There’s something about the first cool days of fall that makes me want to put pumpkin in just about everything, and it seemed fitting to share this recipe on the very first day of October.

These sourdough discard pumpkin scones are an easy way to use up extra sourdough starter while making a cozy fall breakfast or afternoon treat. They’re lightly sweet, warmly spiced, and have those wonderful flaky, buttery layers that make a good scone so delicious.

And despite looking a little fancy, homemade scones really aren’t difficult to make.

If you have a jar of sourdough discard waiting in the refrigerator and a partial can of pumpkin that needs to be used, this is the perfect recipe for both.

Why You’ll Love These Pumpkin Sourdough Scones

These have quickly become one of my favorite ways to use sourdough discard in the fall.

The pumpkin adds flavor and tenderness without making the scones heavy, while cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves give them that familiar pumpkin-spice flavor.

They’re also:

• Made with simple pantry ingredients
• A great way to use sourdough discard
• Ready in well under an hour
• Freezer friendly
• Delicious plain or topped with maple glaze
• Just sweet enough for breakfast with a cup of coffee

Best of all, you don’t need an active, bubbly sourdough starter. This recipe was specifically designed for sourdough discard, so you can use starter straight from the refrigerator.

Ingredients

You’ll need:

All-purpose flour – The base of our scone dough.

Brown sugar – Adds a little sweetness and pairs especially well with pumpkin and warm spices.

Baking powder – Gives the scones their beautiful rise.

Salt – Don’t skip it. It balances the sweetness and brings out the other flavors.

Cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves – Our simple homemade pumpkin spice mixture.

Cold butter – Keeping the butter cold is one of the secrets to flaky scones.

Sourdough discard – This recipe is written for a 100% hydration sourdough starter.

Pumpkin puree – Be sure to use plain pumpkin puree rather than pumpkin pie filling.

Egg – Helps bind everything together and gives the scones structure.

Vanilla extract – Adds a little extra warmth and sweetness.

Cream or milk – You’ll only need this if your dough is too dry to come together, plus a little for brushing over the tops.

How to Make Sourdough Discard Pumpkin Scones

Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together 2 cups of all-purpose flour, brown sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves.

Grate 1/2 cup of very cold butter directly into the flour mixture. Toss everything together gently so the pieces of butter are coated in flour.

Don’t try to completely work the butter into the flour. Those little pieces of cold butter are exactly what we want. As they melt in the oven, they’ll help create flaky layers throughout the scones.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the sourdough discard, pumpkin puree, egg, and vanilla.

Pour the pumpkin mixture into the dry ingredients and gently fold everything together until a shaggy dough begins to form.

The moisture level of pumpkin puree and sourdough starter can vary, so don’t automatically add milk or cream. If the dough is simply too dry to hold together, add cream or milk one tablespoon at a time.

Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently press it together.

Fold the dough over itself two or three times. This little step helps create the beautiful layers you can see along the sides of the finished scones.

Pat the dough into a circle approximately 7–8 inches across and about 1 inch thick.

Cut the circle into 8 wedges and transfer them to the prepared baking sheet, leaving some room between each scone.

For even taller, flakier scones, place the baking sheet in the refrigerator or freezer for about 15–20 minutes before baking.

Brush the tops with a little cream or milk. If you’d like, sprinkle them with coarse sugar.

Bake for 18–22 minutes, or until the scones have risen and the tops and edges are lightly golden.

Let them cool for about 10 minutes before serving.

Optional Maple Glaze

These pumpkin sourdough scones are delicious just as they are, especially served warm with butter.

But if you want to turn them into a sweeter fall treat, a simple maple glaze is wonderful on top.

Combine:

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
• 1–2 tablespoons milk or heavy cream
• A tiny pinch of salt

Whisk until smooth, adding just enough milk or cream to make the glaze drizzleable.

Let the scones cool before drizzling the glaze over the tops.

Tips for Flaky Pumpkin Scones

The biggest thing to remember when making scones is don’t overwork the dough.

Scone dough isn’t supposed to look perfectly smooth. A somewhat shaggy dough with visible pieces of butter is a good thing.

Keep your butter very cold. I like grating cold butter because it distributes little pieces throughout the dough without requiring much handling.

Also resist the temptation to add extra liquid too quickly. Between the pumpkin, egg, and sourdough discard, there’s already quite a bit of moisture in this recipe.

If your dough feels sticky, add a light dusting of flour. If it’s crumbly but holds together when you press it, that’s just about perfect.

And don’t skip that short chill before baking if you have the time. Cold dough going into a hot oven helps keep the butter from melting prematurely and encourages the scones to rise instead of spreading.

Variations

Once you have the basic pumpkin scone recipe down, there are plenty of ways to change it.

Try adding 1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts for a little crunch.

Mini chocolate chips would make these sweeter and especially kid-friendly.

You could also skip the maple glaze and sprinkle the tops generously with cinnamon sugar before baking.

For something a little simpler, leave them completely plain and serve them warm with softened butter, apple butter, or maple butter.

Can I Make These Ahead?

Yes. In fact, scones are a great make-ahead breakfast.

Prepare and cut the scones, then place the unbaked wedges on a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze until firm. Transfer the frozen scones to a freezer container or bag.

When you’re ready to bake them, you can bake them straight from frozen. They’ll generally need a few additional minutes in the oven.

How to Store Pumpkin Scones

Scones are at their very best the day they’re baked, but leftovers can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for about 2 days.

For longer storage, freeze them.

Once completely cool, place the scones in a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to about 3 months. Thaw at room temperature or warm them gently in the oven before serving.

If you’re planning to freeze them, I prefer freezing the scones without the glaze and adding it after they’ve thawed.

Sourdough Discard Pumpkin Scones Recipe

Yield: 8 scones
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Chill Time: 15–20 minutes
Bake Time: 18–22 minutes
Oven: 400°F

Ingredients

• 2 cups (240 g) all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup (67 g) brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• Pinch of ground cloves
• 1/2 cup (113 g) very cold butter
• 1/2 cup (120 g) sourdough discard
• 1/2 cup (120 g) pumpkin puree
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1–2 tablespoons heavy cream or milk, only if needed
• Additional cream or milk for brushing
• Coarse sugar, optional

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Whisk together flour, brown sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves.
3. Grate the cold butter into the flour mixture and toss gently to coat.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk together sourdough discard, pumpkin puree, egg, and vanilla.
5. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Fold gently until a shaggy dough forms. If necessary, add milk or cream 1 tablespoon at a time.
6. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Gently press together and fold the dough over itself 2–3 times.
7. Pat into a 7–8-inch circle approximately 1 inch thick.
8. Cut into 8 wedges and arrange on the prepared baking sheet.
9. Chill for 15–20 minutes.
10. Brush the tops lightly with cream or milk and sprinkle with coarse sugar, if desired.
11. Bake for 18–22 minutes, until risen and lightly golden.
12. Cool for about 10 minutes before serving or glazing.

Optional Maple Glaze

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1–2 tablespoons milk or heavy cream
• Pinch of salt

Whisk together until smooth and drizzle over cooled scones.

A Simple Fall Sourdough Recipe

You don’t need an elaborate recipe to make an ordinary fall morning feel a little special.

A warm pumpkin scone, a cup of coffee, and a cool morning are sometimes enough.

And when that scone also uses something that might otherwise have been thrown away, even better.

So the next time you have sourdough discard waiting in the refrigerator, pull out that can of pumpkin and make a batch of these sourdough discard pumpkin scones. I have a feeling they’ll become one of those recipes you look forward to making every fall.