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Flaky and spiced cinnamon scones replace the cream in traditional cream scones with my favorite fall flavor shortcut: spiced coffee creamer! Each tender, crumbly scone is packed with warm cinnamon, vanilla, and hearty oats.
These homemade scones taste like ones from my favorite coffee shop, only better! I can’t wait to wash these down with a cinnamon dolce latte or London fog this season.
I’ve been on a fall breakfast kick lately with my apple French toast casserole and pumpkin pie cinnamon rolls. Recently, I made these cinnamon scones drizzled with creamy spiced glaze and they turned out to be exactly what my morning needed. These are a fun take on cream scones. Instead of heavy cream, I make them with my favorite seasonal coffee creamer. It’s the BEST hack. It fills these cinnamon scones with flavor and keeps the insides moist and flaky. Add in some wholesome oats, and you have a hearty, satisfying fall treat.
Why I Love This Cinnamon Scones Recipe
- Wholesome ingredients. I love making these cinnamon scones with ingredients like yogurt and oats, and half the amount of butter as their coffee shop relatives.
- Versatile. I’ll serve these for breakfast, brunch, afternoon tea, or even for dessert. Basically, any time I’d enjoy a cozy cup of coffee or a mug of hot chocolate. They’re also great for gifting during the holidays, too!
- Perfect for fall. These cinnamon scones wrap up my favorite fall flavors into a delicious baked treat. They’re tender inside, crisp outside, and packed with warm cinnamon flavor. The creamy spiced glaze is the cherry on top.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Another reason I love these cinnamon scones? Most of the ingredients below are already in my pantry, and I’ll bet they’re in yours, too. Check out my notes and scroll to the recipe card for a printable list with the full recipe details.
- Flour and Rolled Oats – There’s something about adding oatmeal to these scones that makes them taste a bit like an oatmeal cookie. For the best texture, I recommend baking with rolled oats (old-fashioned oats) and not quick oats or steel-cut oats.
- Sugar – Granulated sugar or brown sugar, it’s up to you.
- Baking Powder – Not to be confused with baking soda. Be sure to use fresh baking powder (check those expiration dates!).
- Spices – Ground cinnamon and salt for the scones, plus additional cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves for the glaze. You can swap the individual spices with pumpkin pie spice if you prefer.
- Cold Butter – Emphasis on COLD. Cutting the chilled butter into cubes makes it easier to mix into the dough.
- Coffee Creamer – You can use any flavored or unflavored creamer you’d like, see below. I use Coffee Mate’s Cinnamon Vanilla Coffee Creamer or International Delight’s seasonal Pumpkin Spice Coffee Creamer. Both taste great in these scones.
- Plain Yogurt – I use nonfat, but full-fat or Greek yogurt also works.
- Vanilla – Make sure it’s real extract and not artificial vanilla.
- Powdered Sugar – You’ll combine powdered sugar, a.k.a. confectioner’s sugar, with spices and extra creamer to make the (optional) glaze.
Change Up the Flavors
The beauty of this scones recipe is that it’s super easy to customize. Just change up the coffee creamer! Many brands like Coffee Mate and International Delight have loads of different flavors, from Hazelnut to Peppermint Mocha (I feel some inspiration coming on…). Feel free to choose your favorite.
How to Make Cinnamon Scones
The perfect homemade scones start with cold ingredients, but the process is simple. Scones are like the banana bread of the pastry world, they don’t need any yeast or rising time. Just a quick knead before they go into the oven, that’s it.
Check out the steps for this cinnamon scones recipe here, and be sure to scroll to the recipe card for printable instructions.
- Make a crumble. Start by cutting cold butter into the dry ingredients. I usually get in there with my hands, but you can use a pastry cutter if you have one.
- Add the wet ingredients. Afterward, make a well in the center of the mixture and add the creamer, yogurt, and vanilla. Fold the dough together using a wooden spoon.
- Knead and shape the dough. Now, you’ll knead the dough before shaping it into a disc. Cut the disc into wedges (try to make them the same size) and move the scones to a lined baking sheet.
- Bake. Bake these cinnamon scones at 425ºF for 15-18 minutes. While the scones cool, make the glaze.
- Add the glaze. Whisk the glaze ingredients together in a bowl. Once the scones have cooled enough, spoon the glaze over each scone. Let it set, and enjoy!
Make-Ahead
One of my favorite holiday baking hacks is making the scone dough in advance and freezing it for later. To make these cinnamon scones in advance, I place the unbaked wedges in a single layer on a baking tray, freeze them until they’re solid, then transfer them to a resealable freezer bag. When I’m ready to bake, the scones can go into the preheated oven from frozen. I just add a minute or two to the baking time.
