As the aspen trees begin to color the mountains with a brilliant golden hue, our sights turn to foods that celebrate the changing seasons. Butternut squash, hearty soups and stews and, yes, pumpkin. No PSL’s (pumpkin spice lattes) for me, please, but these pumpkin scones are certainly worth their weight in gold.
Early October is when we celebrate my husband’s birthday and he always gets his favorite pie for his special day. Interestingly, he also recently liked the idea of these pumpkin scones. Because they are gluten-free and vegan–and because I now have a new kitchen I love cooking in, who am I to deny him his culinary wishes?
Sunday Morning Scones
It was Sunday morning and I had everything I needed to bring these scones to life. Homemade oat flour–I put two cups of oats in the Vitamix and boom! I added some coconut sugar, coconut oil and pumpkin spices including cinnamon, ginger and cloves. Within one hour, the kitchen smelled like a bakery on a cool fall day as the spices woke us up from our Saturday night slumber.
The cashew butter-maple syrup glaze is the literal icing on the cake for these brown scones that more resemble a muffin top than a traditional dry and crumbly British scone. And that’s a good thing as I hate choking on dry scones.
The roasted pumpkin and fall spices give it a toasty color and the glaze adds the right amount of sweetness with a smooth, creamy texture like frosting. Sprinkle a few roasted pumpkin seeds on top to carry out the pumpkin theme and breakfast is ready.
These scones come together in a food processor so there are not many dishes to wash, which makes this recipe even more of a mandatory weekend treat.
Buen provecho!
Pumpkin Scones with Maple Glaze
Unlike the British version of a dry, flavorless scone, these scones are moist and tender like a muffin top. Its toasty hue comes from the combination of roasted pumpkin and fall spices and uses coconut oil instead of butter, so it's vegan. Easy to make and absolutely delicious, these will be on heavy rotation in my kitchen this fall.
Ingredients
For the scones
- 2 cups gluten-free oat flour you can make your own by putting oats in a high-speed blender
- 1 cup coconut sugar
- 1/2 cup coconut oil solid, not melted
- 2/3 cup roasted pumpkin puree
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
Maple glaze
- 2 tablespoons cashew butter
- 1 tablespoon arrowroot
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon water and more if needed to thin it out
- 2 tablespoons toasted pumpkin seeds optional
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
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In the bowl of a food processor fitted with an "S" blade, add the flour, sugar and coconut oil and process until crumbly.
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Add in the pumpkin, cinnamon, ginger and cloves, salt, baking soda and vanilla and process again until a thick dough is formed. Add in the apple cider vinegar and process once more to incorporate it thoroughly.
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Using 1/4 cup, scoop a heaping amount of dough and drop it evenly onto the baking sheet until you have 8 mounds. If desired, use damp fingers to form the mounds into rounds or squares or whatever you desire.
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Place baking sheet in the oven and bake until the centers are firm to the touch, about 20 minutes or until your kitchen smells like fall.
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Once the scones are done, remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before adding glaze.
To prepare the glaze
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Stir together cashew butter, arrowroot, maple syrup and water and stir to combine. Add more water if needed to thin, then spoon the glaze over each scone. If you have one, use an offset spatula to glaze the scones. If desired, sprinkle the scones with toasted pumpkin seeds. Serve and enjoy.
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Store any leftover scones at room temperature for two days or in the fridge for up to a week, though they are best eaten the day they are made.
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