Maple Scones with Pecans
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
Well, HELLO Maple Scones with Pecans!
These scones are a fall delight: light and fluffy and finished with a sweet maple glaze on top.
Table Talk with Tawnie
There are so many reasons to 🍂fall🍂 in love with these Maple Scones. First, it’s a really simple scone recipe, and you probably have most (if not all) of the ingredients in your pantry already! These scones taste like fall and are moist and soft on the inside. They are buttery and flaky, with crumbly, golden edges. Perfect for chilly mornings or evenings with your favorite warm beverage. I know you’re gonna love these as much as I do! PS. Looking for even more non-pumpkin fall bakes? You’ll probably also like these Maple Cookies, this Apple Spice Cake, and these Maple Snickerdoodle Muffins! 🧡 Enjoy!
Ingredient Notes
(For the full recipe, scroll down to the recipe card below)
For the scones:
- All-Purpose Flour: As the name suggests, all-purpose flour is suitable for all types of baked goods such as bread, pizza, cookies, etc. It provides the structure in baked goods.. so it’s really important!
- Baking Powder: I love adding baking powder to most of my baked goods because it adds volume. It gives them a little lift towards the sky.
- Salt: Adding salt adds flavor to the scones.
- Cinnamon: Because cinnamon and Fall are a must!
- Butter: Butter is important when making scones because it is responsible for the flakiness and crisp edges.
- Heavy Cream: Heavy cream is a thick liquid, which is important to prevent the scones from coming out dry and flat. Sticking to heavy cream will ensure the scones taste better and look better rather than using another liquid, like milk.
- Brown Sugar: Brown sugar will a touch of extra sweetness and flavor.
- Egg: Will add flavor, structure, and lift to the scones.
- Vanilla Extract: Adds flavor and sweetness. Also an essential for yummy baked goods!
Pro Tip!
If you can get your hands on maple extract, I recommend using it in place of vanilla extract.
For the Maple Glaze:
- Powdered sugar: Works beautifully to make icings and frostings because it dissolves so easily.
- Butter: Just a touch is needed for the glaze
- Maple Syrup: Essential for making the maple glaze! The maple syrup will add the actual maple flavor, which we need, want and love.
- Vanilla extract: Adding vanilla extract will provide added sweetness and flavor.
- Pecans: Garnishing with the pecans will add protein, flavor, and a crunchy texture.
Step by Step Directions
(For the full recipe, scroll down to the recipe card below)
Mix dry ingredients + cut in cold butter.
Mix the dry ingredients together in a mixing bowl then cut the cold butter in using a pastry blender.
Mix wet ingredients.
In medium sized bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, heavy cream, egg and vanilla.
Combine, shape, & cut the dough.
Add the wet ingredients into the dry. Combine using a wooden spoon or rubber spatula until slightly incorporated. Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface and fold just until combined in a ball then flatten out and form into a circle. Use a bench scraper to cut into 8 triangles
Bake the scones & prepare the glaze.
Bake scones at 400°F for 15-16 minutes or until lightly browned on top. While they bake, melt the butter in the maple syrup, then add in the powdered sugar and vanilla extract, and mix until smooth.
Glaze. Garnish. Enjoy!
Spread glaze on top of cooled scones. Garnish with pecan pieces. Enjoy!
Scone Baking Tips
- Use cold butter – or even frozen butter for a better rise. The colder the better.
- When it comes to mixing, don’t over do it. Mix just until the dough comes together.
- Using heavy cream or buttermilk (thick liquids) prevents the scones from coming out flat and flavorless.
- Work fairly quickly with the dough so the cold ingredients stay cold.
- Be sure to work on a lightly floured surface and you can add a little bit of flour to help form into a ball, but do not add too much.
- Cut the butter into the scones using a pastry blender.
- Cut the scones into squares using a bench scraper for clean cuts.
Storage / Freezing
- Storage: Once baked and cooled, store them in the fridge for 2-3 days in an airtight container.
- Freezing: Let scones cool at room temperature and place in a resealable bag or airtight container to protect from freezer burn. Enjoy them within 3 months.
FAQs
What if I don’t have heavy cream, what can I use instead?
Replace with buttermilk or sour cream.
How to make scones in advance:
Freezing scones before baking: Freeze the scone wedges on a plate or baking sheet for 1 hour.Then layer them in a freezer-friendly bag or container. Bake from frozen, adding a few minutes to the bake time or thaw overnight in the fridge and bake as directed.
Can I make these gluten free?
While I have never personally tested this recipe using gluten free flour, you can try a 1-1 gluten free flour or an oat flour.
Can I use frozen butter?
Yes. Working with very cold butter when making scones is a crucial step so using frozen butter can be done. When the scones are baked the butter melts in the oven and creates an ultra-flaky, tender, soft maple scone.
shop this post
Buy Now → 
Buy Now → More Fall Baking Recipes You Will Love
Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.
Maple Scones with Pecans
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
- 8 Tbsp. unsalted butter (cold)
- 1/2 cup heavy cream (cold)
- 1/4 cup brown sugar (packed)
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
For the glaze
- 1/3 cup pure maple syrup
- 2 Tbsp. butter
- 1 1/4 cup confectioners sugar
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 1/3 cup chopped pecans (for garnish on top of glaze)
Last step! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.
