Apple Pie Scones make a chilly morning feel just a little bit warmer, a little bit happier, and a whole lot more delicious. I think we should all sub out our daily porridge every now and then for a special treat like this easy apple scone recipe.
apple pie scones for a perfect little personal apple pie moment
I’m a scone girl, there’s no denying. And while I can go for a few weeks getting my fix at the local coffee shop, I always come back to my easy 1-2-3 homemade scone recipe and wonder why I ever plunked down the cash for plastic wrapped imposters.
Wondering what an apple pie scone tastes like? Think of those impossibly crisp autumn apples diced up into juicy little bits, tossed in warm spices, folded into buttery scone dough, and drenched in a vanilla-laced glaze.
Pour yourself a hot cup of coffee, pop open your flour canister, and let’s get baking!
my food processor paid for itself years ago making scones in every possible flavor
Making scones is a literal breeze when you do them in the food processor, and when they’re that easy, they make the perfect little canvas for all sorts of creative flavor combinations. There’s a delicious scone for every micro-season around here, these apple scones will be followed up later in fall with Pumpkin and Maple Oat Nut, and then I’ll dive into winter with Cranberry White Chocolate, and eventually Fresh Tangerine the minute citrus season arrives. I love my Rhubarb Scones in early spring, and Lemon Zucchini Scones in high summer.
Don’t have a processor?
No worries, you can do this the old fashioned way using a pastry cutter or two forks to cut the cold butter into the flour until it’s nice and crumbly.
how to cut out your scones is a personal choice ~
- Wedges – I used to always cut my scones into wedges, which is really simple, and requires no special cutter – just a knife. Pat your scone dough into a rough circle about 1 inch thick, and slice it like a pizza into 8 (6 if you’re feelin’ it) triangular scones. The benefit of cutting wedges is that none of the dough has to be re-formed, and none goes to waste.
- Squares – Shape the dough into a square or rectangle and slice into squares. Again, no waste, and the little squares have a rustic appeal.
- Rounds – I like to use a sharp edged metal biscuit cutters for round scones like these. Just flour it lightly, and remember: never twist your cutter as you cut biscuits or scones, just make a clean cut downward, and lift straight up. Twisting can seal the edges and prevent the scone from rising to its full potential.
apple pie scones + clotted cream = perfection
We loved these scones ~ they were of course amazing warm from the oven, but even after they sat on the counter overnight, they were still moist (maybe moister thanks to those juicy bits of apple) and tasty the next morning. And believe me, there’s nothing more luxurious than waking up to a homemade scone that’s already been baked! Just pull out a little pot of homemade clotted cream and you’ve got the makings for a perfect fall breakfast.
have a big bowl of apples on the counter?
- Honeycrisp Apple Cardamom Cake ~ not just for Honeycrisp, try out your favorite apple.
- Easy Apple Fritter Bread ~ fritters without the spattering oil, score!
- Dutch Apple Cake ~ the Europeans really know their apple cakes.
- Apple Cider Doughnut Muffins ~ if you missed out on apple picking this year, make this.
- Roasted Apple Salad ~ explore apples’ savory side.
- Rustic Apple Galette~ makes fancy pie skills obsolete!
Apple Pie Scones
Equipment
- 3 inch biscuit cutter
Ingredients
For the scones
- 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
- 1 Tbsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp ground cardamom
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold and cut into pieces
- 1/2 cup milk, or half and half
- 1 cup finely chopped apple, peeled
For the glaze
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 1/4 cup milk, or half and half, or cream
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- ground nutmeg, for sprinkling on top, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper
- Add the flour, baking powder, salt, spices, sugars, and butter to the bowl of a food processor and pulse together until the butter is broken up and only small pieces remain. The mixture will look crumbly.
- Slowly add in the milk, continuing to pulse until the dough comes together.
- Remove the dough from the food processor and fold in the apples by hand.
- Gently roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface until it is about 1 inch thick. Cut out 6 scones with a 3 inch biscuit cutter.
- Place the scones on the prepared baking sheet and bake for about 20 minutes until risen and starting to turn slightly golden on top.
- Remove from the oven and allow the scones to cool before glazing.
- To make the glaze, whisk the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract together until smooth. Gently dip the scones into the glaze, and turn them over onto a rack and let the glaze harden.
- Sprinkle a little nutmeg on top of the glazed scones, if you like (I like.)
Notes
Nutrition
I just made these. When I saw that you called for HALF A CUP of butter, I thought that sounded astronomical. But I read through other people’s comments, so I added it all in. I had to increase the baking time by 10 min. They turned out very good, but not the right consistency. I think they’d be better if I cut back on the butter by at least a quarter cup next time.
EXCELLENT recipe! So easy to make and they are delicious. We cut the glaze sugar down to 1 cup and they were a winner. Thanks!
I never process scones, neither do I use a rolling pin. Recipe for disaster? Sorry, didn’t work for me. But by hand only. Simply
Marveous Darling.?
I am so excited to have found this recipe! It was so easy and so delicious! This will be a recipe I rely on in the future when I want something special for breakfast for guests. Thank you so much.
I was a bit disappointed. The scones were quite tasty but they didn’t raise very much–they sort of spread out. I know my baking powder is not old.
These scones are absolutely decadent, a definite recipe keeper and the splash of Nutmeg is a must!! Thank-You
Mine did the same thing, Edith. They look more like muffin tops. I, too, am certain my baking powder was fine as I just made something else with success. I very finely diced my apple. I wonder if that meant more apples in the 1cup measure, thus more moisture, in the batter? I did add cinnamon chips to the batter, but that shouldn’t have made them spread rather than rise.
I don’t have whole milk or 1/2 n 1/2 will 2% do? Can’t wait to make these. Love waking too early and baking up some goodies before my husband wakes.
You know, I’ve never made scones with low fat milk, so I can’t say for sure. You can try, and it will work, but they’ll be a little less luxurious. You might also try yogurt.
Greek Yogurt with honey I have that yummy I’ll try that and let you know
I used the Greek honey yogurt and it was so tasty and a little less guilty. Smiles! I baked them just 5 minutes longer but I’m not sure that was necessary. I didn’t have cardamon so as suggested I just left it out. I also added walnuts no glazing because the scone wedges were an accompaniment to our first autumnal dinner (but still outside as temps finally dropped here on the Westside of LA CA ) of chicken and sausage with cabbage and apples cooked in calvados. Thanks for your recipes, especially the baking ones they give me confidence
Oh my gosh, wish I had been at that meal 🙂
Would be nice to have nutritional info including calories.
What can I use instead of cardamom?
You can leave it out, or add allspice or ginger.
Have you tried making the dough ahead and freezing before baking?
You can certainly do that.