I can’t tell you enough how much I love these Gluten Free Pumpkin Scones! Soft, tender, and packed with fall flavors, they’re everything you want in a cozy fall bake. Topped with a maple glaze, these gluten-free pumpkin scones are a fall must-bake. Rumor has it they are better than Starbucks Pumpkin Scones.
Jump to:
- Recipe Ingredient Notes
- Gluten Free Pumpkin Scone Dough
- How to bake Gluten Free Pumpkin Scones
- Maple Glaze for Pumpkin Scones
- Storage & Freezing
- How to make Pumpkin Puree
- Can you freeze pumpkin puree?
- FAQ about Gluten Free Pumpkin Scones
- Join my Gluten Free Community!
- Note about Salt in my Recipes
- Baking in grams
- Note about Ovens and Oven Temperatures
- Substitutions and Modifications
- More Gluten Free Pumpkin Recipes to try
- 📖 Recipe
- 💬 Comments
Recipe Ingredient Notes
Gluten Free Flour: I have tested this recipe for Gluten Free Pumpkin Scones with my own gluten free multipurpose blend, King Arthur Measure for Measure, or Bob's Red Mill 1-to-1. All three flour blends worked beautifully in this application. If you plan on using a different brand, I highly recommend a blend made up of several different flours, as well as a binder like xanthan gum.
Cornstarch: Cornstarch is a little secret weapon in gluten free baking. It lightens up the flour blend and keeps the scones from turning dense or gummy. Since pumpkin purée adds quite a bit of moisture, the cornstarch helps balance that out so the scones bake up soft, tender, and perfectly fluffy - not heavy or soggy.
Canned Pumpkin: Make sure to buy pure canned pumpkin and not pumpkin pie filling. They often sit next to each other on shelves at the grocery store and have very similar labels. As much as I love making everything from scratch, canned pumpkin is very convenient. I prefer to buy the organic version if it’s available.
Pumpkin Pie Spice Mix: Pumpkin Pie Spice is a blend of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. If you do not have it in your pantry, you can substitute it with my easy homemade pumpkin pie spice blend: Combine 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg, ¼ teaspoon of ground ginger, and a pinch of ground cloves and use in this recipe.
Dairy: I have tested this recipe with whole milk, dairy-free milk, and heavy cream. Hands down, Heavy Cream is the way to go here. The extra fat makes the scones so tender and ensures they stay moist. No one likes dry scones.
Milk Powder: This is an OPTIONAL ingredient. Which means if you don't have any on hand, you can just leave it out. But if you have some in your pantry, adding some milk powder (whole or non-fat) will help give the scone a little extra richness and a tender crumb.
Maple Syrup: I use Maple Syrup in the actual scones as well in the glaze. Maple syrup complements pumpkin beautifully. Its deep, caramel-like sweetness brings out the warm spices (like cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves) and adds more complexity than plain sugar.
Gluten Free Pumpkin Scone Dough
The key to making perfect gluten free pumpkin scones is keeping your ingredients cold - especially the butter, egg, and heavy cream. I like to pop the butter in the freezer for 10 - 15 minutes before grating it (or just use butter from my freezer stash). Not only does this make it easier to grate, but it also helps create those tender, flaky layers that make these pumpkin scones so irresistible.
- Step 1: To grate the butter, use a box grater or cheese grater with large holes. Place a plate or a piece of parchment paper underneath to catch the shreds. Hold the grater in one hand and the cold butter in the other, grating over the large holes. Rotate the butter as you go to keep it from melting in your hands. Be careful near the end to avoid grating your fingers.
- Step 2: Once grated, place the butter in the freezer while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
- Step 3: In a large bowl, combine the gluten-free multi-purpose flour (containing xanthan gum), cornstarch, light brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, spices, salt, and (if using) milk powder. Whisk the dry ingredients together and set aside.
- Step 4: In a separate mixing bowl, combine the pumpkin puree, heavy cream, vanilla extract, and egg. Carefully whisk the ingredients together. Once fully combined, place the bowl in the fridge while you grate the butter. Keeping the ingredients cold is key to this recipe.
- Step 5: Retrieve the bowl with the dry ingredients and the chilled, grated butter and add it to the dry ingredients. Using clean hands, gently work the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles a coarse, crumbly texture. These small bits of butter will create steam as they bake, helping to form the flaky layers.
