Morning Glory Scones

Morning glory scones are tender, lightly spiced, and loaded with shredded carrots, chopped apple, raisins, walnuts, and coconut — all in one simple dough. The sweet orange glaze on top ties everything together perfectly.

“I made these on a Sunday morning and they were gone by noon. The orange glaze is the perfect finishing touch — bright and sweet without being too much. I’ll definitely be making these on repeat!”

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Mary

Morning glory scones have always been my go-to when I want something homemade and full of flavor. These morning glory scones pack so much into one simple dough that they feel a little festive even on a regular Tuesday.

They’re wonderful alongside coffee or tea, or tucked into a bag for a slow weekend breakfast on the go. If you love warm, spiced baked treats in the morning, my cinnamon roll pull apart bread and this strawberry bread are worth making next.

Ingredients & Substitutions

• All-Purpose Flour
• Whole Wheat Flour: The whole wheat adds a subtle nuttiness and a little extra heartiness that makes these scones feel more substantial. If you love baking with whole wheat flour, you should make this chocolate chip zucchini bread or this banana scone recipe!
• Light Brown Sugar: Brown sugar sweetens the dough while the molasses in it adds warmth that plays nicely with the cinnamon and ginger. Dark brown sugar can be used if that’s what you have on hand.
• Baking Powder: This is what lifts the scones and keeps them from baking up flat and dense. Make sure yours isn’t expired, which is the most common reason scones don’t rise the way they should.
• Ground Cinnamon
• Kosher Salt
• Ground Ginger
• Chilled Butter: Cold butter is the most technique-sensitive ingredient in this recipe. When you cut it into the flour, those small cold pieces create steam in the oven that lifts and flakes the scone. The most common mistake is letting the butter soften before it goes in, so work quickly, and if your kitchen is warm, pop the cut butter back in the fridge for 10 minutes before you start.
• Shredded Carrots: Carrots add moisture and a gentle sweetness to the dough, similar to how they work in this [brown butter carrot cake]. You absolutely can substitute pre-shredded, store-bought. The scone will still be delightful.
• Peeled and Finely Chopped Apples: The apples bring pockets of juicy sweetness throughout the scone and keep the crumb from drying out. If you love the flavor of these scones, you should make these morning glory muffins next!
• Raisins
• Chopped Walnuts
• Sweetened Coconut: The coconut adds texture and a subtle tropical sweetness that works beautifully with the carrot and apple. Unsweetened coconut will work too, just know the scones will be slightly less sweet overall.
• Milk
• Egg
• Powdered Sugar and Orange Juice: These two ingredients make up the glaze. The orange juice adds a bright citrus note that lifts all the warm spice flavors in the scone and keeps the glaze from tasting flat.

Variations for Morning Glory Scones

• Cranberry Orange: Swap the raisins for dried cranberries and add some zest to the scones. The tartness of the cranberries plays well against the warm spices and coconut.
• Change the spice: Replace the cinnamon and ginger with my apple pie spice or this pumpkin spice recipe.
• Add Pineapple! Much like this hummingbird cake, some pineapple would be absolutely delightful. You can use dried pineapple and swap it out for the raisins, or replace the apples with fresh pineapple.
• Change the nut: Swap the walnuts for pecans, macadamia nuts, or hazelnuts! You could even replace it with dark chocolate or semi-sweet chocolate chips.

Professional Tips for Perfect Morning Glory Scones

• Keep everything cold. Warm butter is the most common reason scones come out dense and bready instead of tender and flaky. If your kitchen runs warm, cut the butter and return it to the fridge for 10 minutes before you start, and work quickly once it hits the flour.
• Don’t overknead. The instructions say to knead just a few times, and that’s exactly right. You’re only bringing the dough together, not developing gluten. Overworking it tightens the structure and toughens the crumb, so stop the moment the dough holds its shape.
• Cut cleanly and don’t twist. When you cut the dough into wedges, press straight down with a sharp knife or bench scraper rather than dragging or sawing. A clean cut keeps the layers at the edges intact, which helps the scones rise evenly in the oven.
• Glaze while warm for best results. Drizzling the orange glaze over warm scones lets it soak in slightly at the edges while still setting on top.

How to Make Morning Glory Scones

Use these step-by-step instructions to make tender, warmly spiced scones loaded with carrots, apple, raisins, walnuts, and coconut, finished with a sweet orange glaze. Further details and measurements can be found in the recipe card below.

Make the dough

Step 1: Preheat your oven to 400°F. In a large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, packed brown sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, and ground ginger until everything is evenly combined. The mixture will look like a pale, sandy blend with flecks of brown sugar throughout.

Step 2: Cut in the cold butter. Add the chilled butter to the flour mixture and work it in with a pastry cutter or your fingertips, pressing and breaking the pieces until the mixture is mostly crumbly, with some pea-sized bits of butter still visible. Those small pieces of butter are exactly what you want. Don’t worry if it doesn’t look perfectly uniform — uneven bits are what create flakiness in the finished scone.

This dough can also be made with a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment.

Step 3: Combine the milk and egg, then slowly pour them into the butter-flour mixture. Stir everything together until a soft, shaggy dough forms. It will look a little rough and uneven at first, which is completely normal! Keep stirring until no dry pockets of flour remain and the dough comes together into one cohesive mass.

Step 4: Add the mix-ins. Before the dough is fully combined, add the carrots, apples, coconut, raisins, and walnuts, then mix on low until combined.

If your shredded carrots were very wet, the dough may feel softer than expected. Dust the top generously with flour before turning it out — this makes it much easier to handle.

Step 5: Turn out and knead briefly. Dust a clean surface with flour and turn the dough out onto it. Knead the dough just 3 to 5 times, pressing and folding until it smooths out and holds together as one piece. You’re not developing gluten here, just unifying the dough. Stop as soon as it feels cohesive and stops tearing when you fold it.

Shape and cut

Step 6: Shape and cut the scones. Pat the dough into a circle about 1 inch thick. Use a sharp knife or bench scraper to cut the circle into 8 equal wedges, like slicing a pie. Place the wedges on an ungreased baking sheet with a little space between each one.

Bake the scones

Step 7: Slide the baking sheet into your preheated 400°F oven and bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the largest scone comes out clean. The tops should look set and lightly golden at the edges. Your kitchen will smell incredible by the 15-minute mark, but give them the full time — a scone that looks done on the outside can still be doughy in the center if you pull it too early. Transfer to a cooling rack when done.

Make the glaze and finish

Step 8: In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, orange juice, and a pinch of cinnamon until smooth and pourable. Drizzle the glaze over the scones while they’re still warm or once they’ve cooled to room temperature, whichever you prefer — warm scones will let the glaze soak in slightly, while cooled scones will give you a thicker, set finish on top. Let the glaze set for a few minutes before serving.

Recipe FAQs

Before You Go

I hope these morning glory scones make it into your regular baking rotation. Browse our Breakfast & Brunch Recipes or make these banana bread muffins next!