These gluten-free pumpkin scones are soft in the center, have the right amount of sweetness, and offer hints of pumpkin spice in every bite. This post contains affiliate links. Please see my disclosures.
Imagine a cool crisp fall morning. You’re wearing your favorite sweater. You’re holding a cup of coffee. And you’re about to dig into this beautiful gluten-free pumpkin scone for breakfast.
These pumpkin scones bring all the fall feels, and offer the right balance of sweetness and pumpkin spice all wrapped up in a soft and tender pastry and topped with a white chocolate glaze.
Whip up a batch of these bad boys to enjoy for breakfast or bake a batch to share at your next family brunch.
Why We Love these Scones
We love these gluten-free pumpkin scones for so many reasons:
The Texture: The texture is soft thanks to the intense moisture from the pumpkin. It has an almost cake-like middle and slightly crispy outside. They don’t crumble or fall apart, even after a couple of days on the counter. You can also dip them in coffee and they’ll still hold their shape and won’t turn to mush.
The Taste: The scones taste scrumptious offering the right amount of sweetness along with plenty of pumpkin spice vibes.
The Glaze: The glaze is a combination of white chocolate, milk, and pumpkin pie spice, adding a touch more sweetness to the tasty scones.
The Ease: The scone batter comes together quickly and bakes in about 20 minutes. I found the batter easy to work with and difficult to mess up.
The Smell: These scones make your whole house smell like fall.
Ingredients for Gluten-Free Pumpkin Scones
For the pumpkin scone batter, you’ll need:
- 2 cups Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten-Free Flour (296 grams)
- ⅓ cup sugar
- 1 Tbsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 ½ tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 8 Tbsp frozen butter, cut into small cubes or grated with a cheese grater
- ⅔ cup pumpkin puree
- 2 Tbsp maple syrup
- 1 egg, large
- ¼ cup heavy whipping cream (or half and half)
How to Make the Scone Batter
To make the batter, start by whisking together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and pumpkin pie spice in a large bowl. Add the frozen butter pieces (or grated frozen butter) to the flour mixture and work it into the batter using a pastry cutter or a large fork until the mixture is crumbly.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, maple syrup, egg, and whipping cream.
Now add the pumpkin mixture to the flour mixture and mix well with a spatula, then by hand, until a solid-but-malleable dough forms. There may be some lumps of butter and that’s okay.
Place a piece of parchment paper on a large baking sheet. Turn out the dough onto the parchment and shape it into a ½-inch circle using your hands, then use a large knife to cut the dough into 6 even pieces. Place the mixture in your refrigerator for at least 20 minutes.
Baking the Scones
While the scone dough cools in the fridge, preheat the oven to 400º F. Once the oven is heated, take the scones out of the refrigerator and gently separate the pieces so there is a small space between each scone.
Place the scones in the oven and bake for 22-24 minutes. Allow the scones to cool completely before adding the glaze.
Glazing the Scones
For the glaze, add one cup of white chocolate chips and 2 tablespoons of milk in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave the mixture at 70 percent power for 1 minute, then stir and microwave it in 15-30 second intervals until fully melted. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice.
Drizzle the warm glaze on the cooled scones using a spoon, then enjoy immediately. I love eating it while the drizzle is still warm!
FAQs and Substitutions
The Flour: I’ve only tested this recipe with Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten-Free Flour blend and cannot guarantee the same results with another flour. If using another flour blend, look for one that is made from a combination of flours, starches, and xanthan gum. If the mixture doesn’t have xanthan gum, add 1/2 teaspoon of it to the flour mixture. I recommend using a digital scale when measuring the flour.
Pumpkin Puree: Be sure to use canned pumpkin puree and not canned pumpkin pie mix. Also, I found the Trader Joe’s pumpkin puree to be a bit watery (so I don’t buy it anymore), but if your pumpkin puree is watery, use a paper towel to blot away excess moisture. I recommend Libby brand pumpkin puree.
Butter: The butter should be frozen and cut into small cubes or grated with a cheese grater. You want the butter cold for the best results.
Dairy-Free: You could use vegan butter (I recommend Earth Balance Buttery Sticks). Vegan butter is softer than regular butter, so make sure you freeze the vegan butter sticks well. You can also purchase dairy-free heavy whipping cream from Silk in select stores. Remember, the glaze also uses dairy. Instead of the white chocolate glaze, I recommend using the maple glaze found on my gluten-free pumpkin donuts. It’s dairy-free as is.
Egg-Free: I have not tested this recipe with any egg substitutes. If you do, please leave a comment to share how it turned out.
Make Ahead: You can make the scones as directed, then freeze them until you’re ready to enjoy them. Allow the scones to come to room temperature, then add the warm glaze, before serving. Enjoy!
More Pumpkin Recipes
- Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread (Dairy Free)
- Ultra-Chewy Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cookies
- Gluten-Free Pumpkin Donuts with Maple Glaze
- Delicious Gluten-Free Pumpkin Squares Recipe
Gluten-Free Pumpkin Scones
Ingredients
For the Scones:
- 2 cups Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten-Free Flour 296 grams
- ⅓ cup sugar
- 1 Tbsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 ½ tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 8 Tbsp frozen butter cut into cubes or grated with a cheese grater
- ⅔ cup pumpkin puree
- 2 Tbsp maple syrup
- 1 egg large
- ¼ cup heavy whipping cream or half and half
For the Glaze:
- 1 cup white chocolate chips
- 2 Tbsp milk
- ½ tsp pumpkin pie spice
Instructions
- Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and pumpkin pie spice in a large bowl. Add the frozen butter pieces to the flour mixture and work it into the batter using a pastry cutter or forks until the mixture is crumbly.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, maple syrup, egg, and whipping cream.
- Add the pumpkin mixture to the flour mixture and mix well with a spatula and then by hand until the dough is solid but malleable. There may be some lumps of butter and that's okay.
- Place a piece of parchment paper on a large baking sheet. Turn out the dough onto the parchment and shape it into a ½-inch circle using your hands. Use a large knife to cut the dough into 6 even pieces. Place the mixture in your refrigerator for at least 20 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 400º F. Once the oven is heated and ready, take the scones out of the refrigerator and gently separate the pieces so there is a small space between each scone.
- Place the scones in the oven and bake for 22-24 minutes. Allow the scones to cool completely before adding the glaze.
- Make the glaze by combining the white chocolate chips and milk in a microwavable bowl. Microwave the mixture at 70% power for 1 minute, then stir and microwave it in 15-30 second intervals until fully melted. Stir in the pumpkin spice.
- Place the scones on top of a piece of parchment paper. Drizzle the warm glaze on the cooled scones using a spoon.
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