Sourdough Pumpkin Scones Recipe with Maple Glaze
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My Sourdough Pumpkin Scones Recipe pairs sourdough discard pumpkin scones with real pumpkin purée, warm cinnamon, and a sweet maple glaze. The delicious scones have pumpkin spice flavor, tender centers, and crisp golden edges.
I make this scone recipe with sourdough starter discard for a great way to turn extra starter into a fall breakfast or an afternoon treat. For a pecan-studded variation with the same cozy glaze feeling, try Flaky Maple and Pecan Sourdough Scones.
Quick Look: Sourdough Pumpkin Scones
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Chill Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 18 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 8 minutes
- Servings: 8 scones
- Calories: ~459 kcals per scone (based on nutritional panel)
- Cook Method: Baked
- Flavor Profile: Flaky, buttery scones packed with warm pumpkin pie spice and topped with a rich, silky maple glaze. A cozy fall treat that feels like autumn in every bite!
- Difficulty: Easy — Simple ingredients, no mixer needed, and beginner-friendly techniques make these totally approachable!
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Why You’ll Love This Sourdough Pumpkin Scones
- Warm, balanced fall flavor: Pumpkin purée, dark brown sugar, warm cinnamon, homemade pumpkin pie spice, and maple glaze make every bite rich without being overly sweet. For another tender pumpkin bake with a cinnamon crumb topping, make Sourdough Pumpkin Coffee Cake with Crumb Topping.
- Soft inside with flaky layers: Cold butter and a gentle hand create a soft dough with golden brown edges and a tender, layered center. Another seasonal scone with a similarly delicate texture you can try are my Easy Gingerbread Sourdough Scones.
- A great make-ahead option: You can chill the scone dough before baking, store baked scones in an airtight container, or freeze the unbaked scones for another day. If you’re feeling a different freezer-friendly sourdough discard bake, check out Sourdough Chocolate Chip Scones.
Ingredients & Substitutions
* To find precise measurements, scroll to the bottom of this post to find the recipe card*
Pumpkin Sourdough Scones
- Flour – I use all-purpose flour, but pastry flour would be an excellent substitute for an extra flaky scone.
- Dark Brown Sugar – For a touch of caramel-like sweetness to this fall-flavored scone I used dark brown sugar, but you can use light as well.
- Spices – Warm cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice brings the perfect fall flavor to these sourdough discard pumpkin scones. If you don’t have pumpkin pie spice on hand, I’ve included a recipe for a homemade pumpkin pie spice blend.
- Baking Powder – This will bring a little lift to our scones! Be sure that it isn’t expired.
- Salt – Any salt will do, but my favorite is Redmond’s Unrefined Fine Sea Salt for extra natural minerals.
- Unsalted Butter – In order to get light and flaky scones, it is best to use cold or frozen butter.
- Pumpkin Purée – And the star of the show! Be sure to use real pumpkin puree rather than pumpkin pie puree.
- Unfed Sourdough Starter – I prefer using sourdough discard that is no older than a week for sweet recipes like these pumpkin spice scones. However, you can also use active sourdough starter as well, just make sure to measure by grams instead of volume.
- Eggs – Adds moisture and brings structure to the scones.
- Vanilla Extract – To enhance all of the fall flavors!
- Heavy Whipping Cream – It’s important to use heavy cream over milk because the thick liquid brings just the right amount of liquid to these scones. Too much liquid and your scones will be flat and dry.
Maple Glaze
- Maple Syrup – The actual star of the glaze! I prefer pure maple syrup for the best flavor.
- Butter – Just a touch to make it glossy and smooth.
- Heavy Whipping Cream – Add a touch more heavy cream to get the perfect glaze consistency.
- Dark Brown Sugar – Brings just a hit of caramel sweetness to the glaze. Can be substituted with light brown sugar as well.
- Powdered Sugar – Melts perfectly to create a luscious and smooth glaze.
- Vanilla Extract – Enhances all of the fall favors!
How to Make Sourdough Pumpkin Scones
- In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, dark brown sugar, ground cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, and salt. Whisk together until incorporated.
