Carrot Cake Scones
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These Carrot Cake Scones are full of freshly shredded carrots, flavored with warm spices and drizzled with a sweet cream cheese glaze!
These homemade Carrot Cake Scones taste just like carrot cake in the form of a scone! They’re filled with plenty of freshly shredded carrots, flavored with warm spices and drizzled with a sweet cream cheese glaze. They would be perfect for Easter breakfast or brunch!
Looking for more carrot cake recipes? Try my Mini Carrot Cake, Baked Carrot Cake Donuts or Carrot Cake Cookies!
Ingredient Breakdown
All-purpose flour – gives the scones structure.
Granulated sugar – provides sweetness.
Baking soda & baking powder – both leaveners are needed to help the scones rise.
Cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and salt – enhances flavor.
Butter – provides flavor and structure. I always recommend using unsalted butter but salted butter works if that’s all you have on hand, just be sure to omit the 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Make sure to keep the butter cold!
Half and half – makes the scones so flavorful and fluffy. Make sure to keep the half and half cold! You can also substitute with buttermilk or heavy cream.
Carrots – they wouldn’t be carrot cake scones without these! It’s best to buy whole carrots and shred them yourself because pre shredded carrots tend to be dry.
How To Make Carrot Cake Scones
1. Make the Carrot Cake Scones: in a mixing bowl combine the all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, baking soda and salt. Place bowl on a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
2. Add the cold cubed butter and mix on low until the butter is pea sized then add in the shredded carrots.
3. With the mixer on low, gradually add the half and half to the mixture. Stop mixing once the dough is just combined.
4. On a lightly floured surface, form the dough into a rectangle then fold onto itself (this helps to create layers). Shape the dough into an 8 inch disc then cut into 8 triangles and place on the prepared baking sheet. Place in the freezer then preheat the oven to 400°F.
5. If desired brush the tops of the scones with half and half (or milk) then bake for 18-20 minutes or until golden brown.
6. Make the Cream Cheese Glaze: using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or a hand mixer cream the butter and cream cheese. Mix in the confectioners’ sugar and vanilla extract until smooth. Add salt to taste. Drizzle over cooled scones. Store unglazed Carrot Cake Scones in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days and glazed Carrot Cake Scones in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Pro Tips For Carrot Cake Scones
- Weigh your ingredients using a kitchen scale! Measuring ingredients by volume is not accurate; baking is a science after all!
- Don’t over mix the dough! After adding the wet ingredients, only mix until the dough just begins to come together. Over mixing = more gluten development which means your scones will be tough.
- Keep the dough cold! If your dough is too warm your scones won’t turn out tall and fluffy. If you begin to notice your scone dough starts to get too warm, put it in the fridge for a few minutes.
- Keep your butter and half and half cold! When making scones you don’t want warm ingredients or dough because it will throw off the texture of your scones!
Can Carrot Cake Scones Be Frozen?
Yes, unbaked Carrot Cake Scones can be easily frozen! Place the unbaked scones onto a parchment lined baking sheet then freeze until solid. Once the scones are frozen, transfer them to a zip top bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Bake straight from the freezer at 400°F for 18-20 minutes.
More Scone Recipes You’ll Love
- Nutella Scones
- Fresh Fig Scones
- Banana Scones
- Chocolate Chip Cherry Scones
- Apple Pie Scones
- Blueberry Drop Scones
- Chocolate Heart Shaped Scones
If you try this recipe then please leave a rating/comment below to let me know how you liked it and feel free to ask any recipe questions you may have! 🙂
Carrot Cake Scones
Equipment
- Stand mixer
- Baking sheet
Ingredients
Carrot Cake Scones
- 330 g (2 3/4 cups) all-purpose flour
- 100 g (1/2 cup) granulated sugar
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- ¼ tsp nutmeg
- ¼ tsp ginger
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
- 113 g (1/2 cup) cold unsalted butter, cubed
- 100 g (1 cup) shredded carrots (about 1-2 large carrots)
- 120 g (1/2 cup) half and half
Cream Cheese Glaze
- 28 g (2 tbsp) unsalted butter, softened
- 2 oz cream cheese, softened
- 90 g (3/4 cup) confectioners' sugar
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- salt, to taste
Instructions
Carrot Cake Scones
- In a mixing bowl combine the all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, baking soda and salt. Place bowl on a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
- Add the cold cubed butter and mix on low until the butter is pea sized then add in the shredded carrots.
- With the mixer on low, gradually add the half and half to the mixture. Stop mixing once the dough is just combined.
- On a lightly floured surface, form the dough into a rectangle then fold onto itself (this helps to create layers). Shape the dough into an 8 inch disc then cut into 8 triangles and place on the prepared baking sheet. Place in the freezer then preheat the oven to 400°F.
- If desired brush the tops of the scones with half and half (or milk) then bake for 18-20 minutes or until golden brown.
Cream Cheese Glaze
- Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or a hand mixer cream the butter and cream cheese. Mix in the confectioners' sugar and vanilla extract until smooth. Add salt to taste. Drizzle over cooled scones.
Notes
- Weigh your ingredients using a kitchen scale! Measuring ingredients by volume is not accurate.
- Butter: I recommend using unsalted butter. You can use salted butter, just be sure to omit the 1/4 tsp salt.
- Store unglazed Carrot Cake Scones in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days and glazed Carrot Cake Scones
- Unbaked Carrot Cake Scones can be frozen for up to 3 months in a zip-top bag.
- Nutrition: the provided nutritional information is an estimate per serving. Please read my Nutrition Disclaimer for more information.
