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Soft and tender, these sourdough pumpkin scones are made with canned pumpkin puree and sourdough discard for the perfect taste of fall. I sandwich a pumpkin spiced filling in the middle for even more sweetness and drizzle them with a cream cheese glaze. The canned pumpkin makes the inside so incredibly soft and the cold discard keeps the butter nice and cold making for beautiful flaky layers throughout the scone dough. You need to add these sourdough pumpkin scones to your fall baking recipes this year!
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Why You’ll Love Sourdough Pumpkin Scones
- Filling: These sourdough scones have a sandwiched cinnamon filling that is so delicious – similar to my sourdough pumpkin cookies that are sandwiched with a cream cheese filling. Both are so good!
- Pumpkin: Adding pumpkin to the scone dough makes these scones extra soft with perfectly crisp edges. And if you love pumpkin for breakfast, my sourdough pumpkin pancakes are another fall favorite.
- Fall Breakfast: Sourdough pumpkin scones are the perfect breakfast treat to enjoy anytime during the fall.
- Showstopper: Bring them to brunch or serve them for a gathering, these pumpkin scones are always well received – just like my Sourdough Pumpkin Roll.
Important Ingredients
- Sourdough Discard – You can use fresh, bubbly sourdough starter if you want. If you don’t mind a more pronounced sourdough flavor, you can use refrigerated discard up to a week or two old. I always use 100% hydration sourdough discard.
- All-purpose flour – I use all-purpose flour with 11.5% protein content in these scones.
- Brown Sugar – Brown sugar gives these scones a sweet flavor.
- Salt – Salt is an important ingredient to enhance flavor.
- Baking Powder – Baking powder is what gives the scones their beautiful rise.
- Spices – A blend of pumpkin pie spice and cinnamon works well to give these pumpkin scones their fall flavor.
- Unsalted Butter – I always bake with unsalted butter. It allows me to control the flavor in my baked goods — there is no standard for the amount of salt in salted butter, so you cannot predict how much salt has been added.
- Canned Pumpkin – The most special part of these scones is including canned pumpkin. Make sure you aren’t using pumpkin pie filling, just pure canned pumpkin.
- Heavy Cream – Heavy cream makes the scones tender. Don’t substitute milk for heavy cream because it reduces the fat content in the scones, which makes the scones taste more “bready.”
- Egg – An egg makes the scone dough rich and delicious. I have not left them out before.
- Vanilla – A hint of vanilla extract gives these scones a beautiful flavor.
- Pumpkin Spice Filling – These scones are filled with a mixture of brown sugar, powdered sugar, flour, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, heavy cream, and vanilla.
- Cream Cheese Glaze – Top these scones with a glaze made of cream cheese, powdered sugar, whole milk, vanilla, and salt.
How to Make Sourdough Pumpkin Scones
Mix the Scone Dough
Combine dry ingredients in a medium-sized bowl. Whisk together the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, salt, pumpkin pie spice and ground cinnamon. Grate the cold butter into the dry ingredient mixture and whisk until the little pieces of butter are spread throughout and coated with flour. Alternatively you can use a pastry cutter to cut the butter into the flour mixture. If you choose not to use the cinnamon filling, whisk any mix-ins into the flour mixture now.
Whisk together the remaining ingredients in a separate bowl. Combine the sourdough discard, canned pumpkin, heavy cream, egg and vanilla extract until smooth and incorporated.
Add the liquid mixture to the flour mixture and stir together with a fork or spoon until moistened and sticking together. Use your hands to gently form the dough into a ball. If you have a lot of flour leftover in the bowl, add a little extra cream a teaspoon or so at a time until it comes together. Scone dough will resemble pie dough more than cookie dough. The key to tender scones is to not over-mix it.
Shape Pumpkin Scones
Dump sourdough scone dough onto a countertop or pastry mat and knead together two or three times until the dough is in a cohesive chunk. Cut the dough into two equal sections. Let rest while you mix together the filling.
Mix together scone filling in a small bowl. Combine brown sugar, powdered sugar, all-purpose flour, pumpkin pie spice, ground cinnamon, heavy cream and vanilla extract. Set aside.
Lightly flour the top of the balls of scone dough. Gently pat each ball of dough out into a 7 inch circle. Spread the pumpkin spice scone filling on top of one of the circles, leaving a little gap on the edges. Place the other 7 inch circle of dough on top of the cinnamon filling, sandwiching the scone dough together. Pinch the seams closed.