- Step 6: Next, add the wet ingredients to the butter mixture. Use a flexible spatula to stir just until the flour is fully moistened. The dough may look dry at first. But with a bit of mixing, it will come together into a shaggy-looking, workable biscuit dough.
- Step 7: Use a flexible spatula to stir just until the flour is fully moistened. The dough may look dry at first. But with a bit of mixing, it will come together into a shaggy-looking, workable scone dough. You want to actually see the hunks of butter in the dough.
- Step 8: Transfer the gluten free pumpkin scone dough to a parchment-lined sheet tray or a clean kitchen counter. Use your hands to gently bring the dough together. If needed, give it a quick knead. Just enough to make it cohesive, but not so much that you overwork it (that can affect the texture of your biscuits).
- Step 9: Once the dough is gathered, shape it into a rough rectangle. The exact size doesn’t matter, but aim for a thickness of about ¾ to 1 inch.
- Step 10: Fold the dough in half, then gently pat it back into a rectangle. Rotate it 90 degrees so the short side is facing you, and fold again. If the dough starts to feel sticky - thanks to warm hands or a warm kitchen - pop it in the fridge for 5–10 minutes between folds. These folds are what create those beautiful, buttery, flaky layers (like biscuits)
- Step 11: After the final fold, pat the dough into a round disc, about ¾ to 1 inch thick and a 7 inch diameter. Try not to go thinner than ¾ inch, or your pumpkin biscuits may turn out flat and sad.
- Step 12: Place the uncut scone dough in the fridge for at least 15 minutes. This gives the butter time to chill again, which helps create steam during baking (aka flakiness). Chilling also makes the dough easier to cut. You can refrigerate the dough for up to 24 hours. Just keep in mind that after that, the baking powder and soda might start to lose their strength, and your biscuits may not rise as well.
How to bake Gluten Free Pumpkin Scones
Make sure to fully preheat the oven to 400°F when you are ready to bake your homemade pumpkin scones.
- Step 1: While the oven fully preheats to 400°F, use a sharp, clean knife to cut the scone dough into 8 equal pieces. I like to cut it into quarters first and then each quarter in half.
- Step 2: Arrange the cut scones on a parchment-lined baking sheet, leaving a little space between each one.
- Step 3: Brush each scone with some additional heavy cream and sprinkle them with some raw sugar.
- Step 4: Bake the gluten free pumpkin scones at 400°F for 19 to 21 minutes, or until the tops are a light golden brown. The edges may be slightly darker. If you have an instant-read thermometer, you’re aiming for an internal temperature of about 190–200°F (88 – 93°C).
- Step 5: Once baked, remove the baking tray from the oven. Let the scones rest on the tray for a few minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack. Allow them to cool for 10-15 minutes before topping them with the maple glaze.
Maple Glaze for Pumpkin Scones
This maple glaze really gives the gluten free pumpkin scones a delicious finishing touch.
- Step 1: In a small bowl combine the powdered sugar, maple syrup and heavy cream along with a pinch of kosher salt. Stir until smooth. The icing should coat the back of a spoon but still drip easily.
- Step 2: With a spoon drizzle the maple glaze over the cooled scones. Allow the glaze to set for a few minutes before serving the homemade scones.
Storage & Freezing
Scones in general (not just gluten-free ones) taste the best the day they have been baked. If you happen to have any leftovers, store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. I like to nuke them at 50% for 30-45 seconds to warm them up before serving.
To freeze baked scones, place them in a freezer bag or airtight container and freeze up to 3 months. Allow thawing at room temperature.
I actually recommend freezing them before baking. Cut your scone dough, place it on a sheet tray, and freeze until solid. Transfer to a ziplock bag and freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to bake, bake them straight from frozen but please be aware they will need additional 4-6 minutes to bake (depending on your oven)
How to make Pumpkin Puree
Canned pumpkins can be difficult to find outside of the US. BUT, butternut squash should be available in most countries. Which is the perfect substitute for pumpkin. You will just need a medium-sized butternut squash (around 24oz/700 grams), a sheet tray, an oven, and a food processor or blender.
Preheat to 400F/200°C. Split the butternut squash lengthways, remove seeds, and place cut-side down on a foil-lined aluminum baking sheet. Roast it until fork-tender which can take about 45 minutes depending on the size of the squash and your oven. Remove it from the oven and allow for it to cool until you can handle it.
