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Flaky, tender apple cinnamon scones filled with fresh apple and toasted pecans under a maple glaze. This small batch recipe is made from scratch and makes just 4 scones.
Quick Look
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Cool Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 37 to 40 minutes
- Equipment: Rimmed baking sheet
- Cook Method: Oven
- Servings: 4 scones
- Difficulty: Easy
- Flavor Profile: Sweet apple and warm cinnamon with a buttery, flaky crumb, toasted pecan crunch, and a smooth maple finish.
These easy apple scones come together in one bowl and bake up flaky and tender, a small batch of 4 you can make just for yourself.
Why You’ll Love This Small Batch Apple Cinnamon Scone Recipe
These apple cinnamon scones are one of my favorite things to bake on a cool morning. They come out flaky and tender, warm from the oven with maple glaze settling into the top and soft apple and pecans in every bite. A batch is just four scones, the right amount for one or two people.
Everything mixes by hand in one bowl, no mixer needed. You cut cold butter into the flour, stir in the chopped apple and pecans, pat the dough into a 5-inch circle about an inch deep, and cut into four wedges. It goes from bowl to oven in about fifteen minutes.
The scones bake up flaky because I keep the butter cold. Cold butter turns to steam in the oven and lifts the layers. I also built this as a batch of four from the start, one cup of flour and one small apple, so the crumb stays tender, which is easy to lose when you shrink a bigger recipe down.
If you like these, I have more small batch scones to try, like my small batch peach scones or small batch blueberry scones. If you have apples to use up, make a mini apple cake or a mini Dutch apple pie.
Ingredients
Every ingredient in this apple scone recipe is one you can find at any grocery store. Here’s what to use and why. If you have anything left over, our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder will point you to single serving recipes that use it up.
All-Purpose Flour: Use 1 cup, plus a little for dusting the counter. A 1:1 gluten-free blend works if you need it.
Cold Salted Butter: Keep it cold and cut it into the flour in small pieces. Cold butter melts into steam in the oven, and that steam is what gives the scones their flaky layers and crisp edges.
Milk: Any milk works, from whole down to skim. Almond or oat milk keeps them dairy-free.
Egg Yolk: One yolk is enough for a batch this small. It adds richness and binds the dough without weighing it down. Save the white for our egg white recipes.
Pecans: Toasting brings out the flavor before the pecans go into the dough. Walnuts work too, or leave the nuts out. Extra pecans can go into a mini Italian cream cake or single serving banana nut bread.
Apple: Use one small apple, peeled. Gala, Honeycrisp, Granny Smith, and Golden Delicious all hold up well, so use whichever you have on hand.
Recipe Variations
A few simple swaps change the flavor or texture of these cinnamon apple scones.
Apple Cheddar Scones
Mix 1/8 cup grated sharp cheddar into the dough for a savory version.
Caramel Apple Scones
Drizzle homemade salted caramel over the cooled scones, or fold a few caramel bits into the dough before baking.
Cinnamon-Sugar Topping
Before baking, brush the tops with a little milk or cream and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon coarse or turbinado sugar mixed with 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon. It bakes into a crisp, sweet top.
Gluten-Free Apple Scones
Swap the 1 cup all-purpose flour for a 1:1 gluten-free baking blend. The rest of the recipe stays the same.
Apple Pie Spice Scones
Swap the 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon for 1/4 teaspoon apple pie spice. It adds nutmeg, allspice, and ginger notes along with the cinnamon.
How To Make Apple Cinnamon Scones
These photos walk you through the apple scones recipe step by step. See the recipe card below for exact amounts and full instructions.
Make the Scones
- Whisk the dry ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, baking soda, and sugar so the leaveners are evenly mixed in.
- Cut in the butter. Cut the cold butter into small pieces and work it into the flour with a pastry blender, fork, or your fingertips until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs with some pea-sized bits.
- Add the wet ingredients. Whisk the egg yolk and milk together, pour them in, and stir just until the dough starts to come together. It should look shaggy and a little rough, not smooth. Stop there.
- Fold in the apple and pecans. Gently fold in the chopped apple and toasted pecans, spreading them through the dough.
- Shape and cut. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently pat it into a 5-inch circle about 1 inch deep. If it sticks, work in a little more flour. Cut the circle into 4 equal wedges.
- Bake. Set the wedges on a parchment-lined or silicone-lined baking sheet, spaced apart. Bake at 425°F (220°C) for about 12 minutes, until the tops are golden and the edges look set. Cool on the sheet for 5 minutes, then move them to a wire rack.
