Here’s my hot take: scones are the most underrated treat in any pastry case. Sure, the range from incredible to just okay can be wide—but when you find a great one, it’s magic. These are that kind of scone. They may not be the flashiest pick, but one bite and you’ll be texting everyone you know about them.
Flaky, buttery layers meet warm apples and a cinnamon-kissed glaze, capturing all the cozy nostalgia of apple pie in every tender bite.
Dare I say… one of my best recipes yet?
Ingredients You’ll Need for These Apple Pie Scones
- Apples: Use whatever you have on hand, but I love Cosmic Crisp or Gala for their natural sweetness and firm texture.
- Sugars: Brown sugar for the apples, granulated sugar in the dough, turbinado on top, and powdered sugar for the glaze. You can skip the turbinado and glaze if you like, but yes—you’ll still need at least two types of sugar for the right flavor and texture.
- Salt: A pinch brings all the flavors to life.
- Spices: Cinnamon, nutmeg, and just a touch of ginger to deliver that cozy, warming fall flavor.
- Butter: Cold, always—key for those flaky, tender layers.
- All-purpose flour: The sturdy, reliable base for our scones.
- Baking powder + baking soda: Essential for lift and lightness.
- Whole-milk yogurt: Instead of milk or egg, yogurt brings the dough together and keeps the scones moist and tender.
Tips for Preparing Scone Dough
Scones are wonderfully simple—far easier than yeasted bread—but a few key techniques will help you achieve that perfectly tender, flaky texture every time.
Don’t overmix. When combining the dough, stop as soon as everything comes together. Overworking it can develop gluten, resulting in tough, chewy scones instead of light, crumbly layers. The dough should look a little shaggy and feel slightly dry—that’s exactly what you want. Think pressing the dough together rather than kneading it.
Keep everything cold. Cold butter is the secret to visible layers and a lofty rise. Some bakers grate and freeze their butter, but I find a quick rough chop of fridge-cold butter works beautifully as long as you work quickly and avoid over-handling. You should still see distinct butter pieces in the dough—those pockets melt in the oven, creating steam and lift. If the dough starts to feel warm or soft, pop the shaped scones into the fridge for 10–15 minutes before baking.
How to Store Leftovers
I recommend keeping your scones unglazed until you’re ready to serve. If you’re baking them a day ahead, simply prepare the glaze fresh and drizzle right before enjoying. Store leftover scones in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two days, or refrigerate to extend freshness. To reheat, warm in a toaster oven for a few minutes until just heated through.
And truly—these are best enjoyed with hot coffee and good company. Enjoy every cozy bite.
Apple Pie Scones
- Total Time: 42 minutes
- Yield: 8 1x
Description
Warm spices, tender apples, and a silky cinnamon glaze—fall, in scone form.
Ingredients
For the apples:
- 2 apples, peeled and very thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ginger powder
- fresh grated nutmeg
- pinch of salt
For the scones:
- 3 1/2 cups flour (420 grams)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 10 tablespoons cold butter, grated or chopped into cubes and kept cold until ready to mix
- 1 3/4 cup cold whole milk Greek yogurt
- For topping: heavy cream and turbinado sugar
For the glaze:
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1–2 tablespoons heavy cream
Instructions
- Prepare the apples. Thinly slice the peeled apples and place in a large bowl. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir together until apples are coated. Set aside while you prepare the scone dough.
- Preheat oven to 425 °F.
- In a large mixing bowl or bowl of a stand mixer, add the flour, salt, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and cinnamon together and whisk to combine. Add the cold butter to the bowl. Using your fingers, press the butter into the dry ingredients. You want to keep chunks of butter in the flour, so don’t over-mix.
- Add the cold yogurt. Use a spatula or the whisk attachment on your mixer to combine the yogurt into the rest of the ingredients just until it starts to come together. The dough should still be pretty shaggy.
- Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and bring it together with your hands to press into a rectangle about 2 inches thick. Cut the rectangle into thirds, and stack the three pieces. Flatten again to about 2 inches thick, cut into thirds, and stack the three pieces. Press down and roll until you have a rectangle about 12 inches long and 8 inches wide.
- Lay the apples out into an even layer in the middle part of the rectangle, leaving behind any liquid that may have drained from the apples.
- Fold the bottom third of the dough over the apples, then roll onto the top third, flipping so your fold is on the bottom of the dough. Cut into desired shapes and size—you can get about 8 large scones, or 10-12 smaller ones. Brush tops with heavy cream and sprinkle with turbinado sugar. Place scones onto a lined baking sheet and bake on the bottom rack for 20-22 minutes until deeply golden brown. Remove from oven and set aside.
- Prepare the glaze. Mix glaze ingredients until combined. Drizzle over scones and serve immediately. Enjoy!
- Prep Time: 20
- Cook Time: 22
- Category: scone
Keywords: scone, apple pie