Remove the “flesh” from the squash and puree it with a food processor or blender. Please be aware, that sometimes homemade squash puree is “wetter” than canned pumpkin. You may need to plot it with some paper towels or drain it in a colander lined with some cheesecloth to remove some of the moisture.
Can you freeze pumpkin puree?
Fresh and canned pumpkin purée will only last for up to one week stored in the fridge. But when frozen it will last for months. To freeze any unused pumpkin puree transfer it to a ziplock bag and lay it out flat. This way it freezes quickly, won’t take up much space in the freeze and will thaw at room temperature in no time.
FAQ about Gluten Free Pumpkin Scones
Yes, dark chocolate chips, nuts such as pecans, or dried fruit like candied ginger or cranberries would make a lovely addition to this recipe. I recommend not adding more than 100 grams of add-ins total.
No, Starbucks does not offer gluten free pumpkin scones (or any gluten-free baked goods). But this recipe is easy to make and tastes better than Starbucks. It is also more affordable.
While I have tried this recipe with non-dairy milk and vegan butter, I have not tried it with a vegan egg substitution. If you do, please share your experience in the comments.
Yes. Please be aware that cutting the scones smaller will decrease the baking time. So please plan accordingly
Join my Gluten Free Community!
Note about Salt in my Recipes
I use Diamond Kosher Crystal Salt in all of my recipes unless otherwise stated. If use use a different brand or kind of salt in your kitchen please adjust accordingly since some salts can be saltier. If you use Morton’s Kosher Salt please be aware that their salt granules are smaller in size, denser, and crunchier and twice as salty.
Baking in grams
I share my recipes in grams and by weight since baking by weight is the most accurate way to bake. Digital Scales are very affordable and easy to use. You can purchase them on Amazon for less than a set of measuring cups. For small amounts under 10 grams, I like to use this Precision Pocket Scale. Measuring cups are very inaccurate which can cause significant errors when it comes to gluten-free baking or baking in general. Especially since I bake with gluten-free flours which weigh differently than “regular” flours. I do provide some ingredients like spices and leavening agents in measuring spoons. To learn more about Baking with a digital scale, make sure to check out my post about Baking by weight.
Note about Ovens and Oven Temperatures
All my recipes are tested and developed with a conventional oven. I always bake my baked goods on the rack placed in the MIDDLE of my oven. This way the heat coming from the bottom will not burn my baked goods.
If you are baking with convection (fan-forced), please adjust the recipes accordingly. Convection oven can cause baked goods to dry out quickly and still be raw inside. Since takes at least 15-20 minutes for a standard American Oven to be fully preheated. I highly recommend investing in an Oven Thermometer.
Substitutions and Modifications
Any dietary or ingredient modifications/substitutions to this recipe may alter the end result in appearance and taste. I test my recipes several times as published in this post and The Gluten Free Austrian Blog is not responsible for the outcome of any recipe you find on our website.
More Gluten Free Pumpkin Recipes to try
📖 Recipe
Gluten Free Pumpkin Scones
These Gluten Free Pumpkin Scones are everything you want in a fall bake - tender, full of pumpkin flavor, and topped with a dreamy maple glaze. Perfect with a cup of coffee on a crisp morning or served at your next holiday brunch.
Ingredients
Gluten Free Pumpkin Scones
- 113 grams unsalted butter, COLD
- 330 grams Gluten Free Flour Blend
- 75 grams light brown sugar
- 20 grams Cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons milk powder (Optional!!)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin spice
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 130 grams canned pumpkin
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 80 grams heavy cream
- 30 grams Maple Syrup
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- raw sugar as needed
Maple Glaze
- 50 grams powdered sugar
- 25 grams maple syrup
- 1-2 teaspoons heavy cream
- pinch of kosher salt
Instructions
Gluten Free Pumpkin Scone Dough
- Start out by grating the cold butter. Use a box or cheese grater with large holes, placing a plate or piece of parchment paper underneath to catch the shreds. Hold the grater in one hand and the cold butter in the other, rotating as you go to keep it from melting. Once grated, place the butter in the freezer while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the gluten-free flour blend (with xanthan gum), cornstarch, light brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, spices, salt, and milk powder (if using). Set aside.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the pumpkin purée, heavy cream, vanilla extract, and egg until smooth. Place the bowl in the fridge to keep it cold.
