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Hold up—did Starbucks discontinue the pumpkin scone?! I know I’m not the only one wondering this when, yet again, the coffee chain unveiled its fall lineup…sans vanilla-glazed treat. Heartbreakingly, it’s at least off the shelf for a second year, a fact Starbucks confirmed via tweet, while recommending grabbing a pumpkin cream cheese muffin instead.
Sure, the pumpkin cream cheese muffin is great, but it’s no scone. For me, that was my fall indulgence (sorry, PSL); the snack that ushers me into sweater weather. 
Photos: Candace Braun Davison
Given my love of the scone—and how often I’d head to the ‘Bucks, only to find out it’s sold out—I took matters into my own hands, deciding to make a copycat pumpkin scone, glaze and all. First, I started by researching what was out there. And after seeing half the recipes online, I knew I needed a few shortcuts. Because, well, I’m lazy. And I had a newborn at home, so any project that used to take me 30 minutes to do now takes approximately 3 full days. So my only shot at actually enjoying scones is to take a few liberties, and you know what? You can’t taste the difference. Scout’s honor.
How We Modified a Pumpkin Scone Recipe to Make It Easier (and No-Knead)
I used Damn Delicious’s recipe as the base, then started adapting it from there. I don’t have time to knead dough, and even with a liberal flouring of my hands and every surface, it was still a little too sticky to work with, so I simply used a cookie scoop instead of carefully rolling and cutting the dough into triangles. Different shape, same flavor and texture. And fewer things to clean. I also eliminated some of the spices, in favor of Pumpkin Pie Spice, and bumped up the brown sugar, because that caramel-y sweetness really makes the treat stand out.
Try it yourself:
Ingredients
- FOR THE SCONES:
- 2 c all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1/2 c packed brown sugar
- 1 stick cold butter, cut into cubes
- 1/2 c pumpkin puree
- 3 tbsp milk
- 1 large egg
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- FOR THE GLAZE:
- 1 c powdered sugar
- 1 1/2 tbsp milk
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- FOR THE PUMPKIN SPICE DRIZZLE:
- 1 1/3 c powdered sugar
- 1 tbsp milk
- 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Make the Pumpkin Scones: In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice and brown sugar. Add cubes of butter, using your hands (or a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, set to low speed) to mix it in, forming a lumpy, sand-like mixture.
- In a separate bowl, combine pumpkin puree, milk, egg and vanilla extract. Slowly add to the dry mixture, mixing until a thick dough forms. Use a cookie scoop or large spoon spritzed with cooking spray (or canola oil, or butter) to scoop out large, golf ball-sized blobs of dough. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet about 2 inches apart, using your hand to smoosh them down a little.
- Bake for 10-11 minutes. If you gently press the top of the scone, it should be firm but springy to the touch (the cake pushes down but springs back up afterward). Set aside to cool.
- Make the Glaze: Combine the powdered sugar, milk and vanilla extract. You may need to add more powdered sugar, a spoonful at a time, until the glaze is as thick as Elmer’s Glue. Dip the cooled scones into the bowl of glaze, coating the tops entirely. (I just flip them upside down and dip them into the glaze, like you would frosting a donut.)
- Make the Pumpkin Spice Drizzle: Combine ingredients in a small bowl. Like the glaze, you may need to add a little powdered sugar if it’s too runny. Or add a spoonful of milk at a time, stirring in between additions, to loosen it up so it’s easy to drizzle. (I like a glue-like consistency, which I pour into a Ziploc bag, snipping off one end so I can draw nice, clean lines.) Zigzag the drizzle atop each cooled scone to garnish it. Let scones sit for about 5 minutes, so the drizzle can harden a bit, before serving.
Editor’s Note: This recipe debuted in November 2018. It has since been updated for you to enjoy today (and to ensure it still holds up!).
