Spiced Pumpkin Sourdough Scones

Name: Pumpkin Spice Sourdough Scones
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 55 min
Ingredients: 2 ½ cup flour; ½ cup brown sugar; 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice; 1 teaspoon cream of tartar; 1 teaspoon baking soda; ½ teaspoon salt; ½ cup cold butter; 1 cup Sourdough Starter [100% Hydration] (Use Unfed Starter or Discard [See Notes]); ½ cup canned pumpkin; 1 tablespoon. molasses; 2 teaspoon vanilla; 1 teaspoon fresh orange zest (optional); 2 tablespoons milk (only as needed); 1 cup powdered sugar; 1 tablespoon canned pumpkin; 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice; 2 tablespoon milk

Published: Sep 24, 2021 · Modified: May 10, 2023 · by Renée B. · This post may contain affiliate links.

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These tender, orange-infused Pumpkin Spice Scones smell like heaven, and they taste even better! Plus, while they're baking, your house will smell utterly spectacular!

Single pumpkin scone on a small plate, with a mandarine orange on the side. Large serving plate of scones in the background.

Mr B and I are not usually Pumpkin Spice People. We don’t rush out when the first leaf of Autumn hits the ground in search of Pumpkin Spice Pringles and the like. (Yes. They are a real thing.) Personally, I can take it or leave it, beverage or otherwise. But give me something baked and flakey and all dolled up in a delicious glaze of warm, cozy spices, and I am all in.

These Pumpkin Spice Scones tick all the boxes!

Jump to:

What Exactly is a Scone, Anyway?
Sourdough Pumpkin Scone Ingredients
How to Make Sourdough Pumpkin Scones
Substitutes
Storage
Expert Tips
More Sourdough Recipes
Winter Squash Recipes
Pumpkin Spice Sourdough Scones

What Exactly is a Scone, Anyway?

Scones are a moist, delicious marriage between biscuit and muffin. Scones can be sweet or savory, and they are most often eaten for breakfast or brunch.

Americans inherited scones from the English. English scones lean toward the biscuit side; cut round, with a denser texture, and maybe a little less sweet. American scones, on the other hand, tend more toward a muffiny texture; a little lighter and a bit sweeter. They are often baked in wedges, as are those in this recipe.

(We won't even talk about Utah scones. Are they delicious? Yes!!! But "scones" might be pushing the definition.)

This simple sourdough scone recipe is a perfect way to use up your sourdough discard. Sourdough adds a subtle, tangy flavor to your scones, and gives them amazing lift in the process.

Sourdough Pumpkin Scone Ingredients

All you need to make this easy sourdough scone recipe is sourdough starter, some basic pantry staples, and orange zest.

Sourdough Starter (100% Hydration): Use Unfed Starter or Discard. Sourdough discard is the portion of your sourdough starter that you get rid of when you do a feeding. It should be healthy and vigorous, with some small bubbling activity.
Pumpkin puree: Use canned or homemade pumpkin puree. Do not use pumpkin pie filling.
Flour: Use all-purpose flour. We have not yet tested this recipe using alternative flours.
Molasses: We use light molasses. Do not use blackstrap molasses.
Brown sugar: We use light brown sugar.
Pumpkin pie spice: Use a jarred or homemade pumpkin spice mix.
Cream of Tartar: This acts as a leavening agent, giving the scones more loft.
Butter: Use salted or unsalted butter.
Vanilla: Use vanilla paste or extract.
Orange zest: Use fresh zest.
Milk: Optional, as needed.
Powdered sugar
Baking soda
Salt: We use kosher salt.

How to Make Sourdough Pumpkin Scones

Stir together flour, brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt in a medium mixing bowl.

Dry Ingredients for scones. 2-panel collage, unmixed and mixed.

Using a grater, shred the butter. Mix the shredded butter into the dry mixture using a fork, pastry blender, or your fingers. (OR, Cut the butter into ¼ cubes and blend together.) The mixture should look like very coarse crumbs.

In a separate bowl, mix sourdough starter, pumpkin, molasses, orange zest, and vanilla.

Wet Ingredients for pumpkin scones in a glass mixing bowl. 2-panel collage; unmixed and mixed.

Stir wet mixture into dry mixture in the bowl. Once it is somewhat mixed in, turn the contents of the bowl out onto a clean board.

The mix may seem a little dry at first. Knead it a few times before you decide to add milk.

Gently knead the dough on the board, adding milk if necessary, just until it holds together in a soft ball. The dough should soft like a biscuit dough. Once you've kneaded it enough for it to pull together, form a ball and leave it alone. The less you work with it, the more tender your scones will turn out.

Allow the dough to rest for 5 minutes.

Form a 9-inch wheel with the dough dough.

Scone dough on board, rolled to 9 inches round.

Transfer the wheel of dough to the prepared baking sheet. With a long knife, cut the dough wheel into eight pieces, like a pizza. Separate pieces so that they are ½-inch away from one another.

Cutting Sourdough Scones using a pizza cutting method.

Brush the top of the wheel with milk.

Put the scones on the baking sheet in the freezer. Set your oven to 400°F (204°C).

Allow the scones chill in the freezer for 10 minutes. When the oven is fully up to temperature, take the scones out of the freezer put them in the oven. Bake for 20-25 minutes.

Remove from oven and cool on wire rack for 15 minutes.

Baked scones cooling on rack on parchment.

In a small mixing bowl, combine Pumpkin Spice Glaze ingredients. Mix until smooth.

glaze Ingredients in a glass mixing bowl.