Instructions
- Preheat and prep: preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silicone baking mat (like a Silpat)
- Mix dry ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.2 cups all-purpose flour, 2 1/2 tsp. baking powder, 1/2 tsp. salt, 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
- Cut in cold butter: Add the cubed, cold butter into the dry ingredients. Using a pastry cutter, cut butter into the flour until pea-sized coarse crumbs form.8 Tbsp. unsalted butter
- Mix wet ingredients: In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, heavy cream, egg and vanilla.1/2 cup heavy cream, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1 large egg, 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- Combine: Add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.
- Shape dough: Combine using a wooden spoon or rubber spatula until slightly incorporated. Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface and fold just until combined in a ball and flatten out and form into a circle. Dough may appear dry, but will form together. If dough is sticky, use flour as needed (but not too much!)
- Cut into 8 scones: Shape the scones by cutting them into 8 triangles using a bench scraper.
- Optional but recommended: freeze the scones for 15-30 minutes, especially if you feel the dough got warm while you were working with it. Cold dough = best scones.
- Bake: Place the scones on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 15-16 minutes or until lightly browned on top.
- Make the glaze: melt the butter in the maple syrup, either in the microwave or on the stove in a small saucepan. Add in the powdered sugar and vanilla extract, mix until smooth.1/3 cup pure maple syrup, 2 Tbsp. butter, 1 1/4 cup confectioners sugar, 1 tsp. vanilla
- Garnish: Spread glaze on top of cooled scones and garnish with chopped pecans.1/3 cup chopped pecans
- Scones are best the day of, or store in the fridge for 2-3 days. Enjoy!
Equipment
Notes
- If you don’t have a pastry cutter to cut the butter into the flour, you can use 2 knives to literally cut the butter into the flour.
- You can freeze the butter and use a box cheese grater to grate the butter into the flour.
- You can use the food processor to combine the butter into the flour, be sure to stop when there are still pea-size bits of butter visible in the bowl.
Nutrition Information
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is automatically calculated. It should only be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. Ingredients can vary and Kroll’s Korner can’t make any guarantees to the accuracy of this information.
This recipe was originally published in September 2020. It was updated with new photos and additional tips and tricks in October 2025.
📸 Photography by Marie Dubé
Easy! Delish! Realized after I started that I didn’t have pecans, but still yummy! I’ve always been intimidated by scones, but they’re easy if I use your recipe! Next time I want to use the vanilla paste like you used…even the same amount! Lol
Hahaah measure with your heart!! Thank you for making them im so glad it was an easy process!
My boyfriend has requested scones and I’ve never made them before. I was slightly imitated, but I decided to try this recipe and I nailed it. So proud of myself. They were easy, so flaky and delicious.
Make these NOW.
Okay stoppppp. Those look SO PERFECT, Mindy!!! Oh my gosh, I’m so excited you decided to make these. What did your boyfriend think?! What other scones are you trying next, now that you’re a scone master?! 😉 Hint: https://krollskorner.com/recipes/breakfast/cinnamon-sugar-scones/
I made these for my co workers this week- and everyone raved about them! They are SO light and flaky and perfect! Easy to follow, and popped them in the freezer for about 15 minutes before baking. They had a really nice rise to them. Will definitely make again!
Thanks soo much Kelly! I am glad they were a hit 🙂
They were amazing and everyone loved them! I used whole wheat flour and coconut milk instead heavy cream, and they still turned out amazing! Will make again for sure.
Awesome!! thank you so much – I know those changes will be helpful for other readers as well, thank you!!
Made these a couple of days ago and they were still very tasty for the 3 days it took us to eat them all. Instead of just vanilla, I used half vanilla and half maple extract for extra maple flavor. I think next time, I might use maple extract as a substitute for all the vanilla in the scones. I halved the icing, and it was still plenty. Also subbed maple extract for part of the vanilla in the icing. The dough was a bit wet, so I refrigerated it for about an hour. I put some flour on the parchment and on my hands to make it easier to pat into 2 rounds–cutting each into 6 triangles for a total of 12 scones. I didn’t have room in my freezer for the baking sheet, so put it in the fridge for about an hour before baking them. They were very light and fragile and spread a bit, but were very tasty. I’m not sure the scones would have had enough maple flavor for my taste without using maple extract so I definitely recommend that.
Today is the third time I used your recipe, the scones come out PERFECT every time!! Very delicious!!
These are delicious! The whole family enjoyed them. I spent a few minutes toasting the pecans while the scones cooled. Definitely worth the extra step. I plan to make these again. I want freeze them to have on hand whenever we want a sweet treat.
I bet the toasted pecans were yummy!! Thanks so much Hallie! 🙂
I love this recipe! Made it today and the flavor didn’t disappoint. I took mine out at 12 min and I wish I would have at 11. My oven does run a little hot. The flavors are perfect for fall. Will make again.
Oh wow! sorry about the bake time. I’m glad they still turned out, they look great. thank you!
These are by far the best scones I have ever eaten or made! They are so flaky! I added a little almond extract to the glaze and added slivered almonds instead of pecans! So yummy!
I am soo glad you enjoyed them! I need to try the almond extract in the glaze next time I make them. Thank you! 🙂
These turned out so well! I made these in 1 hour and my guests said they were the best scones they’d had. Light and flaky with good flavor were the comments. I think it really helped not over working the dough…I only folded it in enough to get it into a nice disk. I also brushed the top with heavy cream just to give it a softness. 5 stars!
Hi Nikki! That is amazing I am so glad everyone enjoyed, love that feedback! Working the dough just until it comes together is the best tip for scones yes yes yes! Love it. Thank you again! xo, Tawnie