These Almond Apple Scones are such a delicious way to celebrate the flavors of fall. The scones have such a tender, buttery, and flakey texture, and the flavor is bursting with apples, and autumn flavors like cinnamon, and nutmeg – all topped with a sweet almond flavored icing.
These are the best fall scones. They have perfect crunchy edges, soft and flakey middles and are packed full of apple pieces, and topped with a sweet almond glaze. They’re the perfect homemade scones, you’ll love for breakfast, or an afternoon snack.
Why make this recipe
- Easy to Make – with our straightforward recipe and tips, even beginning bakers can make these scones at home with success!
- Amazing Texture – Instead of dull and dry, these scones have perfectly crunchy edges, with moist and flaky centers, giving them the best scone texture!
- Seasonal Flavor – These scones have such a nice apple and cinnamon flavor – perfect for making when apples are in season!
Ingredients Needed
This is a quick overview of the ingredients you’ll need for this Apple Scone Recipe. Specific measurements and full recipe instructions are in the printable recipe card below.
- all purpose flour – the base of our scone dough, giving them a nice structure
- brown sugar – these scones have a nice lightly sweetened dough
- baking powder – adds lift and gives the scones their soft texture
- salt – balances the flavor
- unsalted butter – you want to use cold butter, which will give the dough its flaky texture.
- heavy cream – This will give a nice rich flavor to the scones
- ground cinnamon, ground cardamom, + ground nutmeg – a nice balance of fall seasonings.
- vanilla extract + almond extract – add a nice flavor to the scones
- apples – dice up your favorite crisp apple, I love a tart green granny smith apple or honeycrisp
- powdered sugar – this will be the bulk, and the sweetness of the almond glaze
- whole milk – to thin out the glaze
- sliced almonds – adds a nice crunch to the top of the scones
How to make apple cinnamon scones
Step 1: Stir together the dry ingredients. Add the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, salt, and seasonings to a large bowl and whisk them together.
Step 2: Cut in the butter. Slice the butter into pieces and cut it into the flour mixture with a pastry blender, or two forks. You’ll mix until the dough is a coarse crumb texture.
Step 3: Mix in the cream. Carefully and slowly add the cream, vanilla extract, and almond extract into the crumbly flour mixture until you have a nice, slightly sticky dough. Carefully mix in the apple pieces too.
Step 4: Shape into a circle. Work the dough into a ball, then flatten it slightly onto a lightly floured surface, until it is about 8 inches wide. Cut the dough into 8 wedges, like you’d cut a cake or a pie. Sprinkle the tops of the scones with coarse sugar.
Step 5: Bake the scones. Bake the scones on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper in the preheated oven until the tops and edges are golden brown. Remove from the oven and let them cool for a few minutes.
Step 6: Add the glaze. Whisk together the ingredients for the glaze in a small bowl until smooth. Drizzle the glaze over the top of the scones as desired. Sprinkle them with almond slices.
Tips and Tricks:
- Don’t overwork the dough – Mix the dough just until your cream is mixed in and you have a nice sticky dough. If you keep working it your scones will be tough.
- Keep the dough cold – To keep the right texture in your scones, you want the dough to be cold. Chill the shaped dough for at least 15 minutes before baking. You can chill for longer if your house is warm, or you had to work the dough for a long time with warm hands.
- Work in more liquid or flour as needed – If the dough feels too sticky, add in a little more flour. If it feels too dry, add in a little more cream. The ratio can change slightly based on your location, altitude, humidity, etc.
Storage Instructions
Store the scones in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, or in the fridge for up to 3 days.
You can also freeze the scones in a freezer safe bag or container for up to 3 months. Let them thaw in the fridge overnight, or at room temperature for a few hours.
There are so many good flavors in these apple cinnamon scones, with their cardamom, nutmeg, and almond. The almond glaze and sliced almonds take them to the next level.
More Pastry Recipes
If you make this Apple Scone Recipe, please leave a comment and 🌟 rating letting me know what you think! If you post the photo on Instagram, please tag me – I’d love to see what you’re making!
Apple Scones
Ingredients
For the Apple Scones:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup packed brown sugar
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp ground cardamom
- ¼ tsp nutmeg
- 6 tbsp cold butter (cut or grated into small pieces)
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp almond extract
- 2 small green apples (peeled, cored, and finely diced)
For the Almond Glaze:
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 2 TBS whole milk
- 1 tsp almond extract
- 1/4 cup sliced almonds
Instructions
For the Apple Scones:
- In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients; flour, brown sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, cardamon, and nutmeg. 2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 tbsp baking powder, 1 tsp cinnamon, ½ tsp salt, ¼ tsp ground cardamom, ¼ tsp nutmeg
- Grate the cold butter with a box grater and add it to the flour mixture with a pastry cutter, or two forks until you have a mixture of pea sized crumbs. 6 tbsp cold butter
- In another small bowl, whisk together the heavy cream, vanilla extract, and almond extract. 1 cup heavy cream, 1 tsp vanilla extract, 1 tsp almond extract
- Slowly drizzle the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix together until you have a nice sticky dough.
- Fold the apple pieces into the mixture. 2 small green apples
- Pour the mixture out onto a lightly floured surface and knead the dough about 5 times. Form it into a round ball as best as you can, about 9 inches across.
- Cut the ball into 8 even sized wedges. Place the scones on a baking sheet in the fridge for 15 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- Transfer the scones to the baking pan, about 2 to 3 inches apart.
- Bake the scones for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown.
- Remove from the oven and let them cool on the sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a cooling rack.
- When slightly cooled, top them with the almond glaze.
For the Almond Glaze:
- In a medium bowl, stir together the powdered sugar, milk, and almond extract until it is the consistency of a glaze. Add more milk, or powdered sugar as needed to get a drizzle-able consistency. 1/2 cup powdered sugar, 2 TBS whole milk, 1 tsp almond extract
- Drizzle the glaze over the top of the scones as desired.
- Sprinkle sliced almonds onto each scone. 1/4 cup sliced almonds
Nutrition
These apple scones were first posted on November 23, 2013. The blog text and photos were updated on August 9, 2024.
Flossie says
your apples sound a lot like Jonathon