These vegan pumpkin scones have the best tender crumb, flaky inside, crisp outside, and they're bursting with pumpkin flavor. This baked treat is ready in about 30 minutes for a quick and easy fall breakfast. So grab a cup of coffee, or tea, and a pumpkin scone to kick off the season!
To keep these scones vegan and free from dairy and eggs I used vegan butter and almond milk and skipped the egg replacer.
Since this recipe was adapted from my vegan blueberry scones, where I didn’t use any egg replacer, it seemed unnecessary in these scones as well.
Even without the dairy and eggs, the scones have a soft and moist center from the pumpkin purée and a subtle buttery taste from the vegan butter!
Drizzle the tops with glaze for a tasty fall dessert.
And if you're looking for vegan breakfast recipes to feed a crowd try my Baked French Toast Casserole, Sheet Pan Pancakes, or French Toast.
Ingredients and Substitutions
You’ll need these 10 simple ingredients to make this recipe.
Below are a few substitute suggestions if you don’t have the exact ingredients I used.
All-purpose flour – For the best results use any all-purpose flour. If you want to make gluten-free scones, simply replace the flour with a 1-to-1 gluten-free all-purpose flour.
Sugar - I used cane sugar, but you can use any granulated sugar, coconut sugar, or brown sugar if needed.
Baking powder – This helps the scones beautifully rise so I don't suggest skipping it.
Pumpkin pie spice – This spice gives the scones their pumpkin flavor. A mixture of cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and nutmeg can be made as a substitute.
Salt – Any salt you have available will do. I went with Himalayan pink salt because it’s what I had on hand.
Vegan butter – I chose to go with vegan butter for a decadent fall treat. But, it can be substituted with coconut oil.
Pumpkin puree – I used canned pumpkin purée I had leftover from making pumpkin banana bread. Fresh puree is another great choice.
Plant milk – I went with unsweetened original almond milk for this recipe. But, any plant milk you have on hand will work. Some options are soy milk, cashew milk, oat milk, or coconut milk.
Maple syrup – As a replacement, any liquid sweetener can be used.
Powdered sugar - The glaze is made with powdered sugar and milk. For more flavor, add the optional pumpkin spice as well.
Step-By-Step Instructions
These vegan pumpkin scones come together in a few easy steps.
Before you start, make sure to chill your butter in the freezer for 10-15 minutes.
Step 1: In a large bowl, add the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, baking powder, pumpkin spice, and salt).
Step 2: Stir the ingredients together. Now, add the cold butter to the bowl.
Step 3: Use a dough cutter, or a fork, to cut the butter into the flour until it is crumbly with a few pea-sized chunks.
Step 4: In a glass measuring cup, measure out the plant milk. Then add the pumpkin purée and maple syrup to the measuring cup. Stir to combine.
Step 5: Add the wet ingredients to the bowl of dry ingredients.
Step 6: Use a mixing spoon or wooden spoon to gently stir the ingredients. They should come together and form a dough with no dry flour.
Tip: The butter should be very cold so it doesn't melt during mixing. If the butter melts, it will throw off the liquid ingredients and the dough can become very sticky. If that happens, dust your hands and work surface with flour as needed to keep the dough from sticking. The scones will still be good but may need extra cooking time.
Step 7: Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Dust your hands with flour then shape the dough into a ball.
Step 8: Flatten the dough ball to about a 2-inch thick disc. Cut it into 8 pie-shaped pieces using a pastry scraper or large knife. Dust your cutter with flour after each cut to keep the dough from sticking.
Step 9: Carefully pull the scones apart and space them out on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Step 10: Bake at 400ºF for 15-22 minutes. Allow them to cool for 5-8 minutes before adding the glaze.
Serving Suggestions
Spoon the glaze over each scone with a zig-zag motion. Choose the white glaze for added sweetness or go with the pumpkin spiced glaze for a sweetly spiced topping.
Vegan pumpkin scones are great for weekend breakfast, holiday brunch, or as an evening dessert.
To customize your scones mix chocolate chips, nuts, seeds, or cranberries into the dough.
Or, before baking, sprinkle the tops of the scone dough with cinnamon and sugar for a sweet and crispy topping!
