Have you ever tried the pumpkin scones at Starbucks but wanted a healthier alternative? This vegan pumpkin scone recipe is just that. They are the perfect way to start Fall off right! Full of creamy pumpkin goodness with the perfect punch of spice and topped with homemade cinnamon glaze. Let’s get baking!
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Table of Contents
(Before I went vegan, I was obsessed with the pumpkin spice scones at Starbucks. So, when I decided to go plant-based, I knew I had to recreate them!)
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Absolutely autumnal: This recipe radiates fall with cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, maple syrup, and vanilla for extra cozy vibes.
- Vegan delight: If you have recently made the transition to a plant-based diet, you might be worried you’ll be missing out this fall. Don’t worry; I’ve got you covered! This pumpkin spice scone recipe is (dare I say it?) even better than the non-vegan pumpkin scones at Starbucks. Oh-snap!
- Perfect texture: The golden combination of fluffy, moist, and firm.
Nutrition For Mental Health
Pumpkins are 94% water! Crazy right? One cup of cooked pumpkin contains 0.2 grams of fat, 2 grams of protein, 12 grams of carbohydrates, and 3 grams of fiber. Pumpkins are rich in antioxidants, including alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, and beta-cryptoxanthin. They are also an excellent source of vitamin A. Finally, pumpkins are a good source of vitamins C, B2, E, potassium, copper, and manganese. An animal study found that pumpkin (L. Cucurbita pepo) can reduce chronic mild stress.
Ingredients + Notes
Here are the ingredients for making the best pumpkin spice scones!
- Pumpkin purée: These wouldn’t be pumpkin scones without it, pumpkin (obviously). Make sure to use canned pumpkin purée, not canned pumpkin pie filling. Homemade pumpkin purée works great too!
- Coconut oil: This is a very important ingredient for making nice, flaky scones. It is incredibly important that the coconut oil is solid. Even if it is solid when you take the jar out of the cupboard to make these vegan scones, I recommend measuring out the coconut oil and putting it in the fridge while you combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl.
- Flax eggs: A great vegan alternative to eggs. Here is my go-to flax egg recipe.
A full list of ingredients with exact amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
Subtitutions + Variations
- Pumpkin: If you don’t want to use canned pumpkin puree, you can always use homemade pumpkin puree.
- Butter: If you don’t have coconut oil on hand, you can use your favorite dairy-free cold butter. (My favorite is Miyoko’s salted butter.)
- Flour: These delicious scones use all-purpose flour. If you are gluten-free, then you can use King Arthur Measure For Measure flour.
- Chocolate chips: Who doesn’t love chocolate? If you want some chocolate goodness, add some to the large mixing bowl towards the end.
- Pumpkin pie spice: You are welcome to use pumpkin pie spice in lieu of the flavorful spices called for in this pumpkin scone recipe.
How To Make Vegan Pumpkin Scones
- Preheat oven to 400°F/205°C.
- Mix together dry ingredients in a large bowl.
- Add, little by little, coconut oil, maple syrup, flax eggs, pumpkin puree, and vanilla – mixing as you go.
- Combine until you have a thick dough – do NOT over-mix. I like using a pastry cutter or a spoon for this.
- Form dough on a floured surface into a circle that is roughly an inch deep all around. Place in fridge for 20+ minutes to chill. Remove and cut it into 8 pieces, just like you would a pizza!
- Place separated slices onto a parchment paper-covered baking sheet or a silicone baking mat.
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- Bake for 12 – 15 minutes (until a toothpick inserted comes out clean). Serve with homemade cinnamon glaze.
Topping And Drizzle Ideas
Although these scones are 10/10 on their own (if I do say so myself), there are a few ways to add your own touch. I made this Cinnamon Glaze for this recipe and drizzled it over the scones.
Here are alternative topping ideas to complement those fall flavors:
- Simple glaze: Combine almond milk, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract.
- Pumpkin spice glaze: Mix the simple glaze with pumpkin spice for that extra autumn punch.
- Maple syrup glaze recipe
- Vegan whipped cream
Pro Tips!
Here are some tips to ensure the perfect pumpkin scones!
Don’t over-mix the dough.
As this recipe uses wheat-based pastry flour, the more you mix the dough, the more the gluten in the flour will develop. If you overwork the dough, your pumpkin scones will turn out more like pumpkin muffins. (Obviously, it’s still delicious, but it’s not what we’re going for.) For the ideal scone texture, only knead the dough as much as is necessary to combine the ingredients. I find this is best achieved by using a pastry blender.
Use chilled ingredients.
To achieve the best dough texture for scones, use chilled pumpkin puree and solid coconut oil. Using warm ingredients can result in a greasy batter that combines too much.
Add ingredients little by little.
It is easier to combine the wet ingredients into the dry mix by adding them in small quantities. This will also help prevent over-mixing.
