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 apple 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 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 also be doubled if you'd like to make a larger batch.
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Ingredients
See recipe box below for ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions.
Step By Step 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 medium sized apple. I usually buy Gala apples so this is the type I mostly use in this apple scone recipe. Fuji, Golden Delicious, Granny Smith and Honeycrisp are also good apple choices.
- 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 1/2 cup powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon of heavy cream or milk, and 1 teaspoon of maple syrup. Spread over cooled scones.
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.
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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
You don't have to use toasted 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 1/4 cup for this apple cinnamon scone recipe, toasting them in a pan on the stove was 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.
Other Small Batch Scone Recipes
- Strawberry White Chocolate Scones
- Ham and Cheese Scones
- Triple Chocolate Scones
- Lemon Poppy Seed Scones
Other Single Serving Apple Recipes
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Ingredients
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1/4 cup salted butter , cold - cut into small pieces, 1/2 stick
- 1 egg yolk
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1/4 cup pecans , chopped and toasted
- 1/2 cup peeled and chopped apples (Appx. 1 small apple)
GLAZE
- 1/2 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.
Nutrition
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.
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
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!
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
Yes you can leave the apples out if you’d like.
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.
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!
Love Scones, apple was super YUMMY and the strawberry white chocolate too! Do you have a recipe for Pumpkin Scones?!?