Chai Apple Cinnamon Scones
These fresh apple cinnamon scones have the best apple flavor, warm spices, and a delicious cinnamon glaze on top. Serve them for breakfast, brunch, or dessert for any fall occasion!
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoon chai spice blend see notes for recipe
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup red apples, grated
- ⅓ cup heavy cream, cold
- 1 tbsp granulated sugar for the tops
- ¼ teaspoon chai spice blend for the top
Cinnamon Glaze
- ⅓ cup powdered sugar
- 1-2 tablespoon milk any kind of milk works!
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
Making the Scone Dough
- Prepare a sheet pan with parchment paper and set it aside.
- In a large bowl whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, chai spice, cinnamon, and salt.
- Make a well in the middle of the flour mixture and pour in the grated apples and heavy cream.
- Use a spoon to gently mix the dough together. Once it starts to clump together, use your fingers to rub the dough together until there are no more dry spots of flour.
- Set the bowl aside for 5 minutes. If the dough is still very dry after resting, add an extra 1 teaspoon of heavy cream. It should feel soft and moist!
- 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 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 to 400 F/205 C.
- When the oven is ready, lightly brush the tops of the scones with a bit more heavy cream.
- Mix together the extra granulated sugar and chai spice together and generously sprinkle it over the tops of the scones.
- Bake for 18 minutes or until they start to brown around the edges and top. Let the tray cool on a wire rack before glazing!
Making the Glaze
- To make the glaze, place all of the ingredients in a bowl and whisk to combine. Add more powdered sugar if it's too thin.
- Drizzle over cooled scones and enjoy!
Notes
Step by step process photos are provided above, in the body of this post.
Chai Spice Blend Recipe:
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon cloves
- ¾ teaspoon ginger
- ¼ teaspoon cardamom
- ¼ teaspoon all spice
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- Apples: Fresh apples work best for this recipe. I recommend Gala or Fiji apples for the best taste and texture!
- Chai spice: You can substitute the chai spice for any of your favorite spices like cardamom or just plain cinnamon.
- Heavy cream: Full-fat heavy whipping cream is required for tender and fluffy scones. Make sure you leave it in the fridge until you are ready to use it so it stays cold!
- Use a kitchen scale. Baking with a scale is much more accurate than cup measurements. To convert this recipe, click the "metric" button next to the ingredients title on the recipe card.
- Keep the cream cold. I recommend leaving it in the fridge right up until you're going to pour it into the bowl. Cold cream is important for flaky and tender scones.
- Don't over mix the dough. Mix the dough until just combined, otherwise, the scones will be tough and not tender.
- Chill the scones before baking. Don't skip the quick chill in the freezer! This will help the scones keep their shape even after baking.
- Room temperature: Store the baked scones in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days. You can also leave them on the baking tray and wrap the tray tightly in plastic wrap.
- Freezer: Once formed and cut into triangles, you can freeze the scones on a baking tray until frozen solid. Then transfer them to a sealable container for up to one month.