- If you don’t have pumpkin pie spice on hand – here’s how you can create your own at home! (3 Tablespoons ground cinnamon, 2 teaspoons ground ginger, 1 1/2 teaspoons ground nutmeg, 1 teaspoon ground cloves, 1 teaspoon ground allspice)
- Grate the cold/frozen butter and add to the flour mixture. Cut in with a pastry cutter or mix with your fingers until the small pieces of butter are coated with flour and create pea-sized coarse crumbs.
- Next, blot the pumpkin puree with paper towel to extract the extra liquid. Continue to do so until most of the liquid is removed. This will prevent the Sourdough Pumpkin Scones from having too much liquid and baking flat.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the butter mixture. Mix the scone dough with a rubber spatula until the cream mixture is combined. The dough will be crumbly, but be careful not to over mix the dough.
- Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface, and knead the dough for about 30 seconds, then form it into an 8″ disc. Cut the soft dough into 8 equal wedges with a bench scraper or a large knife.
- Place the unbaked scones on a prepared baking sheet with parchment paper with space in between them. Chill in the fridge while the oven preheats.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- With a pastry brush, top the scones with more heavy whipping cream and sprinkle on a layer of coarse sugar, if desired.
- Bake the scones for 18-26 minutes, or until the top of the scones are golden brown. Remove and place on a wire rack to cool slightly. Prepare maple glaze in the meantime!
Maple Glaze
- In a small bowl, add the real maple syrup, melted butter, heavy cream, and dark brown sugar. Stir until smooth.
- Add the powdered sugar. Finally, stir in the vanilla extract.
- Use a spoon to drizzle or dip the tops of the scones with the sweet maple glaze. Enjoy!
McKenna’s Helpful Tips
- Blot the pumpkin well: Press real pumpkin purée between paper towels until the excess moisture is removed, which protects the scone dough from becoming sticky. For another pumpkin recipe with a soft, enriched texture, try Pumpkin Butter Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls.
- Cut straight down: Use a bench scraper or sharp knife to divide the 8-inch disc into equal wedges, pressing down and lifting straight up rather than sawing through the dough. You can use the same tidy cutting approach for Homemade Sourdough Apple Cider Donuts.
- Freeze for fresh scones later: Freeze unbaked scones separately on a lined pan, then transfer them to a freezer-safe bag and bake from frozen with a few additional minutes. Another easy fall breakfast with pumpkin spice flavor you can try is my Sourdough Pumpkin Dutch Baby.
How to Store
Store leftover scones in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days.
To freeze: Once cooled to room temperature, place the pumpkin scones in a freezer-safe bag and freeze for up to 2 months.
Sourdough Pumpkin Scones FAQs
Why was my dough too sticky instead of crumbly?
Blot the canned pumpkin purée thoroughly before mixing because extra liquid can make the flour mixture overly wet and difficult to shape. You shouuld use the same caution with pumpkin moisture in almost any bake, including my Sourdough Pumpkin Sheet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting, where the wet ingredients need the right balance.
Why did my Sourdough Pumpkin Scones Recipe with Maple Glaze not keep its shape?
Keep the butter, heavy cream, and sourdough discard cold, avoid overworking the dough, and chill the cut scones on a prepared baking sheet before baking. For another shaped scone recipe where a cold dough helps maintain clean edges, try these Sourdough Apple Cinnamon Scones with Cinnamon Glaze.
Are the scones meant to be soft and moist, almost like cake?
Yes. Expect these pumpkin spice scones to be softer and more moist than a dry, crumbly bakery scone because of the pumpkin purée, egg, and heavy cream. For a similarly soft pumpkin breakfast bake, you can check out these Sourdough Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins.
Do I need to grate the cold butter?
Grate frozen butter because it distributes quickly through the dry ingredients and gives the scones their flaky layers, but you can also cut cold butter into small pieces with a pastry cutter or sharp knife. If you want a quicker pumpkin bake that skips this cold-butter step, make Sourdough Pumpkin Quick Bread.
If you tried this Sourdough Pumpkin Scones recipe or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Sourdough Pumpkin Scones Recipe
Yield: 8 scones
Delight in the flavors of autumn with Sourdough Pumpkin Scones! Lovingly baked to perfection and topped with a rich maple glaze, these delicious sourdough scones create a seasonal treat that captures the essence of cozy mornings.
