These apple scones are the perfect fall breakfast treat! They have everything you want in a scone. They're moist, tender, flaky, and have the delicious flavor of sweet apples, brown sugar, and cinnamon to boot. They also have an optional easy peasy glaze. With only 5 simple ingredients and one bowl, these guys are truly a no fuss wonder!
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Not only are these apple scones the perfect breakfast treat, they are perfect for fall with their warming spices and delicious sweet apple bits.
This was inspired by our lime scones, but we wanted something simpler that works well for autumn when most folks are pretty busy. If you want something even simpler, you might want to give these 3 ingredient scones a try! Enjoy these scones with a tall glass of this homemade walnut milk and easy walnut butter.
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Reasons to Love This Recipe
- It uses only 5 simple ingredients (optional glaze uses 4 ingredients).
- It's quick. If you have a half hour, you have enough time to make these tasty scones!
- They're vegetarian. These scones are perfect if you are following a vegetarian diet.
- They're a crowd pleaser.
- They can be made ahead.
Ingredients
Scones
- 3 cups self-rising flour. Self-rising flour already contains baking powder and salt so you don't have to worry about adding them. This saves you a step! You can substitute all purpose flour for the self rising flour. Add 1 tablespoon of baking powder and 1 teaspoon of salt.
- ⅓ cup dark brown sugar. Packed down. We're using brown sugar because it's perfect with apples. You can substitute light brown or granulated sugar, but it won't have the same depth of flavor. To measure brown sugar, scoop sugar into a ¼ measuring cup for dry ingredients and press with the back of a spoon. Keep measuring and pressing until the sugar is packed to the top of the measuring cup. See our recipe for butterscotch pancakes for a photo of the technique.
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon. Adds flavor and pairs perfectly with the apples.
- 1 cup peeled and diced apples. About medium apple. Sweet apple varieties like Fuji or red delicious are your best bet here. Avoid tart apples like Granny Smith.
- 1½ cup heavy cream. Heavy cream is the key to light and tender scones.
Glaze (Optional)
- 1⅓ cup powdered sugar. Also known as confectioner's sugar.
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter. Melted.
- 1½ tablespoon heavy cream. Milk may be substituted.
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract.
Instructions
Scones
Step 1. Preheat oven to 425 F (218 C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Glaze (Optional)
Click here to learn how to make these apple scones in a visual story.
Substitutions
- Gluten Free Apple Scones - To make these scones gluten free, follow this gluten free scones recipe by King Arthur Flour substituting brown sugar for the granulated sugar, add the ground cinnamon and diced apples into the dry ingredients as instructed. The topping is already gluten free. Therefore you can make the topping as instructed here.
- Sugar Free - Substitute Swerve products for the sugar used in this recipe: Swerve granulated sugar and Swerve brown sugar. (affiliate links)
- All Purpose Flour - You can substitute all purpose flour for the self rising flour. Add 1 tablespoon of baking powder and 1 teaspoon of salt.
Variations
A few variation ideas that you can use to mix things up!
- Caramel apple scones - instead of topping the apple scones with glaze, top them with a homemade caramel sauce. You can find the recipe on our post for caramel apple French toast.
- Apple pecan scones - add ½ cup of chopped pecans to the dough.
- Apple walnut scones - add ½ cup of chopped walnuts to the dough.
- Apple cranberry scones - add ½ cup of dried cranberries to the dough.
- Pear and almond scones - substitute the apples with 1 cup of peeled and chopped pears. Immediately after adding the glaze, take 2 tablespoons of sliced almonds and sprinkle evenly over the top of each scone.
Equipment
Oven temperatures vary. We baked these in an electric oven. You may need to adjust time and temperature if using a gas oven.
- Large bowl. This bowl is all you need to use for mixing the dough.
- Baking sheet. 13 by 9 inches.
- Wire whisk. Use a whisk or a large spoon to mix the dough.
- Small bowl. Used for mixing the optional glaze.
Storage
You can store any leftover apple scones in a freezer bag. They will keep in your pantry for a day or two, in your refrigerator for up to a week, and in the freezer for up to 3 months. It's a great idea to make the scones ahead and freeze them, you can heat them one at a time in your microwave whenever you need a quick breakfast on the go.
