These fresh and fluffy chai apple cinnamon scones are made with fresh apples, warm chai and cinnamon spice blend, baked to golden brown perfection, and then drizzled with a vanilla glaze. Easy and quick to make, these homemade scones are perfect for your morning breakfast pastry or as a dessert to share with friends and family!
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Why This Recipe Works
- The scones come together quickly and easily.
- You only need one bowl and a round cake pan to make them.
- They bake up fluffy, tender, and are full of apple cinnamon spice flavor!
Step by Step Video
What You Need For This Recipe
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Apple- you want to use the freshest apple possible, Gala or Fiji apples work the best for this recipe.
- Chai spice blend- you can substitute the chai spice for any of your favorite spices like cardamom or just plain cinnamon.
- Heavy cream- your cream needs to as cold as possible before you add it to the dough. This can not be substituted because you will need the fat from the cream for the scones to be soft and fluffy.
Recipe Instructions
Note: Full ingredient measurements and instructions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this page.
Step 1: In a large mixing bowl, add the flour, salt, baking powder, chai spice, sugar, and mix to combine.
Step 2: Using your spoon, create a well in the middle of the dry ingredients.
Step 3: Add the apples and cream to the center of the bowl in the well you made. Using the spoon, start to mix the flour into the cream, then use your hands to rub the dough together until the dry spots are slightly moistened.
Step 4: Step Let the bowl of dough sit for 5 minutes while the cream and apples hydrate the flour. If the dough is still very dry, add an extra 1 teaspoon of heavy cream to moisten it.
Step 5: Press the dough into a 6 inch cake pan as evenly as possible, then turn the pan over and shake it so that the round of dough falls out.
Step 6: Cut the dough into 6 triangles with a sharp chef's knife and then transfer the scones to a parchment lined baking tray.
Step 7: Freeze the scones for 15 minutes while the oven preheats to 400 degrees F/204 degrees C. When the oven is preheated, take the scones out from the freezer and brush the tops of them with a small bit of heavy cream.
Step 8: Sprinkle the tops of the scones with the chai cinnamon sugar and bake them for 18 minutes, or until the tops and corners start to brown.
Recipe Variations
- Apple scones with maple glaze
- Instead of milk, mix the powdered sugar with a bit of maple syrup until desired consistency.
Storage and Freezing Instructions
Once baked, store the scones in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days for maximum freshness.
These scones freeze really well after they are formed in step 6. Let the scones freeze until solid on a baking tray and then transfer them to a sealable container for up to 1 month.
FAQ + Expert Tips
Expert Tips
- Keep your cream cold until you're ready to use it- I recommend leaving it in the fridge right up until you're going to pour it into your bowl.
- Don't over mix the dough- What's the secret to a good scone? Don't over mix the dough!
- Only use fresh apples- Using apples that are older or starting to go bad will be too mushy and liquid to use.
- Always spoon measure your flour when baking!- This means using a spoon to fluff the flour first, then spoon it into your measuring cup. This will give the most accurate results when baking without a kitchen scale.
More Fall Recipes
- Apple Cider Donut Loaf Cake
- Plum Shortbread Crumble Bars
- Bakery Style Chocolate Chip Cardamom Muffins
- Apple Crumble Cake
- Salted Caramel Popcorn Cookies
- Gluten Free Pumpkin Bread
If you make this recipe, let me know how it went in the comments below, I'd love to hear from you! You can also tag me on Instagram or Facebook so I can check it out!
Recipe 📖
Chai Apple Cinnamon Scones
Equipment
- large mixing bowl
- cheese grater
- spoon
- 6 inch round cake pan
- chef's knife
- baking tray
- parchment paper
Ingredients
- 2 cups all purpose flour 250 grams
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon chai spice blend
- ⅓ cup white sugar 75 grams
- 1 large red apples, shredded about 1 cup (160 grams)
- ⅓ cup heavy cream, cold 70 grams
- 1 tbsp sugar, for topping
- ¼ teaspoon chai spice blend, for topping
Chai Spice Blend
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon cloves
- 1 ½ teaspoon ginger
- ½ teaspoon cardamom
- ½ teaspoon all spice
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
Vanilla Glaze
- ⅓ cup powdered sugar
- 1-2 tablespoon any milk
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
Instructions
- Prepare a baking pan with parchment and set aside.
- In a large bowl combine the flour, baking powder, salt, chai spice, and sugar. Mix with a spoon to combine.2 cups all purpose flour, 1 tablespoon baking powder, ¾ teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon chai spice blend, ⅓ cup white sugar
- Make a well in the middle of the flour and pour in the shredded apples and cream. Start mixing the flour into the cream and apples with a spoon until the dough starts to come together.⅓ cup heavy cream, cold
- Then using your fingers, rub the dough with your fingers until there are no more dry spots of flour. Set the bowl aside for 5 minutes while the dough hydrates. If the dough is still very dry after resting, add an extra 1 teaspoon of cream.
- Press the dough into a round 6 inch cake pan as evenly as possible. Then turn the pan upside down and shake it so that the round of dough falls out.
- Use a sharp chefs knife to cut the round into 6 equal sized triangles. Carefully transfer the scones onto the parchment lined baking tray, and then place the tray in the freezer for 15 minutes while the oven preheats.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F/205 degrees C.
- Remove the tray and use a pastry brush to brush the tops of the scones with a bit of heavy cream. Mix together the extra sugar and chai spice blend together and generously sprinkle the tops of the scones with the sugar.¼ teaspoon chai spice blend, for topping, 1 tablespoon sugar, for topping
- Bake the scones for 18 minutes or until they start to brown around the edges and top. Remove and let cool completely before glazing.
Making the Vanilla Glaze
- To make the glaze, place all of the ingredients in a bowl and whisk to combine. Add more powdered sugar if its too thin.
- Drizzle over cooled scones and enjoy!
Notes
- Keep your cream cold until you're ready to use it- I recommend leaving it in the fridge right up until you're going to pour it into your bowl.
- If your dough is too moist- If you dough is too moist and kind of sticky, that means that your apples were super juicy! In this case, lightly spray and flour your cake pan so that the dough doesn't stick to the pan when you are shaking it out.
- Only use fresh apples- Using apples that are older or starting to go bad will be too mushy and liquid to use.
- Always spoon measure your flour when baking!- This means using a spoon to fluff the flour first, then spoon it into your measuring cup. This will give the most accurate results when baking without a kitchen scale.
Nutrition
The calorie information provided for the recipe is an estimate. The accuracy of the calories listed is not guaranteed.
Kristy says
Enjoyed making these scones! Reminds me of fall!
Cambrea Gordon says
Hi Kristy! They are so good any time of year, right? I am so glad you enjoyed them!
Rachel says
These turned out sooo good! I definitely recommend!
cambreabakes says
Yay! So glad to hear that Rachel, thanks so much for making them and coming back to leave a review 🙂 Best, Cambrea
Anthony higuera says
Tasted very good, ate so many i had to take a nap.