitute a drizzle of melted coconut butter in place of the powdered sugar frosting.
Nutrition Information
- Serving Size: 1 scone with glaze
- Calories: 260
- Fat: 9 g
- (Sat Fat: 5 g)
- Sodium: 116 mg
- Carbohydrate: 35 g
- (Fiber: 1 g
- Sugar: 13 g)
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 41 mg
Dietary
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, pumpkin puree is naturally gluten-free. However, I always recommend double-checking the ingredient list to ensure that the canned pumpkin puree you buy is made just from 100% pure pumpkin with no other additives.
Yes, to make these scones dairy-free, use cold plant-based stick butter for the dough and dairy-free milk, if including the glaze.
Be sure to use cold butter, and cut it into the dough. If it becomes warm, transfer the dough to the fridge before baking. Also, be careful not to over handle the dough, or the scones will be dry.
The photos in this post were taken by Megan McKeehan.
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Batter was too moist. I reduced yogurt to 1 tbsp but it was still incredibly wet when forming dough into disc. I had to keep adding flour to make the consistency right to move scones onto baking sheet. The flavour of baked scones was decent. I won’t make this again. I think it needs a few more rounds through the test kitchen with recipe improvements
Thanks for sharing what didn’t work for you, Jazzmin. Feedback like this is incredibly helpful. We’ll take this one back to the test kitchen and try it with a few different flours (since it’s been a few years since we created these) to see if we can perfect them.
Can these br frozen prior to glazing?
Should work fine!
easy and fast. thank you!
You are so welcome, Sorina!
Got the baking bug and made these today during my lunch break! Easy and delicious!! I followed the recipe pretty much to a T. One note: I don’t see the amount of salt required in the recipe so I just used 1 tsp.
My other note is that the dough is really dry, which y’all mention it will be in the recipe, but it’s really crumbly and difficult to shape the dough.
But out of the oven, the textures and flavors are A+!
Thanks for the feedback, Sarah! Be sure to use cold butter and cut it into the dough. If it becomes warm, transfer the dough to the fridge before baking. Also, be careful not to over handle the dough, or the scones will be dry.
I really love your recipes, but this one just didn’t work well for me. I couldn’t get the wet ingredients incorporated so had to add additional pumpkin. I also had to bake them 23 minutes. They ended up okay, but not especially flavorful. I noticed another comment mentioned yogurt, but I don’t see that on the ingredient list. Did I miss something? Thank you for all you do – I really do love your work!
Hi Shelley, this recipe was recently updated with different ingredients, so you didn’t miss anything. When you add the pumpkin puree, egg, and vanilla. Stir with a large spoon until dough comes together in a soft, smooth ball. Dough will appear dry but mix with your hands to work it into a dough ball. You may need to keep working it a bit longer to get that better consistency. You can also experiment with mix-ins like chopped pecans and chocolate chips and adding different icings in place of the glaze made from powdered sugar and vanilla extract. Hope this helps, thanks for the feedback we appreciate it!