Packed with fresh apples and flowing with a chai spice blend, these apple chai scones are the best treat with your morning coffee.
A hot cup of chai tea always hits the spot. The cup of tea is even better paired with one of these apple chai scones. The flakey and soft scones use a fresh chai blend for a spice mixture and fresh apples to make a morning treat worth every bite.
If you love a premade chai spice blend, feel free to use it in this recipe. I prefer to make my own to balance out different spices and highlight the ones I like more. My blend includes a mix of cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, cloves, nutmeg, black pepper, and allspice. It doesn't stay too much from a traditional spice blend and keeps the flavors true to the name.
The apples are just as important as the chai seasoning, as they make a strong pairing. With apple season on the horizon, any variety of apples will be great in this recipe. If it is not apple season, try to go with something that bakes up well, like a Granny Smith or Honeycrisp.
Looking for more fall apple desserts? Try my apple crumb loaf or apple cider donut holes.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Fall Favorite - The warming spices plus the apples make the scones a peak fall treat.
- Freezer-friendly - These scones freeze very well, so make a second back to keep in the freezer for when you run out.
- Flavor burst - The chai spices are bold but not overpowering.
Ingredients Needed For Apple Chai Scones
See below for all the details on what you'll need to make the full recipe.
- Warming spice - For the chai spice, I use a blend of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, allspice, and black pepper.
- Butter - Keep the butter cold for best results.
- Apples - Any type of apple will work.
- Brown sugar - The brown sugar adds to the flavor and keeps the scones soft.
- Heavy cream - The heavy cream gets incorporated into the recipe and brushed on the scones for a crisp finish.
Directions For How To Make Apple Chai Blondies
- Prepare.
Preheat the oven to 400 and prepare a sheet pan with parchment paper. Set to the side.
- Grate the butter.
Grate the frozen butter over a medium-sized bowl. Place the bowl in the fridge until ready to use.
- Mix dry ingredients and mix dough.
Add the dry ingredients to a medium-sized bowl. Then, dump the grated butter on top. Combine the butter with the dry ingredients using a pastry cutter or your fingers until the flour resembles a pea-sized crumb and is very dry.
- Add wet ingredients.
Mix the heavy cream, egg, brown sugar, and vanilla in a bowl. Drizzle the mixture over the flour and butter mixture and gently combine. Then, fold in the apples. The mixture should be loose but mostly combined.
- Make the scones.
Pour the dough onto a floured surface and form it into a loose ball. Don't worry if it's still sticky. If it looks a bit too sticky, add a little more flour. However, if it seems too dry, add 1-2 Tablespoons of heavy cream. Shape the ball into an 8-inch disc. Using a knife or a bench scraper, cut the dough. For large scones, aim for 8 wedges. For smaller scones, split the dough into two 5-inch discs and cut into 8 wedges.
- Prepare the scones for baking.
Place the scones on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper about 2-3 inches apart. Brush the scones with the remaining heavy cream and coarse sugar, if desired. This will give the scones an extra crunch when baking. Refrigerate or freeze the prepared scones for 15 minutes.
- Bake the scones.
After 15 minutes, place the scones in the oven for about 18-24 minutes. Remove them from the oven when they form a golden brown ring around the edge.
- Make the glaze.
While the scones are baking, make the cinnamon glaze. Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and whisk. Pour the glaze over top of the scones when fully cool.
Serving Suggestions
The apple chai scones are great with a hot beverage like a cup of chai tea or fall-flavored coffee. If you want to up the flavor of the scones, try adding cinnamon butter or spiced jam on top.
Make Ahead and Storage
- To Make Ahead: These scones can easily be made ahead of time and kept in an airtight container for 2-3 days before serving.
- To Store: Store any extra scones in an airtight container for 2-3 days.
- To Freeze: Freeze the scones in an airtight container or plastic bag. The scones will last 2-3 months in the freezer when stored properly.
Tips and Variations
- Keep the butter cold - Warm butter is an easy way to ruin your scones. The cold butter creates the signature flakey texture. If you feel your butter getting warm at any point, place it in the freezer or fridge for a few minutes.
- Peel and chop - For a smooth texture in the scones, it is best to peel the apples before adding them to the dough. The apples can be given a rough chop and don't need precise cuts.
- Spices - If you prefer one spice over the other, you can add slightly more to the spice blend. Just make sure to balance them out so one doesn't overpower the other.
FAQs
A scone is a dense, crumbly pastry, while a biscuit has more layers, making it light and airy.
While the scones don't have to rest, it is best to place them in the fridge before baking. This will allow the butter to become cold again before the scones are baked.
If your scones are heavy and dense, the dough is likely overworked. Keep a light hand when mixing the dough, and handle it as little as possible when mixing everything together.
Apple Chai Scones
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and prepare a sheet pan with parchment paper. Set to the side.
- Grate the frozen butter over a medium-sized bowl. Place the bowl in the fridge until ready to use.
- Combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and spices in a medium-sized bowl. Then, dump the frozen grated butter on top of the mixture. Combine the butter with the dry ingredients using a pastry cutter, fork, or your fingers. The flour should resemble a pea-sized crumb and should have a sandy texture.
- Mix the heavy cream, egg, brown sugar, and vanilla in a small bowl. Drizzle the mixture over the flour and butter mixture and gently combine. When the mixture is just combined, fold in the apple chunks. It is okay if the mixture has dry patches, as it should be loose.
- Dump the dough onto a floured surface and form it into a loose ball. The ball may be sticky or too dry. If it is sticky, add more flour to the mixture. If it seems too dry and won't stick together, add 1-2 tablespoon of heavy cream. When the dough is together, roll it into a ball and flatten it into an 8-inch disc. Use a knife or a bench scraper to cut the dough into 8 wedges. Split the dough into two 5-inch discs for smaller scones and cut into smaller wedges.
- Place the scones on the prepared baking sheet. Brush them with the remaining heavy cream and top with coarse sugar, if desired. Refrigerate the scones for 15 minutes before baking.
- Bake the scones in the oven for 18-24 minutes. When the scones have a golden brown edge, they are done.
- While the scones are baking, make the cinnamon glaze. Combine the powdered sugar, heavy cream, and cinnamon in a small bowl. Mix until combined. If you want the glaze thicker or thinner, add more heavy cream or powdered sugar until it reaches the desired consistency.
- When the scones are fully cool, drizzle the glaze over the top.
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