Apple Cinnamon Scones Recipe

Name: Apple Cinnamon Scones Recipe
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Ingredients: 1 cup butter (cold and cubed); 3 cups flour (plus more for dusting when rolling); 1/4 cup castor sugar; 1 tbsp baking powder; 1/2 tsp baking soda; 1 tsp salt; 1 and 1/4 cup buttermilk; 2 tbsp heavy cram (for brushing); 2 tbsp granulated sugar (for the top); 3 red apples (cored and sliced thinly); 1 lemon jucie; 2 tsp cinnamon powder; 4 tbsp brown sugar; 1 tbsp corn flour; 1/2 tsp salt; 1 tsp vanilla; 1 tbsp maple syrup; 1 tbsp milk; 1/2 cup icing sugar

Flaky and soft scones layered with apple slices and spiced with cinnamon, drizzled with a maple glaze for the perfect fall tea time sweet treat recipe. It is a simple eggless dessert that is delicious warm out of the oven.

Think apple pie meets flaky and buttery scones drowned in a maple glaze that is crusty on top once it sets. These scones are not your average scones recipe, they are treated like cinnamon rolls where we roll out the dough, layer on the cinnamon butter and roll into a log before slicing and baking. Only in this case we layer the buttery scone dough with cinnamon spiced apple slices that are sweetened with brown sugar, we roll it up and cut them into triangles. They are baked until golden and flakey.

If these scones seem like too much effort for you then my classic scones recipe will keep you satisfied as well. However, it is apple season and I am on an apple recipe kick lately what with having dozens of apples at home for cheap as chips. If you haven’t checked out my apple cinnamon rolls recipe then you are truly missing out. But for now let us get to the recipe.

What are scones? Why are they called scones?

Scones are a traditional baked good that can be served sweet or savory. It is a simple tea time recipe that works well with any accompaniment and can be traced back the United Kingdom and Ireland. They are simple to make and most often than not need only a handful of ingredients to prepare with no fancy equipment either. The word is thought to have originated from the Dutch “schoonbrot,” meaning fine white bread; and the closely-related German “sconbrot,” which means fine or beautiful bread, according to Freshways. Some also say the name comes from where the kings of Scotland were crowned, the stone (scone) or destiny.

What is the secret to making good scones?

Making sure all the ingredients are cold, not over working the dough, chilling the dough before baking, baking it in a preheated oven.

Which flour is best for scones?

ALL PURPOSE FLOUR! Screaming it for the people in the back cause I know a lot of recipes suggest self raising flour and whole wheat flour. While they are noteworthy options – my personal favorite HAS to be all purpose flour as it is gives the fluffiest scones. You could use bread flour or buckwheat flour etc. and they will work but nothing will beat a good scone with all purpose flour. To make these gluten free, use a gluten free flour mix cup for cup measure.

What to avoid when making scones?

Do not use warm butter – it must be fridge cold. Over mixing is big no no or else you will end with dense and tough scones once baked. Rushing the chilling process, if your kitchen is warm it might take longer for the dough to chill in the fridge so be patient.

What are the ingredients for scones?

Scones are made with flour, leavening agents such as baking powder, baking soda and a little salt and sugar. As for the liquid ingredients, recipes can vary from buttermilk, heavy cream, milk, yogurt, sour cream, eggs, butter etc. when it comes to flour, recipes can include all purpose flour or a combination of flours like wholewheat and rye or buckwheat, oats, etc.

What ingredients do you need to make apple cinnamon scones?

To make these apple cinnamon scones we need all purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, sugar, butter, buttermilk, heavy cream for brushing, granulated sugar for the top. For the apples we need red apples, brown sugar, cornflour, cinnamon powder, salt, vanilla, lemon juice. I have topped the scones with a maple glaze made with icing sugar.

What equipment do you need to make apple cinnamon scones?

We need a mixing bowl to make the dough I have used my hand but you can use a pastry cutter. Usually I like to grate the butter but this time I have cubed it. The apples are cut with a knife and tossed with the ingredients in a large mixing bow. The scone dough is rolled out with a rolling pin and cut into triangles withe a sharp knife. They are baked on a lined baking tray in the oven. The glaze is mixed in a mixing bowl with a whisk.

How to make these apple cinnamon scones?

For the apples: Core and thinly slice the apples. Transfer to a large mixing bowl, add the lemon juice, brown sugar, cinnamon powder, corn flour, salt, vanilla and mix well, set aside.

For the scone dough: In a large mixing bowl add the flour, salt, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and stir together. Add the cold cubed butter and using your finger tips rub the flour into he butter created little butter pea sized nuggets. Pour in the buttermilk* and slowly work the mixture together to form a shaggy, rough dough. Transfer to a clear kitchen surface and dust with flour, form a rough dough with your hands by pressing the mixture together.

Assemble: Preheat the oven to 375℉ and line a baking tray with baking paper. These scones will spread and get larger while baking hence you may need to bake in tow batches depending on the size of the one and tray. Using a rolling pin roll out the dough to a 9×13 inch rectangle. You may need more flour to ensure it doesn’t stick to the surface and that is fine. Place the sliced apples evenly all over the dough, the apples would’ve gotten syrupy and soft – which is what we want. Start rolling the dough into a cylinder/log, pinching the end to seal the scone dough with the apples. Cut into 10 large triangles or 16 smaller slices and transfer to the baking tray. Brush each piece with the heavy cream and sprinkle over the granulated sugar. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the top is golden, the scones have risen and spread.

For the glaze: Mix al the ingredients together until smooth and pour over the warm scones, allow to set before eating and serving.

Serving and storing apple cinnamon scones?

They are best served warm with coffee or tea but you can also enjoy them with a scoop of vanilla ice cream to make this an entire dessert/treat. I have eaten them cold and while they are good I would recommend microwaving them for 15 seconds before eating, the top is crunchy while the center is soft and fluffy. The leftovers are best stored in zip lock bags int he freezer for up to 3 weeks, when ready to eat make sure to let it come to room temperature and microwave until warm. Or place them in the oven frozen and reheat on low heat for 10-15 minutes until warmed through.

Looking for more apple cinnamon recipes?

Now that we have covered how to make this apple cinnamon scone recipe, you can have a look at the recipe video on my socials but let’s get to it. Don’t forget to follow along for more fun recipe inspiration.

If you try this recipe out, don’t forget to share it with me on pinterest & instagram so I can see how it turned out. I’d love nothing more than to chat with you on your cooking/baking.