Top Tips
- Keep heavy cream in the refrigerator until ready to use. It should be added cold and not at room temperature.
- After adding the heavy cream, be careful not to overmix. Overmixing can lead to tough and chewy scones.
- You may need to knead the dough a little bit with your hands to incorporate all of the dry ingredients.
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📖 Recipe
Apple Scones
These apple scones are the perfect fall breakfast treat! They have everything you want in a scone. They're moist, tender, flaky, and have the delicious flavor of sweet apples, brown sugar, and cinnamon to boot. They also have an optional easy peasy glaze. With only 5 simple ingredients and one bowl, these guys are truly a no fuss wonder!
Ingredients
Scones
- 3 cups self-rising flour
- ⅓ cup dark brown sugar Packed. To measure, scoop sugar into a ¼ measuring cup for dry ingredients and press with the back of a spoon. Keep measuring and pressing until the sugar is packed to the top of the measuring cup.
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 cup peeled and diced apples About medium apple. Sweet apple varieties like Fuji or red delicious are your best bet here.
- 1½ cup heavy cream
Glaze (optional)
- 1⅓ cup powdered sugar Also known as confectioner's sugar.
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter Melted
- 1½ tablespoon heavy cream Milk may be substituted.
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Scones
- Preheat oven to 425 F (218 C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Add flour, brown sugar, ground cinnamon, and diced apple to a large bowl and whisk to combine.3 cups self-rising flour, ⅓ cup dark brown sugar, 1 cup peeled and diced apples, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Add heavy cream and stir until a stiff dough forms. You may need to knead the dough a little bit with your hands to incorporate all of the dry ingredients.1½ cup heavy cream
- Turn dough onto countertop topped with parchment or wax paper. Form into a disc about 8 inches in diameter.
- Cut into 8 triangles.
- Place unbaked scones on prepared baking sheet, and bake until lightly browned, about 10-12 minutes.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool for a few minutes. Serve warm with butter and jam as desired.Alternatively, allow them to cool completely then drizzle the optional glaze over the top.
Glaze (optional)
- In a small shallow bowl, combine powdered sugar, butter, cream, and vanilla extract. Thin as necessary with more cream.1⅓ cup powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, 1½ tablespoon heavy cream, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Drizzle the glaze over the top of cooled scones. Allow scones to rest a few minutes until the glaze is set.
Notes
Substitutions Gluten Free Apple Scones - To make these pancakes gluten free, follow this gluten free scones recipe by King Arthur Flour substituting brown sugar for the granulated sugar, add the ground cinnamon and diced apples into the dry ingredients as instructed. The topping is already gluten free. Therefore you can make the topping as instructed here. Sugar Free - Substitute Swerve products for the sugar used in this recipe: Swerve granulated sugar and Swerve brown sugar. (affiliate links) All Purpose Flour - You can substitute all purpose flour for the self rising flour. Add 1 tablespoon of baking powder and 1 teaspoon of salt. Top Tips Keep heavy cream in the refrigerator until ready to use. It should be added cold and not at room temperature. After adding the heavy cream, be careful not to overmix. Overmixing can lead to tough and chewy scones. You may need to knead the dough a little bit with your hands to incorporate all of the dry ingredients.
Nutrition Facts
Calories: 480kcal (24%)Carbohydrates: 67g (22%)Protein: 7g (14%)Fat: 21g (32%)Saturated Fat: 13g (81%)Polyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 73mg (24%)Sodium: 23mg (1%)Potassium: 114mg (3%)Fiber: 2g (8%)Sugar: 30g (33%)Vitamin A: 795IU (16%)Vitamin C: 1mg (1%)Calcium: 50mg (5%)Iron: 1mg (6%)
Nutritional information provided is for one serving and is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Preston says
These scones are amazing!
Count these in when comes to that lovely apple flavor.
You won’t be disappointed, & pretty easy to make too.
Sandra says
I'm so glad you enjoyed the scones, Preston!