Tasty Maple Pecan Pumpkin Scones

Finding the perfect fall treat that captures all those cozy autumn flavors can feel like searching for a needle in a haystack. You want something that tastes like the season but doesn’t require a ton of fancy ingredients or complicated steps, especially when you’re trying to get breakfast on the table before everyone heads out the door.

These maple pecan pumpkin scones hit the sweet spot perfectly: they’re packed with warm fall flavors, come together quickly with pantry staples, and work just as well for a weekend brunch as they do for a grab-and-go breakfast during busy school mornings.

What Kind of Pumpkin Should I Use?

For these scones, you’ll want to use canned pumpkin puree rather than fresh pumpkin that you cook and mash yourself. Canned pumpkin has a consistent texture and moisture content that works perfectly in baking, plus it saves you a ton of time. Make sure you’re grabbing plain pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling, which already has spices and sugar added. Libby’s is a popular brand that works well, but any pure pumpkin puree from the baking aisle will do the trick. If you do want to use fresh pumpkin, just make sure it’s well-drained after cooking so your scones don’t turn out too wet.

Options for Substitutions

These scones are pretty forgiving when it comes to swapping ingredients:

• White whole wheat flour: Regular all-purpose flour works perfectly here if you don’t have whole wheat on hand. You can also use regular whole wheat flour, though the texture will be slightly denser.
• Raw pecan halves: Walnuts, chopped almonds, or even pumpkin seeds make great substitutes. If you’re nut-free, try dried cranberries or mini chocolate chips instead.
• Coconut oil: Cold butter is the classic choice and works just as well. Make sure it’s cold and cut it into small cubes before mixing. Vegan butter also works if you want to keep it dairy-free.
• Pumpkin puree: Sweet potato puree or butternut squash puree work great here. You could even try mashed banana, though it will change the flavor profile a bit.
• Spice blend: Don’t have all the individual spices? Use 1½ teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice instead of the cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves.
• Maple syrup in glaze: Honey or agave syrup work well, but start with 3 tablespoons since they’re sweeter than maple syrup. You might need to add a bit more milk to get the right consistency.

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Baking

The biggest mistake when making pumpkin scones is overworking the dough, which leads to tough, dense scones instead of the light, flaky texture you want – mix just until the ingredients come together and don’t worry if the dough looks a bit shaggy. Make sure your coconut oil or butter is properly cold and solid before cutting it into the flour, as warm fat won’t create those pockets of steam that give scones their signature texture. Don’t skip toasting the pecans beforehand, as this simple step brings out their nutty flavor and prevents them from getting soggy in the dough. Finally, resist the urge to flatten your scones too much when shaping – they should be about 3/4 inch thick to rise properly, and always use a sharp knife or bench scraper to cut them rather than twisting, which can seal the edges and prevent good rising.

What to Serve With Maple Pecan Pumpkin Scones?

These scones are perfect for a cozy fall breakfast or afternoon tea break, and they pair beautifully with a hot cup of coffee or spiced chai tea. I love serving them alongside some Greek yogurt mixed with a drizzle of honey for a protein boost, or you can keep it simple with just a pat of butter while the scones are still warm. For a more indulgent treat, try them with some cream cheese or even a dollop of whipped cream. They also make a great addition to a brunch spread with fresh fruit like sliced apples or pears that complement those warm autumn spices.

Storage Instructions

Keep Fresh: These maple pecan pumpkin scones taste best when stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. The coconut oil and pumpkin keep them nice and moist, so they don’t dry out as quickly as regular scones. Just make sure they’re completely cooled before storing to keep that perfect texture.

Freeze: You can freeze these scones for up to 3 months, either baked or unbaked! If freezing unbaked, shape them and place on a baking sheet until solid, then transfer to a freezer bag. For baked scones, wrap individually in plastic wrap before freezing to prevent freezer burn.

Warm Up: To bring back that fresh-baked taste, warm your scones in a 300°F oven for about 5-8 minutes if they’re from the fridge, or 10-12 minutes if frozen. You can also microwave them for 15-20 seconds, but the oven method keeps them from getting soggy and gives you that nice crispy outside again.

Estimated Nutrition

Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):

• Calories: 2500-2700
• Protein: 28-34 g
• Fat: 115-130 g
• Carbohydrates: 340-365 g

Ingredients

For the scones:

• 1 cup whole pecan halves
• 2 cups white whole wheat or regular whole wheat flour (250 grams)
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves or allspice
• 1/2 tsp fine salt
• 1/3 cup firm coconut oil or 5 tbsp chilled butter
• 3/4 cup pumpkin puree
• 1/4 cup milk (any kind: dairy or non-dairy)
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

For the glaze:

• 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
• 1/8 tsp fine salt
• 1 tbsp melted coconut oil or melted butter
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup maple syrup, more if necessary

Step 1: Toast and Chop the Pecans

• 1 cup whole pecan halves

Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C).

Arrange the whole pecan halves in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Toast them in the oven for about 3 minutes, just until they become fragrant.

Remove from the oven, reserve the parchment paper for later use, and chop the pecans into fine pieces.

Step 2: Mix the Dry Ingredients

• 2 cups white whole wheat or regular whole wheat flour (250 grams)
• 3/4 cup chopped pecans (from Step 1)
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves or allspice
• 1/2 tsp fine salt

In a medium mixing bowl, combine the white whole wheat flour, three-fourths of the finely chopped pecans (save the other quarter for topping), baking powder, packed brown sugar, ground cinnamon, ground ginger, ground nutmeg, ground cloves or allspice, and fine salt.

