This Rustic Apple Cinnamon scone recipe is rolled and then sliced, so you get layers of pastry and apple filling, ensuring the perfect balance of cinnamon apple and flaky pastry in every single bite!~
This apple cinnamon scone recipe was inspired by my Raspberry Lemon Scones, and pairs well with a cup of coffee or tea for breakfast or an afternoon snack. It also makes a great breakfast dessert when paired with these Brunch Bites and Old Fashioned Fruit Salad. These scones are ideal for bringing along to a breakfast potluck, a Mother's Day brunch, a baby shower, a bridal shower, afternoon tea, or a bake sale.
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Scones can be a little intimidating to make because they can easily turn out hard and bland if you don't know what you're doing. However, follow these tips for success below, and you'll end up with perfect, flaky scones that will leave everyone begging for more!
Tips for Success
- Use frozen butter- this will ensure that the butter stays cold and won't melt when you're working the dough, causing the scones to spread during baking.
- Measure all ingredients precisely - baking is simply a chemical reaction and for that reaction to happen, the ratio of ingredients has to be exact.
- Sift the flour and baking powder together- if they are well incorporated this will guarantee a more even rise.
- Make sure your ingredients are COLD - cold butter (preferably frozen) and cream will prevent the scones from spreading. If they overspread, they lose the crumbly, flaky, and moist texture.
- Dice your apples small (see process photos) - this will ensure they cook all the way through because it's a relatively short bake time.
- Make sure you are using whipping cream/heavy cream that is at least 33 % - 35% fat. Thinner liquids will make your scones both drier and bland.
- Handle the dough as little as possible- the less you knead the dough, the less the gluten will tighten up, which means your scones will stay loose and crumbly, rather than tight and springy.
- Don't roll the dough too thin - the key to the perfect scone is not rolling it out too thinly. It should be as thick as pie dough, which is generally between ⅛ and¼ of an inch thick.
- Freeze the unbaked Scones for 10 minutes - this ensures they go into the oven cold and prevents further spreading.
- Keep an eye on them in the oven and check at 15 minutes to make sure they're not browning too fast- cover with greased foil (sprayed with non-stick cooking spray) if they are browning too fast (shiny side down)
- Use parchment paper - parchment paper prevents the bottom from over- browning .
Autumn is all about apples! If you're looking for more apple breakfast recipes like this, be sure to check out my Apple Walnut Bread. And for dinner... these Apple Pork Chops are always a hit, with my Award-winning Apple Pie recipe or Apple Pie Cookies (also award-winning) for dessert!
🥘Ingredients
You will need the following ingredients to make these scones:
Ingredient Notes
- Lemon zest. Adding lemon zest to my dough is a little trick I learned from a chef I used to work with. She added lemon zest to her cinnamon bun dough and it was amazing! The lemon flavor also pairs well with cinnamon and serves as a flavor enhancer. I use this delicious flavor combination in my award winning apple pie recipe as well!
- Brown sugar. Brown sugar adds a robust molasses flavor and enhances the apple cinnamon.
- Ground Cinnamon. For an extra burst of cinnamon, I add it to the dough as well as the filling!
- Unsalted butter (frozen). Butter makes scones flaky and adds flavor and rise. Using unsalted butter allows you to control the salt in a recipe. Using frozen unsalted butter is ideal for scones because, similar to pie crust, the butter melts as the scones bake, releasing steam and creating air pockets. These pockets create a flaky center while keeping the edges crumbly and crisp. Simply using refrigerated butter might cause the butter to melt in the dough as you work with it, but frozen butter will ensure it stays cold enough for the bake.
- Heavy cream (whipping cream). You need to use 33%-35%. Heavy cream makes them extra rich, resulting in a more tender pastry.
- Granny Smith (green) apples. Granny Smith Apples hold their shape so they are ideal for baked goods, giving it great texture and not turning to mush. They are also a little tart, which pairs perfectly with sweetness of this scone.
See recipe card for quantities.