Storage
These vegan pumpkin scones are best served fresh or same day.
Any leftovers will keep well at room temperature for up to 3 days and in the refrigerator for up to a week.
To freeze the unglazed baked scones, place them in an airtight, freezer-safe container or zip-lock bag. Freeze for up to 3 months.
Bakers Tips for Success
- Cold butter: Chill the butter in the freezer for 10-15 minutes beforehand. When cutting the cold butter into the flour leaving a few pea-sized chunks creates soft and flaky scones.
- Working with the dough: Dust your hands, work surface, and knife with flour to keep the dough from sticking while shaping and cutting it. Also, handle it as little as possible since your hands can warm up the butter.
- Glaze: The glaze really brings out the pumpkin spice in the scones and enhances the sweetness. For more flavor add the optional pumpkin pie spice to the glaze.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use coconut oil instead of vegan butter?
Sure! Replace the butter with an equal amount of oil. There is no need to freeze the oil firm, but, it can be chilled in the fridge if it is soft.
Will these vegan pumpkin scones freeze well?
Yes! Unglazed scones can be stored in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months. However, I don’t suggest freezing the dough.
More vegan pumpkin recipes to try
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Recipe
Vegan Pumpkin Scones
Ingredients
Dry
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup cane sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- ¼ teaspoon Himilayan pink salt
Wet
- ½ cup vegan butter, cubed and chilled
- ½ cup pumpkin purée
- ⅓ cup almond milk, or plant milk of choice
- 2 Tablespoons maple syrup
Glaze
- ¾ cup powdered sugar
- 1 Tablespoons almond milk, or plant milk of choice
- ⅓ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice, optional
Instructions
To Make The Scones
- Preheat your oven to 400ºF and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Then, cut the butter into smaller cubes and place them on a piece of parchment paper. Chill the butter cubes in the freezer for about 10-15 minutes.
- In the meantime, mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl.2 cups all-purpose flour,¼ cup cane sugar,2 teaspoons baking powder,2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice,¼ teaspoon Himilayan pink salt
- Add the cold butter to the flour mixture. Use a pastry cutter, or a fork, to cut the cold butter into the flour until it is crumbly with a few pea-sized chunks.
- In a glass measuring cup, measure out the plant milk. Then add the pumpkin puree and maple syrup to the measuring cup. Stir the wet ingredients together to combine.
- Pour the purée mixture over the dry ingredients. Use a mixing spoon or wooden spoon to gently stir everything together to form a dough.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Dust your hands with flour and shape it into a ball.
- Flatten the dough ball to a 2-inch thick disc. Cut it into 8 pie-shaped pieces using a pastry scraper or large knife. Dust your cutter with flour after each cut to keep the dough from sticking to it.
- Carefully pull the scones apart and space them out on the baking sheet.
- Bake at 400ºF for 15-22 minutes. Allow them to cool for 5-8 minutes before adding the glaze.
To Make The Glaze
- Add the glaze ingredients to a small bowl. If needed add more milk or powdered sugar to reach a drizzle consistency.⅓ cup almond milk,¾ cup powdered sugar,⅓ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- Use a spoon to drizzle the glaze over the scones with a back-and-forth, zig-zag motion.
Notes
- Pumpkin pie spice: If you don’t have any on hand, make your own using: 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon ground cloves, ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg, and ¼ teaspoon ground ginger.
- Cold butter: The butter must be cold to keep from melting and throwing off the liquid ingredients. If you think your butter has melted or softened a bit, I suggest only adding in about ¾ of the liquid ingredients and slowly adding more as needed to bring the dough together. Otherwise, you may end up with a very sticky dough.
- Handling the dough: Keep your hands and work surface lightly dusted with flour while shaping and cutting the dough. Try to handle it as little as possible since your hands can warm up the butter.
- Pumpkin purée: If your purée is very thin and runny, you may want to start by adding about ¾ of the purée mix to the dry ingredients, then add more as needed to bring the ingredients together.
Nutrition
**Nutritional info is provided as an estimate based on the ingredients I used and for convenience and as a courtesy only.**
Vegan Holiday Favorites
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