Why It Works
- Maple sugar gives the scones a subtle sweetness and maple aroma.
- Using a food processor to break down the butter into the flour mixture is a quick, easy way to ensure that there are pockets of steam that cause the scones to rise and become flaky as they bake.
The pumpkin spice craze cannot compare to the flavor of maple in the fall. Curling up with a hot cup of coffee and a maple-scented baked good just feels right when the leaves start to turn. These glazed maple scones are the perfect breakfast or snack upgrade to enjoy any day of the week in the fall. They’re rich, buttery, and distinctly American-style—meaning they’re tender, sweet, and enriched with lots of butter and egg. Unlike English-style scones, which are lighter, cream-based, and closer to biscuits, these are rich, with a soft crumb and crisp, golden edges that invite a glossy maple drizzle.
The star ingredient here is maple sugar, which infuses the dough with a complex sweetness and a deep aroma. Made by boiling maple syrup until it crystallizes, it gives all the flavor of syrup without adding extra liquid to the mix. (You can read more about it and why it’s worth keeping in your pantry in my guide to maple sugar.) Its warmth and subtle caramel notes pair perfectly with a simple maple syrup–based glaze.
Serious Eats / Lorena Masso
The dough comes together in a food processor, a method that’s as efficient as foolproof. Pulsing the cold butter into the flour just until the pieces are the size of small peas ensures even distribution without overworking the dough. Those tiny nuggets of butter melt in the oven, creating steam pockets that cause the scones to rise tall during baking.
Once the dough clumps together in the food processor, it’s turned out on the counter, kneaded just a few times to bring it together, then gently patted into a thick round before cutting. Avoid over-kneading the dough, as this will make the scones tough. The dough should feel soft but not sticky, a sign of the proper fat-to-flour ratio.
Serious Eats / Lorena Masso
The glaze comes together in seconds with just confectioners’ sugar whisked with dark, robust maple syrup until smooth and pourable. It should be thick enough to cling to the scones, forming a glossy coating that hardens as it cools. It forms a sweet, slightly chewy shell that reinforces the maple flavor in every bite, without overwhelming the buttery crumb beneath.
30-Minute Buttery Maple Scones for Chilly Fall Days
Cook Mode
(Keep screen awake)
2/3 cup (160 ml) plus 2 tablespoons (30 ml) buttermilk, chilled
1 large egg
2 teaspoons (10 ml) vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour (13 1/2 ounces; 383 g)
2/3 cup maple sugar (4 2/3 ounces; 132 g)
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt; for table salt, use half as much by volume
12 tablespoons (170 g) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar (about 3 ounces; 90 g)
1/4 cup (90 ml) Dark or Very Dark maple syrup
Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 425°F (220℃). Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.
Serious Eats / Lorena Masso
In a 2-cup liquid measuring cup or small bowl, beat 2/3 cup buttermilk, egg, and vanilla together.
Serious Eats / Lorena Masso
In a food processor, pulse flour, maple sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until combined, about 5 seconds. Scatter cold butter over top and pulse until mixture resembles coarse crumbs, with butter pieces no larger than peas, about 10 one-second pulses. Add buttermilk mixture and pulse until dough forms clumps and no dry flour remains, about 12 one-second pulses, scraping down sides of bowl as needed.
Serious Eats / Lorena Masso
Turn dough onto a lightly floured work surface and knead briefly until dough just comes together, about 3 turns. Using floured hands, pat into an 8-inch round that’s about 3/4-inch thick. Using a knife or bench scraper, cut dough into 8 wedges.
Serious Eats / Lorena Masso
Arrange dough triangles one inch apart on prepared sheet, alternating directions. Brush tops of dough squares with remaining 2 tablespoons buttermilk. Bake until puffed and golden on the edges, about 15 minutes, rotating halfway through baking. Cool scones on baking sheet on wire rack for 10 minutes. Transfer scones to rack and set rack in now-empty baking sheet with parchment paper. Cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes.
Serious Eats / Lorena Masso
Whisk confectioners’ sugar and maple syrup until combined and drizzle evenly over scones. Let scones stand on wire rack until glaze is set and dry, about 30 minutes. Serve.
Serious Eats / Lorena Masso
Special Equipment
2-cup liquid measuring cup or small bowl, food processor, bench scraper, rimmed baking sheet, wire rack.
Make-Ahead and Storage
Dough triangles can be shaped,covered with plastic wrap on a rimmed baking sheet, and refrigerated up to 12 hours before baking.
Scones are best fresh, but can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.