📖 Variations & Substitutions
- Butter - you can use salted butter, but skip the salt in the recipe.
- Apples- you can use another type of apple, but it won't hold its shape as well as Granny Smith apples (and it may get a little mushier).
🔪How to make Apple Cinnamon Scones
With most scone recipes, you shape the dough into a disc, then flatten it and cut it into wedges. This one is different because it is rolled out then rolled up, ensuring that the pastry and fruit are evenly distributed, making each bite perfectly balanced!
Prep: Heat the oven to 400°F /204°C and arrange a rack in the middle. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. Lightly flour a large plate or smaller baking sheet and set aside.
Step 1: Combine the dry ingredients ( flour, ¼ cup of the white granulated sugar, the baking powder, lemon zest, 1 teaspoon of the cinnamon, and salt) in a large bowl and whisk to break up any lumps.
Step 2: Using a cheese grater, grate frozen butter. *Alternatively, you could use a pastry blender or 2 knives and cut in the butter.
Step 3: Then mix the grated butter into the flour mixture.
Step 4: Pour in ¾ cup of the cream.
Step 5: Using your finger, mix until just incorporated and a rough, slightly sticky mound has formed (not all of the flour will be incorporated).
Step 6: Turn the dough and loose flour out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until most of the flour is incorporated and the dough just holds together (be careful not to overwork it).
Step 7: Lightly flour a rolling pin and the work surface. Using your hands, roughly form the dough into a rectangle, keeping the long edge toward you. Roll the dough into an approximately 8-by-10-inch rectangle (if the dough cracks, push it back together), again keeping the long edge toward you.
Step 8: You can trim the edges if you wish, but you don't have to.
Step 9: Peel, core and dice fresh apples into small pieces, then toss apples in remaining 1 teaspoon of cinnamon and brown sugar in a separate bowl.
Step 10: Arrange the apple mixture in a single layer over the lower two-thirds of the rectangle, and press them into the dough.
Step 11: Starting with the top, the third with no apples, fold the dough lengthwise into thirds,
Press on the layers as you roll.
Step 12: Fold again.
Step 13 : Fold right over until seam is on the bottom. (Use a spatula, pastry or bench scraper if the dough sticks to the work surface).
Step 14: Slice the scone dough crosswise (do not saw back and forth) with a sharp knife, into 4 equal pieces. Cut each piece diagonally to form 2 triangles.
Step 15:Transfer the scones to the floured plate and place in the freezer for 10 minutes.
Step 16: Remove the scones from the freezer and transfer them to the prepared baking sheet, setting them 2 inches apart. Brush a thin layer of the remaining ½ tablespoon whipping cream over the tops of the scones
Step 17: Sprinkle with the remaining 1 teaspoon of white sugar.
Step 18: Bake until golden brown on the top and bottom, about 20 - 25 minutes (*23 minutes was perfect for me. *Be sure to check the scones at the 15 minute mark. If it's browning too fast place a sheet of tin foil over the scones (be sure to spray it with non-stick spray first, shiny side down).Let the scones cool 5 minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer warm scones to a wire rack to cool completely.
Sprinkle with powdered sugar and cinnamon and enjoy!
Equipment
You'll need a large mixing bowl, a sharp knife, a cutting board, a rolling pin, and a baking sheet. I recommend using a wooden rolling pin and a silicone pastry brush.
I prefer the silicone pastry brushes to a natural bristle brush. Silicone bristles don't shed hairs like a natural bristle brush is prone to do. Trust me, you don't want hair in your pastry! Silicone brushes are also heat resistant at high temperatures and they are easier to clean than natural hair brushes. *See recipe card for recommended equipment photos and links
🌡️Storage
Homemade scones typically last a couple of days stored in an airtight container at room temperature. If you leave leftover scones longer they can become a bit dry. Store scones in the fridge if you want them to last longer (up to 5 days).
If you are making them a day or two in advance, store them in the fridge and sprinkle on the powdered sugar just before serving.
