Brown Butter Maple Scones

These homemade brown butter maple scones are moist and buttery, topped with a simple, sweet maple glaze. They’re the perfect Fall treat you can enjoy any time of year!

Hey Cousins! Today, I’m sharing a classic breakfast recipe that’s sweet enough to be a dessert! We’re making homemade brown butter maple scones. These tender homemade scones are flavored maple and rich browned butter. Finished with a sprinkle of coarse sugar and a drizzle of sweet maple glaze, they’re perfectly paired with a cup of coffee or tea.

Easy Homemade Maple Scones

One of my favorite things is a sweet breakfast treat. Whether it’s Homemade Banana Bread Donuts or an easy Apple Cake with Maple Glaze, nothing hits quite like a sweet, homemade baked good for breakfast.

That’s why I LOVE these buttery scones. They’re bursting with maple flavor, made with simple ingredients, and couldn’t be easier to make! Making homemade scones might sound intimidating, but I promise you’ll never go back to dry and crumbly store-bought scones once you make this easy recipe.

Ingredients for Brown Butter Maple Scones

You only need a handful of ingredients for this maple scones recipe – most of which you likely already have on hand if you’re an avid baker. Below, I will list the ingredients and equipment you need to make homemade maple scones with a sweet maple glaze. Remember to check out the recipe card for the complete directions and ingredient measurements!

• Browned Butter: gives a rich, nutty flavor to the scones. You’ll want to use unsalted butter to make the browned butter.
• All-Purpose Flour, Baking Powder, & Baking Soda: three key ingredients in just about any baking recipe.
• Salt: enhances and balances the flavor of the scones.
• Eggs: give body and structure to the dough.
• Pure Maple Syrup and Maple Extract: doubling up on the maple flavor makes these scones extra sweet.
• Buttermilk: helps keep the scone dough perfectly moist.
• Coarse Sugar: a sprinkling of sugar on top of the scones before baking gives them a sweet, crunchy topping.
• Powdered Sugar & Milk: along with some maple extract, these ingredients make up the sweet and simple maple glaze to drizzle over the warm scones.

What equipment do you need to make homemade maple scones? 

You don’t need specialty equipment to make these brown butter maple scones at home, but some tools will make the job easier.

• Stand Mixer, Electric Hand Mixer, or Food Processor: you can mix the scone dough in one of these mixers. Because we’re working with cold butter, it’s easier than mixing by hand. But you do have to be careful not to overmix the dough!
• Pastry Cutter: Also called a pastry blender, this handheld tool is helpful if you mix the dough by hand. It will cut the cold butter into the flour mixture, similar to making a pie crust!
• Sharp Knife or Bench Scraper: the easiest tool for cutting scone dough when it’s sticky and soft. Bench scrapers are great multi-purpose tools you can use all around the kitchen.
• Parchment Paper or Silicone Baking Mat: you’ll need a non-stick baking sheet for baking the scones, and using parchment paper or a baking mat makes for easy cleanup and perfectly browned scones.
• Rolling Pin: helpful for rolling out the scone dough, but not necessary.
• Wire Rack: helpful for cooling and icing the scones, but also not necessary.

How to Make Browned Butter for Homemade Scones

In my opinion, the hardest part of this recipe is browning the butter. It takes a bit of time and attention to ensure it doesn’t burn, but otherwise, it’s pretty easy to do! But what exactly is brown butter anyway?

Brown butter is just the caramelized milk solids in regular, unsalted butter after it’s been heated for long enough. When heated, the milk solids separate from the butter and caramelize, giving the butter a golden brown color and a rich, nutty flavor. It can be used in all kinds of recipes, from savory pasta dishes to cakes and chocolate chip cookies.

First, you’ll need unsalted butter, a light-colored pan, and a spatula – preferably a rubber one (or at least one that’s flexible). Using a light pan lets you easily see when the butter starts to brown, which will help you avoid burning it.

To make browned butter at home, follow these simple steps:

1. Cut ½ cup of unsalted butter into slices. (If you want to make more than ½ cup, go ahead! You only need ½ cup for this recipe.)
2. Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
3. Let the butter begin to bubble. If it starts to boil too fast, turn the heat down a touch. This is when the milk solids will separate and fall to the bottom of the pan.
4. As soon as the butter turns a deep golden brown color and smells nutty and toasted, it’s done! Store it in a heat-proof bowl and allow it to cool and solidify until it’s ready to use.

