Butterscotch Pecan Scones
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure policy.
Meet your morning coffee’s new best friend—flaky, buttery scones with toasty pecans and pockets of melted butterscotch.
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.
“Made these with a friend this afternoon and had them with tea. They are absolutely delectable and the kitchen smelled like caramel and butterscotch.”
What You’ll Need To Make Butterscotch Pecan Scones
- Cake flour & baking powder: Form the base of the scones. Cake flour creates a soft, tender texture, while baking powder helps them rise light and fluffy. (No cake flour? See the recipe card for a simple substitute using all-purpose flour and cornstarch.)
- Butter, cream & egg: Add richness, moisture, and structure, creating tender, flavorful scones with a delicate crumb.
- Brown sugar & vanilla: Lend sweetness and warm, caramel-like flavor that perfectly complements the butterscotch chips.
- Butterscotch chips & pecans: Add pockets of buttery sweetness and nutty crunch in every bite.
- Demerara sugar: Sprinkled on top before baking for a caramelized, bakery-style crunch.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Toast the pecans. Place the pecans on a parchment lined baking sheet and toast in a 400°F-oven until fragrant, about 4 minutes. Let them cool, then coarsely chop them and set aside.
Step 2: Mix the wet ingredients. In a small bowl, combine the heavy cream, egg, and vanilla. Whisk well and set aside.
Step 3: Combine the dry ingredients. In a large bowl, combine the cake flour, salt, baking powder, and brown sugar.
Step 4: Add the butter and blend it in. Be sure the butter is cold—this is key to creating little pockets of steam that make the scones light and flaky.
Use your fingertips to rub the butter into dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with pea-sized clumps of butter within.
Step 5: Add the mix-ins. Stir in the butterscotch chips and pecans.
Step 6: Combine everything. 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).
Step 7: Form the scones. 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.
Step 8: Prep for baking. Arrange the wedges on the prepared baking sheet, spacing evenly apart, and then sprinkle each one with Demerara sugar.
Step 9: Bake and cool. Bake for about 15 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.
You May Also Like
Butterscotch Pecan Scones
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 (13-mm) 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 (200°C) 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 (2.5 cm) 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.
Notes
- If you don't have cake flour, you can make your own: simply whisk together 1¾ cups (228 g) all-purpose flour and ¼ cup (35 g) cornstarch.
- Freezer-Friendly Instructions: To freeze the dough, arrange the unbaked scones on a baking sheet and place in the freezer until firm. Transfer the frozen wedges to a resealable plastic bag, pressing out as much air as possible, and freeze for up to 3 months. Bake directly from frozen, adding 1 to 2 extra minutes to the bake time. To freeze after baking, let the baked scones cool completely, then store them in an airtight container, separating layers with parchment paper or foil. Before serving, remove the scones from the container and let them come to room temperature.
Nutrition Information
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.
Add a Comment
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
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 :).