These Gingerbread Scones bring the warm, spicy flavor of gingerbread cookies to a tender, buttery scone. Made with molasses, brown sugar, ginger, cinnamon, and cloves, they're topped with crunchy coarse sugar and a sweet vanilla icing for an easy holiday breakfast or afternoon treat.
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Quick Recipe Summary ✨
Gingerbread Scones: Tender, buttery scones with the rich molasses and warm spice flavors of classic gingerbread, finished with crunchy coarse sugar and a sweet vanilla icing.
Classic gingerbread flavor: Molasses, brown sugar, ginger, cinnamon, and cloves give every bite that familiar warm and spicy holiday flavor.
Easy homemade scones: Make the dough by hand or in a food processor, then shape it into one simple disk and cut into 8 wedges.
Active Time: About 15 minutes • Chill Time: 30 minutes • Bake Time: 15 to 18 minutes • Total Time: About 1 hour 10 minutes
Difficulty Level: ⭐⭐ Easy to Medium. Simple scone technique - just keep the butter cold and don't over-mix the dough.
Yield: 8 scones • Freezer-friendly: Baked scones up to 3 months • Make-ahead: Freeze shaped unbaked scones up to 6 months and bake straight from frozen.
👉 Follow the detailed instructions and troubleshooting tips below for tender homemade gingerbread scones filled with cozy molasses and spice flavor.
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Why this recipe works
- Baking soda: Gives the molasses-rich dough extra lift
- Cold butter: Keeps the scones tender and crumbly
- Vanilla icing: Balances the deep molasses flavor with sweetness
Fall and Winter seem to be the time when treats made with molasses come to the fore - you might see Shoofly Pie (aka Molasses Pie) and molasses cookies on holiday tables.
Then there are the gingerbread treats. Whether you like gingerbread cookies to shape into gingerbread people or build a gingerbread house, it's a wonderful way to celebrate the holidays.
And let's not forget about a delicious gingerbread loaf! Soft and flavorful, it's a festive treat (pssst...my gingerbread recipe has a secret - I use sourdough discard in the batter, and no one is the wiser!).
So what if we incorporate those warm and spicy gingerbread flavors into a holiday scone? Friends, I give you Gingerbread Scones!
These gingerbread scones have a lovely rich flavor that just makes you think of soft gingerbread cake or gingerbread cookies. They're the perfect Christmas scone to start off your day with a cup of coffee or tea, or really, have one any time of day!
They won't be quite as tall and flaky as other scones, like cream scones or pumpkin scones, because the molasses is very thick and moist. However, a gingerbread scone will have a tender and chewy texture offset by a bit of crunch from the coarse sugar.
The vanilla icing adds more bright sweetness to offset the deep molasses flavors - it's the icing on the...uhm...scones, as it were!
If you love gingerbread, you're going to love these gingerbread scones!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
These are delicious. It is very easy to make. I made a molasses cream cheese frosting for them. Many thanks for sharing your recipe!
- Ken
Recipe ingredients
You'll need the following ingredients to make this gingerbread scones recipe:
Ingredient Notes
The basic scone ingredients are here: all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt, butter, egg, and a liquid to bring it all together (heavy cream and molasses, in this case). There's also a vanilla icing made from powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and milk.
Molasses: The major flavor in gingerbread! Like with Molasses Cookies or Shoofly Pie, it's the molasses that provides its big flavor to a gingerbread scone.
Use light or regular unsulfured molasses for a rich gingerbread flavor without bitterness. Don't use blackstrap molasses - its stronger, more bitter flavor will overpower the scones.
Brown sugar: Helping to sweeten these molasses scones, light brown sugar adds its molasses flavor as well.
Butter: How you cut up your butter isn't as important as keeping it cold. Generally I'll grate frozen butter on a box grater before cutting it into the flour mixture. You can also cut chilled butter into small ½-inch cubes. Either way, make sure the butter is well chilled before cutting it into the flour mixture.
Baking soda: In addition to the usual baking powder, we need the extra lift that baking soda provides to counteract the denseness of the molasses.
Spices: Ginger, cinnamon, and cloves are present and help to give these gingerbread scones their distinctive flavor.
Coarse sugar: I like to add a little crunch to the top of scones by sprinkling coarse sugar on the dough before baking. It's optional, but worth it.
See the recipe card for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
How to make gingerbread scones
Step 1: Make the dough
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, ginger, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and cloves (photo 1).
