Buttery Apple Scones filled with bits of sweet apples and toasted pecans and topped with a delightful maple glaze. This wonderful small batch recipe will yield 4 tender scones.
If you're cooking for one or two, you will absolutely love this small batch apple cinnamon scone recipe. These scones are buttery, crumbly, and loaded with fresh diced apples and crunchy pecans.
They are absolutely perfect with coffee in the morning or to enjoy as an afternoon snack and they bake in just 20 minutes!
Why This Recipe Works
- Generally, biscuits and scones taste wonderful the day they are baked. By days two and three, scones will still be delicious but definitely not as good as on day one. That's why this small batch recipe is perfect for single households; it yields just 4 apple scones.
- The ingredients in this apple scones recipe can be doubled if you'd like to make a larger batch.
- These apple cinnamon scones are extra buttery and filled with apples.
- The edges of the scones are crumbly and the center of the scones are soft and tender.
- You only need one bowl and a spoon to mix the ingredients together, no electric mixer is necessary.
- These scones are made with pantry staples.
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Ingredients
See the recipe box below for ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions.
Ingredient Notes
- Flour: 1 cup of all-purpose flour is the standard amount of flour needed for homemade scones. You will also need a small amount for your hands and for dusting your work surface
- Baking powder and baking soda: Helps the scones rise.
- Salt and cinnamon: For flavor.
- Sugar: I recommend using 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar.
- Butter: Use 4 tablespoons (¼-cup) of cold, salted butter. Make sure to keep the butter in the refrigerator until you are ready to use it. Cold butter is essential in making the best tasting scones. It ensures the scones will be flaky with crisp edges.
- Milk: Use any percentage of cow's milk (whole, skim, 1%, or 2%). You can also use almond milk, half & half, or cream instead.
- Egg yolk: 1 egg yolk is all that's needed in this recipe. It adds flavor and structure. See below for ways to use the leftover egg white.
- Pecans: Feel free to use chopped walnuts or leave the nuts out altogether.
- Apples: I use one small apple in this recipe. Use your favorite variety of apples; Gala, Honey Crisp, or Granny Smith work great.
How To Make This Recipe
See the recipe box below for ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions.
- Start by mixing together flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, baking soda, and sugar together.
- Cut in pieces of cold butter and add 1 egg yolk and milk.
- Add in toasted pecans and chopped apples. I use one small apple.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Knead very lightly and form a circle. (Add a little more flour to the dough if the dough becomes too sticky to handle). Cut the dough into 4 wedges.
- Place the wedges onto the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool on baking sheet for a minute, then transfer onto wire rack.
- Make a glaze by whisking together powdered ½ cup powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon of heavy cream or milk, and 1 teaspoon of maple syrup. Spread over cooled scones.
RELATED: Small Batch Clotted Cream Recipe
Expert Tips
Scones are a key component of a traditional afternoon tea. However, apple scones are lovely for breakfast, brunch, and even dessert. With these easy tips, your scones will turn out perfect every single time.
- Be sure to use cold ingredients.
- The secret to flaky scones is to start with cold ingredients. Make sure your butter, eggs and milk are all cold. Just like making pastry, the fat has to be cold. If the butter gets warm, it melts and mixes into the flour.
- Don’t overwork the dough.
- Once you add in the liquid (eggs, milk, etc.) stir the dough very little to combine. Remember to handle the dough as little as possible. Over-mixing the dough will lead to scones that are rather chewy instead of light and flaky.
RELATED: 20 Single Serving Breakfast Recipes Worth Waking Up For
Frequently Asked Questions
You will use 1 egg yolk in this apple cinnamon scone recipe. Consider adding the egg white to scrambled eggs or use it in any of the following small batch recipes:
Meringues
Flourless Chocolate Pecan Cookies
Coconut Macaroons
Two Vanilla Cupcakes
Two Chocolate Cupcakes
Mini Texas Sheet Cake
You don't have to toast the pecans if you don't want to but I highly recommend that you do. Toasting nuts improves the texture of the nuts so they stay crisp when buried in baked goods.
For a larger batch of pecans, I usually toast them in the oven at a temperature of 350 degrees F (177 degrees C) for 5-6 minutes but since you'll only need ¼ cup for this apple cinnamon scone recipe, toasting them in a pan on the stove is easier.
To toast pecans on the stove, set the heat to medium-high. Add the pecans to the pan and toast them stirring occasionally for about 3-4 minutes. You'll have to keep a close eye on the pecans. When toasting them in a pan, pecans can scorch quickly.
This apple cinnamon scone recipe yields 4 delightful scones. They keep well in the refrigerator but are best eaten a day or so after baking them.
Yes, you can! Make and shape the dough into scones and freeze them on a baking sheet, then transfer the frozen unbaked scones to a zip-top bag. Unbaked scones can be frozen for up to 3 weeks. Bake them straight from frozen, adding a couple of minutes to the baking time.
It's completely up to you. I like to peel mine but you can leave the peel on.
Other Small Batch Scone Recipes
- Strawberry White Chocolate Scones
- Ham and Cheese Scones
- Triple Chocolate Scones
- Lemon Poppy Seed Scones
- Peach Scones
- Cream Scones
RELATED: Small Batch Clotted Cream Recipe
Ways To Use Leftover Ingredients
Other single serving apple recipes:
- Apple Pie
- Apple Muffin
- Apple Crisp
- Apple Pie Granola
- Apple Galette
- Mini Dutch Apple Pie
- Small Batch Apple Cider Donuts
- Apple Dutch Baby For One
Other recipes using pecans:
- Pecan Pie
- Butter Pecan Granola
- Butter Pecan Ice Cream
- Pineapple Lime Jello Salad
- Mini Hummingbird Cake
- Small Batch Pralines
- Breakfast Bread Pudding
If you would like information on the cooking and baking dishes I use in our “recipes for one”, please visit our FAQ page.
