Glazed Apple Cinnamon Scones — 🍎😍🎉 Finally, scones that aren’t dry! The perfect fall comfort food packed with apples, cinnamon, and that glaze!
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The Best Glazed Apple Cinnamon Scones Recipe
Talk about fall comfort food on a platter! Apples, cinnamon, and warm scones. And the drippy glaze doesn’t hurt either.
It wasn’t that long ago that I was one of those people who firmly believed that all scones were dry, boring, and tasteless. Cardboard with calories.
These Glazed Mixed Berry Scones changed my mind about scones in general, and I adapted this recipe from that one.
These apple cinnamon scones are tender, moist, and buttery, and will make you feel all warm and cozy. The scones contain grated apple, plenty of cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger.
There’s plenty of apple in every bite, providing flavor and bits of chewy texture. As the scones bake, the apples release their juices which also helps to ensure the scones are anything but dry. Just don’t overbake.
Now you know what to do with all those apples you picked or bought at the store because they were on sale when your eyes were bigger than your stomach.
Looking for More Delicious Scone Options?
Try my peanut butter chocolate chip scones, too! Made with a peanut butter base, studded with lots of chocolate chips, and topped with a peanut butter glaze, they’re anything but bland and are perfect for feeding a crowd.
Ingredients for Apple Cinnamon Scones
To make this apple scones recipe, you’ll need:
- Apple
- All-purpose flour
- Granulated sugar
- Baking powder
- Cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg
- Salt
- Unsalted butter
- Egg
- Sour cream
- Vanilla extract
- Confectioners’ sugar
- Milk or cream
Note: Scroll down to the recipe card section of the post for the ingredients with amounts included and for more complete directions.
How to Make Apple Cinnamon Scones
Making this apple cinnamon scone recipe couldn’t be easier! Follow these basic steps:
- Whisk the dry ingredients together in a large mixing bowl. Then, use a fork or pastry blender to cut in the cold butter using a pastry cutter or fork.
- Whisk the wet ingredients into the dry, and gently fold in the apples.
- Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface, and shape it into an 8-inch round.
- Use a sharp knife to slice the dough into 8 wedges, and transfer each wedge to a parchment paper-lined baking tray.
- Bake the apple cinnamon scones until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs, but no batter. They will be lightly golden brown. Let the scones cool completely before drizzling with glaze. Enjoy!
Adjust the Baking Time
Because the scones are baking in quite a hot oven, you need to watch them closely starting after about 15 minutes to ensure the bottoms aren’t getting too browned. Baking times may vary widely based on moisture content in the apples, climate, and oven variances.
What to Serve with Cinnamon Apple Scones
Recipe FAQs
Apple scones are best fresh but leftover scones will keep fresh in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
I’m comfortable storing glazed items at room temperature, but if you’re not, glaze only the scones you plan to consume immediately; I don’t recommend refrigerating them because they will dry out.
I’ve never frozen these scones before, but I don’t see why you couldn’t. I recommend freezing them without the glaze to ensure they thaw well later on. Wrap them individually with plastic wrap, and transfer them to a freezer-safe container to keep them fresh.
So long as you keep your sour cream and butter in the fridge up until the point you add them to the dough, you shouldn’t need to chill the scones before baking them.
However, if you’re working in an overly warm kitchen or you can tell your butter is starting to soften, you may wish to chill the scones for about 15 to 20 minutes before baking them.
I love the sweet flavor the powdered sugar glaze adds, but cinnamon sugar, salted caramel, or even apple butter works well, too.
Use your favorite variety of baking apples such as Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, Fuji, or Granny Smith apples. Think about the chopped apples in apple pie or apple cobbler, and use whatever you like best!
Rather than using milk or heavy cream as the wet ingredients, sour cream is my secret weapon. Not only does it moisturize and tenderize the dough, but since it’s cultured like buttermilk, it helps the scones rise higher and stay lighter.
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Glazed Apple Cinnamon Scones
Equipment
- 1 Baking Sheet
- 1 Box Grater
- 3 Mixing Bowls
- 1 Sharp Knife
- 1 Flat Spatula
- 1 Wire Rack
Ingredients
Scones
- ¾ to 1 cup grated apple loosely laid in cup, not packed (I used 1 extra-large unpeeled Fuji apples)
- 2 cups all-purpose flour + about 2 to 4 tablespoons for work surface and hands
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- pinch salt, optional and to taste
- ½ cup unsalted butter, cold (1 stick)
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup sour cream, lite is okay
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Glaze
- 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
- about 1 to 2 tablespoons cream or milk, or as needed for consistency
- Homemade Salted Caramel Sauce or your favorite, optional for drizzling instead of confectioners’ sugar glaze
Instructions
Scones:
- Preheat oven to 400F. Line a baking sheet with a Silpat or parchment; set aside.
- Grate the apples using the coarsest blade of a box grater (not worth dirtying a food processor); set aside.
- In a large bowl, add 2 cups flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, optional salt, and whisk to combine.
- Add the butter, and with a pastry cutter or two forks, cut the butter in. You can use a food processor, but I find not having to wash it is a big time-saver. I smoosh the butter with forks and when it’s the size of large marbles, I use my hands and knead it in. It will feel like semi-wet, cool sand. Some larger pea-sized butter clumps are okay; set bowl aside.
- In a small bowl, add the egg, sour cream, vanilla, and whisk to combine until smooth.
- Pour wet mixture over dry, and fold until just combined; don’t overmix or scones will be tough.
- Add the apples and any juice that was released and fold until just combined; don’t overmix. Dough will be wet and shaggy.
- Sprinkle about 2 tablespoons flour over a Silpat or clean work surface and lightly coat hands.
