This apple scone recipe is one of the most popular on my website! Read on to see why, the scones are very easy to make and scrumptious!
There’s nothing like a hot apple scone fresh from the oven.
You will find many scone recipes on my site, they are a breakfast favorite. My husband eats them with peanut butter, my son with butter and my daughter with jam. They are a nice substitution for toast when you have a moment to whip something homemade up for breakfast or lunch. This apple scone recipe is an excellent way to use up a scrungy apple that’s been hanging around for a while. Don’t just toss it out, make apple scones with it!
Apples are easy to bake with, try upside-down apple cake or my cinnamon spice apple bread!
What are the Best Apples to Use for Apple Scones?
You don’t need perfect fruit for baking, it’s a good way to reduce kitchen waste by baking them into delicious treats! You can read about the Best Apples For Baking and learn some more about what apples you can use in various recipes. I would suggest that you first use any apple that you need to use up to reduce food waste because let’s face it, any apple will ultimately be ok in this apple scone recipe. Then I would do a tart apple if you are using the glaze, and a sweet apple like a MacIntosh if you are having them plain.
Apple Scone Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Try to use tart apples if you are using the glaze on these apples. Granny Smith apples are a great choice! If you aren’t using the glaze then try to use a sweeter apple.
- Try to keep the dough cooler, it will help your scones bake up crisper.
- Make sure that the butter is cool! For the best results you can shred frozen butter into the scone mixture, it’s a handy trick!
- If you are looking for more scones recipes, try my Christmas Ginger Scones or my Best Scones Ever. They really are the best!
The glaze on this is optional, but I wouldn’t skip it if I were you. It makes them completely decadent and a lovely way to start your morning!
Happy baking babes!
Karlynn
Apple Scones
Ingredients
- 2 cups of flour
- 1/3 cup of sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 cup of cold butter or margarine
- 1 cup of shredded apple
- 1/2 cup of milk
- 1 tablespoon sugar and cinnamon for sprinkling if desired
- 1 tablespoon Glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Pre-heat your oven to 425 degrees. Combine all of your dry ingredients, and mix them together well. If you like spicier scones, add another 1/2 tsp cinnamon, or better yet, some nutmeg or cloves.
- Cut in the 1/4 cup or margarine or butter.
- Shred your apple. Add the shredded apple, then the milk and mix until they form a soft dough. Add a bit of flour if the dough is too sticky, it really depends on how moist your shredded apple is.
- Knead a few times, working some extra flour into it until it is barely sticky. Divide into two balls of dough.
- Flatten until they are two circles that are about 6 inches in diameter. If you like, scour lines on the top to divide them into 6 pieces.
- Place them on a well greased baking sheet and sprinkle them with brown sugar and/or cinnamon.
- Pop into the over and bake for 15- 20 minutes until they are golden brown. Remove and cool.
- When the scones are cooled,, whisk together the glaze ingredients until they are smooth. Drizzle over the scones then let harden completely.
Nutrition
Pin This Recipe to Your Scones and Baking Boards!
SoLo says
The recipe did not call for Vanilla and all I could taste was the baking soda and baking powder. It needs Vanilla and the separating of the dough is not a good idea either. Keep the dough together so that they are not too dark. Also, the recipe did not call for a certain type of apple, so I used what I had, one Red Delicious Apple.
Juliet says
Made it wrong, but it still turned out delicious!
I missed the step where you add butter. I added the apple and milk and wondered, when do I add the butter??
When I realized my error, I grated the butter and clumsily cut it into the dough. You know what? It’s stodgy, but still delicious. Live and learn!
But you know it’s a solid recipe when you can bungle it this badly and it still tastes great 😆
June D Schatz says
I made these and did not notice the lack of salt the others stated. I did leave the glaze off as my husband is diabetic. These were very good. I will definitely make them again! Thanks for the recipe.
romario hines says
5 star
Dawny says
this was a good start to a great recipe. it absolutely needed salt. I’m sure this is an oversight. I also used buttermilk instead of plain milk. I also agree with the other comments, the ingredients for the glaze recipe can be cut in half.
Yolanda Pavey says
Yummy. I used salted butter and did not miss any salt. I cook for a diabetic so I subbed Stevia for the sugar and added a couple tablespoons of cinnamon chips, no glaze. They were plenty sweet and very tasty! Will definitly make these again!
I also used my food processer to cut the butter into the flour, transfer to a bowl and used same FP to shred the apples.
