Butterscotch Pecan Scones
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These butterscotch pecan scones are tender, sweet and rich – almost like giant cookies.
My dear friend Betsy Goldstein recently told me about the most amazing scones she enjoyed while on a weekend getaway at The Salamander Resort in Middleburg, VA. In raving about the scones (the caramelized bottoms! the butterscotch! the toasted pecans!), Betsy admitted to having brought one home for me to taste, only to have succumbed to temptation before having the chance to give it to me. So, being me, I trekked an hour out to Middleburg to hunt down the scones.
I’m happy to report that they lived up to the hype, and I was able to create a copycat version by making a few tweaks to my favorite chocolate chip scone recipe. The scones are tender, sweet, and rich – almost like giant cookies. Make them for brunch or wrap them up for friends, neighbors and teachers over the holidays.
Table of Contents
What You’ll Need To Make Butterscotch Pecan Scones
- Pecans: Add a nutty crunch and depth of flavor to the scones.
- Heavy Cream: Provides richness and moisture, resulting in tender scones.
- Egg: Acts as a binding agent and adds structure to the scone dough.
- Vanilla Extract: Enhances the overall flavor profile with its aromatic sweetness.
- Cake Flour: The base of the scones. Cake flour provides a softer, more delicate texture than all-purpose flour. Don’t have cake flour on hand? See the FAQs to see how to make your own cake flour using all-purpose flour and cornstarch.
- Baking Powder: Acts as a leavening agent, helping the scones rise and become light and fluffy.
- Brown Sugar: Infuses a caramel-like sweetness into the scones, complementing the butterscotch flavor.
- Butter: Incorporates richness and flavor while contributing to the scone’s flakiness.
- Butterscotch Chips: Introduce bursts of nutty, buttery flavor throughout the scones.
- Demerara Sugar: Adds a crunchy texture and a hint of caramelized sweetness to the scone’s exterior.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
To begin: toast the pecans in a 400°F oven until fragrant, about 4 minutes. Let them cool, then coarsely chop them and set aside.
Next, in a small bowl, combine the heavy cream, egg, and vanilla.
Whisk well and set aside.
In a large bowl, combine the cake flour, salt, baking powder, and brown sugar.
Mix well, using your fingers to rub the brown sugar into the mixture until no lumps remain.
Add the pieces of cold butter.
Use your fingertips to rub the butter into dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with pea-sized clumps of butter within.
It should look like this.
Stir in the butterscotch chips and pecans.
Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients, then add the cream mixture.
Use a rubber spatula to mix until the dough comes together.
It should be a bit sticky, almost like chocolate chip cookie dough. If it seems dry, add a bit more cream little by little (no more than 2 tablespoons should be necessary).
Dust a clean, dry work surface with flour, and place the sticky dough on top. Dust the top of the dough with a little flour.
Knead gently a few times until dough comes together into a ball. (Sprinkle lightly with more flour as needed so that the dough doesn’t stick.)
Press the dough into a circle about an inch high, then cut into 8 wedges.
Arrange the wedges on the prepared baking sheet, spacing evenly apart, and then sprinkle each one with about 1/2 teaspoon of Demerara sugar.
Bake for 14 to 16 minutes, until lightly golden and firm to the touch.
Let the scones cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Frequently Asked Questions
Cake flour is finer and lower in protein, which makes lighter and fluffier scones. If you don’t have any on hand, a simple blend of all-purpose flour and a bit of cornstarch makes a great substitute. Simply whisk together 1¾ cups all-purpose flour and ¼ cup cornstarch. This easy swap will take your scones from just okay to fantastic, giving them that perfectly tender, fluffy, ultra-buttery crumb. If you’d like some other options for using up cake flour, take your pick from perfect pound cake to vanilla cupcakes to Boston cream pie.
Definitely! To freeze them before baking, place the raw scones on a baking sheet, let set in the freezer, then place in an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months. Bake as needed directly from the freezer. (Wait until you’re ready to bake the scones to brush on the egg wash, and allow 1 to 2 minutes longer in the oven.) To freeze after baking, let the scones cool completely and store in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Before serving, remove the scones from the container and let them come to room temperature. (If you have the option to freeze the scones before or after baking them, you will get the best results if you freeze before baking.)
Demerara (also called raw or turbinado) sugar is a type of cane sugar with large, crunchy crystals and a slightly amber color. It has a natural caramel-like flavor and is often used to add texture and sweetness to the tops or exterior of baked goods like old-fashioned molasses cookies and pumpkin muffins. If you don’t have it on hand, you can substitute light or dark brown sugar, or simply omit it.
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Butterscotch Pecan Scones
These butterscotch pecan scones are tender, sweet and rich – almost like giant cookies.
Ingredients
- ⅔ cup pecans
- ½ cup heavy cream, plus more if necessary
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups cake flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off (see note on substitution)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 3 tablespoons packed dark brown sugar
- 6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch pieces
- ⅔ cup butterscotch chips, best quality such as Guittard
- Demerara sugar (also called raw sugar or turbinado), for sprinkling
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F and set an oven rack in the middle position. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Arrange the pecans in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Bake until lightly toasted and fragrant, about 4 minutes. Slide the parchment off of the hot baking sheet and let the pecans cool on the countertop. When the pecans are cool enough to handle, coarsely chop them and set aside. Place the parchment back on the baking sheet.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the heavy cream, egg and vanilla. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, mix together the flour, salt, baking powder and brown sugar (use your fingers to rub the brown sugar into the mixture until no lumps remain). Add the pieces of butter. Using your fingertips, rub the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with pea-sized clumps of butter within. Stir in the butterscotch chips and pecans. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients, then add the cream mixture. Use a rubber spatula to mix until the dough comes together. It should be a bit sticky, almost like chocolate chip cookie dough. If it seems dry, add more cream little by little (no more than 2 tablespoons should be necessary).