Cut the dough into 8 triangular sections and place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Chill the scone dough in the refrigerator or freezer for a few minutes.
Bake Sourdough Scones
Bake scones for 15 minutes at 425ºF. Sourdough pumpkin scones are done when the edges are crispy and the scones are baked through. Prepare the cream cheese glaze by whisking together softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, milk, vanilla extract and salt until smooth.
Let scones cool for a couple minutes before drizzling on the cream cheese glaze. The filling may seep out a bit during baking, but will solidify more as the scones cool. Enjoy!
Tip: Use parchment paper or a silicone liner on your baking sheet. The filling does tend to ooze a little bit and it will save you in clean-up later. If you find the top and bottom of the scone spreading apart when baking, gently move the top part of the scone back on top as soon as you pull them out of the oven. Let them cool.
Amy’s Recipe Tip
Canned pumpkin is thicker than homemade pumpkin puree. If you choose to use homemade pumpkin, make sure to blot it well and hold back the heavy cream when mixing the dough. Add the cream as the dough needs it. If your dough is too wet, add a little extra flour.
Substitutions
- Pumpkin Spice Filling: Instead of pumpkin spice, increase the cinnamon and make a cinnamon-forward pumpkin scone. Or leave the pumpkin spice filling out completely and add some nuts, dried fruit or baking chips to the scone dough instead – similar to these chocolate chip sourdough scones.
- Sourdough Discard: If you don’t have sourdough discard on hand, substitute sourdough starter and chill the scones for 20-30 minutes in the freezer.
- Pecans: These pumpkin scones taste incredible with 1/2 to 1 cup chopped pecans add into the scone dough. They add texture and a nice flavor.
How to Store Leftovers
Baked sourdough pumpkin scones can be stored at room temperature for a couple hours. Due to the cream cheese in the glaze, I like to refrigerate or freeze scones after a few hours. Sourdough scone dough can also be cut and frozen for up to a couple of months. Bake directly from frozen, adding a couple minutes to the bake time if desired. This makes sourdough scones perfect to make ahead!
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Frequently Asked Questions
If you use older discard that is further along in the fermentation cycle, then yes, the scones may taste sour. If you use a younger discard, then they will have little to no sour flavor.
No! I have made these scones plain and they are yummy – though I think they do benefit from some mix-ins. Add white chocolate chips, chocolate chips, nuts or dried fruit – anything would be delicious with this sweet pumpkin scone base if you don’t want to make the pumpkin spice filling.
Yes! Whisk together 55 grams (4 Tbsp) unsalted butter, melted with 60 grams (1/2 cup) powdered sugar, 40 grams (2 Tbsp) maple syrup, 2 grams (1/2 tsp) maple extract and a pinch of salt. Drizzle on top of the scones instead of the cream cheese glaze.
Yes. Mix up the scone dough, cut and freeze. Bake from frozen, adding a couple extra minutes to the bake time.
Yes. I often roll the scone dough into an 8 by 8 rectangle. Cut into 16 smaller square – sized pieces to make 16 smaller scones. This is the perfect size if you need to bring some scones to a brunch of potluck gathering!
Sourdough Pumpkin Scones
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Equipment
- 18 by 13 baking sheet
Ingredients
Sourdough Pumpkin Scone Dough
- 370 grams all-purpose flour, about 2.5 cups
- 60 grams brown sugar, about 1/3 cup
- 15 grams baking powder, about 1 Tablespoon
- 6 grams salt, about 1 teaspoon
- 6 grams pumpkin pie spice, about 2 teaspoons
- 3 grams ground cinnamon , about 1 teaspoon
- 113 grams unsalted butter, chilled, about 1/2 cup
- 100 grams sourdough discard, scant 1/2 cup
- 100 grams canned pumpkin, about 1/3 cup
- 1 large egg
- 40 grams heavy cream, about 2.5 Tablespoons
- 4 grams vanilla extract, about 1 teaspoon
Pumpkin Spice Filling
- 70 grams brown sugar, about 1/3 cup
- 40 grams powdered sugar, about 1/3 cup
- 30 grams all-purpose flour, about 2 Tablespoons
- 4 grams pumpkin pie spice, about 1.5 teaspoons
- 2 grams ground cinnamon, about 3/4 teaspoon
- 30 grams heavy cream, about 2 Tablespoons
- 2 grams vanilla extract, about 1/2 teaspoon
Cream Cheese Glaze
- 30 grams cream cheese, softened, about 2 Tablespoons
- 75 grams powdered sugar, 2/3 cup
- 15 grams whole milk, about 1 Tablespoon
- 4 grams vanilla extract, about 1 teaspoon
- 1 gram salt, about 1/4 teaspoon
Instructions
- To a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, salt, pumpkin pie spice and ground cinnamon. Grate the cold butter and whisk into the flour mixture until the little pieces of butter are spread throughout and coated with flour. Alternatively you can use a pastry cutter to cut the butter into the flour mixture.If you choose not to use the pumpkin spice filling, whisk any mix-ins into the flour mixture now.
