Desserts Pastries Recipes Scones
Brown Butter Apple Pie Cinnamon Roll Scones
These brown butter apple pie cinnamon roll scones combine everything good about fall baking in one giant, flaky pastry. Thick sourdough scone dough is layered with homemade spiced apple butter, brown butter cinnamon sugar and salted maple vanilla glaze.
The folding method creates actual cinnamon roll layers running through every scone, while the apple butter caramelizes around the craggy edges. They taste like apple pie, apple butter, a cinnamon roll and a giant bakery scone all at once.
Ingredients you’ll need:
- Honeycrisp Apples: Cook down into a naturally sweet, concentrated apple butter with plenty of fresh apple flavor.
- Apple Cider: Intensifies the apple flavor while the homemade apple butter cooks.
- Cold Butter: Visible butter shards create the enormous flaky layers in the scone dough.
- Brown Butter: Adds a deep, toasted flavor to the cinnamon roll filling.
- Sourdough Discard: Adds moisture, tenderness and subtle tang to the scones.
- Greek Yogurt: Keeps the scone dough tender without making it heavy.
- Maple Sugar and Maple Syrup: Sweeten the apple butter, cinnamon filling and glaze with warm caramel flavor.
- Fall Spices: Cinnamon, nutmeg and cardamom give the apple butter its apple pie flavor.
- Vanilla Bean Paste: Adds rich vanilla flavor to the dough, apple butter and glaze.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Huge flaky layers: Cold grated butter creates dramatic bakery-style scones.
- Actual cinnamon roll ribbons: The folding method layers brown butter, cinnamon sugar and apple butter throughout the dough.
- Homemade apple butter: Honeycrisp apples and cider cook down into a dark, concentrated fall filling.
- Brown butter filling: Toasted butter makes the cinnamon maple layer taste deeper and nuttier.
- Sourdough discard friendly: This is a delicious way to use extra discard without making bread.
- Salted maple glaze: Thick maple vanilla glaze melts slightly into the warm scones.
- Made for fall: These deliver apple pie energy without putting pumpkin anywhere near them.
How to Make Apple Pie Cinnamon Roll Scones
Make the Apple Butter
Cook the apples, cider, maple syrup, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom and salt until the apples are extremely soft and most of the liquid has evaporated. Blend until smooth, return it to low heat and cook until dark, concentrated and thick. Stir in the vanilla and cool completely.
Brown the Butter
Cook 2 tablespoons of butter until deeply golden and nutty. Transfer it to a bowl and cool until thickened but still spreadable.
Make the Scone Dough
Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Grate the very cold butter directly into the flour and toss gently to coat the butter shards.
Add the Wet Ingredients
Whisk the sourdough discard, Greek yogurt, egg, maple sugar and vanilla. Fold the wet mixture into the flour until a shaggy dough forms, adding cold milk only if needed.
Add the Filling
Press the dough into a 9-by-13-inch rectangle. Spread a very thin layer of brown butter over the dough, sprinkle with cinnamon maple sugar and add a thin layer of completely cooled apple butter.
Create the Layers
Fold the bottom quarter of the dough upward, then fold it over itself another 2 or 3 times to create one long, thick rectangle with alternating layers of scone dough, cinnamon sugar and apple butter.
Chill the Dough
Transfer the rectangle to the freezer for 15 minutes so the butter, dough and apple butter become completely cold.
Cut the Scones
Cut the chilled rectangle into 8 large triangles. Arrange them several inches apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet, brush with milk and sprinkle with maple sugar.
Bake
Bake at 425°F for 14 to 17 minutes, until enormously puffed and deeply golden. Cool for approximately 10 minutes.
Add the Glaze
Whisk finely powdered maple sugar with maple syrup, vanilla, salt and enough milk to create a thick glaze. Drizzle it over the warm scones and finish with flaky salt.
Come Cook With Me
Tips for the Best Apple Pie Scones
- Cook the apple butter until it is extremely thick and concentrated.
- Cool the apple butter completely before spreading it over the dough.
- Grate the butter while it is very cold.
- Leave visible butter pieces throughout the scone dough.
- Mix the dough gently and stop as soon as it comes together.
- Add cold milk only if the dough is too dry to hold together.
- Use very thin layers of brown butter and apple butter.
- Do not overload the dough with wet filling.
Freeze the layered dough for 15 minutes before cutting. - Chill the cut scones again if they begin to feel soft.
Bake until the edges are deeply golden rather than pale. - Keep the maple vanilla glaze thick enough to form visible ribbons.
How to Store
- Room Temperature: Store glazed scones in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
- Fridge: Refrigerate them in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
- Freezer: Freeze unglazed baked scones for up to 2 months.
