Simple Pumpkin Pecan Scones Recipe

Eight Pumpkin Pecan Scones sit on a white plate with mugs and spoons in the background.

5 from 3 votes

Simple Pumpkin Pecan Scones Recipe

These Simple Pumpkin Pecan Scones are the perfect breakfast, brunch or snack. Quickly made with tons of warm spices and toasted pecans, these are finished with an orange glaze, pecans and sanding sugar for a bit of crunch.

Prep Time40

Cook Time15

Total Time55

Course: Breakfast/brunch

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Pumpkin scones,, Scones, very easy to make

Servings: scones

Calories: 412kcal

Author: Helen S. Fletcher

Ingredients

Pumpin Pecan Scones

½ cup unsalted butter, cut and frozen (114 grams)
½ cup pecans, divided (60 grams)
1 ¾ cup all-purpose flour (240 grams)
1 ½ teaspoon cinnamon
¾ teaspoon ginger
½ teaspoon nutmeg
¼ teaspoon cloves
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon table salt
⅓ cup brown sugar (65 grams)
½ cup canned pumpkin puree
1 large egg
¼ cup sour cream (55 grams)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (McCormick is fine)

Orange Glaze

1 ½ cup powdered sugar (200 grams)
1 tablespoon orange zest
2 to 3 tablespoons orange juice
2 tablespoons reserved toasted pecans
2 tablespoons sanding sugar

Instructions

Pumpkin Pecan Scones

Cut the butter into small pieces and freeze hard.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Set aside. Toast the pecans for 7 to 9 minutes depending on the size. Cool then chop. See my post, Chopping Nuts - A Quicker Way. Reserve 2 tablespoons. Turn the oven off.
Place the flour, spices, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and brown sugar in the bowl of a food processor. Process briefly to mix.
Place the frozen butter over the dry ingredients. Process very briefly, leaving some of the butter in larger pieces.
Add the pumpkin puree, egg, sour cream, and vanilla to the bowl and process with pulses to bring together.
Add the pecans and process very briefly to mix into a shaggy dough. Do not over mix. The dough will be sticky. Do not add additional flour. That is how it should be,
Lightly flour a work surface and place the dough on the flour. Knead the dough to form a smooth, round ball. Use a very light touch and do not press hard on the dough. It should come together in 7 or 8 turns.
Place the dough ball in the center of the circle on the waxed or parchment paper. Press it out evenly to reach the edges of the circle.
Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Pick up the paper and place it in a baking sheet. Freeze for 20 to 30 minutes or until the edges are fairly hard. Don't freeze the disc hard.
Remove from the freezer and place the paper on a flat surface. Cut into 8 triangles. Place them on the parchment line baking sheet.
Bake for 12 to 15 minutes until they are lightly browned but still a bit soft.
Cool completely on a rack.

Glazing the Scones

Combine the reserved 2 tablespoons pecans with the sanding sugar. Set aside.
Add the orange zest to the powdered sugar in a medium size bowl. Add 2 tablespoons of the orange juice and stir to combine. If the glaze is too thick add a teaspoon of orange juice at a time to thin it.
Using a large serving spoon, scoop some of the glaze up and place it from the top to the bottom in the center of the cooled scone. Spread it out and let it run down the sides.
After glazing 2 or 3 scones, sprinkle with the pecan/sugar mix so it adheres to the wet glaze. Let dry.
The scones can be covered and stored at room temperature for a day or so. They can also be frozen unbaked and baked from the freezer by adding a bit more time or they can be finished, including glazing and finishing. Thaw at room temperature.

Notes

There is always an abundance of photos to guide you in the post above. If you have questions, look at the photos or read the header of the article. Many of them will be answered there.

As always, I recommend using a scale for accuracy and consistency. Flour, in particular, is difficult to measure by volume. For my recipes, I use 140 grams per cup of unsifted all-purpose, bread or whole wheat flour and 125 grams of cake flour. Others may use different weights so use whatever they suggest.

Unless otherwise noted, salt refers to table salt.

Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.

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Some cans of pumpkin puree use a different squash that is very much in color and taste like pumpkin but is actually kobacha also known as Japanese pumpkin. Try to get pure pumpkin puree which is sold by Libby marked 100% Pure Pumpkin. I have found it to the thicker than the kobacha.
Using the McCormick imitation vanilla is fine here as there are so many spices the pure vanilla is a waste of money.
Either dark or light brown sugar can be used. Dark brown adds more flavor.
When you knead the dough a few times to make the smooth ball, do not push hard on it. Keep a light hand and it will not stick to the surface so less flour can be used. Just remember that flour is going into the scone. The dough should remain a bit tacky on the outside.
1 large orange will yield enough zest for the glaze.
The butter should be frozen rock hard so pieces of the butter remain viseable after mixing. I am not of the school that does this by hand.
Process or mix the dough just until it comes together.
If cutting into rounds, do not twist the cutter or the scones will not be straight.
Keep the dough cold as much as possible. This isn't hard because it's so quick to make - especially if a processor is used.
Since the dough is going to be sticky, shape it into a round, flatten it then freeze it for 30 to 40 minutes until it is throughly cold and beginning to freeze around the edges. Then cut it with a knife for triangles or a cookie cutter for rounds or shapes. Wipe the knife between cuts with a paper towel to keep it clean. No need to rinse - wiping will do. This will make clean cuts for a better looking scone.
A relatively high oven temperature will allow for the butter pieces to melt quickly providing the steam, along with the baking powder and soda to lift the scones.

Nutrition