Toss the butter into the flour mixture to coat, then use a pastry blender, two forks, or your hands to work the butter into the flour until coarse, pea-sized crumbs appear (photo 2).
Don't overwork the dough
You don't want the butter to warm up and mix completely into the flour - instead you want to see distinct bits of butter in the dough. Those cold pieces of butter create steam as the scones bake, helping give them a tender, crumbly texture.
In a separate small bowl, whisk together the molasses, egg yolk, and heavy cream until smooth (photo 3)
Slowly add the molasses mixture to the flour mixture and mix until the dough just holds together (photo 4).
Making scones in the food processor
I've noticed as I've grown older that it's getting harder for me to make scone dough by hand, especially if I'm using frozen butter.
Using the food processor is a quick and efficient way to make scone dough, as long as you follow the #1 rule: Don't overwork the dough! Use short 5 to 10 second pulses to process the dough - you still want to see the chunks of butter after the dough is mixed. Here's a step-by-step breakdown:
- Pulse the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and spices until it's combined.
- Add the cubed cold butter to the flour mixture, half at a time, and pulse a few times. Stop as soon as you see the flour mixture looking crumbly with pea-sized pieces of butter.
- Add the molasses mixture and pulse just until the dough holds together.
Now you're ready to turn out the dough and continue with the recipe.
Step 2: Shape the scone dough
Line a half baking sheet pan with a Silpat silicone mat or parchment paper.
Transfer the dough to the prepared baking pan and shape it into a 6-inch disk, about ¾-inches high.
Brush the top of the dough with the egg white, then sprinkle on the coarse sugar, if using.
Using a knife or bench scraper, slice the disk into 8 wedges (photo 5)
Step 3: Chill and bake the dough
Pull the pieces away from the center of the disk so that they're about 1-inch apart at their outer edges. Place the uncovered scone-filled baking pan in the freezer for 30 minutes. This will allow the butter to firm up before baking.
Bake the scones for 15 to 18 minutes, or until they're lightly browned and the tops feel set when gently pressed. The edges of the scones should look baked, not wet or doughy (photo 6).
Transfer the scones to a cooling rack while you make the icing.
Step 4: Ice the scones
Sift the powdered sugar into a small bowl, then add the vanilla extract and 1 tablespoon of milk. Stir until the icing is smooth and leaves a trail when drizzled into the bowl (photo 7).
You might need to add an additional tablespoon of milk to get the right consistency.
Drizzle the icing onto the cooled scones and let it set before serving (photo 8).
Storage and make-ahead instructions
Storage instructions: Baked scones are best enjoyed right away, though leftover scones keep well at room temperature or in the refrigerator, stored in an airtight container, for about 3 to 5 days. They also freeze well, in an airtight bag, for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator then warm to your liking before enjoying.
Make-ahead instructions: For freshly baked scones anytime, freeze unbaked shaped scones on a wax paper-lined baking pan until solid, then place in an airtight bag for up to 6 months. Take out as many as you want to bake (there's no need to defrost them first), and bake at 375 °F for 17 to 20 minutes. Drizzle with icing if desired.
Tips for scone success
Two things make a big difference when making these gingerbread scones:
- Don't overmix the dough: Mix just until the dough holds together and you can still see small pieces of butter. Overworking it can make the scones tough.
- Keep the dough cold: The 30-minute freeze firms up the butter before baking, helping the scones hold their shape and rise properly.
Troubleshooting tips
Here are some issues you might encounter when making gingerbread scones:
- Dough is too dry or crumbly: Add heavy cream 1 tablespoon at a time, using no more than about 2 tablespoons extra.
- Dough is wet or sticky: Add flour 1 tablespoon at a time until the dough just holds together.
- Scones spread while baking: The butter was likely too warm. Keep the ingredients cold and don't skip the 30-minute freeze before baking.
- Scones are tough or dense: The dough was probably overworked. Mix only until it holds together and you can still see small pieces of butter.
- Scones don't rise much: Check that your baking powder and baking soda are fresh, and keep in mind that the molasses naturally makes these scones a little less tall than traditional scones.
- Icing is too thick or thin: Add milk a few drops at a time to thin it, or a little more powdered sugar to thicken it.
Questions asked and answered
Here are some questions you might have...