Drizzle the glaze over the scones.

Planning a special brunch (or a cozy Sunday morning)? Try a cup of our delicious, citrusy Russian Tea with a Pumpkin Spice Scone - it's a match made in warm spice-heaven!

Pumpkin Spice Sourdough Scones, served with an orange on an old-fashioned plate.

Substitutes

Pumpkin puree: You can make pumpkin butter using any rich winter squash puree. If you make your own puree, our top squash recommendation is red kuri squash. It results in a fabulously smooth, rich pumpkin flavor.

Storage

Make ahead: Scone dough can be made up to 3 days ahead of
time. Shape into disks and wrap tightly in plastic, and refrigerate until ready
to cut and bake.
Pantry: Store baked pumpkin scones in an airtight container
at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Refrigerator: Store baked scones in an airtight container
in the fridge for up to 7 days.
Freezer: Store baked scones in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 months.

Expert Tips

Use very cold (or frozen) butter. Cold butter is what yields those lovely, delicious layers in the dough.
Grate or shred your butter instead of cutting it. This will allow you to work your butter into the dough easily and avoid overworking it when you add the wet ingredients.
Do not play with the dough! Mix your scone dough just until it all comes together. It is just fine if the dough is lumpy.
Refrigerate the dough for 15-20 minutes (or freeze for 10 minutes) after you form the scones and before you bake them. This will keep them from spreading out all over the pan while they are baking.

One scone on a plate, with old kithen implements in the background.

National Pumpkin Spice Day happens every year on October 1st, unofficially ushering in what has become known as Pumpkin Spice Season, or the period of time that stretches from the moment the first leaf falls each autumn until crack of dawn on Black Friday.

More Sourdough Recipes

Our Easy Sourdough Bread recipe is perfect for beginning bakers and old sourdoughs alike! (This long-rise recipe was one of the most popular on the Internet during the Pandemic Sourdough Movement of the 2020-21.)

See more Sourdough →

Winter Squash Recipes

The following recipes can all be made using either butternut or pumpkin puree. Visit our collection of recipes for leftover pumpkin puree for more ideas.

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5 from 13 votes

Pumpkin Spice Sourdough Scones

A moist, tender marriage of biscuit and muffin, these Pumpkin Spice Sourdough Scones are perfect any time of year!

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Course: Breakfast, Brunch

Cuisine: American

Diet: Vegetarian

Prep Time:30

Cook Time:25

Total Time:55

Servings: scones

Calories: 405kcal

Author: Renee

Equipment

1 Medium Bowl
1 Wooden Spoon
1 Grater

Ingredients

US Customary - Metric

Sourdough Scones

2 ½ cup flour
½ cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup cold butter
1 cup Sourdough Starter [100% Hydration] Use Unfed Starter or Discard [See Notes]
½ cup canned pumpkin
1 tablespoon. molasses
2 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon fresh orange zest optional
2 tablespoons milk only as needed

Pumpkin Spiced Glaze

1 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon canned pumpkin
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
2 tablespoon milk

Instructions

Line a baking sheet with parchment and set aside.
Stir together flour, brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt in a medium mixing bowl.
Using a grater, shred the butter.
Mix the shredded butter into the dry mixture using a fork, pastry blender, or your fingers. (OR, Cut the butter into ¼ cubes and blend together.)
The mixture should look like very coarse crumbs.
In a separate bowl, mix sourdough starter, pumpkin, molasses, orange zest, and vanilla.
Stir wet mixture into dry mixture in the bowl. Once it is somewhat mixed in, turn the contents of the bowl out onto a clean board.
The mix may seem a little dry at first. Knead it a few times before you decide to add milk.
Gently knead the dough on the board, adding milk if necessary, just until it holds together in a soft ball.
The dough should soft like a biscuit dough.
Once you've kneaded it enough for it to pull together, Just form a ball and leave it alone. The less you work with it, the tenderer your scones will turn out.
Allow the dough to rest for 5 minutes.
Form a 9-inch wheel with the dough dough.
Transfer the wheel of dough to the prepared baking sheet.
With a long knife, cut the dough wheel into eight pieces, like a pizza.
Separate pieces so that they are ½-inch away from one another.
Brush the top of the wheel with milk.
Put the scones on the baking sheet in the freezer.
Set your oven to 400°F [204°C].
When the oven is fully up to temperature, take the scones out of the freezer.
Put the scones into the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes.
Remove from oven and cool on wire rack for 15 minutes.
In a small mixing bowl, combine Pumpkin Spice Glaze ingredients. Mix until smooth.
Drizzle the glaze over the scones.

Notes

SOURDOUGH STARTER: Use Sourdough Discard or Unfed Starter for this recipe.

Discard should must be from a healthy, vigorous Starter that is regularly fed.
Unfed Starter should be healthy, vigorous sourdough starter that has not been fed for 12 hours or more. (DO NOT use neglected Starter that hasn’t been fed in weeks.)

PUMPKIN: You can use home-cooked pumpkin, but you may need to add a little milk or extra flour to the mix to adjust for the difference in moisture content.

Nutrition

This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. You are solely responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information provided is accurate, complete, and useful.

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Originally published October 15, 2013. Post has been updated with new images, content and recipe instructions to improve reader experience.

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About Renée B.

Renée is self-taught home chef with a penchant for creating healthy(ish) comfort food recipes, and adapting vintage recipes for the 21st century cook. In her spare time, she writes unfinished novels and songs about cowboys.

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