Apple Cinnamon Scones

If you're looking for the perfect fall baked good, these Apple Cinnamon Scones are packed with fresh apple pieces, warm cinnamon spice, and a surprise swirl of cinnamon sugar. Topped with a drizzle of maple cinnamon icing, they're ideal for a crisp fall morning, an afternoon coffee break, or even dessert.

Jump to:

• ❤️ Why this recipe works
• 🗒 Ingredients
• 🥣 Recipe tips
• ⏲️ How to store
• 🎉 Variations on recipe
• 📖 Recipe
• 💬 Comments

Sometimes you deserve a sweet treat for breakfast. Scones are the perfect sweet treat because they're not total sugar bombs like donuts. But they're a little bit sweet and tasty and pair well with coffee or tea.

These apple cinnamon scones are a delightful fall breakfast, snack, or even dessert. They're packed with apples, have a cinnamon swirl, and are topped with a maple cinnamon icing.

They'll make your fall mornings and afternoon coffee breaks brighter!

❤️ Why this recipe works

They use granulated sugar and brown sugar: the combination of brown sugar and granulated sugar in the dough adds both sweetness and caramel depth that complements the apple and cinnamon beautifully.

Surprise cinnamon sugar swirl: while it's simple enough to make an apple cinnamon scone, these ones have a sweet and flavorful surprise cinnamon swirl baked into them. The swirl gives the scone cinnamon role vibes.

Yogurt or sour cream addition: you have the option of using either yogurt or sour cream in these scones, both of which add richness and a slight tang without weighing down the dough.

Easy to shape: some people are intimidated by shaping scones, but these ones are easy to fold and form. Plus, it's OK if they have a more rustic autumn look!

🗒 Ingredients

For the most part, these scones contain the typical scone ingredients with lots of apples and cinnamon mixed in. And don't forget the cinnamon swirl!

Here's what you need (be sure to view the recipe card at the bottom of this post for ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions):

• All-purpose flour
• Granulated sugar
• Brown sugar
• Baking powder
• Baking soda
• Ground cinnamon
• Ground nutmeg
• Salt
• Unsalted butter
• Diced apple
• Full-fat Greek yogurt or sour cream
• Whole milk
• Large egg
• Vanilla extract
• Coarse sugar: for sprinkling on scones before baking

For the cinnamon swirl:

• Brown sugar
• Ground cinnamon
• All-purpose flour
• Melted butter

And for the maple cinnamon icing:

• Confectioners' sugar
• Maple syrup
• Ground cinnamon
• Whole milk
• Salt

🥣 Recipe tips

• Keep your butter nice and cold. Cold butter is key to flaky scones. I like to cube my butter and then stick it back in the fridge to chill while I'm mixing my other ingredients.

• For best results, use a pastry cutter or a fork to mix the butter into the flour mixture. You're aiming for a mix of fine floury bits and visible pea-sized butter pieces. The bigger chunks are what create steam and flakiness in the oven.

• You can use your hands to do this, but be very careful that you don't warm the butter too much. If you think the butter has warmed too much while you're mixing, you can stick the whole bowl in the fridge for a bit.

• Be sure your apples are diced small so the scones bake evenly. Bigger chunks could stay firm or create gaps in the scones.

• When you're adding the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, be careful not to over-mix as over-mixing can make your scones tough. Mix just until the dough just comes together.

• Note that you're aiming for a dough that's a bit shaggy and clumpy. it's OK if there's some flour that's not fully incorporated.

• You don't need a ton of cinnamon sugar swirl mixture to make a big impact. When you mix all the ingredients together in a bowl, the texture will be like a sandy paste.

• On a lightly floured surface, you'll want to flatten the scone dough into a rough rectangle about 1" thick. Then you'll sprinkle cinnamon sugar swirl mixture over half the dough (though you'll see I did it over all the dough in my photo; no big deal!) and fold the other half down and press gently. Fold the dough once more. This will help create the flaky layers.
• Then gently form it into a round about 1" thick. Try not to work the dough too much as you don't want to warm the butter.
• If you do feel like you warmed the dough too much, you can place the cut scones on the baking sheet and chill for 10 minutes before baking.
• I like to use a bench scraper to cut my scones, but you can also use a knife if you prefer.

• Brush the cut scones with a little milk or heavy cream to help the scones brown and add a little shine.
• Sprinkle with coarse sugar before baking if you want a little more sweetness and some crunch.
• Be sure to let the scones cool fully before topping with icing drizzle.

• You can mix up any kind of icing you want. Or you can leave the scones bare. I like to make a maple cinnamon icing because I always want another boost of cinnamon flavor.

• Once cooled, you can add the icing drizzle. In addition to adding even more sweet flavor, it really boosts the visual appeal of the scones.

And you're ready for an afternoon tea time. Or morning coffee time. Honestly, these scones can be served at all times of the day.

They'd be perfect with a Caramel Apple Spice drink or an Iced Apple Crisp Macchiato!

Apple cinnamon scones are less indulgent than a cinnamon roll, but still have plenty of sweet cinnamon flavor. Not to mention apples in every single bite.

Though if you're more in the mood for cinnamon rolls, you should definitely try my apple walnut cinnamon rolls.

These have become a new fall baking staple for me!

⏲️ How to store

Once apple cinnamon scones are cooled and icing is totally set (wait about an hour after drizzling), store them in an airtight container at room temperature.

They'll be best/freshest for about 2 days after storing them at room temperature, but you can enjoy them for up to 5 days stored this way.

If you want to keep the scones fresher longer, you can store the airtight container in the fridge. But I highly recommend gently warming the scones in the toaster oven or microwave before enjoying.

If you're planning to store the scones, I would do so before icing them. Wrap each scone individually in plastic wrap or foil and store them all in a freezer-safe Ziplock bag or airtight container. They will be at their best for about 2 months.

When ready to enjoy a frozen scone, unwrap and let thaw at room temperature. Then pop in the oven at 300 degrees for 5-10 minutes. Once cooled, drizzle icing on.

🎉 Variations on recipe

I love the simplicity of these apple cinnamon scones, but there are so many things you can do to boost the fall flavor or make these even more fun.

Here are some ideas:

• Add caramel bits to the dough or top the scones with a caramel drizzle for a fun caramel apple feel.
• Add cinnamon chips to the scone dough for even more cinnamon flavor.
• Add chocolate chips or white chocolate chips to boost the sweetness even more. Butterscotch chips would also be delicious.
• Add pecans, walnuts, or the nut of your choice to the scone dough.
• Add some allspice and ground ginger to the dough to give these an apple pie-like flavor. Serve them with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for dessert.
• Instead of adding ground cinnamon and nutmeg to the dough, use a chai spice blend.
• Replace the milk in the dough with apple cider for even more apple impact. Note that if your dough is really sticky, you may need to add 1-2 additional tablespoon of flour.
• Instead of the cinnamon sugar swirl, spread apple butter over the scone dough.
• Add shredded cheddar to the dough if you like sweet and savory flavor combos.
• Swap the apple for chopped pear if you prefer.

The options are endless and the results are definitely going to be delicious.

If you think scones are dry and boring, these apple cinnamon scones are certainly going to change your mind!

📖 Recipe