This Apple Scones recipe is super easy and makes one dozen slightly sweet and perfectly tender scones.
Whether you're reading this in the morning over your coffee or in the afternoon with a cup of tea, any time is a great time for warm scones!
If you've been to a proper tea (the one at the Fairmont Empress is the best!) you have probably been served jam and clotted cream with the scones.
We can find fresh apples all year long. While I was working on this apple scone recipe, I thought of making an apple pie, apple hand pies, apple muffins, even a mulled cider or apple cocktail.
The possibilities are endless when you're cooking with apples, right?
I've been in the mood for fruit scones lately, and the apples were the perfect fruit for these Apple Scones!
Ingredients List
Gather your ingredients. You will need all-purpose flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, ground ginger, ground nutmeg, cinnamon, butter, tart apples like Granny Smith, eggs, milk, and coarse sugar for sprinkling on top.
Have everything? Let's make this apple scones recipe! These will be delicious even if it's your first time baking!
How to Make Scones
Makes 12
Preheat oven to 425º
Measure your flour out by adding spoonfuls to your measuring cup.
Did you know scooping flour out of the bag or container with a measuring cup could end up measuring fifty percent more than you need?
After spooning the flour into the cup, level it with a knife.
Like flour, baking powder can settle over time. Give it a shake or a stir, and measure it out the same way.
Whisk together the first seven ingredients.
In a large bowl using a pastry cutter, cut cold butter into the flour mixture until the butter is in very small pieces like beads.
You can use 2 forks if you don't have a pastry cutter, but the cutter makes it SO much easier.
The mixture should be like coarse crumbs after cutting.
In another small bowl, whisk together diced apple, eggs, and milk.
Add wet ingredients and dry ingredients until they hold together.
The mixture may seem somewhat dry, but keep stirring until the scone dough is combined.
Sprinkle flour on a large baking sheet.
Place dough on the prepared baking sheet and divide it into two 5-inch rounds about ¾ inch thick.
Run a large sharp knife under cold water to chill it, and then cut each round into 6 pieces.
Separate pieces so you have about a half-inch between scones.
Cover the scones with plastic wrap and refrigerate them for about 30 minutes to relax the gluten. The cold dough makes for a flakier scone.
Sprinkle the apple spice scones with coarse sugar.
Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. It's always a good idea to take a look after 15 minutes (without opening the oven if possible) as the bake time can vary oven to oven.
The warm spices with the addition of apple will smell so good, and wait until you taste that delicious apple flavor!
Let cool for 5 minutes and then move to a wire rack. Store colled scones in an airtight container.
Serve warm or room temperature. Enjoy with a cup of coffee in the morning or with a cup of tea as an afternoon snack.
I love that scones are portable, too. I can stick one in my backpack and eat it once I'm at the airport when I'm traveling. It's the perfect breakfast when I'm on the go!
You could also ice these scones with a mixture of powdered sugar and milk, or drizzle with caramel for caramel apple scones.
Replacing the apples with chocolate chips for chocolate chip scones would be delicious, too.
What Other Fruits Can I Use in Scones?
Any kind of berries will make delicious scones. Just try to use the berries right away as overripe fruit doesn't work as well in baked goods.
I used raspberries and blueberries in these Mixed Berry Scones and they were a huge hit.
These Strawberry Scones are a little different in that they are rolled scones, and more of a dessert than a breakfast treat. Think of strawberry shortcake meets scones.
Irish Soda Bread Scones are not as sweet as most scones and have soft, chewy raisins inside.
Pumpkin Scones would be fabulous in the fall!
And speaking of my favorite fall flavor, these Pumpkin Apple Cinnamon Rolls are a wonderful breakfast treat, too.
How Long Do Scones Keep?
Store leftover scones in an airtight plastic bag or container. You can also freeze the scones. To keep them from getting freezer burn, wrap each scone in wax paper and freeze in a baggie.
The scones will rise better if you use very cold or even frozen butter. Speaking of cold, it's best to chill your scones before baking.
You could use another variety of apples, but make sure they are very crisp. Juicer apples don't keep the pastry together as well and they can make the scones too sweet.
More Scone Recipes
More Ways to Use Up those Apples
Recipe
Apple Scones Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 ¾ C all-purpose flour with a little extra for the baking pan
- ⅓ C sugar
- 1 T baking powder
- ¾ t salt
- ¼ t ground ginger
- ¼ t ground nutmeg
- ¼ t cinnamon
- ¼ lb cold butter
- 2 C apples diced
- 3 eggs large
- 2 T milk
- 2 T coarse sugar for topping
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425º
- Whisk together first seven ingredients.
- Cut butter into the flour. The mixture should be crumb-like.
- In another bowl, whisk together apple pieces, eggs, and milk.
- Add wet and dry ingredients until they hold together.
- The mixture may seem somewhat dry, but keep stirring until combined.
- Sprinkle flour on the baking sheet.
- Place dough on the pan and divide into 2 5-inch rounds about ¾ inch thick.
- Run a large knife under cold water and then cut each round into 6 pieces.
- Separate pieces so you have about a half-inch between scones.
- Sprinkle the apple spice scones with coarse sugar.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown.
- Serve warm or room temperature.
Sandra McFadden
I would make either a cobbler or crisp recipe!
Jared Schmitt
I would make amazing muffins!
Steve Weber
I would make an assortment of muffins and scones.
Debbie Welchert
I would love to make either some muffins or an fruit crisp with the chili lime mango chunks.
Donna L
I would put it in my yogurt.
Sandra Watts
Well I am thinking this recipe is a must try if I win. They look delicious!
Darlene Owen
I would make a coffee cake.
Sean
Muffins, muffins and more muffins.
Cathy French
I would probably use a couple of these and make a cobbler.
Erin Carty
The scones!
Stafford
I'd use the recipe in this post and make scones. YUM!!!
Elissa Mahler
I would make a apple spiced cake (gluten free)!
Sheila K.
I might make a fruit salad!
Alina
I'd love to make apple cinnamon bread with this.
Michelle Castagne
I would make a homemade apple pie.
Will G
I would make muffins.
Alyssa @ Arts and Crackers
I love scones!
Crafty Nunn
I would make some muffins. That would be easy for the girls to help me with.