- Turn dough out onto surface and shape it into a 8-inch round, approximately. Dough is very moist, wet, sticky, and tacky, but if it’s being too stubborn or too wet to come together, sprinkle with flour 1 tablespoon at a time until you get it to come together and into a round.
- With a large knife, slice the round into 8 equal-sized wedges.
- Using a flat spatula or pie turner, carefully transfer wedges to prepared baking sheet spaced at least 2-inches apart. Do not crowd because scones puff and spread while baking.
- Bake for about 20 to 24 minutes, or until scones are very lightly golden and cooked through; don’t overbake or scones will be dry. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean or with a few moist crumbs, but no batter. Because they’re baking in quite a hot oven, watch them closely starting after about 15 minutes to ensure the bottoms aren’t getting too browned. Baking times may vary widely based on moisture content in the apples, climate, and oven variances; bake until done.
- Allow scones to cool on baking tray for 5 to 10 minutes before removing and transferring to a rack to finish cooling. While the scones cool, make the glaze.
Glaze:
- In a small bowl, add the confectioners’ sugar and slowly drizzle in the cream as needed, whisking until smooth. Depending on desired consistency, you may need to play with the cream and sugar ratios slightly.
- Liberally spread about 2 tablespoons glaze over each scone, or as desired.
- Optionally drizzle with caramel sauce.
Notes
- Scones are best fresh, but will keep airtight at room temperature for up to 3 days. I’m comfortable storing glazed items at room temperature, but if you’re not, glaze only the scones you plan to consume immediately; I don’t recommend refrigerating them because they will dry out.
- Adapted from The Best Glazed Mixed Berry Scones.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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More Apple Breakfast Recipes:
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Apple Pancakes with Vanilla Maple Syrup— These apple pancakes are packed with cinnamon and other fall spices. Slather with butter and dunk them in some homemade vanilla maple syrup!
Vegan Apple Cinnamon Muffins— These apple cinnamon muffins are studded with BIG chunks of apple! They’re so easy to make and are perfect for a quick snack or breakfast to-go.
Applesauce Bread with Cinnamon Honey Butter— This applesauce bread is packed with fall flavors and comes together quickly. I serve mine with homemade honey butter, because why not?
Caramel Apple French Toast Casserole — An EASY recipe with a make-ahead overnight option so it’s perfect for weekend or holiday brunches!! Soft bread, juicy apples, and buttery streusel topping is pure DECADENT comfort food!!
Caramel Apple Sheet Pan Pancakes – Craving pancakes but not the work of standing at the stove flipping them? Make these EASY sheet pan pancakes!! Perfect for a weekend brunch or as a weekday breakfast because they’re ready in 10 minutes!!
Hey! I really want to make this recipe and I have everything except for the nutmeg and ginger. Do you think a teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice will do the trick?
Perfect yes! Pumpkin pie spice is a blend of cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger in various amounts and ratios depending on brand so it’s kind of an all-purpose catch-all. LMK how they turn out for you!
Thanks for your speedy reply! Cant wait to make them :)
Can we just agree that that drippy glaze would be best served being poured into my mouth via a gravy boat? Because YES.
Gravy boat style, YES. Please! We are soul sisters!
Girl, you have the BEST quotes! “Cardboard with calories.” I’m seriously cracking up… Almost all store-bought scones taste exactly like that! And it’s totally true about cinnamon. When I first started baking, I always doubled the amount in recipes. I can’t get enough — I’m almost as addicted to that as dark chocolate and peanut butter! ;) Love these gorgeous scones of yours — pinned!
Thanks for pinning and glad you like my quotes :) I wish I could say more but humor doesn’t always translate well on blog posts so I try to keep it fairly harmless :)
Oh goodness, that’s so true… Even with a million winkie faces, some people still won’t realize it’s a joke and laugh!
that glaze is calling my name! these look wonderful!!
Sour cream is a genius addition for moist and fluffy scones. Love these, Averie!
I really want your bruschetta! We could trade :)
Wow what an inspired and rich scone recipe. I am in love!
These look awesome! I love scones, but haven’t made an apple one before, I’ll need to get on that! More is definitely better when it comes to cinnamon, I love cinnamon with apples. I’ll have to try the sour cream in scones, I tend to use buttermilk or Greek yogurt, need to try sour cream and see the difference!
It’s thicker so it gives them that extra bit of moisture I find!
I tried scones for the first time at a tea several years ago and haven’t since. They were dry and absolutely tasteless. Plus they were just plain… I can see that I need to try one of yours with the sour cream… Thanks for sharing the secret!
I can totally relate to your prior experience! These aren’t like that, promise!
Oh my goodness ~ crazy for these! Pinned :)
Thank you my friend!! :)
these are perfect for fall mornings Averie – and I’m with you n the cinnamon, more is always better
Yes – these scones look anything but dry and boring – yum!!
What a great idea with sour cream! I’ve gotta try these
I love, love, love that you use sour cream. Such a genius idea. And the apple, obviously I’m in love. And I’d like to drink the glaze!! Pinned!
The sour cream really helps give that extra thick boost to keep them moist! Thanks for pinning and yes, glaze-drinkers anonymous must unite :)
A good scone cannot be beat! The crunchy edges, the soft inside, and you’ve got all those amazing fall spices and fruit! This is some serious coffeeshop comfort food Averie. Pinned!
Thanks for pinning!
I love a well-made scone–but they are tricky to pull off! I took a trip to Great Britain several years ago and loved their scones and clotted cream. And tea, of course. :)
I think 95% are poorly made, in fact! Lol. Sad but true. Most are so dry and bland they’re inedible! I bet those British scones and clotted cream were amazing!
Oh my word these look perfect!! They would go great with my coffee this morning :) PINNED!
Thanks for pinning and I know you have so many great scones recipes!