Gingerbread Scones with Cream Cheese Icing Recipe
Tender yet crumbly, these gingerbread scones are the perfect cold-weather twist on the classic recipe. Layered with cinnamon and ginger spices, a touch of molasses, cloaked under sweet vanilla cream cheese icing these scones are perfect for as a breakfast pastry or afternoon snack.
How to Make the Best Gingerbread Scones with Cream Cheese Icing
There’s nothing quite like freshly baked gingerbread scones on a chilly morning. These tender yet crumbly scones perfectly capture the warmth of classic gingerbread flavors—cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and just a hint of molasses—making them an ideal cold-weather treat.
What makes these scones truly special is the combination of spices and the generous coating of smooth, tangy vanilla cream cheese icing. Whether you enjoy them as a breakfast pastry or an afternoon snack with coffee or tea, these scones deliver that cozy, festive feeling in every bite. The key to perfect scones is keeping your butter frozen and your hands cold, so the butter creates pea-sized clumps that bake up into those coveted tender layers.
The recipe requires some patience—chilling the dough for an hour or even overnight and letting the baked scones cool completely before frosting—but it’s absolutely worth it. Make a batch to enjoy fresh, or prep the dough ahead and bake whenever the craving strikes.
Gingerbread Scones with Cream Cheese Icing
Tender yet crumbly, these gingerbread scones are the perfect cold-weather twist on the classic recipe. Layered with cinnamon and ginger spices, a touch of molasses, cloaked under sweet vanilla cream cheese icing these scones are perfect for as a breakfast pastry or afternoon snack.
Ingredients
Scones
Cream Cheese Icing
Instructions
Scones
- Grate the frozen butter into a separate bowl or on a plate, set aside.
- In a large bowl combine the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and clove. Using a pastry cutter, two forks, or your hands, mix the grated butter into the dry ingredients until pea-sized clumps form.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the molasses, heavy cream, egg, and vanilla. Pour over the dry ingredients and mix until it forms a dough.
- Transfer the dough to a floured surface. Roll the dough into an 8-inch sized disk, about 1-inch to 1 1/2-inches thick. Cut the dough into 8 equal triangle pieces.
- Transfer the dough to a parchment paper-lined baking sheet or storage container depending on how much space you have in your fridge. Chill for 1 hour up to overnight. Well-chilled scones will prevent spreading during baking.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Place the scones 2 inches apart on a parchment or Silpat lined baking sheet. Brush the scones with heavy cream and bake on the middle rack of the oven for 20 to 25 minutes. Let the scones rest on the baking sheet for 2 or 3 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. Cool completely before frosting to prevent the frosting from running.
Cream Cheese Icing
- Using a handheld mixer, beat the cream cheese until fluffy.
- Mix in the vanilla and confectioners sugar starting at low speed and increasing speed until combined and smooth.
- Spread over the cooled scones and enjoy!
Notes
- Well-chilled scones will prevent spreading during baking.
- Cool scones completely before frosting to prevent the frosting from running.