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Ingredients
Sourdough Pumkin Scones
- 280 grams all-purpose flour 2 cups
- 110 grams dark brown sugar, see notes* 1/2 cup
- 14 grams baking powder 1 Tablespoon + 1/2 teaspoon
- 3 grams salt 1/2 teaspoon
- 2 grams ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon
- 4 grams pumpkin pie spice 1 1/2 teaspoons
- 113 grams unsalted butter, frozen 1/2 cup
- 120 grams sourdough discard 1/2 cup
- 120 grams pumpkin puree 1/2 cup
- 50 grams egg about 1 large egg
- 30 grams heavy cream 2 Tablespoons
- 8 grams vanilla extract 2 teaspoons
Maple Glaze
- 32 grams pure maple syrup 2 Tablespoons
- 28 grams unsalted butter, melted 2 Tablespoons
- 45 grams heavy cream 3 Tablespoons
- 25 grams brown sugar 2 Tablespoons
- 130 grams powdered sugar 1 cup
- 4 grams vanilla extract 1 teaspoon
Instructions
Sourdough Pumkin Scones
- In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, dark brown sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice. Whisk together until incorporated.280 grams all-purpose flour, 110 grams dark brown sugar, see notes*, 14 grams baking powder, 3 grams salt, 2 grams ground cinnamon, 4 grams pumpkin pie spice
- If you don't have pumpkin pie spice on hand – here's how you can create your own at home!24 grams (3 Tablespoons) ground cinnamon4 grams (2 teaspoons) ground ginger3 grams (1 1/2 teaspoons) ground nutmeg2 grams (1 teaspoon) ground cloves2 grams (1 teaspoon) ground allspice
- Grate the frozen unsalted butter and add to the flour mixture. Cut in with a pastry cutter or mix with your fingers until the small pieces of butter are coated with flour and create pea-sized coarse crumbs.113 grams unsalted butter, frozen
- Next, blot the pumpkin puree with paper towel to extract the extra liquid. Continue to do so until most of the liquid is removed and you are left with 70g of pumpkin puree. This will prevent the Sourdough Pumpkin Scones from having too much liquid and baking flat.120 grams pumpkin puree
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, cold sourdough discard, a cold egg, cold heavy cream, and vanilla extract until smooth.120 grams sourdough discard, 50 grams egg, 30 grams heavy cream, 8 grams vanilla extract
- Pour the wet ingredients evenly on top of the butter mixture. Mix the scone dough with a rubber spatula until the cream mixture is combined. The dough will be crumbly with some bites of dry flour. Be careful not to over mix the dough, the flour will be incorporated in the next step.
- Turn out the mixture onto a lightly floured surface and pat into a rectangle. Then, with a bench scraper, fold the dough in half, then press down to create the large rectangle again. Repeat this 3-4 times. Folding the dough helps to create all of those beautiful flaky layers!
- With your hands, form the dough into an 8″ disc. Cut the soft dough into 8 equal wedges with a bench scraper or a large knife.Be careful not to slide the bench scraper when cutting the scones! This will close off the dough, which prevents the scones from getting the flaky layers. Simply press straight down and pull straight up.
- Place the unbaked scones on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Cover with a plastic lid and chill them in the fridge for at least 20 minutes while the oven preheats. This plastic lid fits perfectly over my baking sheets!
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- With a pastry brush, top the scones with more heavy whipping cream and sprinkle on a layer of coarse sugar, if desired.
- Bake the scones for 18-23 minutes, or until the top of the scones are golden brown. Remove and place on a wire rack to cool slightly. Prepare maple glaze in the meantime!
MAPLE GLAZE
- In a small bowl, add the pure maple syrup, melted butter, heavy cream, and dark brown sugar. Stir until smooth.32 grams pure maple syrup, 28 grams unsalted butter, melted, 45 grams heavy cream, 25 grams brown sugar
- Add the powdered sugar. Finally, stir in the vanilla extract.130 grams powdered sugar, 4 grams vanilla extract
- Use a spoon to drizzle or dip the tops of the scones with the sweet maple glaze. Enjoy!
