Vegan Pumpkin Scones

Vegan Pumpkin Scones with a tender, orange crumb, delicious pumpkin and pumpkin spice flavour, and an over-the-top splatter of pumpkin glaze!

Love scones? Be sure to try my vegan banana scones and vegan jalapeño corn scones next!

Vegan Pumpkin Scones with copious amounts of pumpkin glaze are exactly what you need this fall!

They are perfect for breakfast, brunch, afternoon coffee break, snack, or after-dinner dessert, and if you've never made scones before, get ready because they are way easier than you think!

All you need are a handful of baking staples, some cold vegan butter, and canned pumpkin. Mix them together, shape into a round, cut into wedges, then bake. Once done, you can glaze them, or if you don't have a sweet tooth, skip the glaze and enjoy them slathered with vegan butter instead.

I hope you love them! They pair very well with a PSL! 😜

Mel x

🤍 WHY YOU'LL LOVE MY PUMPKIN SCONES

Quick & easy to make. Ready and on your plate in less than 40 minutes.
Tastes like fall. Full of pumpkin and pumpkin spice flavour!
Irresistible pumpkin glaze! It's perfectly sweet, tastes like fall, and we're going to be extra generous with it!
No sweet tooth? The scones themselves aren't too sweet, so skip the glaze and serve with some vegan butter instead.
Fresh for days. Because of the pumpkin puree, they stay moist for much longer than most scones.
Freezer-friendly. Freeze the scones for up to 3 months, either baked or unbaked.

Ingredients

Here is what you need at a glance, along with some important ingredient notes & substitution ideas:

Canned pumpkin puree - I recommend popping the can in the fridge so it's nice and cold. Oh, and double-check it's actually pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling. They are not the same.
Vegan butter - A hard vegan butter, not a super soft margarine-style one. I use Earth Balance in the tub for my recipe testing. Make sure to use it straight from the fridge when making this recipe. It's important that everything is kept cold.
Flour - All-purpose flour works best here, and if you're in the UK, use plain flour. I have not tested the recipe with any other type of flour.
Sugar - This needs to be granulated white or cane sugar. Wondering about vegan sugar brands? See the FAQs. The sugar sweetens the scones and adds structure and texture.
Baking powder - This feels like a lot, but it's not a mistake. The recipe was tested with varying amounts, and this is what gives the best texture.
Pumpkin spice - I know this isn't always easy to find if you're not located in North America, so I've included a substitute blend.
Maple syrup - This is optional. I like to brush the scones with it before baking to get lovely shiny crusty tops. However, don't buy it especially. Use it if you have some, or brush them with some milk instead if not.
Powdered sugar - This is for the glaze, which is optional and recommended for those of you with a sweet tooth. The scones are still very delicious without the glaze.
Dairy-free milk - Just a tablespoon for the glaze. If you don't have any, you could use water or orange juice instead.

How To Make Vegan Pumpkin Scones

Can't wait to make it? The full printable recipe is below, but first, let me walk you through the steps to set you up for success in your kitchen.

1 - Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl. Cut/rub in the butter until it looks like coarse breadcrumbs.

2 - Add the wet ingredients (pumpkin puree and vanilla). Stir with a dinner knife or spatula to combine, then gently bring together with your hands into a gloriously orange dough. Don't overhandle this dough. As soon as there is no visible dry flour, STOP.

3 - Shape into a round, then cut into 8 wedges.

4 - Place on a lined baking tray and brush the tops (not the sides) with maple syrup or milk.

5 - Bake until well-risen and golden, then transfer to a wire rack to cool. Please ignore the fact that one scone mysteriously disappeared between the uncooked and cooked photos. I still haven't found the culprit!

6 - Mix up the easy pumpkin glaze and drizzle generously all over the top of your scones.

Pumpkin Scone Tips

I test my recipes thoroughly, so you have a successful outcome every single time! Here are my most important tips for this scone recipe:

Make sure the butter and pumpkin puree are cold - Use both of these straight from the fridge. This is important for the very best scone texture.
Use a digital scale and measuring spoons - This is the single best thing you can do for consistent, reliable results. Measuring cups aren't accurate, and for very small amounts that are too light to weigh (like baking powder), reach for a set of measuring spoons rather than a random spoon from the cutlery drawer. They are not a standard size and vary wildly, so you'd be guessing at the amount.
Don't overmix the dough - Using a dinner knife to stir helps to limit this. Stop as soon as no clumps of flour remain and everything is just combined.
Don't overhandle the dough - Handling scone dough too much warms it up and melts the butter, which affects the texture. Overhandling also activates the gluten in the flour, which can make scones dry and tough. Minimize your handling of the dough as much as possible.
Bake at a high temperature - The higher-than-usual temperature gives the baking powder a boost, which makes the scones loftier. It also gives them deliciously crusty exteriors while the relatively short bake time keeps the interior moist.

Recipe FAQs

Can I make the scones ahead?

Yes. The scones can be frozen before or after baking. Make the dough, shape the scones, then flash freeze them on a baking tray before transferring to a container or bag. Bake the scones straight from the freezer. Add an extra 2 minutes to the bake time.
If you froze them already baked, warm them in a preheated oven at 350°F (175°C) for 7 to 10 minutes (or about 12 minutes from completely frozen) to restore a fresh-baked texture.

Is white/cane sugar vegan?

Here in Canada, the 2 big sugar producers, Rogers/Lantic and Redpath, are both vegan, and in the UK and Europe pretty much all sugar is vegan. If you are in the US, you will need to be more careful and research what brands are vegan in your area. Some common brands that you should be able to find easily and that are vegan include Wholesome Sweeteners, Kirkland Organic Cane Sugar, Trader Joe's, Bob's Red Mill, Florida Crystals, Billington's, Michigan Sugar Company, Imperial, Now Foods, and In The Raw. Also, all organic sugar is vegan by default wherever you are in the world.

Can I use home-cooked pumpkin instead of canned?

The trouble with homemade pumpkin puree is that its water content varies from batch to batch. It depends on how fresh the pumpkin is, how it was cooked (roasted, steamed, etc.), and how the puree was stored (freshly made, refrigerated, or frozen then defrosted).
Canned pumpkin, on the other hand, is very consistent. That matters here because the pumpkin is the only source of moisture in this recipe. Puree that's even a little too wet or too dry can throw off the dough completely.
I recommend sticking with canned unless you're willing to take the risk.