Freezing: I recommend freezing the baked and cooled scones before topping with powdered/icing or confectioners’ sugar. I usually freeze in a Ziploc freezer-safe bag or airtight container. However, if you freeze them with powdered sugar, it's not a big deal, you'll just need to reapply it and that will make them a little sweeter.
To thaw: Leave out on the counter for a few hours or overnight in the refrigerator. Warm in the microwave for 10 seconds, if desired.
👪 Serving Size
This Homemade Apple Cinnamon Scones recipe makes 8 servings. However, you can half, double, or triple the recipe by clicking on the serving number and selecting the number of servings you'd like. The ingredient quantities will automatically adjust.
Top tip
Slice your butter into a variety of portion sizes, then freeze it in a Ziploc freezer bag. It lasts so much longer (and you can buy a lot on sale). I slice it into two ¼ cups, one ½ cup, and one full cup.
🥗 Pairing
These are some more of my favorite dishes to serve with Apple Cinnamon scones:
Comments & Reviews
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If you are looking for a delicious and flaky fresh Apple Cinnamon Scones recipe, this is the one!
📋Apple Cinnamon Scone recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour plus more as needed
- ¼ cup plus 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1 ½ cups finely chopped Granny Smith apples about 2 small apples or 11/2 medium ones
- 2 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest from 1 medium lemon
- 2 tablespoon brown sugar
- 2 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter frozen
- ¾ cup plus 1 tablespoon heavy cream/whipping cream
- ¼ cup powdered sugar/icing sugar
Instructions
NOTE: The instruction images will NOT print by default. If you want them to print, you'll need to check the box beside "images" on the print page
- Heat the oven to 400°F /204°C and arrange a rack in the middle. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. Lightly flour a large plate or smaller baking sheet and set aside.
- Combine the dry ingredients ( flour, ¼ cup of the white granulated sugar, the baking powder, lemon zest, 1 teaspoon of the cinnamon, and salt) in a large bowl and whisk to break up any lumps.
- Using a cheese grater, grate frozen butter. *Alternatively, you could use a pastry cutter or 2 knives and cut in the butter.
- Then mix the grated butter into dry ingredients.
- Pour in ¾ cup of the cream.
- Using your finger, mix until just incorporated and a rough, slightly sticky mound has formed (not all of the flour will be incorporated).
- Turn the dough and loose flour out onto a work surface and knead until most of the flour is incorporated and the dough just holds together (be careful not to overwork it).
- Lightly flour a rolling pin and the work surface. Using your hands, roughly form the dough into a rectangle, keeping the long edge toward you. Roll the dough into an 8-by-10-inch rectangle (if the dough cracks, push it back together), again keeping the long edge toward you.
- You can trim the edges to look neater, but you don't have to.
- Peel, core and dice apples, then toss in remaining 1 teaspoon cinnamon and brown sugar.
- Arrange apple in a single layer over the lower two-thirds of the rectangle, and press them into the dough.
- Starting with the top, the third with no apples, fold the dough lengthwise into thirds,
- Press on the layers as you roll.
- Fold right over until seam is on the bottom. (Use a spatula or pasty scraper if the dough sticks to the work surface).
- Slice the dough crosswise (do not saw back and forth) into 4 equal pieces. Cut each piece diagonally to form 2 triangles.
- Transfer the scones to the floured plate or baking sheet and place in the freezer for 10 minutes.
- Remove the scones from the freezer and transfer to the prepared baking sheet, setting them 2 inches apart. Brush a thin layer of the remaining ½ tablespoon whipping cream over the tops of the scones
- Sprinkle with the remaining 1 teaspoon of white sugar.
- Bake until golden brown on the top and bottom, about 20 - 25 minutes (*23 minutes was perfect for me.)*Be sure to check it at 15 minutes. If it's browning too fast place a sheet of tin foil over the scones (be sure to spray it with non-stick spray first, shiny side down). Let the scones cool 5 minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.Sprinkle with powdered sugar and cinnamon and enjoy!
Nutrition
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