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–+ servings
Gingerbread scones piled on a white cake stand on a green plaid towel.

Gingerbread Scones

By Tammy Spencer
Turn your favorite gingerbread cookie into a delicious and tender gingerbread scone. Spiced with cinnamon, ginger, and sweetened with molasses, these yummy scones will put you in a holiday mood with every bite!
5 from 1 vote
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Chilling Time30 minutes
Total Time1 hour 10 minutes
Servings: 8 scones
Calories: 314kcal

Special Equipment

Ingredients

For the scones

  • 2 cups (240 grams) all-purpose flour
  • 3 tablespoons (40 grams) light brown sugar, packed
  • 2 teaspoons (2 teaspoons) baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon (1 teaspoon) ground ginger
  • ½ teaspoon (½ teaspoon) baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon (½ teaspoon) kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon (½ teaspoon) ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon (¼ teaspoon) ground cloves
  • 6 tablespoons (85 grams) unsalted butter, cold, see Recipe Notes
  • ⅓ cup (114 grams) molasses
  • 1 (1) large egg yolk, beaten
  • ¼ cup (60 grams) heavy cream, see Recipe Notes
  • 1 (1) large egg white, lightly beaten
  • coarse sugar, for sprinkling, optional

For the icing

  • ½ cup (60 grams) powdered sugar, sifted
  • ½ teaspoon (½ teaspoon) pure vanilla extract
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons (1 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.
  • Make the scones: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, ginger, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and cloves.
  • If the butter is frozen, grate it using a box grater. Otherwise, cut the butter into small cubes.
  • 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. 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 molasses, egg yolk, and 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.
  • 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. 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 light brown. 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 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. 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.
  • 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.

Recipe Notes

How you cut up your butter isn't as important as keeping it cold. Either grate frozen butter on a box grater, or cut the chilled butter into small ½-inch cubes. Either way, make sure the butter is well chilled before cutting it into the flour mixture.
Heavy cream just makes the scones richer, but you can use any type of milk or milk-alternative that you'd like. The same holds true with the butter - you can use a butter substitute like Earth Balance. However, I wouldn't recommend using coconut products because that flavor could interfere with the gingerbread flavors here.

Nutrition

Serving: 1scone | Calories: 314kcal | Carbohydrates: 47g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 56mg | Sodium: 338mg | Potassium: 271mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 23g | Vitamin A: 408IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 111mg | Iron: 2mg