✔ Updated · new copycat recipe with step photos
These copycat Starbucks pumpkin scones are soft, tender and warmly spiced, with that thick white glaze and the stripes of cinnamon icing on top. They taste like the coffeehouse version, fresh from your own oven.
How Do You Make Starbucks Pumpkin Scones? (Quick Answer)
Whisk 2 1/2 cups flour, 1/3 cup brown sugar, 1 tablespoon baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon and salt. Rub in 1/2 cup cold butter, then stir in 2/3 cup pumpkin puree, 1/4 cup cream, an egg and vanilla. Cut into 8 wedges, freeze 15 minutes and bake at 400°F for 15 to 18 minutes. Cool, dip in white glaze and pipe on spiced icing.
At a glance
The one tip that matters: Keep the butter cold and freeze the cut wedges for 15 minutes. Cold butter makes steam in the oven, and that's what gives you a tall, tender scone.
Why You'll Love These Scones
- Soft and cake-like thanks to pumpkin puree and a splash of cream.
- Two glazes, just like Starbucks a sweet white layer plus spiced icing stripes.
- One bowl, no mixer a fork and your fingertips do all the work.
- Make-ahead friendly freeze the unbaked wedges and bake straight from the freezer.
- Fall in every bite cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and clove from the pumpkin pie spice.
What Makes These Taste Like Starbucks?
The coffeehouse pumpkin scone is softer and more cake-like than a classic British scone, and the two glazes are the giveaway: a sweet white coat underneath and thin stripes of spiced icing on top.
So I use plenty of pumpkin puree and a little cream for that tender crumb, brown sugar for warmth, and pumpkin pie spice in both the dough and the stripes. My test for any copycat is whether it tastes like the memory and whether a home cook can make it reliably. These pass both, with no mixer needed.
Ingredient Notes
Exact amounts are in the recipe card below.
- Pumpkin puree: plain canned pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling, which is already sweetened and spiced.
- Cold butter: straight from the fridge. Grating it on a box grater is the fastest way to get small, even pieces.
- Heavy cream: adds richness and a soft crumb. Whole milk works in a pinch.
- Pumpkin pie spice: a blend of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves. You can make your own (see the FAQ).
- Powdered sugar: for both glazes. Sift it if it's lumpy so the icing pipes smoothly.
Step-by-Step Photos
Here's how it comes together. Exact amounts, times and temperatures are in the recipe card below.
Tips for Success
- Measure the flour gently. Spoon it into the cup and level it off. Scooping straight from the bag packs in extra flour and makes dry, heavy scones.
- Blot the pumpkin if it's wet. Some canned pumpkin is watery. If yours looks loose, press it between paper towels for a minute so the dough doesn't get sticky.
- Don't overmix. Stop stirring the second the dough comes together. A shaggy dough bakes up tender; a smooth one bakes up tough.
- Freeze before baking. Fifteen minutes in the freezer keeps the wedges tall and the edges sharp, like the coffeehouse triangles.
- Glaze only when cool. My first batch got glazed warm and the icing slid right off. Wait the full 30 minutes, and the glaze sets thick and white.
- Get the kids on icing duty. Lucy loves piping the spiced stripes, and a wobbly line still tastes perfect.
Copycat Starbucks Pumpkin Scones
8
scones20
minutes16
minutes440
kcal1
hour15
minutesA copycat-style version of the Starbucks pumpkin scone: tender, cake-like triangles made with pumpkin puree, brown sugar and pumpkin pie spice, dipped in a sweet white glaze and finished with stripes of spiced icing. Makes 8 scones.
Ingredients
- For the Scones
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
1/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cubed or grated
2/3 cup canned pumpkin puree (not pie filling)
1/4 cup heavy cream, plus 1 tablespoon for brushing
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- For the White Glaze
1 cup powdered sugar
1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons milk
- For the Spiced Icing
1 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons milk
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
Directions
- Make the scones
- Heat the oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment. In a large bowl, whisk the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon and salt.
- Add the cold butter and rub or cut it in with a pastry blender or your fingertips until the largest pieces are the size of small peas.
- In a second bowl, whisk the pumpkin puree, 1/4 cup cream, egg and vanilla. Pour into the flour mixture and stir with a fork just until a shaggy dough forms. A few dry bits are fine.
- Turn the dough onto a floured surface, press it into an 8-inch round about 1 inch thick, and cut it into 8 wedges. Set them on the baking sheet 2 inches apart and freeze for 15 minutes.
- Brush the tops with the remaining tablespoon of cream. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, until risen, lightly golden and firm in the center. Cool completely on a rack, about 30 minutes.
- Glaze
- Whisk the white glaze until thick but pourable. Dip the top of each cooled scone in it or spread it on, and let it set for 10 minutes.
- Whisk the spiced icing, spoon it into a small zip-top bag, snip a tiny corner and pipe thin stripes across each scone. Let the icing set for 15 minutes before serving.
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More Starbucks Pumpkin Copycats
Make it a full pumpkin morning with my homemade pumpkin spice latte, or bake a loaf of Starbucks-style pumpkin bread. You'll find every coffeehouse favorite in our Starbucks copycat recipes.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is in a Starbucks pumpkin scone?
It is a soft pumpkin and spice scone topped with a white glaze and stripes of spiced icing. This copycat uses pumpkin puree, brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice, butter, cream and egg, with two simple powdered sugar glazes.
When does Starbucks sell the pumpkin scone?
It is a seasonal fall item that usually appears with the autumn menu and leaves after the season. Timing varies by year and location, which is why I like having this copycat to bake any time.
Why are my pumpkin scones flat?
Usually the butter was too warm or the dough was overmixed. Keep the butter cold, stir only until the dough comes together, and freeze the cut wedges for 15 minutes before baking.
Can I use fresh pumpkin?
Yes, but roast and puree it, then drain it well in a sieve. Fresh puree holds more water than canned, and wet dough spreads in the oven.
Can I make pumpkin scones ahead?
Yes. Freeze the unbaked wedges on a tray, then bag them for up to 2 months. Bake from frozen at 400°F, adding 3 to 5 minutes. Glaze after they cool.
How do I store pumpkin scones?
Keep glazed scones in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, or refrigerate for up to 4 days. Bring them to room temperature or warm for 10 seconds in the microwave before eating.
What can I use instead of pumpkin pie spice?
Mix 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon ginger, 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg and a pinch of cloves for the scones. For the icing, use cinnamon plus a pinch of nutmeg.