Make the Glaze
- Glaze the scones. Whisk the powdered sugar, cream or milk, and maple syrup until smooth. Let the scones cool fully, then drizzle the glaze over the top so it sets instead of running off.
Serve the scones warm on their own, or with clotted cream and homemade refrigerator jam.
Expert Tips
Keep everything cold and work fast. If the butter, milk, and egg yolk warm up while you mix and shape, the scones bake up denser and lose their flaky edges. Keep them cold right until the pan goes into the oven.
Don’t overwork the dough. Stir and fold just until it holds together. The more you handle it, the more the gluten develops, and that turns the scones tough instead of tender.
Measure the flour correctly. Spoon the flour into the measuring cup and level it off. Scooping straight from the bag packs in extra flour and bakes up dry, heavy scones.
Cut the apple into small, even pieces. Small pieces spread through the dough and bake evenly, and they make the circle easier to cut into clean wedges.
Troubleshooting
If your apple scones aren’t turning out quite right, here’s how to fix common issues.
Why are my apple scones dry and crumbly?
Most often it’s too much flour. Scooping the cup straight from the bag packs in extra flour. Spoon the flour in and level it off, and pull the scones at about 12 minutes, as soon as the tops turn golden, so they don’t dry out from overbaking.
Why did my scones turn out dense or tough?
The dough was handled too much. Every extra stir and press develops the gluten and warms the butter, and both make scones heavy. Mix just until the dough holds together, and keep the butter cold right up to the moment they bake.
Why didn’t my scones rise?
Your baking powder or baking soda may be old. Leaveners lose their lift over time. To check baking powder, stir 1/4 teaspoon into 1/2 cup hot water and look for bubbles. To check baking soda, stir 1/4 teaspoon vinegar into 1/2 cup hot water, then add 1/4 teaspoon baking soda and watch for fizzing. Fresh leaveners react right away. Warm butter also flattens scones, so keep it cold.
Why is my glaze running off the scones?
The scones were still warm. A warm scone melts the glaze and it slides off the top. Let them cool completely first, and if the glaze still seems thin, whisk in a little more powdered sugar until it holds on the spoon.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Freeze the unbaked, shaped scones on a baking sheet, then move them to a zip-top bag for up to 3 weeks. Bake them straight from frozen at 425°F, adding a couple of minutes to the time.
Yes. Shape the scones, cover them, and refrigerate the dough overnight, then bake them fresh the next day.
Store baked apple scones in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, Gala, and Golden Delicious all hold their shape well. Granny Smith is tart, while Honeycrisp and Gala bake up sweeter, so use whichever you have.
No. Toasting is optional, but it brings out more flavor. Toast the pecans in a dry skillet over medium-high heat for 3 to 4 minutes.
Yes. This single serving scone recipe makes 4 scones, enough for one or two people. To serve more, double all the ingredients for 8 scones.
Yes. The scones are good on their own, so skip the glaze or serve it on the side.
Ways To Use Leftover Ingredients
If you have any ingredients leftover from this recipe, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder or you might like to consider using them in any of these single serving and small batch recipes:
RELATED: 20 Single Serving Breakfast Recipes Worth Waking Up For
If you’ve tried these apple cinnamon scones or any of my recipes for one, please rate the recipe and leave a comment below to let me know how they turned out. And if you snap a photo, tag us on Instagram (@onedishkitchen), I’d love to see it!
Small Batch Apple Cinnamon Scones
Equipment
Ingredients
For the scones
- 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 (½ stick) – cold and cut into small pieces
- 1 large egg yolk
- ¼ cup milk
- ¼ cup toasted pecans – chopped *see toasting notes below
- ½ cup peeled and chopped apples (1 small apple)
For the glaze
- ½ cup powdered sugar – sifted
- 1 tablespoon heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup
Instructions
Make the scones
- Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C) and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, baking soda, and sugar until evenly combined.
- Cut the cold butter into the flour with a pastry blender, fork, or your fingertips until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs with some pea-sized pieces.
- In a small bowl, whisk the egg yolk and milk. Pour it into the flour mixture and stir just until the dough starts to come together.
- Fold in the toasted pecans and chopped apple until they are spread evenly through the dough.
- Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently pat it into a 5-inch circle about 1 inch deep. If it sticks, work in a little more flour. Cut it into 4 equal wedges.
- Place the wedges on the baking sheet, spaced apart, and bake for about 12 minutes, until the tops are golden and the edges look set.
- Cool the scones on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack.
Make the glaze
- Whisk the powdered sugar, heavy cream, and maple syrup until smooth.
- Once the scones have cooled completely, drizzle the glaze over the top. Add extra pecans, if you like.
Notes
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.
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