Carrot Cake Scones

Yields 8 Scones

These scones capture everything you love about carrot cake — toasted pecans, sweet grated carrot, warm spices, and rich brown sugar — in a tender, handheld pastry.

Because of the added carrot, the dough is naturally stickier than a classic scone, so a chill in the freezer before baking is essential. This step firms the butter, relaxes the gluten, and helps the scones rise tall with less spread.

And just like carrot cake, these scones aren’t complete without a tangy cream cheese glaze. Moist, textured, and warmly spiced, they’re a fun, less-sweet twist on one of my all-time favorite cakes.

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

INGREDIENTS

Carrot Cake Scones

  • 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour (300 g)

  • 1 tbsp baking powder

  • ¼ tsp baking soda

  • ¾ tsp teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt (or ½ tsp Morton kosher)

  • 4 tbsp granulated sugar (48 g)

  • 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, very cold and cut into ½-inch cubes (113 g)

  • 1 cup finely grated fresh carrot, about 3 medium carrots (130 g)

  • ⅔ cup toasted pecans, chopped (75 g)

  • 1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon

  • ¼ tsp freshly grated nutmeg

  • ¼ tsp ground allspice

  • ½ cup dark brown sugar (90 g)

  • 1 large egg

  • ½ cup cold heavy cream (120 ml), plus extra for brushing

  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

Cream Cheese Glaze

  • 4 oz cream cheese, room temp (113 g)

  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter, room temp (28 g)

  • 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted (120 g)

  • 2–4 tsp heavy cream (to drizzle consistency)

  • ½ tsp vanilla extract

  • Pinch kosher salt

DIRECTIONS

Make the Scones

  1. Preheat oven to 425 °F (220 °C) and line a baking sheet with parchment.

  2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and granulated sugar.

  3. Add the cold butter and work it in using a pastry cutter or your fingers until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with pea-sized bits of butter. Avoid leaving large chunks of butter, which can melt out while baking.

  4. Stir in grated carrot, pecans, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and dark brown sugar until evenly dispersed.

  5. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg, heavy cream, and vanilla extract.

  6. Add the wet mixture to the dry and gently mix with a spatula until a shaggy dough forms.

  7. Turn out the dough onto a well-floured work surface and press together by hand until a relatively cohesive dough forms. Don’t overwork or knead, just press together. The dough will be sticky.

  8. Pat the dough into a round about 1 inch (2.5 cm) thick. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and chill in the freezer for 45 minutes.

  9. Turn the dough onto a well-floured surface and lightly flour the top of the dough. Cut into rounds or wedges and transfer to the prepared baking sheet.

    1. For wedges: Dip your knife in flour before each cut to prevent sticking.

    2. For rounds: Dip your cutter in flour before stamping. Press straight down without twisting for the best rise.

  10. Place tray in freezer for for another 30 minutes to firm up butter and reduce spread. After chilling, brush the tops with heavy cream.

  11. Bake for 18-22 minutes, or until golden brown and the interior reaches 200°F (93°C). Circular scones will bake a bit faster, wedges will take a bit longer.

  12. Let scones cool 10-15 minutes before glazing.

Make the Glaze

  1. Using an electric hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and butter together until smooth. (You can also do this by hand with a sturdy whisk if both are very soft.)

  2. Add powdered sugar, salt, and vanilla and mix until no lumps remain. Add heavy cream, 1 tsp at a time, until drizzle-able.

  3. Drizzle glaze generously over cooled scones. Serve warm or at room temperature.

RECIPE NOTES & TIPS

  • Store unglazed scones at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Reheat at 350 °F (175 °C) for 5–8 minutes to restore texture.

  • Use freshly grated carrot, not pre-shredded. Pre-shredded carrots are too dry and coarse, and won’t release the moisture or sweetness needed for these scones. Grating carrots fresh (on the fine side of a box grater) ensures the dough has the right texture and flavor.

  • Instead of freezing the scones for 15 minutes before baking, you can chill them in the refrigerator overnight and bake fresh in the morning. If you’d like to freeze the scones before baking, store in an airtight container or bag, then bake straight from frozen—just add a few extra minutes to the bake time.

  • Chilling the dough does a few important things. First, it allows the gluten to relax, which results in a more tender scone. Second, it gives the butter time to firm up and the flour time to fully hydrate — both of which improve the rise and help the scones hold their shape instead of spreading too much in the oven.

  • For accuracy and consistency, I recommend using a Digital Food Scale (the one I linked is affordable and reliable). If you don’t have one, cup measurements are included as well.