Whisk these ingredients together until they are evenly distributed.

Step 3: Cut in the Fat

• 1/3 cup firm coconut oil or 5 tbsp chilled butter

Add the firm coconut oil or chilled butter to the dry mixture.

Using a pastry cutter, cut the fat into the dry ingredients until the mixture forms coarse crumbs.

If you don’t have a pastry cutter, you may use a fork to work in coconut oil or use a knife to cut the butter into tiny pieces before mixing it in.

Step 4: Incorporate Wet Ingredients and Form the Dough

• 3/4 cup pumpkin puree
• 1/4 cup milk (any kind: dairy or non-dairy)
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Stir the pumpkin puree, milk, and vanilla extract into the bowl with the flour and fat mixture.

It might seem dry at first, but with persistence, all the wet and dry ingredients will be incorporated.

Knead the dough gently if necessary to work in any remaining loose flour.

Form the finished dough into a circle about one inch thick.

With a chef’s knife, cut the dough circle into 8 even slices.

I like to use a long, sharp knife for clean cuts.

Step 5: Bake the Scones

Carefully separate the 8 scone slices and arrange them on the reserved parchment paper lining the baking sheet from Step 1.

Leave some space between each slice for even baking.

Bake the scones at 425°F (220°C) for 15 to 17 minutes, or until they are lightly golden brown.

Step 6: Make the Maple Glaze

• 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
• 1/8 tsp fine salt
• 1 tbsp melted coconut oil or melted butter
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup maple syrup, more if necessary

While the scones are baking, whisk together the confectioners’ sugar, melted coconut oil or melted butter, vanilla extract, fine salt, and maple syrup in a small bowl, stirring until the glaze is smooth and creamy.

If the mixture is too thick, add a little more maple syrup to reach your desired consistency.

I like to make my glaze just runny enough to drizzle beautifully over the scones.

Step 7: Glaze, Garnish, and Serve

• remaining chopped pecans from Step 1
• glaze from Step 6

Allow the baked scones to cool on a rack until they are just warm to the touch.

Generously drizzle the glaze over each scone so it covers the tops.

While the glaze is still wet, sprinkle each scone with the reserved chopped pecans from Step 1.

Enjoy your scones fresh—I think they’re best with coffee or chai on a cool day.

Tasty Maple Pecan Pumpkin Scones

Delicious Tasty Maple Pecan Pumpkin Scones recipe with step-by-step instructions.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 11 minutes mins

Cook Time 24 minutes mins

Total Time 35 minutes mins

Servings 4

Calories 2600 kcal

Ingredients

  

For the scones:

• 1 cup whole pecan halves
• 2 cups white whole wheat or regular whole wheat flour (250 grams)
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves or allspice
• 1/2 tsp fine salt
• 1/3 cup firm coconut oil or 5 tbsp chilled butter
• 3/4 cup pumpkin puree
• 1/4 cup milk (any kind: dairy or non-dairy)
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

For the glaze:

• 1 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1/8 tsp fine salt
• 1 tbsp melted coconut oil or melted butter
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup maple syrup, more if necessary

Instructions

 

• Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C). Arrange the whole pecan halves in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Toast them in the oven for about 3 minutes, just until they become fragrant. Remove from the oven, reserve the parchment paper for later use, and chop the pecans into fine pieces.
• In a medium mixing bowl, combine the white whole wheat flour, three-fourths of the finely chopped pecans (save the other quarter for topping), baking powder, packed brown sugar, ground cinnamon, ground ginger, ground nutmeg, ground cloves or allspice, and fine salt. Whisk these ingredients together until they are evenly distributed.
• Add the firm coconut oil or chilled butter to the dry mixture. Using a pastry cutter, cut the fat into the dry ingredients until the mixture forms coarse crumbs. If you don't have a pastry cutter, you may use a fork to work in coconut oil or use a knife to cut the butter into tiny pieces before mixing it in.
• Stir the pumpkin puree, milk, and vanilla extract into the bowl with the flour and fat mixture. It might seem dry at first, but with persistence, all the wet and dry ingredients will be incorporated. Knead the dough gently if necessary to work in any remaining loose flour. Form the finished dough into a circle about one inch thick. With a chef’s knife, cut the dough circle into 8 even slices. I like to use a long, sharp knife for clean cuts.
• Carefully separate the 8 scone slices and arrange them on the reserved parchment paper lining the baking sheet from Step 1. Leave some space between each slice for even baking. Bake the scones at 425°F (220°C) for 15 to 17 minutes, or until they are lightly golden brown.
• While the scones are baking, whisk together the confectioners' sugar, melted coconut oil or melted butter, vanilla extract, fine salt, and maple syrup in a small bowl, stirring until the glaze is smooth and creamy. If the mixture is too thick, add a little more maple syrup to reach your desired consistency. I like to make my glaze just runny enough to drizzle beautifully over the scones.
• Allow the baked scones to cool on a rack until they are just warm to the touch. Generously drizzle the glaze over each scone so it covers the tops. While the glaze is still wet, sprinkle each scone with the reserved chopped pecans from Step 1. Enjoy your scones fresh—I think they’re best with coffee or chai on a cool day.