Thank you for the recipe!
KitchenGardenPlanet says
Very good but the glaze and amount of sugar is super unnecessary. I recommend cutting the sugar to 1/4 cup or less (the apple sweetens it naturally!) or sub with 1/8 cup maple syrup or honey. Also subbed whole wheat pastry flour, added a pinch of salt, and subbed the milk for some leftover buttermilk we had in the fridge which made it a bit richer. No need to make into two rounds – just press into one large round and cut into wedges, separate slightly, and put each wedge on a parchment-covered baking sheet and they’ll puff up perfectly (and much more airy using pastry flour instead of all-purpose !).
thanks for the inspo!
Una says
This would be a five star had they not forgotten the salt. Very bland without that. I think they just forgot.
Lynn says
This recipe made 1 -6”round for me. I baked it for a few minutes longer.
I like thick scones.
The score lines are mandatory.
I’m hoping to substitute with blueberries also.
Sandi says
The flavor was excellent – they just didn’t puff up much. I followed the directions exactly and was disappointed at the lack of levity. Figured with that much baking powder that they’d lift nicely like a baking powder biscuit but they didn’t. Definitely won’t be kept in my recipe folder.
Dianne Shaw cummins says
I tried this recipe twice thinking I screwed up. Alas, it appears to be the recipe. My scones were bland but worse is the first batch burned at 15 minutes. I watched them carefully the second time and at 9 minutes the bottoms were burning again. In my haste to get them out of the oven I burned my right fingertips! Nope, this recipe will not get rried again
Kelly Greeson says
These scones absolutely need salt. I made them exactly by the recipe provided and they are bland other than the flavor of cinnamon. I did not realize that salt was not included in the recipe until too late to add to the dry ingredients. But really any baker should know that salt is a key ingredient for flavor in both savory and sweet recipes.
Henni Kaufman says
Thank you, I totally agree! I will use my Betty Crocker recipe gain.
KitchenGardenPlanet says
I only added a pinch of salt. If you lessen the sugar considerably and use salted butter plus more cinnamon, clove, etc., it’s super flavorful. Unfortunately most recipes these days coat everything with sugar inside and out which takes away the natural flavors and increases the need for salt.
Danielle Kendall-Ali says
What are the ingredients and recipe for the glaze?
Trista says
Solid recipe. I added a bit of ground clove and ginger as suggested. Yum!
Jody says
Wondering if bobs red mill 1 to 1 gluten free would work here?
Josh says
Made these strictly by the recipe and they’re fantastic. Just drizzle the glaze lightly, and don’t be put off by the wino-whiners in the comment section who are too prideful to admit they goofed; they’re perfectly puffed and lightly sweet, just like a good scone should be.
Karen says
I made these tonight and they were absolutely delicious!!! Followed the recipe and they came out perfect. I was going to add some raisins but decided not too.
Teresa C. says
These were great! Fast and easy and delicious! I added walnuts to the dough and the sugar sprinkle.
Great recipe!
Beth says
Good recipe, quick and easy. I had another apple scone recipe that was similar but this one is better. I added the extra spices. Instead of glaze, before baking I brushed the top with milk & sprinkled oats and sliced almonds. It was very good. They are nice reheated in the toaster oven.
Megan says
I make this recipe all the time! Especially this time of year, they are a household favorite. I prefer mine without icing, but sometimes I will add it 🙂
Kirsten says
These look delicious, but I’m not sure where to find the Glaze recipe. It calls for 1Tbsp of glaze and then lists ingredients that look like they are for the glaze. Sorry…I’m just a bit confused.
Thanks 🙂
Megan says
The glaze are the last few ingredients where you see the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract.
Andrew Torok says
I’m not normally a baker but wanted something easy and without too much fat/sugar, and these were fantastic! I added a small handful (6-10 of each, frozen and chopped) blueberries and cranberries with the apple, as well as a very little bit of orange zest. I also added a teaspoon of maple syrup to the fruit mix, and cut the cinnamon down to a sprinkle, since I added the other fruit flavors. Otherwise I followed the directions exactly. The scones came out moist and very fluffy, the absolute perfect texture without any grease. (Note the blueberries turned them a bit odd color) Everyone devoured them so I’ll be making some more soon, maybe a cherry walnut?? Thanks for the recipe!
Maria says
Could you make these with pear instead of apple? If so, would you need to adjust any ingredients in the recipe? Thanks!