These easy homemade apple pie scones are light, flaky, and incredibly sweet. Homemade scones are so simple to make at home, and these apple scones are sure to be a family favorite! They are full of sweet apple flavor and topped with a subtle maple glaze. These apple scones taste just like apple pie, and great for breakfast, brunch, or an afternoon snack!
I am such an apple person (and a scone person. Seriously).
As a kid, well, not so much. Apple juice was my jam and apple pie my favorite thing next to chocolate cake, but apples–the plain, ordinary apple–not my thing.
I blame it on the fact that my best friend’s lunch was always filled with cosmic brownies, ding dongs, and other sugar-laden desserts, while mine was filled with healthy apple slices, carrots, etc. Surely my lunch was definitely the more sensible out of the two, but when you’re seven, apple slices don’t hold a candle to cream filled chocolate cake.
Somewhere along the way, I realized that the apple itself was also the main ingredient in my drink of choice, favorite dessert, and the best Christmas scent around.
Now, I’ll eat them anyway I can have them–apple cake, apple pie bars, and especially in apple scones.
I know. Apple recipes are kind of the thing you expect in fall, when the air is crisp, the leaves have fallen, and it pretty much looks like the scene in Balto in Central Park (don’t hate–Balto is a GREAT movie. Muck and Luck? ’nuff said.). But, apples are pretty much a staple around here year around, so who am I to discriminate against their use in spring?
Plus, is anyone really going to too upset about having the perfect excuse to eat an acceptable form of pie for breakfast? I’m not!
Scones are my thing, even with the reputation they have for being cough-inducingly dry. I get that. Scones can bring on the whooping cough if they do not have enough moisture in them to keep them from tasting like sand.
The key to any scone, whether it’s this apple recipe, blueberry-lemon combo, or even peach pie, is to make sure the dough is not over mixed. When flour gets over mixed, it develops more gluten in the dough. The more gluten, the tougher the dough.
These win at life.
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 Tbsp sugar
- 2 Tbsp brown sugar
- 1 Tbsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 8 Tbsp butter, cold and cubed
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup cream, plus more for brushing
- 3/4 cups finely diced apples
- 1 Tbsp butter
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- 2 Tbsp brown sugar
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1-2 Tbsp milk
- 1 Tbsp maple syrup
- Preheat oven to 400.
- Begin by heating the diced apples, butter, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and brown sugar in a small saucepan over low-med heat. Allow the flavors to meld together by cooking for 5-8 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- While the apples are cooking, in the bowl of a mixer, mix flour, sugars, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Mix briefly. With the mixture on low, drop in the cubes of butter one at a time. When the mixture resembles coarse crumbles, pour in the egg and heavy cream only mixing until just combined.
- Pull the apples off the heat, and with a slotted spoon, spoon the apples into the dough. Mix until just combined.
- On a floured surface, turn out the dough and pat into a 1-inch thick circle. Cut the dough into eighths, place on a greased baking sheet, and bake for 17-18 minutes, or until golden brown.
- While cooking, in a small bowl, mix the powdered sugar, syrup, and milk (one Tbsp at a time) until it reaches your desired consistency. I usually use 1 Tbsp of milk.
- Allow the scones to cool for a couple of minutes and then pour on the icing.
- Enjoy!
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Tabitha Richards says
This will be a perfect Mother’s Day recipe! Love it.
Michelle says
Glad you like it!
Danielle V says
Those look good! You just can’t go wrong with anything apple.
Michelle says
Thank you! And I agree, apple is always a winning ingredient.
Lauren says
I made these today, they were delicious! Although, I was a bit confused on the measurement for the baking powder. The recipes says “2 1 Tbsp.” I know it’s not 21! I put two, but my scones were a little more cake-like, so I was wondering if it was supposed to be 1?
Overall great recipe, I made them for a brunch I hosted and they were a hit!
Michelle says
Hi, Lauren! I am so glad you liked this recipe, even with my mistake! =) It is only supposed to be 1 Tbsp, and I have now updated the recipe. I am so sorry for the confusion, and am double and triple checking every other recipe to make sure they are right =). Thanks so much for you comment!
Deb says
What kind of apples do you use? I’m going to make these this week. Can’t wait, they look delicious.
Michelle says
Hi Deb! You can use any apple you like best! I happen to love honeycrisp apples this time of year so I often use those in this recipe. 🙂
Chris says
I am going to try these apple scones, but wanted to make the peach ones. Are they better with fresh peaches? Canned ones are usually so sweet! Thanks for these yummy sounding recipes!
Chris says
Guess I should have looked at the picture better to see those peaches. Can’t wait till next summer to try them in scones! Thanks again!