Hey there, baking enthusiasts and seasonal treat lovers! With autumn in full swing, there’s nothing quite like the aroma of warm spices and the delightful blend of pumpkin and chocolate. One of my all-time favorite recipes this time of year is these Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Scones with Browned Butter Maple Glaze. Let’s dive right into this delightful fall-inspired recipe!
Jump to Recipe
What is Browned Butter? How to Brown Butter.
Browned butter, also known as beurre noisette, is a culinary magic trick that takes ordinary butter to an extraordinary level. It’s the process of cooking butter until it reaches an amber color, with a rich, nutty flavor.
To Brown Butter:
Start with a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Cut the butter into tablespoon-sized chunks to ensure even melting.
Place the butter in the saucepan and melt it over low to medium heat. Stir occasionally to prevent the butter from sticking to the pan.
As the butter melts, it will go through several stages. First, it will become frothy as the water content begins to evaporate. Then, it will start to bubble, and you’ll see the milk solids separate and settle to the bottom of the pan.
Continue to cook the butter, stirring frequently, until it turns a rich golden brown. The frothy-ness will kind of come back, so you’ll have to push that froth aside to really see the butter underneath. You’ll notice a nutty aroma and the appearance of brown specks at the bottom of the pan.
Remove the pan from the heat and transfer the browned butter to a heat proof container.
If you’re looking for other yummy browned butter recipes, check these out:
–Pancake Cupcakes with Browned Butter Maple Frosting
–Browned Butter Maple Scones with Browned Butter Maple Glaze
Pro Tips for Making Scones
Scones, although they seem simple, can be a bit tricky to perfect. Here are some key tips to ensure your pumpkin chocolate chip scones turn out just right:
Cold Ingredients: Use only slightly softened butter, don’t let it sit out at room temperature for too long before using. Most people recommend you use stone-cold butter. I am not a fan of that, because working cold butter into dough takes time, and I’m lazy! Just as long as you chill your dough before you bake it, you can use slightly softened butter that you let sit out at room temperature for about 30 minutes.
Don’t Overwork the Dough: Mix the ingredients until just combined. Overmixing results in tough scones. You can also use your hands to break up the butter a little more if you need to. Sometimes that works best when using cold butter.
Chill the Dough: After shaping the scones, let them chill in the fridge for around 30 minutes. This step helps maintain their shape and texture during baking.
Baking Time: Keep an eye on the scones while they’re in the oven. They should be golden brown on the bottom while remaining soft inside. I don’t normally pay too much attention to the top of my scones. Check the bottom part that’s touching the pan to make sure you’re not burning them!
Use Clean Parchment Paper: Line your baking sheet with clean parchment paper for each batch you put in the oven. I know it’s tempting to reuse that parchment paper you only used once! But, trust me, if you reuse your parchment paper, you’re risking burning the bottoms of your scones.
How to Make Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Scones with Browned Butte Maple Glaze
Ingredients:
Scone Ingredients:
– 2 cups all-purpose flour
– 1/3 cup granulated sugar
– 1 tablespoon baking powder
– 1/2 teaspoon salt
– 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
– 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
– 1/2 cup unsalted butter (cut into pieces)
– 1/2 cup canned pumpkin puree
– 1/4 cup heavy cream
– 1 large egg
– 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
– 3/4 cup chocolate chips (Mini or regular-sized. I used both, because I didn’t realize I had run out of regular sized!)
Browned Butter Maple Glaze Ingredients:
– 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, browned and then cooled
– 1 cup powdered sugar
– ¼ cup maple syrup
– 1-2 teaspoons milk (If you think your glaze is too thick)
Instructions:
For Scones:
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
Mix in the butter using a pastry cutter, a big fork or your fingers (I use a combination of fork and fingers) until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Your goal is to break up the butter so that there are not huge chunks of it in your batter. Little lumps of butter are fine–they actually help the texture of your scones!
In another bowl, mix together the pumpkin puree, heavy cream, egg, and vanilla extract. Mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until just combined. Gently mix in the chocolate chips, try not to overmix the dough.
Transfer the dough to a floured surface and pat it into a rectangle that’s about an inch thick. I like to use parchment paper on a cookie sheet. Just make sure you use a new, clean piece of parchment paper for baking! Then, chill your scones in the fridge for about 30 minutes.
While your scones chill, turn your oven to 400° F to preheat. Line a cookie sheet with clean parchment paper.
Cut your scones into triangular wedges. Place them on your parchment paper-lined cookie sheet, leaving a good amount of space between them, because they will expand. I had to do 2 batches, just to make sure they had room enough to expand.
Bake your scones for about 10-14 minutes. Make sure you watch them carefully, as they burn easily! You will know they are done when they are slightly golden on the bottom.
Let your scones cool completely before adding glaze
For Browned Butter Maple Glaze
Take your cooled browned butter from earlier and, in a mixing bowl, whisk it together with the powdered sugar, maple syrup. Add milk or cream as needed for desired consistency.
Spread the glaze over the cooled scones and allow it to set before serving.
There you have it! These pumpkin chocolate chip scones are a perfect balance of flavors, and the browned butter maple glaze takes them to a whole new level of deliciousness. Serve them with your favorite hot beverage for the ultimate autumn treat. Enjoy baking and savoring the flavors of fall!
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Scones with Browned Butter Maple Glaze
Ingredients
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Scones
- 2 cups flour
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 Tbsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- 1/2 cup butter slightly softened, mostly cold, cut into pieces
- 1/2 cup canned pumpkin puree
- 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 3/4 cup chocolate chips
Browned Butter Maple Glaze
- 1/4 cup butter browned and cooled
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1-2 tsp milk optional, for texture
Instructions
To Make Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Scones
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg
- Mix in the butter using a pastry cutter, a big fork or your fingers (I use a combination of fork and fingers) until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Your goal is to break up the butter so that there are not huge chunks of it in your batter.
- In another bowl, mix together the pumpkin puree, heavy cream, egg, and vanilla extract.
- Mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until just-combined. Then, gently add on chocolate chips, trying not to overmix.
- Shape the dough into a rectangle on a flat, lightly floured surface (I use parchment paper on a cookie sheet). Your rectangle should be about an inch thick.
- Chill your dough in the fridge for 30 minutes before baking.
- While dough chills, preheat your oven to 400°F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- Cut your chilled dough into rectangular wedges and place on lined cookie sheet, leaving at least 1.5 inches between them so they can expand.
- Bake for 10-14 minutes, or until you see the bottom of the scones turning just golden brown. Watch carefully, as scones tend to burn quickly!
- Allow scones to cool before adding glaze.
For Browned Butter Maple Glaze
- Cut 1/4 cup butter into chunks and brown on the stove. Remove from the heat and allow to cool before continuing with glaze.
- Mix browned butter, maple syrup and powdered sugar together in a bowl until smooth. If you think the glaze is too thick, you can add some milk or cream.
- Spread glaze on cooled scones and let set for about an hour or two.
