Tender flaky homemade Gingerbread Scones with sweet golden raisins, warm spices, and a wonderful molasses glaze!
Enjoy these scones with our gingerbread muffins and wash them down with a gingerbread latte!
My friend Sue told me last year that whenever she thinks of scones, she thinks of me. I laughed. But I know what she’s referring to. Ever since making my first homemade scones I’ve been obsessed, taking my favorite base and altering it every which way I can think of including strawberry scones, lemon blueberry scones, pumpkin scones, and many others.
These gingerbread scones are my latest, embracing the fall season. With a moist, tender crumb and loaded with sweet golden raisins, warm gingerbread spice, and a rich molasses glaze, they are so amazing!
Ingredients Needed
Here’s what you’ll need to make this gingerbread scones recipe:
(Scroll below to the printable recipe card for details and measurements.)
- All-purpose flour – Spooned and leveled, don’t scoop when measuring or you could end up with excess flour which results in a dry, crumbly scone.
- Baking powder – Helps the scones rise.
- Granulated sugar – For sweetness.
- Coarse salt – To balance our the sweetness.
- Gingerbread spice – This is what gives the scones their signature gingerbread flavor. It’s located with all the other spices and typically next to the cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice. If you can’t find it, it’s a combination of ground ginger, cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg.
- Unsalted butter – This is what makes the scones nice and flaky. It should be very well chilled and cut into a bunch of small cubes (or grated.) We prefer unsalted butter to control the saltiness of the overall scone.
- Golden raisins – I love the natural sweetness and texture raisins bring to this baked good. They compliment the other flavors so well. If you absolutely hate raisins, you can omit them. Consider adding butterscotch chips in their place.
- Half and half – This is simply equal parts heavy cream and whole milk. The best tender scones are made with a thick liquid like heavy cream or half n half.
- For the glaze – Powdered sugar, half-n-half, and molasses.
How to Make Gingerbread Scones
These scones are super easy to make in only a few steps.
(Scroll to the bottom for our easy printable recipe with details and the complete directions.)
- Combine dry ingredients. Whisk together the dry ingredients until incorporated.
- Cut in the chilled butter. Using a pastry blender (or your hands!) cut in the chilled butter until mixture resembles fine crumbs.
- Add raisins. Toss in the raisins and coat lightly with the flour mixture.
- Mix in the half-n-half. Add half and half and fold together gently until the mixture just begins to come together and forms a soft dough. It will be wet. (Do not knead or over mix the dough.)
- Form the dough. Turn dough out onto a floured surface and pat into a 1-inch thick circle, without kneading. (If dough is very sticky, sprinkle with just a hint of flour.) Using a sharp knife or bench scraper, cut into 6 triangles.
- Bake. Place scones on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake at 400F for approximately 15-18 minutes or until no longer wet, and golden on top and bottom.
- Cool and glaze. While they cool, make the glaze. Then you can either gently dunk them or drizzle the icing on top.
Tips for Success
To ensure your homemade scones come out perfectly, follow these simple tips:
- Measure the flour accurately. Spoon and sweep when measuring your flour, don’t scoop.
- Have your refrigerated items well chilled. Cold ingredients are key.
- Use small pieces of butter. Cut the butter into tiny cubes (or grate the butter). Don’t use large cubes or slices.
- Avoid thin liquids. Using water, fat-free milk, or non dairy milk can result in dry, flat baked scones. Half-n-half or cream is best.
- Don’t overwork the dough. Kneading or handling the dough too much will result in a rock hard scone.
Proper Storage
Homemade scones are best enjoyed the day they’re made, but if you have leftovers, you can store them.
- Counter. These gingerbread scones will keep at room temperature in an airtight container for 3 days. Keep them away from heat, humidity, and moisture. You can store them in the fridge, but it does tend to dry them out and not our preference.
- Freezer. To freeze, allow baked scones to cool completely, and freeze before topping with icing. Transfer to a freezer-safe bag and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then top with icing.
- Make the dough ahead of time. You can form the dough, tightly cover them, and place in the refrigerator the night before baking.
More Scones Recipes:
- Strawberry Shortcake Scones
- Lemon Blueberry Scones
- Pumpkin Scones
- Chocolate Chip Zucchini Scones
- Orange Creamsicle Scones
I hope you love this delicious and easy recipe – be sure to give it a review below! Also don’t forget to follow Belly Full on TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube!
Gingerbread Scones
Ingredients
For the Dough
- 2 cups all-purpose flour , spooned and leveled
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
- 3 teaspoons gingerbread spice
- 6 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter , cut into small cubes
- 1/2 cup golden raisins
- 3/4 cup half and half
For The Glaze
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1/4 cup half and half
- 1/2 tablespoon molasses
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, and gingerbread spice. Add butter and cut in with a pastry blender (or your hands) until mixture resembles crumbs.
- Toss in the raisins. Add half and half and fold together gently until the mixture just begins to come together and form a soft dough. (Do not knead or over mix the dough.)
- Turn dough out onto a floured surface and pat into a 1-inch thick circle. (If dough is very sticky, sprinkle with just a hint of flour.)
- Using a sharp knife or bench scraper, cut into 6 equal triangles.
- Place scones on prepared baking sheet and bake 15-18 minutes or until cooked through and golden. Remove from oven and cool for about 15 minutes.
- In the meantime, make glaze by whisking together powdered sugar, half and half, and molasses until smooth. (If glaze is too thick, add a bit more half n half. If it’s too thin, add more powdered sugar.)
- Dunk the tops of the scones into the glaze until coated. Place back onto the baking sheet and allow the glaze to drip down the sides. (Glaze will firm up when scones are completely cool.) Eat and enjoy!
This recipe.was.easy to follow and the maple.glaze is killef!
Scones were easy and so delicious. I cut the icing by half.
Would you know the amounts of allspice, ginger, nutmeg and cinnamon would equal the amount of gingerbread spice
I would probably do 1 & 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon, 3/4 teaspoon nutmeg, and 1/4 teaspoon EACH ground ginger and allspice.
We made these today and OMG they are amazing! The only thing I did different was a used chopped up candied ginger instead of the golden raisins. Thanks for such a yummy recipe!
Color me shocked how easy and delightful these came out. Thank you for sharing!!
First time making homemade scones and won’t be the last – so easy and delicious with a soft texture. Loved them!
these were absolutely wonderful!