Apple Cinnamon Pecan Scones

Name: Apple Cinnamon Pecan Scones
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 65 min
Ingredients: 2½ cups all-purpose flour; ⅓ cup light brown sugar (packed); ½ tsp salt; 1 tbsp baking powder; ½ tsp ground cinnamon; 1 stick unsalted butter (cold and cubed); 1 cup Granny Smith apples (peeled and chopped small ); ½ cup pecans (chopped); 1¼ cup heavy whipping cream (cold); 1 large egg (room temperature); 1 tbsp heavy whipping cream; ¼ cup light brown sugar (packed); ⅓ cup unsalted butter (sliced into pieces); 2 tbsp heavy whipping cream; ½ tsp pure vanilla extract; ⅓ cup confectioners’ sugar (sifted); ½ tsp ground cinnamon

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These Apple Cinnamon Pecan Scones are packed with apples and full of cinnamon flavor! The glaze is delightfully sweet and sticky. Enjoy with coffee or tea.

There is nothing more wonderful than a tray of freshly baked apple scones. Let me tell you, these apple cinnamon pecan scones are ADDICTIVE! They have a tender crumb and golden brown exterior. Each bite is full of tart green apple and crunchy pecans. The sticky glaze on top of each scone is the finishing touch. Whether enjoyed with hot coffee or a cold glass of milk, you are going to LOVE these scones!

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Ingredients
How to Make Apple Cinnamon Scones
Cinnamon Brown Sugar Glaze
Tips for Success
Other Yummy Scone Recipes
Frequently Asked Questions
Apple Cinnamon Pecan Scones

Ingredients

Flour - These scones are made with all-purpose flour. While the recipe is designed for this type of flour, feel free to play with what you like. A nutty flour would be nice with the flavor profile of these scones, but I have not yet experimented with other flours.
Apples - Apples, of course, apples. This recipe calls for Granny Smith apples. This tart apple is fantastic for baking. The tart and sweet flavors play so well together. In this case, the tartness of the apples pairs perfectly with the sweet glaze.
Brown Sugar - While you commonly see granulated sugar in scone recipes, this one uses light brown sugar. Similar to my Brown Sugar Pecan Scones, these apple scones marry nicely with the caramel tones of brown sugar. Brown sugar is also used in the glaze as well.
Heavy Whipping Cream - Heavy whipping cream is always my go-to for scones. It provides a beautiful effect to the crumb and taste of the scone. While you can substitute it, I strongly suggest using heavy cream.
Ground Cinnamon - Ground cinnamon is in both the scone dough and the glaze. Cinnamon and apples are a perfect duo.
Chopped Pecans

How to Make Apple Cinnamon Scones

The scone, or biscuit, mixing procedure requires cold cubed butter. It is absolutely necessary for the butter to be cold before it is cut into the dough.

In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients until thoroughly incorporated.
With a pastry blender, or two forks, cut in the cold cubed butter until pea-sized pieces remain. Add in the cup of chopped apples and the pecan pieces. Stir to incorporate.
Pour the heavy cream in slowly, gently mixing until the dough is moist and begins to come together. Remove the dough from the bowl and place it on a lightly floured surface. Gently knead the dough until it comes together and shape into a flattened disk. It is important that you do not over-knead.
With a bench scraper, portion the dough into 8 wedges. Place the wedges of dough onto a parchment-lined sheet tray and place them in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Whisk together the egg and tablespoon of cream together in a small bowl. Brush the egg wash onto each scone, you may not use it all. Place the scones in the oven and bake for about 20 minutes, or until golden brown.

Then comes the glaze!

Cinnamon Brown Sugar Glaze

This glaze is buttery and very similar to a caramel sauce in flavor and texture. This glaze does stay slightly sticky due to the higher butter content. If you prefer a more solid, less sticky glaze, the glaze in this Brown Sugar Pecan Scones recipe can be substituted for this one. The procedure is essentially the same, however, the other glaze sets very quickly.

In a small saucepan, stir together the brown sugar, heavy whipping cream, and butter. Bring mixture to a simmer. Cook until the butter has melted and sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract. Allow the mixture to cool for about 5 minutes.
While the brown sugar mixture is cooling, whisk together the sifted confectioners' sugar and the cinnamon. Add to the cooled brown sugar mixture and whisk until everything is completely incorporated and no lumps remain.
Drizzle glaze over each scone. Allow the glaze to set before enjoying one of the scones. (The glaze will remain sticky.)

Tips for Success

Use Cold Butter – Cold butter is essential for the dough. Warm butter or warm dough will result in dry, crumbly scones. If your butter has begun to warm, place it in the freezer for 5 to 10 minutes to chill. You can also use grated frozen butter in place of the cold cubed butter too.

Refrigerate Before Baking – It is important to keep scone dough as cold as possible. Allowing the dough to firm and chill before baking prevents over-spreading. You can even chill the dough in the refrigerator overnight to bake in the morning.

Do Not Overwork the Dough – Work the dough as little as possible to prevent tough, dense scones. This is especially important after the fruit has been added.

Other Yummy Scone Recipes

Frequently Asked Questions

How long do these scones stay fresh?

Stored at room temperature, these apple scones will stay fresh for up to 3 days. If stored in the refrigerator (preferred method of storage), these scones will stay fresh for up to a week.

Can you freeze scones?

Transfer the cooled {unglazed} scones to an airtight container. Separate the layers with wax paper. Store at room temperature, or in the refrigerator for a longer shelflife. Thaw completely before drizzling with the glaze.

This simple apple scone cinnamon scone recipe is one that you are going to want to make over and over. These scones are tasty as a snack with coffee or as an after-dinner treat with a cold glass of milk. Dare I say, they are reminiscent of an apple donut (but in scone form). As I stated above, the glaze is sticky like caramel, and gosh darn is it good!