Gingerbread scones are tender and slightly chewy rather than exceptionally tall and flaky. The thick molasses adds moisture, giving them a softer texture that's somewhere between a traditional scone and soft gingerbread.
Yes, the icing can be left off if you want. While the coarse sugar provides sweetness and crunch on its own, the icing makes the finished scone sweeter and balances the molasses. It's up to you to add it or not.
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I hope you like this recipe! Let me know if you have any questions, and don't forget to leave a comment and rating. Thanks!
Slainté! L'chaim! Cheers!
- Tammy
More biscuit and scone recipes to try
Recipe
Gingerbread Scones
Equipment
Ingredients
For the scones
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons light brown sugar, packed
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold, grated or cubed, see Recipe Notes
- ⅓ cup molasses
- 1 large egg yolk, beaten
- ¼ cup heavy cream, see Recipe Notes
- 1 large egg white, lightly beaten
- coarse sugar, for sprinkling, optional
For the icing
- ½ cup powdered sugar, sifted
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 to 2 tablespoons milk, as needed
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 °F. Line a half baking sheet pan with a Silpat silicone mat or parchment paper. Set aside.Note: The instructions below are for making the dough by hand. If you want to use the food processor to make the dough, see the instructions in the post above.
- Make the scones: In a large bowl, whisk together the 2 cups all-purpose flour, 3 tablespoons light brown sugar, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1 teaspoon ground ginger, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, and ¼ teaspoon ground cloves.
- Toss 6 tablespoons unsalted butter into the flour mixture to coat, then use a pastry blender, two forks, or your hands to work the butter into the flour mixture until coarse, pea-sized crumbs appear. Don't overdo this step as you don't want the butter to warm up and mix completely into the flour.
- In a separate small bowl, whisk together the ⅓ cup molasses, 1 large egg yolk, and ¼ cup heavy cream until smooth.
- Slowly add the molasses mixture to the flour mixture and mix until the dough just holds together. Using a bowl scraper will help to combine the dough in the bowl without your hands warming up the butter, plus you can see any crumbs at the bottom that still need to be mixed in. Remember, do not over mix the dough - you want to keep that butter cold and separate from the flour.The amount of liquid to add to the flour mixture depends on the humidity of the day. Squeeze a small amount of dough between your fingers, and add more heavy cream or flour, 1 tablespoon at a time (2 tablespoons maximum), if it's too crumbly or too wet.
- Transfer the dough to the prepared baking pan and shape it into a 6-inch disk, about ¾-inches high.
- Brush the top of the dough with the 1 large egg white, then sprinkle on the coarse sugar, if using. Using a knife or bench scraper, slice the disk into 8 wedges. Pull the pieces away from the center of the disk so that they're about 1-inch apart at their outer edges.
- Place the uncovered scone-filled baking pan in the freezer for 30 minutes. This will allow the butter to firm up before baking.
- Bake the scones for 15 to 18 minutes, or until they're lightly browned and the tops feel set when gently pressed. The edges of the scones should look baked, not wet or doughy. Transfer the scones to a cooling rack while you make the icing.
- Make the icing: Sift the ½ cup powdered sugar into a small bowl, then add the ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract and 1 to 2 tablespoons milk (starting with the lesser amount - you might need to add an additional tablespoon of milk to get the right consistency). Stir until the icing is smooth and leaves a trail when drizzled into the bowl.
- Drizzle the icing onto the cooled scones and let it set before serving.
- Storage instructions: Baked scones are best enjoyed right away, though leftover scones keep well at room temperature or in the refrigerator, stored in an airtight container, for about 3 to 5 days. They also freeze well, in an airtight bag, for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator then warm to your liking before enjoying.
- Make ahead instructions: For freshly baked scones anytime, freeze unbaked shaped scones on a wax paper-lined baking pan until solid, then place in an airtight bag for up to 6 months. Take out as many as you want to bake (there's no need to defrost them first), and bake at 375 °F for 17 to 20 minutes. Drizzle with icing if desired.
Ken Jackson says
These are delicious. It is very easy to make. I made a molasses cream cheese frosting for them. Many thanks for sharing your recipe!
Tammy Spencer says
Hi Ken, I’m so glad you liked them! That frosting sounds delicious - thanks for sharing, and happy baking 🙂
Tammy Spencer says
I enjoyed creating this recipe for you, and I hope you like it as much as I do. Please leave your questions or comments with a star rating so that other readers can benefit from your experience. Thanks!