- Add the grated, chilled butter to the dry ingredients. Using clean hands, gently work the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles a coarse, crumbly texture. You should still see small bits of butter - they’ll create steam as the scones bake, giving them a tender, flaky texture.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the flour mixture. Use a flexible spatula to stir just until the flour is moistened. The dough might look dry at first, but with a bit of mixing, it will come together into a shaggy, workable dough.
- Transfer the dough to a parchment-lined baking sheet or clean countertop. Gently bring it together with your hands, giving it a quick knead if needed. Shape the dough into a rough rectangle about ¾ to 1 inch thick.
- Fold the dough in half, then pat it back into a rectangle. Rotate it 90 degrees and fold again. If the dough starts to feel sticky, refrigerate it for 5–10 minutes between folds.
- After the final fold, shape the dough into a round disc about ¾ to 1 inch thick and roughly 7 inches across. Try not to go thinner, or your scones may bake up flat.
- Place the shaped dough in the fridge for at least 15 minutes before cutting and baking. This helps the butter firm up again, giving you flakier scones with better lift. The dough can be chilled for up to 24 hours, though the baking powder and soda will lose some strength after that.
Baking Instructions
- While the oven preheats to 400°F, use a sharp knife to cut the chilled scone dough into 8 equal pieces. I like to cut the disc into quarters first, then cut each quarter in half for even wedges.
- Arrange the scones on a parchment-lined baking sheet, leaving a bit of space between each one. Brush the tops with a little heavy cream and sprinkle with raw sugar for extra crunch and golden color.
- Bake for 19 to 21 minutes, or until the tops are lightly golden and the edges are just starting to brown. If you have an instant-read thermometer, the internal temperature should be around 190–200°F.
- Once baked, remove the scones from the oven and let them rest on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack. Cool for at least 10–15 minutes before drizzling with maple glaze.
Maple Glaze
- :In a small bowl combine the powdered sugar, maple syrup and heavy cream along with a pinch of kosher salt. Stir until smooth. The icing should coat the back of a spoon but still drip easily. If the glaze is too thick, add a tiny amount of additional heavy cream. Remember a little goes a long way!
- With a spoon drizzle the maple glaze over the cooled pumpkin scones. Allow the glaze to set for a few minutes before serving.
Notes
Milk Powder: This is an optional ingredient. If you don't have any on hand, just skip it.
Storage: Scones in general (not just gluten-free ones) taste the best the day they have been baked. If you happen to have any leftovers, store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
8Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 398
Calories are a guestimate and randomly generated.
Martin says
Thoughts on a full on icing instead of the drizzled glaze?
Daniela Weiner says
Sounds good to me!
Freya says
These were so delicious and moist and flaky! The perfect scone!
Lucy says
This is the perfect snack for the autumn months. I love pumpkin but have never had pumpkin scones before. Absolutely delicious and love that they're gluten free!
Choclette says
Those pumpkin scones look so delicious. Love the colour too. It's been a while since I made scones and now you've really got me in the mood.
Tavo says
Gluten-free scones! I haven't been eating gluten for some time and scones were out of my league. I tried these, and truly loved them! thank you so much for the recipe!
Anaiah says
I loved these gluten free pumpkin scones! It was the perfect combination of flavors. I will be making this delicious recipe for my family all of fall.
Joshua says
These pumpkin scones looks great! Your instructions are very clear and thorough so I hope I get it right. Looking forward to trying your recipe.
Natalie says
Now I can't wait for pumpkin season. This looks wonderful. Yum! Such a delicious treat perfect for Fall. I'm saving this to give it a try.
Stef says
these look absolutely amazing!
Kristin says
I loved these scones! I used almond milk because that is all I had on hand as my "dairy" of choice. I did have to add more powdered sugar to the glaze than the recipe called for because the almond milk made it a little too runny. But, they were still great! Highly recommend this recipe!
Maggie Raptis says
I hate saying goodbye to summer, but yesterday I bought a new sweater and some pumpkin spice scented soap, so I might as well make these this weekend. Maybe if I do we'll get a heat wave for just a few more swimming days.
Maggie Raptis says
Do you mix your own pumpkin spice or have a go to brand?
Daniela Weiner says
Hi, I actually make my own because I already have so many spices here: 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg, ¼ teaspoon of ground ginger, and a pinch of ground cloves. I am not a huge fan of cloves so I only add a tiny bit
Jen says
This was my first time attempting scones. They came out great! So good with great pumpkin flavor!
