Glazed Maple Walnut Scones (2024)

How to make maple scones

Making a maple scone recipe is pretty straightforward. You whisk your dry ingredients and cut in the butter. Next, mix in the wet ingredients and add to the dry ingredients.

Nothing too difficult.

These are drop scones, that is, portioned using a large cookie scoop rather than cutting the dough into portions. This gives the scones a less formal, more rustic look to them.

Step 1: Mix the flour mixture

Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl (photo 1).

Step 2: Cut the butter into the flour mixture

Grate the butter using abox graterand toss it into the flour mixture a little at a time (photo 2).

Step 3: Chop the walnuts

Here's a tip for the walnuts: since are drop scones, you can chop the walnuts on the coarser side (photo 4). But not too coarse. Think medium.

Step 3: Add the wet ingredients and the walnuts

In a medium bowl, whisk the heavy cream, maple syrup, brown sugar, and egg together until no lumps remain (photo 5).

Pour the cream mixture into the flour mixture, add in the walnuts, and stir just until the dough appears moistened (photo 6).

Try your best to not overwork the dough at any point. You should still see little pieces of butter in the dough.

Step 4: Bake the scones

Portion out ¼ cup of dough using a large cookie scoop (or an ice cream scoop) onto a half sheet baking pan lined with a Silpat silicone mat or parchment paper.

After brushing the scones with heavy cream with a pastry brush and sprinkling them with coarse sugar (for extra crunch), bake them at 400°F for 18 to 23 minutes (photo 7).

Step 5: Make the maple scone glaze

While the scones are in the oven, it's time to make the maple scone glaze.

Whisk the maple mixture into the sifted powdered sugar and stir until smooth (photo 8). The mixture will be thick, but should still drizzle from a spoon (like the consistency of molasses). Adjust the icing's consistency with water or powdered sugar in ½ teaspoon increments as needed.

Storage and make-ahead instructions

Storage instructions: Maple scones are best enjoyed right away, though leftover scones keep well at room temperature or in the refrigerator for about 3 to 5 days. Glazed or plain scones freeze well, up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator then warm to your liking before enjoying.

Make-ahead instructions: For freshly baked scones anytime, freeze the cut, unbaked scones in a ziplock bag. Take out as many as you want to bake (there's no need to defrost them first), and bake at 400°F for 20 to 25 minutes.

Questions asked and answered

Here are some questions you might have...

Why is maple syrup so expensive?

Basically, it's because maple syrup production is a labor intensive process. Pure maple syrup is made by boiling down the sap from the maple tree (a process similar to making boiled apple cider). Plus, the sugaring season, that is, the season that the sap is most abundant for boiling to make syrup, is only a few weeks long, in early spring.

Is maple syrup healthy?

As a sweetener, maple syrup is better for you than sugar because it contains antioxidants and minerals. And, it has less overall sugar and less fructose per tablespoon than honey.

What are drop scones?

For the scones

• ▢ 2½ cups all-purpose flour
• ▢ 1 tablespoon baking powder
• ▢ ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ▢ ½ cup unsalted butter, frozen and grated, see Recipe Notes
• ▢ ½ cup heavy cream, plus more for brushing on top of scones
• ▢ ⅓ cup pure maple syrup, Dark Amber, robust taste
• ▢ ¼ cup brown sugar, packed, light or dark
• ▢ 1 large egg
• ▢ 1 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
• ▢ 1 tablespoon coarse sugar, for sprinkling, optional

For the maple glaze

• ▢ 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup, Dark Amber, robust taste
• ▢ 1 tablespoon butter, unsalted
• ▢ ½ cup powdered sugar, sifted

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  Preheat oven to 400 °F. Line two half sheet baking pans with a Silpat silicone mat or parchment paper. Set aside.

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  Make the scones: In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together.

• ▢

  Grate the butter using abox graterand toss it into the flour mixture a little at a time. Once all the butter is grated, use apastry blender, two forks, or even your hands to work the butter into the flour until coarse, pea-sized crumbs appear. Set aside.

• ▢

  Coarsely chop the walnuts into medium-sized pieces.

• ▢

  In a medium bowl, whisk the heavy cream, maple syrup, brown sugar, and egg together until no lumps remain.

• ▢

  Pour the cream mixture into the flour mixture, add in the walnuts, and stir just until the dough appears moistened. Try your best to not overwork the dough at any point. You should still see little pieces of butter in the dough.

• ▢

  Using a large cookie scoop or an ice cream scoop to portion out ¼-cup mounds of the dough onto the prepared baking pan at least 3 inches apart. You might need to use a spoon to help get the dough out of the scoop. The dough will be sticky and a little wet.

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  Brush scones with cream, then sprinkle with coarse sugar if desired.

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  Bake scones for 18 to 23 minutes, rotating pans after 10 minutes, until lightly golden. Remove the scones from the oven and let them cool for a few minutes.

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  Make the glaze: While the scones are baking, you can prepare the maple glaze. Heat the maple syrup and butter together in a small saucepan over low heat, whisking occasionally. Once the butter has melted, remove from heat and let the mixture cool for 3 minutes.

• ▢

  Whisk the maple mixture into the sifted powdered sugar and stir until smooth. The mixture will be thick, but should still drizzle from a spoon (like the consistency of molasses). Adjust the icing's consistency with water or powdered sugar in ½ teaspoon increments as needed.

• ▢

  Drizzle the glaze over the still warm scones and let the glaze set about 10 minutes (if you can wait that long!). Serve & enjoy!

• ▢

  Storage Instructions: Scones are best enjoyed right away, though leftover scones keep well at room temperature or in the refrigerator for about 3 to 5 days. Glazed or plain scones freeze well, up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator then warm to your liking before enjoying.

• ▢

  Make-ahead instructions: For freshly baked scones anytime, freeze the cut, unbaked scones in a ziplock bag. Take out as many as you want to bake (there's no need to defrost them first), and bake at 375 °F for 20 to 25 minutes.

How you cut up your butter isn't as important as keeping it cold. Generally I'll grate frozen butter on a box grater (mostly becauseI don't have butter defrosted). If you'd rather, cut chilled butter into small ½-inch cubes. Either way will work.

Measure 1 cup (120 grams) whole walnuts to make 1 cup (113 grams) of chopped walnuts.

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