Apple Scones: the easy recipe for amazing breakfast scones

Apple scones are delicious at breakfast or with a hot mug of tea, and are fantastically easy to make, taking less than 30 minutes to prepare and bake. Delightfully moist, with a slightly crispy crust, apple scones are an excellent way to use up your apples during fall season, but they're so tasty, don't be surprised if you find yourself whipping up a batch regardless of the season! Unlike savory yogurt scones, they have a sweet-tart apple flavor spiced with cinnamon and a tender buttery texture, so it's hard to have just one scone. Be sure not to skip the vanilla glaze – that extra bit of sweetness will take your apple scones to the next level.

What are the Best Apples for Apple Scones?

You can use any baking apple to make your apple scones. Tart apples like Granny Smith are always a safe bet (especially when lavishly brushed with the powdered sugar glaze), but there are loads of other varieties to try. Honeycrisp, Jonagold, Braeburn, Fuji, Pink Lady all taste great in this recipe.

Top Tips for Making the Best Homemade Apple Scones

– Use cold butter when making your apple scones.

– If you love the cozy warming flavors of baking spices, add a pinch of cloves or nutmeg to your scones. Add them in at the same time you're combing the other dry ingredients.

– Use a combination of apple varieties for more flavorful scones. Pair tart Granny Smith with sweet Fuji, Honeycrisp, and so on.

– Add a small handful of dried fruit or nuts to your scones to enhance their flavor.

How to Make Apple Scones

1. Preheat your oven to 425°F.

2. In a large bowl, whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon together. Add the butter, shredded apple, and milk, and mix to form a dough.

3. Knead the dough. It should be slightly sticky, but if it's too difficult to work, you can add a little extra flour. Cut the dough in half and form two balls.

4. Roll out the dough to form 2 6-inch rounds. Lightly scour the top of the dough to form 6 portions.

5. Lightly grease a baking tray with cooking spray. Put the scones on the prepared tray.

6. Bake the apple scones for 15 to 20 minutes, or until they turn golden brown. Remove from the oven to cool.

7. To make the apple scone glaze, whisk the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract until completely smooth. Brush or drizzle over the scones and garnish with cinnamon sugar, if desired.

Notes

Store apple scones in an airtight container for 3 days at room temperature, or up to 1 week in the fridge.