- Dust a clean, dry work surface with flour. Place the sticky dough on top and dust the top of the dough with a little flour as well. Knead gently a few times until the dough comes together into a ball. (Sprinkle lightly with more flour as needed so that the dough doesn't stick.)
- Press the dough into a circle about 1-inch high, then cut into 8 wedges. Arrange the wedges on the prepared baking sheet, spacing evenly apart, and then sprinkle each one with about ½ teaspoon of Demerara sugar. Bake for 14 to 16 minutes, until lightly golden and firm to the touch. Let the scones cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. The scones are best enjoyed fresh on the day they are made but leftovers can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days.
- Note: If you don't have cake flour, you can make your own: simply whisk together 1¾ cups all-purpose flour and ¼ cup cornstarch.
- Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The Dough can be Frozen for up to 3 Months: Put the dough wedges on a baking sheet, let set in the freezer, then place in a sealable bag and press out as much air as possible. Bake as needed directly from the freezer. (Allow 1 to 2 minutes longer in the oven.) To Freeze After Baking: Let the scones cool completely and store in an airtight container separating layers with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Before serving, remove the scones from the container and let them come to room temperature. **If you have the option to freeze the scones before or after baking them, you will get the best results if you freeze them before baking.
Nutrition Information
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- Serving size: 1 scone
- Calories: 409
- Fat: 24 g
- Saturated fat: 12 g
- Carbohydrates: 45 g
- Sugar: 17 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Sodium: 222 mg
- Cholesterol: 63 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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I have tried many recipes for scones and these are by far the best! The cake flour makes them light and they are wonderfully flaky. I didn’t have butterscotch chips so I substituted Skor toffee bits which added a lovely flavour.
Love that idea, Doreen. 🙂
Love all your recipes that I have tried. Would it be possible to substitute half and half for the cream? I wanted to make these on this rainy day but only have half and half. Thanks for your excellent recipes and their presentations.
Hi Carolyn, Yes that should work. Enjoy…and so happy you like the site! 🙂
Hi Jenn.
I am your biggest fan. Everything I cook or bake from your website turns out amazingly delicious. I have told Friends family and neighbors that Once upon a Chef is my secret. 👍 Obviously, I can’t keep a secret.
I have a quick question can the scones be frozen?
Thanks for sharing your talent you are certainly making our world a Delicious place. Smiles, Priscilla
Thanks so much for your sweet note, Priscilla – so glad you like the recipes! ❤️
Yes, you can freeze the scones after baking (although you’ll get better results if you freeze the unbaked dough). Let the scones cool completely and store in an airtight container separating layers with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Before serving, remove the scones from the container and let them come to room temperature.
These came out fantastic, and they’re pretty easy to make. They really do seem like a giant cookie, and made my house smell like heaven. The only butterscotch chips I could find were Nestles and they were fine. If I see a better brand in my travels, I’ll use those next time. Plan on making the chocolate chip scones next week. Thanks for the great recipe!
We have not purchased Cake Flour in recent memory, but we did so just for this recipe. Wow! The scones were almost melt-in-your-mouth light. A real keeper of a recipe.
We used bulk bin chips. They were tasteless or seemed so in the scones. Next time we will look for better quality chips; you gave some good advice about getting good quality chips, Jenn.
Glad they turned out well, Ross. You can use the cake flour to make my chocolate chip scones, too. 🙂
My husband is on his second scone and just said they could be sold in a bakery, so delicious! I love your recipes Jenn and always look forward to seeing Once Upon A Chef in my Inbox because I know there’s a dish that won’t fail to please. Thank you again for sharing your talent as a true chef!
really like the way you present your recipes. step by step in pictures. this is my favorite cooking blog to follow. thank you
❤️
I know! I love the pictures step by step. Her web site is so easy to navigate. I want to try all her recipes. My goal is to try at least one or two recipes a week from her. Thanks Jenn. : )
😊
How much of the pecans did you add? Thanks!
Hi Kristin, The recipe calls for 2/3 cup pecans.
I am definitely making this soon as I was looking for something different to give to someone! I’ve made scones before, and I have all the ingredients to make these, EXCEPT cake flour! I know it will change the texture but can I use my all purpose King Arthur flour or will it impact the density too much? I don’t mind dense, but if it makes that much of a difference I’ll buy some cake flour.
Hi Karen! I do recommend cake flour for best results. If you don’t want to run to the store, you can make your own by combining 1-3/4 cup AP flour plus 1/4 cup cornstarch. I’ve made the scones this way and while they aren’t quite as light and tender as they are with cake flour, they are still very good. Hope that helps!
Sounds yummy! I’m not familiar with cake flour – how would I exchange the cake flour for a gluten free flour?
Hi Barb, If there is a gluten-free cake flour on the market, I would suggest that. If not, you could try an all-purpose gluten-free baking flour like King Arthur’s. (Please keep in mind that I’ve only prepared the scones with cake flour, so I’m not sure how this would impact your results – I’d love to hear how they turn out if you try them!)
Could I substitute peanut butter chips for the butterscotch chips? I happen to have peanut butter chips on hand.
Hi Margaret, They will be peanut butter scones but it should work :).