Tips and Variations
- Use chilled ingredients. Make sure that your butter, creamer, and yogurt are cold from the fridge before you mix them into the dough. Cold ingredients are key to the scones’ flaky texture.
- Don’t overmix. Once you’ve added the wet ingredients to the flour mixture, be careful not to overwork the dough. Mix gently until it’s just combined. Overmixing can lead to dense, tough scones.
- Pay attention while the scones bake. I give a range for the baking time. This is because not all ovens bake the same, and the exact baking time will vary a bit depending on the thickness of your scones, etc. Keep an eye on your cinnamon scones so that they don’t dry out in the oven.
- Check for doneness. You may need to sacrifice a scone, but that’s OK. To check if the scones are done, break one open. The inside should be moist and cooked through, and not wet or doughy.
- Mix-ins. Mix a handful of chocolate chips, crushed nuts, raisins, or dried cranberries into the dough.
- Add fruit. Add fresh fruit like blueberries, chopped strawberries, or raspberries. Try diced apples for delicious apple scones!
- Add frosting. Instead of cinnamon glaze, top these scones with the tangy cream cheese frosting from my blueberry scones.
- Skip the glaze. Sprinkle the tops of the scones with brown sugar or coarse sugar before baking, for a crunchy finish.
What to Serve With Scones
These cinnamon scones go perfectly with a simple cortado coffee or homemade pumpkin spice latte at breakfast, brunch, or in the afternoon. I like to dunk the scones into my drink or enjoy them topped with butter or crème fraîche. And if it’s a holiday brunch, you can bet there’s a pitcher of apple cider mimosas close by!
Scones are even great dolloped with whipped cream, or spread with preserves, like apricot jam or leftover cranberry sauce.
Storing Leftovers
- At room temperature. Store the cinnamon scones in an airtight container or resealable bag on the counter for up to 3 days.
- Reheat. Warm the scones in the microwave for a few seconds or in the oven for a few minutes, until heated through.
- Freeze. To freeze baked scones, place them into a freezer bag or freezer-safe container with parchment paper between any layers. Freeze the scones for up to 2 months and thaw them in the fridge before reheating and/or serving. See the How To section earlier for tips on how to pre-freeze the unbaked scones.
More Fall Breakfast Ideas
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Cinnamon Scones
Ingredients
For The Scones
- 2½ cups all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup rolled oats
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 5 tablespoons cold butter, cut in pieces
- ½ cup cinnamon vanilla coffee creamer, or regular heavy cream
- ½ cup nonfat plain yogurt
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
For The Glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- pinch of nutmeg
- 2 tablespoons cinnamon vanilla coffee creamer, or your favorite creamer
Instructions
For The Scones
- Prep. Preheat oven to 425˚F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or Silpat and set aside.
- Mix the dry ingredients. In a large mixing bowl combine flour, oats, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt; whisk until completely incorporated.
- Cut in the butter. Rub the butter into the dry ingredients with your fingers, or with a pastry cutter. Rub until the mixture resembles fine crumbs.
- Add the wet ingredients. Make a well in the center and pour in the creamer, yogurt, and vanilla. Using a wooden spoon, combine all the ingredients just until the dough comes together.
- Knead the dough. Transfer the dough onto a lightly floured surface; flour your hands and knead the dough five times.
- Shape the scones. Shape the dough into a disk and cut it into 8 wedges. Transfer all the wedges to the baking sheet, leaving about 1-inch space between each scone.
- Bake. Bake the scones for 15 to 18 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool for 2 minutes, and then transfer the scones to a wire rack.
For The Glaze
- Make the glaze. Meanwhile, in a small mixing bowl, combine the powdered sugar, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and creamer; whisk until smooth. If the glaze is too thick, add more milk; if the glaze is too thin, add more powdered sugar until you reach the desired consistency.
- Drizzle over the scones. Spoon and spread the glaze over each scone. Allow the glaze to set before serving.
Equipment
Notes
- Change up the creamer. I used a cinnamon-flavored creamer for this recipe, but feel free to use any flavored (or unflavored) creamer you want. Pumpkin pie spice creamer is another favorite!
- Use chilled ingredients. Ensure your heavy cream and any butter or fats you use are cold. This helps achieve a flakier texture in the scone.
- Don’t overmix. When combining the wet and dry ingredients, stir just until they come together to avoid overworking the dough and ending up with tough scones.
- Watch the bake. Be attentive to the baking time. These cinnamon scones might need a few more minutes than regular scones, but you also don’t want them to dry out. They should be moist inside, but not wet or doughy.
- How to store: Store the scones in an airtight container and enjoy them within a few days for the best freshness. If storing longer, consider freezing and reheating when ready to enjoy.
Nutrition
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