For examples of the dishes used at One Dish Kitchen, please visit our Store page.
If you’ve tried these apple cinnamon scones or any recipe on One Dish Kitchen please let me know how you liked it by rating the recipe and telling me about it in the comment section below.
Also, if you take a picture please tag us on Instagram (@onedishkitchen) we’d love to see it!
Small Batch Apple Cinnamon Scones
See the post above for expert tips,
FAQs and ways to use leftover ingredients.
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- ¼ cup salted butter , cold - cut into small pieces, ½ stick
- 1 egg yolk
- ¼ cup milk
- ¼ cup pecans , chopped and toasted
- ½ cup peeled and chopped apples (Appx. 1 small apple)
GLAZE
- ½ cup powdered sugar , sifted
- 1 tablespoon heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C)
- Line a baking sheet with silpat or parchment paper.
- In a mixing bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, baking soda and sugar.
- Using a pastry blender or two knives, cut the butter into the flour mixture until mixture looks like coarse crumbs.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the egg yolk and the milk. Pour into flour mixture and stir until just combined.
- Gently stir in the toasted pecans and the diced apples.
- Turn the dough out onto a large lightly floured cutting board or work surface. Knead very lightly and form a circle. (Add a little more flour to the dough if the dough becomes too sticky to handle).
- Cut the dough into 4 wedges.
- Place the wedges onto the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown.
- Let cool on baking sheet for a minute, then transfer onto wire rack.
- TO PREPARE THE GLAZE
- In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, cream and maple syrup until smooth. Spread over the tops of the cooled scones. Top with additional chopped pecans, if desired.
Notes
- Be sure to use cold ingredients.
- The secret to flaky scones is to start with cold ingredients. Make sure your butter, eggs and milk are all cold. Just like making pastry, the fat has to be cold. If the butter gets warm, it melts and mixes into the flour.
- Don’t overwork the dough.
- Once you add in the liquid (eggs, milk, etc.) stir the dough very little to combine. Remember to handle the dough as little as possible. Over-mixing the dough will lead to scones that are rather chewy instead of light and flaky.
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Tamara Pearis says
Added chopped Walnuts instead of pecans. Perfect snack.
Thanx!!!
Ginny says
Can I freeze these after baking and warm them in the oven for a short amount of time another time? What temperature and how long?
Joanie Zisk says
I recommend freezing the scones unbaked. Make and shape the dough into scones and freeze them on a baking sheet, then transfer the frozen unbaked scones to a zip-top bag. Unbaked scones can be frozen for up to 3 weeks. Bake them straight from frozen (425 F), adding a couple of minutes to the baking time.
Ronda says
Awesome recipe. The toasted pecans and the maple in the glaze make them so amazing and they looked beautiful. Even had a slight mishap with the pecans still being a bit too warm after toasting. I quickly cut the scones and put them in the freezer for a few minutes before baking. Cooking fail averted and perfect results.
Have you or anybody else tried cutting them smaller for tea?
Sue mcbride says
I'm not understanding the recipe .when you roll the dough out then cut into triangles do you put the filling on the fold over you never explained
Joanie Zisk says
The apples and pecans are all mixed into the dough as stated in step 6. Then, the dough is very gently kneaded into a round circle and then cut into triangles. Transfer the triangles onto a baking sheet and bake. I'm not sure what you are referring to with the "filling on the fold over".
SHEILA BARTHOLOMEW says
Do you have a receipe for blueberry scones and can I use frozen strawberries in the Strawberry While Chocolate scones.
Joanie Zisk says
Yes, you can use frozen and thawed strawberries. As for blueberry scones, we don't have a recipe but you can use the strawberry scone recipe and instead of using strawberries, use blueberries instead (and leave out the chips, if you would like). The scone recipe itself is a base recipe that I use for many different types of scones, so blueberries would definitely work and would be delicious.
Debra J Smith says
Hi, Joanie!
I have been enjoying your recipes! I have a question about your apple scone recipe. It doesn"t say whether or not to peel the apple.
Your Sesame Chicken recipe is my favorite so far. I have already made it 4 times! Thank you for what you have done for single people!!
Sincerely,
Deb Smith
Joanie Zisk says
Thank you, Deb for pointing that out. I recommend peeling the apple but it is really up to you. I prefer using peeled apples and I will make a note of it in the recipe. I'm so glad you are enjoying the recipes. Thank you!
Bee Leng says
Hi Joanie
Thank you so much for your one dish recipe.
If I want to bake a plain scones, can I just used the same recipe for apple
Cinnamon but without the apple ?
Hope to hearing from you. Many thanks
Joanie Zisk says
Yes you can leave the apples out if you'd like.
Jamie says
I just want to tell you how wonderful your recipes are! I recently have taken on the job of cooking for an elderly woman on the weekends. I had been searching the internet for single meals, when I came across all your recipes. Fabulous!!!!! It’s now been 6 weeks and all I get are rave reviews for the food. Thank you for cutting great recipes down for us. Keep up the good work.
Joanie Zisk says
Thank you so much, Jamie. Knowing that our recipes are helpful absolutely makes my day. Thank you so much for taking the time to let me know.
Have a wonderful week!
Sharon Clapson says
Just made the apple scones! Awesome recipe! Thankyou always wanted a smaller recipe😊👍
Joanie Zisk says
I'm so glad you enjoyed the scones. Thank you for taking the time to let me know.
Lynn Allen says
Love Scones, apple was super YUMMY and the strawberry white chocolate too! Do you have a recipe for Pumpkin Scones?!?