Notes
Substitutions
Dark brown sugar – I absolutely love the rich flavor that dark brown sugar brings to these scones and glaze, but it can be substituted with light brown sugar instead.HOW TO STORE
Store leftover scones in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days.TO FREEZE:
Once cooled to room temperature, place the pumpkin scones in a freezer-safe bag and freeze for up to 2 months.BAKER’S TIPS:
For the best results, use these baker’s tips for these delicious Sourdough Pumpkin Scones!- Use cold/frozen butter: To get the most light and flakey crust, you need cold butter! When the butter starts to melt while it is baking, it releases moisture. This creates those flakey layers. If you use room temperature or the butter melts before baking, the scones will be flat and dry.
- Use cold ingredients: Furthermore, to help keep the butter cool, use as many cold ingredients as possible, like cold eggs, cold heavy cream, cold sourdough discard, etc.
- Work quickly: As stated above, you don’t want your butter to melt into the dough, so you must work quickly.
- Chill the dough before baking: Chilling the scones before popping them into the oven allows the butter to stay cold, which gives you the best chance for flakey scones.
- Variations: If you are craving a little bit more sweetness and crunch to your scones, try adding a 1/2 cup of butterscotch chips, cinnamon chips, caramel chips, chocolate chips, and chopped pecans or walnuts!
FAQS:
WHAT CAN I USE IF I DON’T HAVE HEAVY CREAM?
If you find yourself in a pinch without heavy cream, buttermilk or sour cream are excellent substitutes.CAN I FREEZE THE SCONES?
Yes! Once you’ve cut the scone dough into 8 triangles flash freeze them on a baking sheet in the freezer for at least 1 hour before storing them in a freezer-safe bag. That way they won’t stick together. Bake from frozen, adding a few extra minutes to the bake time. This recipe card was updated on 03/06/26.Nutrition
Serving: 1g | Calories: 459kcal | Carbohydrates: 68g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 72mg | Sodium: 352mg | Potassium: 129mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 36g | Vitamin A: 2949IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 151mg | Iron: 2mg
Tried this recipe?Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Instagram!
Delicious but I’m finding it a very tedious and messy process to take liquid out of the pumpkin… can I instead just measure 70g instead of 120g from the can and use that?
I wouldn’t recommend using just 70g of pumpkin straight from the can, since you’d also be reducing the amount of pumpkin solids and flavor in the scones. I know it’s an extra step, but it really helps keep the scones flaky rather than too wet and cakey. A few layers of paper towel can make the process a little quicker and less messy!
I made these for my niece and she loved them!
I’m so thrilled to hear she enjoyed them! Thank you for taking the time to leave a review.
These pumpkin scones were incredible! Such a delicious fall treat. I will for sure be making them again. My family also loved them and have requested that I make them again.
I’m so glad you and your family loved them! It’s such a perfect cozy fall bake. Thank you so much for trying the recipe and taking the time to leave such a sweet review!
Delicious! Very flavourful and a nice treat. Hardest part of the recipe is grating the butter. Thanks for sharing the great recipe!
Thank you! I’m so glad you enjoyed them! Grating the butter can definitely be a bit of work, but it really helps give the scones that tender, flaky texture.
These turned out super tasty! Not too sweet and very moist. My niece said they tasted like cake but I like my scones on the softer side. Will be makes these again soon. Thanks for sharing the recipe:)
Yay! So glad you and your niece enjoyed them. I love that they came out soft and moist for you—perfect for a cozy fall treat! Thanks for giving them a try and sharing your feedback!
These are SO GOOD! They taste just like fall. They did not keep their shape, but that doesn’t bother me because they still taste delicious 🙂 I will definitely make this again
I’m so glad you loved them! Even if they didn’t keep their shape perfectly, it sounds like the flavor made up for it. So happy you’ll be making them again!
I made this recipee yesterday and it turned out absolutely amazing!!! Can’t wait to try more recipees!! Thanks so much!!
Happy to hear you enjoyed it! 🙂
Hi, something doesn’t seem right with the recipe! The dough was way too sticky and not crumbly. I had to add more flour to be able to even get it to a workable
Hi Sarah!
It is crucial to remove the liquid from the canned pumpkin! If not, then the dough will be overly wet.