Glazed Apple Scones

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our privacy policy.

The tender scones are studded with fresh apple pieces and topped with a spiced vanilla glaze. These apple scones make a delicious fall breakfast or afternoon snack.

Glazed apple scones cooling on a wire rack.

This time of year I’m a big fan of apples for breakfast.

Sometimes I have fun and make things like caramel apple cinnamon rolls or apple cider donuts. Other times, it’s as simple as spreading a little of my slow cooker apple butter on a piece of toast and shoving it in my mouth while I get the kids ready in the morning.

These glazed apple scones fall somewhere in the middle. They’re easy enough to make, but scones always look fancy, don’t they?

I’ll be snacking on these perfectly spiced scones all fall, until it’s time for cranberry orange scone season!

Apple scone cut in half and whole apple scone on a white plate.

How to make glazed apple scones

These glazed apple scones are a perfect fall breakfast or afternoon snack.

I based this recipe on my vanilla bean scone recipe, adding plenty of diced tart apples and a little apple pie spice to the tender dough and vanilla frosting.

Imagine relaxing with one of these ea scones cinnamon latte oh cold infusion with sweet maple cream. Hand me a comfy blanket and a full TikTok page for you and I’m good to go for hours.

Like all of our scone recipes, these apple scones are easy to make and can even be frozen for later. You’re moments away from tender, flavorful scones!

Ingredients you will need

For the apple scones you will need:

⅓ cup granulated sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
1 ¼ teaspoons homemade apple pie spice
½ teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons frozen unsalted butter
½ cup vanilla yogurt
1 large egg
1 tablespoon of milk
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
1 large Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, and chopped (about 1 cup)

Ingredients for apple scones laid out on a work surface.

Before you get started, make sure you know how to measure flour correctly. This will help your scones come out perfect every time.

I like to use frozen butter in this recipe and grate it into the dry ingredients. If you don’t want to go this route, you can simply keep the cold butter in the fridge and cut it into the dry ingredients using a pastry cutter.

I like to use vanilla yogurt in this recipe. The lactic acid in yogurt adds a little tanginess to scones and helps keep them tender.

If you don’t have vanilla yogurt, feel free to use full-fat sour cream or plain Greek yogurt. You can add a little more vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste if you go this route, but it’s not necessary.

If you don’t have a Granny Smith apple on hand, any good baking apple will work! Some other options include Golden Delicious, Jonathan, Mcintosh, and Jonagolds.

For the spicy glaze you will need:

3 tablespoons melted unsalted butter
1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
½ teaspoon homemade apple pie spice
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
1 tablespoon plus 2-3 teaspoons milk

If you’re out of powdered sugar, you can make a powdered sugar substitute to use in this recipe instead.

Pin it now to find it later

Pin it down

Preparing this recipe

To get started with this apple scone recipe, whisk together the dry ingredients: sugar, flour, baking powder, baking soda, apple pie spice, and salt.

Now use a box grater to grate frozen butter into dry ingredients. Once it’s all grated, use your fingers to incorporate it into the flour mixture until you have something that resembles coarse flour.

In a small bowl or measuring cup, whisk together the yogurt, egg, milk, and vanilla. Add it to the flour and butter mixture.

The wet ingredients for the apple scones are whisked together in a bowl.

Use a fork to mix the dough. Once large lumps have formed, add the diced apple.

Using your hands, gently press the dough against the sides of the bowl to form a ball. It will be sticky at first, but will come together as you work it.

Apple scone dough pressed into a ball in a metal bowl.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and pat it into a circle about 7 inches in diameter and about 3/4 inch thick. Use a sharp knife or dough lama/bench scraper cut the dough into 8 wedges.

Move the apple scone pieces to a lined baking sheet, placing them about 1 inch apart. Bake at 400°F until golden brown. It will take approximately 15-17 minutes.

Baked apple scones on a lined baking tray.

Let the scones cool for about 10 minutes while you whisk together the icing ingredients until smooth. Once the scones have cooled a bit, dip the tops into the icing.

Allow the icing to harden for a few minutes before serving.

spiced vanilla icing mixed together in a glass bowl.

Tips for storing and freezing

Store glazed apple scones in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

If you want to freeze the scones, you can do so before or after baking.

Before baking, place the cut triangles on a lined baking tray. Place the baking sheet in the freezer for an hour or until the scones are completely frozen. Place them in a zip-top freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months.

When ready to bake, place as many apple scones as you like on a lined baking sheet from frozen and bake according to recipe instructions, adding 1-2 minutes to baking time if necessary. Frost as directed.

If freezing after baking, place the cooled, frosted scones in an airtight container or zip-top freezer bag and freeze for up to one month.

When you’re ready to enjoy it, remove an apple scone from the freezer and place it in the microwave for 30 to 60 seconds on a microwave-safe plate to thaw and reheat.

Close up of two apple scones on a plate, with a bite taken from one of them.

Frequently asked questions

I don’t have vanilla yogurt on hand, can I use plain yogurt instead?

Yes, you can use plain Greek yogurt or sour cream in place of vanilla yogurt. If you prefer, you can add an extra touch of vanilla extract to the scone dough, but it’s not required.
I recommend using full fat sour cream if you go this route.

Two glazed apple scones on a white plate next to a glass of milk.

Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugar, flour, baking powder, baking soda, apple pie spice, and salt until smooth.
Grate the butter into the flour mixture on the large holes of a grater; use your fingers to work in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse flour.
In a small bowl, whisk the yogurt, egg, milk, and vanilla until smooth.
Using a fork, mix the yogurt mixture with the flour mixture until large clumps of dough form. Add the diced apple. Use your hands to press the dough against the bowl until it forms a ball. The dough will be quite sticky at first, but as you press the dough it will come together.
Place dough on a lightly floured surface and pat into a 7-inch circle about 3/4 inch thick. Use a sharp knife to cut into 8 triangles; place on prepared baking sheet, about 1 inch apart. Bake until golden brown, about 15 to 17 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes and prepare the glaze.
In a medium bowl, make the frosting by mixing together the melted butter, powdered sugar, apple pie spice, vanilla, and 1 spoonful of milk. Beat until smooth. Add more milk in small increments until the frosting reaches the desired consistency. Dip the tops of the scones into the icing and let the icing harden.

Serve: 1muffin, Calories: 382kcal, Carbohydrates: 53G, Protein: 5G, Fat: 17G, Saturated fat: 10G, Polyunsaturated fats: 1G, Monounsaturated fats: 4G, Trans fats: 1G, Cholesterol: 63mg, Sodium: 256mg, Potassium: 114mg, Fiber: 1G, Sugar: 28G, Vitamin A: 537UI, Vitamin C: 1mg, Soccer: 77mg, Iron: 2mg

Nutrition information is calculated automatically, so should only be used as an approximation.