Storage Tips
As with most baked goodies, these eggless pumpkin scones are best kept in an airtight container in a cool, dark place (such as a cupboard, fridge, or freezer). I recommend adding your desired toppings and drizzles right before serving. Otherwise, the scones may end up soggy with a decreased shelf life due to the additional moisture.
- Cupboard: These pumpkin scones will keep at room temperature in an airtight container for 2-3 days. By day three, they’ll probably start tasting a bit dry, though, so I recommend putting them in the fridge before then.
- Fridge: Store these copycat Starbucks pumpkin scones in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-5 days.
- Freezer: You can also freeze them once they cool after baking. As they are quite dense and large, they may take a number of hours to defrost once at room temperature. You could always defrost them overnight so they are fresh for the following day. I recommend freezing for a max of 2-3 months for best results.
FAQ
Don’t over-mix the dough. As this recipe uses wheat-based pastry flour, the more you mix the scone dough, the more the gluten in the flour will develop. For the ideal scone texture, only knead the dough as much as is necessary to combine the ingredients. I find this is best achieved by using a pastry blender.
In this recipe for vegan scones, cold coconut oil replaces heavy cream.
The reason scones turn out rubbery is because of overmixing!
Refrigerating scone batter before you bake it is a great idea to let the gluten rest and solidify your coconut oil or butter. Doing this will result in flakier scones.
If you tried this Vegan Pumpkin Scone Recipe or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Recipe
Vegan Pumpkin Scones
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 3/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 2/3 cup pumpkin purée
- 1/3 cup coconut oil, solid and cold
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 2 flax eggs
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- cinnamon glaze, (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F/205°C.
- Mix together dry ingredients in a large bowl.
- Add, little by little, coconut oil, maple syrup, flax eggs, pumpkin puree, and vanilla – mixing as you go.
- Combine until you have a thick dough – do NOT over-mix. I like using a pastry cutter or a spoon for this.
- Form dough on a floured surface into a circle that is roughly an inch deep all around. Place in fridge for 20+ minutes to chill. Remove and cut it into 8 pieces, just like you would a pizza!
- Place separated slices onto a parchment paper-covered baking sheet or a silicone baking mat.
- Bake for 12 – 15 minutes (until a toothpick inserted comes out clean). Serve with homemade cinnamon glaze.
Video
Notes
Here are some tips to ensure the perfect pumpkin scones!
- Don’t over-mix the dough. As this recipe uses wheat-based pastry flour, the more you mix the dough, the more the gluten in the flour will develop. If you overwork the dough, your pumpkin scones will turn out more like pumpkin muffins. (Obviously still delicious but not what we’re going for.) For the ideal scone texture, only knead the dough as much as is necessary to combine the ingredients. I find this is best achieved by using a pastry blender.
- Use chilled ingredients. To achieve the best dough texture for scones, use chilled pumpkin puree and solid coconut oil. Using warm ingredients can result in a greasy batter that combines too much.
- Add ingredients little by little. It is easier to combine the wet ingredients into the dry mix by adding them in small quantities. This will also help prevent over-mixing.
As with most baked goodies, these scones are best kept in an airtight container in a cool dark place (such as a cupboard, fridge, or freezer). I recommend adding your desired toppings and drizzles right before serving. Otherwise, the scones may end up soggy with a decreased shelf life due to the additional moisture.
- Cupboard: These pumpkin scones will keep at room temp in an airtight container for 2-3 days. By day three, they’ll probably start tasting a bit dry, though, so I recommend putting them in the fridge before then.
- Fridge: Store these copycat Starbucks pumpkin scones in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-5 days.
- Freezer: You can also freeze them once they cool after baking. As they are quite dense and large, they may take a number of hours to defrost once at room temperature. You could always defrost them overnight so they are fresh for the following day. I recommend freezing for a max of 2-3 months for best results.
Nutrition
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Reference
Ayuob, N., Shaker, S. A., Hawuit, E., Al-Abbas, N. S., Shaer, N. A., Al Jaouni, S., & Mahdi, M. R. (2021). L. Cucurbita pepo Alleviates Chronic Unpredictable Mild Stress via Modulation of Apoptosis, Neurogenesis, and Gliosis in Rat Hippocampus. Oxidative medicine and cellular longevity, 2021, 6662649. https://doi.org/10.1155/2021/6662649
Can u use regular flour instead of buckwheat flour?
These are absolutely divine!!!!! Thank you!
Hi Talia, sooooooo glad you like them!
Oh, these are sooo good.
Yay! So happy to hear you love them!
Just to have it all in one place in case others, like me, were new to flax eggs: 1 T flax meal + 2.5 T water, stir and let sit for 5 min = 1 egg. 😉
Thanks Ruby! I thought I had that in the recipe but clearly I didn’t. 😉