- To a separate bowl whisk together the sourdough discard, canned pumpkin, heavy cream, egg and vanilla extract until smooth and incorporated.
- Add the liquid to the flour mixture and stir together with a fork or spoon until moistened and sticking together. If you have a lot of flour leftover in the bowl, add a little extra cream a teaspoon or so at a time until it comes together. If your dough is too sticky, add a little extra flour until the dough comes together into a ball. Scone dough will resemble pie dough more than cookie dough. The key to tender scones is to not over-mix it.
- Turn the dough out onto a countertop or pastry mat and knead two or three times. Cut the dough into two equal sections. Let rest while you mix together the filling.
- To a small bowl, mix together the pumpkin spice filling: brown sugar, powdered sugar, all-purpose flour, pumpkin pie spice, ground cinnamon, heavy cream and vanilla extract. Set aside.
- Lightly flour the top of the balls of scone dough. Gently pat each ball of dough out into a 7 inch circle. Spread the pumpkin spice scone filling on top of one of the circles, leaving a little gap on the edges. Place the other 7 inch circle of dough on top of the cinnamon filling, sandwiching the scone dough together. Pinch the seams closed.
- Cut the dough into 8 triangular sections and place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Chill the scone dough in the refrigerator or freezer while you preheat the oven to 425ºF.
- Bake scones for 15 minutes until the edges are crispy and the scones are baked through. Expect to see some oozing of the filling out onto the baking sheet during the baking (this is why parchment is important for easy clean up). If the top of any of the scones starts to slide off after baking, gently place it back on top of the scone. It will stay together as it cools. Pull scones out of the oven and let cool for a couple minutes before drizzling on the cream cheese glaze.
- Whisk together the cream cheese glaze. Whisk softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, milk, vanilla extract and salt together until smooth. Drizzle over warm scones and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Definitely another keeper! My husband came in from outside and asked “What smells so good?” We enjoyed these as much as the apple scones
So glad you love this recipe! Enjoy!
Made these scones this morning. The house smells amazing and the scones are superb! Thank you for sharing another amazing discard recipe.
I’m glad you love this recipe – thanks for your review!
Amazing! The scones were moist and filling created a nice contrast-the spilled burnt pieces were so yummy! Meant to share with my in-laws but we ended up eating them all.
I’m glad you love this recipe – thanks for your review!
These came out great! Love the flavor and they are very sweet with the filling and the glaze. Is there a way to prevent the filling from coming out onto the pan? I want them to look pretty for selling. And if i skip the filling, should i add other things in the dough? Thank you for sharing this perfect fall recipe!
These came out great! Love the flavor and they are very sweet with the filling and the glaze. Is there a way to prevent the filling from coming out onto the pan? I want them to look pretty for selling. And if i skip the filling, should i add other things in the dough? Thank you for sharing this perfect fall recipe!
These are tricky in that way. I think I would try cinnamon chips in the pumpkin scones, or decreasing the amount of pumpkin filling in the middle. I love the cinnamon in the middle, but they tend to come out more messy, unfortunately.
Can I substitute something for the 1/2 cup discard?
You can substitute 50 grams flour and 50 grams milk or cream.
Perfect for fall! So tender and soft- YUM 🙂
So glad you enjoyed these!
I love the cinnamon layer in these pumpkin scones. They give them flavor throughout and the cream cheese glaze is super yummy on top too.
This was a giant mess when it came out of the oven, but I popped the top halves back on top of the bottoms as instructed and hoped for the best. I think I’d skip the filling next time, as the scone part was quite tasty without it. My son was a big fan with the filling, though. I didn’t glaze.
Thanks for sharing. These do need some parchment under them for easy clean-up. You can also make these scones without the filling. I think adding in cinnamon chips or chopped nuts would be delicious too.
Made these today- awesome! I did layer the filling twice- double delicious! We think the scone dough could be a little less sweet since it has the filling and glaze. Thanks for a great recipe!
That sounds delicious with the double layer! Thanks for sharing.