- Reheat: Warm the scones in a 325°F oven until heated through. Add fresh glaze after reheating.
- Make Ahead: Prepare the apple butter up to 1 week ahead and refrigerate it. Shape and cut the scones the night before, then cover and refrigerate until baking.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use store-bought apple butter? Yes. Use a very thick apple butter without excess liquid so the scone layers do not become wet.
Why does the apple butter need to cool completely? Warm filling softens the butter inside the dough and prevents the scones from developing distinct flaky layers.
Can I use active sourdough starter? Yes. Active starter can replace the discard if they have a similar hydration level.
Why is my scone dough dry? Flour measurements and sourdough discard consistency can vary. Add cold milk 1 tablespoon at a time only until the dough holds together.
Why did the filling leak out? Some caramelized apple butter around the edges is expected. Excessive leaking usually means the filling was too warm, too thin or spread too heavily.
Can I prepare the scones ahead of time? Yes. Shape and cut them, then refrigerate overnight or freeze them for longer storage.
Can I use another apple variety? Yes. Pink Lady, Braeburn or Granny Smith apples also work well.
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Ingredients
Method
Make the Apple Butter
- Add the apples, cider, maple syrup, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, and salt to a saucepan. Cover and cook over medium-low heat for 20–25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the apples are very soft.
- Uncover and continue cooking, stirring frequently, until most of the liquid has evaporated and the apples look concentrated and jammy.
- Blend until smooth, following your blender’s instructions for hot food, or use an immersion blender. Return to the saucepan and cook over low heat until very thick. A spoon dragged through the mixture should leave a visible trail before it slowly closes.
- Stir in the vanilla. Transfer to a shallow container and cool completely. Measure ½ cup for the filling; refrigerate the remainder.
Prepare the Filling
- Melt the 2 tablespoons butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Continue cooking, stirring frequently, until the milk solids turn golden brown and smell nutty.
- Immediately transfer to a heatproof bowl, including the browned bits. Cool until thickened but still spreadable.
- Mix the maple sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a separate bowl. Keep the apple butter, brown butter, and cinnamon sugar separate for layering.
Make the Scone Dough
- Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.
- Grate the very cold butter into the flour mixture. Toss gently to coat the butter shards.
- In another bowl, whisk the sourdough discard, Greek yogurt, egg, maple sugar, and vanilla.
- Fold the wet ingredients into the flour mixture just until a shaggy dough forms. If dry flour prevents it from holding together when pressed, add cold milk 1 tablespoon at a time.
- Gently gather the dough together without kneading. Visible butter pieces should remain.
Layer and Chill
- Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently press into a roughly 9 × 13-inch rectangle.
- Spread with a thin layer of cooled brown butter. Sprinkle evenly with the cinnamon maple sugar, then gently spread the ½ cup apple butter in a thin layer.
- With the 13-inch edge facing you, fold the bottom quarter upward. Continue folding that section over itself until you have a long, thick rectangle. Use a bench scraper to help lift the dough without squeezing out the filling.
- Transfer the folded dough to a parchment-lined tray and freeze for 15 minutes.
- Cut into 8 large triangles and place several inches apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Brush lightly with milk and sprinkle with maple sugar.
- Refrigerate for another 10–15 minutes while the oven preheats to 425°F.
Bake and Glaze
- Bake for 14–17 minutes, then check for doneness. The scones should be puffed, golden at the edges, and set in the center. Thick scones may need additional time; loosely tent with foil if they brown before the centers finish baking.
- Cool on the baking sheet for about 10 minutes.
- Blend the measured maple sugar into a very fine powder. Whisk with the maple syrup, vanilla, salt, and enough milk to make a thick, drizzleable glaze.
- Drizzle over the warm scones and finish with a small pinch of flaky sea salt.
Nutrition
Notes
- Apple butter consistency: It should be thick and spreadable, with no loose liquid. Warm or watery filling can soften the butter and make the layers slide.
- Butter placement: Keep the dough’s 8 tablespoons butter cold. Brown only the 2 tablespoons used in the filling.
- Sourdough discard: These scones use baking powder and baking soda for lift; the discard does not need to be active.
- Texture: The apples are blended into smooth apple butter, so these scones have apple butter ribbons and caramelized filling edges rather than chunks of apple.
- Glaze: Finely powdered maple sugar produces a smoother glaze. It may still have a slightly different texture from conventional powdered sugar icing.
- Storage: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Freeze cooled, preferably unglazed scones for up to 2 months.
- Reheating: Warm unglazed scones in a 300°F oven for approximately 8–12 minutes, then glaze.
- Nutrition: Estimates exclude leftover apple butter, extra flour for shaping, and the small amounts of milk and maple sugar used on top. Actual values vary by ingredients and glaze quantity.
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