Glazed Sweet Potato Scones

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Delicious Sweet Potato Scones with Brown Sugar Glaze are the best scones you’ll ever try! They’re light and fluffy sweet potato scones topped with a brown sugar glaze. Loaded with cinnamon and brown sugar, these scones will have you coming back for seconds.

This recipe is adapted from these vanilla cardamom scones. The one and only scone base you will ever need!

Smashed sweet potato, butter, and buttermilk give the scones a moist, tender interior with a crunchy exterior.

Brown sugar glaze top the scones making them a delectable treat!

Everyone has been on a “healthy” kick. That seems to be what happens when the calendar turns from one year to the next. Eating healthier, lighter, and making smart food decisions.

Well, guess what? January is over! It’s time to start putting some meat back on your bones and these scones are a great place to start. Let’s be honest, I wouldn’t be mad if you wanted a piece of chocolate cake, either!

I have an avid sweet tooth when it comes to breakfast. Because of this, I usually just stick to a banana and yogurt. Both are sweet and good for you.

But lately, I’ve been on a scone kick. I use my scone base and tweak it with all sorts of flavors. Maple pecan scones, cranberry orange scones, peach scones, chai pear scones… the possibilities are endless!

I’ve made honey citrus sweet potato scones before but they were nothing like today’s recipe. Today’s scones are light and fluffy. Soft and tender on the inside with a nice biscuit-like crunch on the outside. And so, so good.

The brown sugar glaze gives the scones an added sweetness. It’s like eating a baked sweet potato topped with butter and brown sugar. One of my favorite restaurant treats!

Remember to handle the dough as little as possible and don’t overmix. You want it to be lumpy.

You are going to love the intense sweet potato flavor in these buttery-soft scones.

Recipe Snapshot

• TASTE: Sweet and rich.
• TEXTURE: Moist and dense with a biscuit-like crunchy exterior.
• EASE: Easy
• TIME: About 2 hours (includes baking the sweet potatoes and freezing)

What You’ll Need

This ingredient list might look a bit cumbersome, but you’ll have most of the items in your pantry without running to the store.

Ingredients

• Flour – Just regular all-purpose flour.
• Light brown sugar – Adds a depth of flavor and moisture to the batter, and adds flavor to the glaze.
• Powdered sugar – Adds sweetness to the glaze.
• Leavening – Baking soda and baking powder are both used in this recipe.
• Cinnamon – For its distinctive flavor.
• Salt – Kosher salt is my salt of preference.
• Butter – Cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces. You’ll need a little for the glaze too.
• Buttermilk – Store-bought or make your own using this recipe. Adds moisture and tanginess to the
• Sweet potato – Mashed sweet potato. Can be baked (preferably) or microwaved.
• Vanilla extract – For flavor. Use what you have or try making your own.
• Heavy cream – A bit for the scones and more for the glaze.

Recommended Tools

• Pastry cutter
• Baking Sheet
• Parchment paper

How to Make Sweet Potato Scones

This delicious sweet potato scones recipe is quite simple to make. You’ll have bakery-quality goods on your kitchen counter in no time!

To start, preheat the oven to 400ºF. Adjust the rack to the middle position. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Make sure the oven is fully preheated. A hot oven helps create a crunchy exterior.

1. Mix the dry ingredients. In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir with a whisk to combine.
2. Cut the butter. Using a pastry cutter, fork, or two knives, blend the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles pea-sized crumbs.
3. Mix the wet ingredients. In a small bowl or measuring cup, whisk the buttermilk, sweet potato, and vanilla together, then add it to the flour mixture. Stir just until a crumbly dough forms, taking care not to over-mix.

4. Prepare the dough. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead it gently until a shaggy dough forms. Shape the dough into a 7-inch round disk. Cut the dough into 8 equal-sized wedges. Place the scones on the prepared baking sheet.
5. Freeze. Freeze for 30 minutes. Brush the tops with cream.
6. Bake. Brush the tops with cream. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown. Transfer the scones to a wire rack to cool slightly and top with glaze.