Daniela Weiner says
hooray! I love hearing this. Thank you so much for sharing
Fiona says
Really great recipe. I made them vegan with equal masses of coconut milk for heavy cream, coconut oil for butter, and 50 g hazelnut butter for the egg.
It was awesome! Thank you!
Daniela Weiner says
Thank you SO much for sharing this. This will be super helpful for future recipes I am working on. I love the idea of hazelnut butter for the egg. Sounds divine!
elizabeth a fraccaro says
I sorry to say I have never eaten a scone, but will definitely try your new recipe. Everyone who has tried them seems to love them, and your recipes are always delicious. Thanks for the challenge.
Daniela Weiner says
There is a first thing for everything. Scones are not very sweet and I love them when they are still slightly warm (you should try one of the pumpkin ones without the glaze when it's still warm!). I am curious to hear what you think of it
Stu says
These scones are the first recipe I’ve ever made that turned out exactly as expected. And they were absolutely delicious. These are officially on our favorites list now!
Daniela says
I love hearing this! Thank you Stu
Lauren says
These are SO delicious! Some of the best scones I’ve ever had!
Jen says
These scones are absolutely delicious! Thanks for the great recipe!
Daniela says
Thank you so much, Jen
Jules says
Im looking so forward to trying this later today! Thank you for such a great page! One inquiry - I have a lactose-free scone lover on hand and can only find salted lactose-free butter. Would you recommending omitting or reducing the kosher salt since the butter will be salted? I`ll certainly let you know how they come out!
Daniela says
Julia, I would just reduce the salt to 1/4 teaspoon (or a bit less) if you can only find salted lactose free butter. That should be no issue at all
Jules says
Thank you! I’m getting my ingredients together now! Yay!
Jules says
These are absolutely amazing. So easy and pure - and a HUGE hit with my GF scone lover. Love that I can freeze and bake on demand - especially during cool fall mornings. The house smelled amazing! Off to try more yummy recipes! Thank you!
Stephanie says
I made these pumpkin scones and few weeks ago and they turned out great! I didn't do the streusel, and I did the glaze on the side, so each person could eat the amount they wanted. I think streusel is for when I'm feeling fancy and have more time 😉
If anyone is looking for a variation, yesterday, I made this recipe again, but used apple butter instead of pumpkin (same weights) and apple pie spice for the pumpkin spice and cinnamon. It still turned out wonderful!
Daniela says
oh this sounds amazing with the apple butter 🥹 Thank you for sharing!
Nancy says
Daniela, these are delicious! I used Bob's Red Mill, and just the sugar on top was all they needed, to me! Thank you for another great recipe! They are crunchy on the outside, tender on the inside, and do not taste gluten free, nobody would ever know.
Daniela says
Thank you Nancy for the kind words. I am so glad you enjoyed these gluten free pumpkin scones
Shauna says
Kosher salt. Canned pumpkin and wtf is half n half. This is an American recipe. Definitely not Australian. Please take it off 'Australian recipes'
Ausies font give a fuck about your religious blessings. Canned pumpkin is revolting and shouldn't exist in any country. Amd we don't have this 'half n half, Idk what it is
Daniela says
Good thing I am Austrian - not Australian. And if you hate pumpkin, kosher salt and half&half SO much, why are you even looking at a recipe for a gluten free pumpkin scone calling for all those ingredients. Peace out Mate!
Nadia says
I just ce here to look for the original comment and I was not disappointed!
What a way to show you are uneducated af :'D
Christen says
Perfect texture and VERY satisfying.
Ellen says
I have loved your chocolate chip scones, so when I needed a recipe for sweet potato scones, I decided to substitute using your pumpkin scone recipe to yummy success - thank you!! I do have a comment and a question about the recipe as written. 1) Maple syrup as an ingredient is never added to the scone dough to my reading the instructions (However, assuming it should be added with the other wet ingredients worked well.). 2) Also, when you mention the step of folding the dough, the number of times to fold it isn’t explicitly stated - is it just the two times and the second time is what you next refer to as the final fold? I plan to make these again and wanted to clarify these things.
Thank you so much for your delicious recipes and your kind and spunky words. It’s encouraging to have such generous and creative people in the celiac community!