The best Chai Spiced Scones – buttery tender scones spiced perfectly with warm Chai spices, topped with a sweet maple glaze
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Could there be anything more delicious and inviting than the smell of warm spices like cinnamon, ginger, and cardamom baking up into buttery scones in the morning?
If that’s not enough, the sweet maple glaze on top puts them over the edge, and makes these scones the perfect cozy breakfast.
Make them for the holidays during the cold winter months, or make them any time of year. Personally, I never ever get tired of spicy chai flavors, and love cinnamon etc year round!
Scones are such a special breakfast, brunch, or afternoon tea treat, but are surprisingly easy to throw together.
Tips for Making the Best Scones
One trick to getting really delicious, tender, flakey scones is to make sure that all of the ingredients are super COLD! Keeping the butter, cream, and yogurt cold with create steam in the scones when they hit the hot oven. The steam makes makes the puff up, and keeps the crumb super light and fluffy.
Also, be gentle with your dough! Try really hard not to over work your dough. You want the dough to be light and tender, and the more you work the flour in, the tougher and denser the scones will be. Once the wet ingredients are combined, and the dough just comes together, but is still shaggy, STOP! Less is more here.
Ingredients you’ll need
unbleached all purpose flour – in all of my bakes, I like to King Arthur Baking Company’s flour. I like what the company stands for, it is 100% employee owned, and the high quality flour always gives me consistent, professional results, 10/10.
baking powder – baking powder is a leavened and it helps these chai spiced scones rise to be puffy and soft. Baking powder is heat activated, so the second you put these scones into the preheated oven, the baking powder starts working (the more you know!).
kosher salt – kosher salt is my go to in both baking and cooking. I like Morton’s Kosher salt. If you’re using Diamond Crystal, add an extra 1/2 teaspoon of salt to the recipe.
spices – since most people only bake with warm spices like ginger, cinnamon, and cloves during the holiday season, make sure that your spices are fresh! Spices can lose their potency and aromas and go stale after sitting on the shelf for months on end. I like to store my spices in the fridge to keep them fresh.
yogurt – yogurt is a key ingredient in this recipe! The acid from the yogurt makes the crumb of the scone very tender and moist. If you don’t have yogurt, you could substitute full fat sour cream.
grass fed butter – As with all of my bakes (and cooking!) I use Kerrygold Irish butter. You just cannot compare the richness and flavor that it adds to anything else. I’m obsessed and you will be too.
ingredients
How to Make Chai Spiced Scones
- Start by preheating the oven to 375 degrees F.
- Then, in a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking, powder, and salt, and chai spices -whisk to combine. Add the cold butter to the bowl, and use a pastry blender or your fingers to cut the butter into the flour, until the butter is the size of small peas. If you’re doing this by hand, firmly press the prices of butter between your fingers, coating them in flour as your go.
- In a small measuring cup, combine the heavy cream, yogurt, and egg. Whisk to combine.
- Next, make a small well in the center of the dry ingredients, and pour the cream mixture into the well. Using a spoon, gently fold the cream into the dry ingredients until just combined.3.Pour the dough out onto a floured work surface. Use your hands to very gently knead the dough into a 10″ circle about 3/4” thick, pulling in any loose flour-y bits. Use a round biscuit cutter to stamp out as many scones as possible. It helps to dip the cutter in flour first for a nice clean cut.
- Place the scones on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. If your kitchen is warm, and the dough gets soft and slightly sticky, place the stamped out scones in the fridge for 15-20 minutes to firm up before baking.4.Bake for 25-28 minutes or until golden brown.
- Meanwhile, make the glaze. Combine the powdered sugar, milk, maple extract (or syrup) and salt in a small mixing bowl. Whisk until smooth. Once the scones have cooled, dip each scone into the glaze, then let the glaze set for 5-10 minutes. Optional: sprinkle the tops with cinnamon sugar. Enjoy!
Helpful Tools I use (all links are shoppable)
3 inch Biscuit Cutter – this is a great stainless steel set that I have and I use for some many baking projects like doughnuts, linzer cookies, and biscuits!
Pastry Blender – this is a specialty tool, but I promise that it absolutely worth having! I use this pastry blender to mix up flaky biscuits and blueberry scones, and even to mash bananas for classic banana bread!
How to Store Leftovers
Scones fall into the “quick bread” category, and the beauty of these recipes is that they stay moist and fresh for a few days!
I’m sure they won’t last that long because they are SO delicious, but on the off chance that you have a few left over, make sure to store them in an airtight container at room temperature. This way, they’ll stay soft, tender, and moist!
SHARE YOUR BAKE!
If you do make these Chai Spiced Scones (first of all, thank you!!), be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Don’t forget to tag me on Instagram and through social media so I can be sure to see what you’re making!
If you’d like to stay in touch and get the latest to your inbox, sign up for my Newsletter here as well!
xoxo – LeAnne
Chai Spiced Scones with Maple Glaze
The best Chai Spiced Scones - buttery tender scones spiced perfectly with warm Chai spices, topped with a sweet maple glaze
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons chai spice blend or 1.5 tablespoons cinnamon 1 teaspoon ground
- ginger 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom, 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
- 8 tablespoons Kerrygold Unsalted Butter very cold
- 1/4 cup heavy cream cold
- 1/2 cup plain or full fat yogurt cold
- 1 large egg cold
- For the glaze:
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoon of maple extract or maple syrup
- 2-3 tablespoons milk
- pinch of kosher salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking, powder, and salt, and chai spices, whisk to combine. Add the cold butter to the bowl, and use a pastry blender or your fingers to cut the butter into the flour, until the butter is the size of small peas. If doing by hand, firmly press the prices of butter between your fingers, coating them in flour as your go.
- In a small measuring cup, combine the heavy cream, yogurt, and egg. Whisk to combine. Make a small well in the center of the dry ingredients, and pour the cream mixture into the well. Using a spoon, gently fold the cream into the dry ingredients until just combined.
- Pour the dough out onto a floured work surface. Use your hands to very gently knead the dough into a 10" circle about 3/4” thick, pulling in any loose flour-y bits.
Use a round biscuit cutter to stamp out as many scones as possible. It helps to dip the cutter in flour first for a nice clean cut. Place the scones on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. If your kitchen is warm, and the dough gets soft and slightly sticky, place the stamped out scones in the fridge for 15-20 minutes to firm up before baking.
- Bake for 25-28 minutes or until golden brown.
- Meanwhile, make the glaze. Combine the powdered sugar, milk, maple extract (or syrup) and salt in a small mixing bowl. Whisk until smooth. Once the scones have cooled, dip each scone into the glaze, then let the glaze set for 5-10 minutes.
- Optional: sprinkle the tops with cinnamon sugar. Enjoy!
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