And YES – you want to keep all those little brown flecks; that’s where the flavor is!

How long does it take to brown butter? 

Once the butter begins to melt, it should take about 5-8 minutes to brown over medium heat. If it cooks longer, it will most likely burn and be unusable.

How do you make browned butter in a dark-colored pan? 

It’s easiest to make browned butter in a light-colored pan, but if you don’t have one, you can still make browned butter – you just have to be extra careful! Keep a CLOSE eye on the pan – the heat should not be higher than medium. Set a timer. After about 7-8 minutes, pour the butter into a heat-safe bowl to check the color and aroma.

Can you make browned butter in the microwave?

Yes, you can – but (surprise) you have to be extra careful! Here’s a video tutorial on how to make browned butter in the microwave. The key is to use the right bowl (a microwave-safe one) and check the butter every minute while it cooks.

How to Make Homemade Maple Scones

Once you’ve got the browned butter, it’s a regular baking recipe! Here’s how to make delicious, moist, tender brown butter maple scones with a sweet maple glaze.

1. Sift the dry ingredients in a large bowl: flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
2. Mix the cold, browned butter into the flour mixture. You can do this in the food processor or by hand using your fingertips or a pastry cutter. Mix until the lumps are no larger than the size of peas (it will be a crumbly mixture).
3. Next, mix the wet ingredients in a small bowl: maple syrup, extract, buttermilk, and eggs. Pour the wet ingredients into the flour mixture and combine them into a loose dough – it’s okay to see some lumps and wisps of flour.
4. Drop the dough onto a prepared baking sheet (lined with parchment paper or a baking mat) and form it into a circle about 3/4ths to 1 inch thick. You can use your hands or a rolling pin to do this.
5. Cut the dough into 8 equal wedges. Slightly (and carefully) separate each wedge so they’re about 1 inch apart on the baking sheet, and sprinkle each with coarse sugar.
6. Bake the scones at 400 degrees for about 18-20 minutes or until they’re a light golden brown. Cool them on a wire rack for 10 minutes before icing.

While the scones are baking, whip together the icing ingredients – powdered sugar, maple extract, and water – to create the sweet maple icing. Once the scones are slightly cooled (but still warm), drizzle them with the icing.

And there you have it! Perfectly moist, tender, delicious scones. A cup of tea or coffee and a warm scone make the perfect pairing just about any morning!

Tips for Making the Best Maple Scones at Home

If you want a few tips and tricks for making the most delicious brown butter maple scones at home, I’ve got you covered! Making scones doesn’t need to feel like an intimidating task left to the best of bakers. Here are some tips for the next time you’re making this easy recipe.

• If you want another sweet, warm flavor to complement the maple in these scones, use a little vanilla extract in the scone dough and maple glaze.
• Want more texture in your scones? Add fillings like chopped pecans, walnuts, or butterscotch chips.
• The key to the perfect scone – with that tender and moist yet crumbly texture – is COLD BUTTER (or even frozen butter).
• Keeping everything else cold helps, too. Chill your mixing bowl, the sheet pan, and the pastry cutter before use. After cutting and arranging the unbaked scones on the baking sheet, pop them in the fridge while the oven preheats.
• If you want perfect, light, and fluffy scones, use pastry flour instead of all-purpose flour—or a mixture of half and half.
• If you want an even sweeter glaze, try a brown butter maple glaze by mixing browned butter (melted or freshly browned) with maple syrup, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt. This icing is sweet and buttery – perfect!

Why aren’t my maple scones light and fluffy? 

If the scones are too dense and rock-hard, you likely overmixed the dough. Scone dough should just barely come together in coarse crumbs, with some flour still visible in the dough. It’s best practice to use your hands instead of an electric mixer to mix scone dough because it’s so easy to overmix.

Can I substitute heavy cream for buttermilk in this maple scone recipe?

If you don’t have buttermilk on hand, you can use heavy cream. The scones won’t have that slightly tangy flavor buttermilk provides, but heavy cream will give the dough the same moisture.

More Sweet Breakfast Recipes from I Heart Recipes

If you’re a dessert-for-breakfast kind of person like me, here are some sinfully sweet breakfast recipes to try:

• Cinnamon French Toast Roll-Ups
• Overnight Caramel Apple French Toast Casserole
• Easy Maple Bacon Donuts
• Cinnamon Roll Pancakes with Cream Cheese Icing
• Caramel Pecan Cinnamon Rolls
• Caramel Apple Cinnamon Rolls

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