6. Make the glaze. Combine the butter brown sugar and cream in a small saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring often, until the sugar melts and the mixture becomes smooth. Pour over the powdered sugar and whisk until smooth. Allow to cool before topping the scones.

Tips For Success

• Sweet potato: You can cook the sweet potato in the oven at 425°F for 1 hour.
• Smaller scones: This recipe yields 8 large scones. For smaller scones, cut the dough into 16 pieces instead of 8. Watch the scones closely as they bake because smaller scones may require a shorter baking time.
• Make ahead: You can refrigerate the dough overnight then simply shape the scones and bake them the next day.

Storage & Freezing

• These scones will keep for 2 days in wrapped in plastic wrap in the refrigerator.
• The dough can also be frozen for up to 2 months. Freeze the dough on a baking sheet then wrap in plastic wrap and store in a freezer bag. When ready to make the scones, preheat the oven and bake as directed. There’s no need to thaw the dough.
• Unglazed scones can be frozen for up to three months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight then reheat and glaze before serving.

Sweet Potato Scones

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Light and fluffy Sweet Potato Scones topped with brown sugar glaze. The most delicious sweet potato scone you will ever try! Loaded with cinnamon and brown sugar, these scones will have you coming back for seconds.

Jen Sobjack

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Total Time 40 minutes minutes

Serving Size 8

Ingredients

For the scones

• 2 ½ cups (325 g) all-purpose flour
• ⅓ cups (73 g) light brown sugar, packed
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter, cold, cut into pieces
• ½ cup (120 ml) buttermilk
• ½ cup (125 g) cooked mashed sweet potato
• 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon heavy cream

For the glaze

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• ¼ cup (50 g) light brown sugar, packed
• 3 tablespoons heavy cream
• ¼ cup (30 g) confectioners' sugar

Instructions

Make the scones

• Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Adjust the rack to the middle position. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
• In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir with a whisk to combine.
• Using a pastry cutter, fork, or two knives, blend the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles pea-sized crumbs.
• In a small bowl or measuring cup, whisk the buttermilk, sweet potato, and vanilla together, then add it to the flour mixture. Stir just until a crumbly dough forms, taking care not to over-mix.
• Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead it gently until a shaggy dough forms. Shape the dough into a 7-inch round disk. Cut the dough into 8 equal-sized wedges. Place the scones on the prepared baking sheet.
• Freeze for 30 minutes. Brush the tops with cream.
• Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown. Transfer the scones to a wire rack to cool slightly and top with glaze.

Make the glaze

• Combine the butter brown sugar and cream in a small saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring often, until the sugar melts and the mixture becomes smooth.
• Pour the mixture over the powdered sugar in a medium mixing bowl and whisk until smooth. Allow to cool before topping the scones.

Notes

• Sweet potato: You can cook the sweet potato in the oven at 425°F for 1 hour.
• Don’t skip freezing: Freeze the shaped scones for 30 minutes before baking. This helps the scones keep their shape and ensures the butter isn’t too warm before going into the oven.
• Smaller scones: This recipe yields 8 large scones. For smaller scones, cut the dough into 16 pieces instead of 8. Watch the scones closely as they bake because smaller scones may require a shorter baking time.

Make ahead tip

1. You can refrigerate the dough overnight then simply shape the scones and bake them the next day.
2. The dough can also be frozen for up to 2 months. Freeze the dough on a baking sheet as directed in step 5 then wrap in plastic wrap and store in a freezer bag. When ready to make the scones, preheat the oven and baked as directed. There’s no need to thaw the dough.
3. You can keep leftover scones for up to 2 days in the refrigerator.
4. Unglazed scones can be frozen for up to three months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight then reheat and glaze before serving.

Nutrition

Serving: 1scone | Calories: 377kcal | Carbohydrates: 52g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 44mg | Sodium: 171mg | Potassium: 175mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 21g | Vitamin A: 1713IU | Vitamin C: 0.3mg | Calcium: 71mg | Iron: 2mg

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: American

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