Honey Citrus Sweet Potato Scones

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Loaded with brown sugar, cinnamon, and citrus zest, and topped with a honey glaze, these Honey Citrus Sweet Potato Scones are the perfect way to start your morning.

These Honey Citrus Sweet Potato Scones were inspired by my sweet potato scones with brown sugar glaze recipe. I loved those so much that I couldn’t help myself from trying a new version.

I made only a few adjustments to the recipe and ended up with an incredible flavor profile. This sweet potato scone recipe is so moist, soft, flaky, and full of flavor. In my opinion, they are pure perfection.

Not to mention, they’re topped with a delightful honey glaze. It pairs so perfectly with the flavors in the scones. It’s an addition you don’t want to skip!

It’s often a challenge to add puree to a scone base and have the texture turn out just right. But I’m so happy with these results. I can’t wait for you to try them!

Besides the obvious ingredients – citrus zest, honey, and sweet potatoes – these scones are made with pantry essentials.

• All-purpose flour
• Light brown sugar: Brown sugar works best in this recipe as the molasses flavor enhances the spices in the dough.
• Citrus zest: Equal parts orange zest and lemon zest are used in these citrus scones.
• Baking powder & baking soda: Both leavening agents are necessary to achieve the perfect texture when making scones.
• Ground cinnamon
• Butter: Unsalted butter works best.
• Buttermilk: I do not recommend substituting the buttermilk in this recipe.
• Sweet potato: Sweet potato should be cooked and mashed in advance.
• Vanilla extract
• Honey: Be sure to use a pure, quality honey.

The dough for these sweet potato scones comes together easily and they need to bake for just 15 minutes! Enjoy fresh, warm scones in just over half an hour!

1. Make the dough. Combine the dry ingredients and the citrus zests. Blend in the butter until it resembles pea-sized crumbs. A pastry cutter is a great tool for this!
2. In a separate small bowl, whisk the buttermilk, sweet potato, and vanilla together. Combine with the flour mixture.
3. Shape the dough. Turn the dough out on a floured work surface and knead about 5 times. Shape into a 7-inch disk. Cut into 8 equal-sized wedges.
4. Brush the top of the scones with cream. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until golden brown. Then allow the scones to cool on a wire rack.
5. Make the honey glaze. Combine all ingredients in a saucepan, cooking until the sugar melts and the mixture becomes smooth. Drizzle over the cooled scones. Enjoy immediately.

Jump to Recipe

There are several secrets to making the perfect scones – something I’ve learned through a lot of trial and error. Luckily for you, I’m sharing the things I’ve learned so you get the scones perfect the first time!

• Use roasted sweet potatoes. This enhances the natural sugars in the potato making it extra sweet. I wrapped mine in foil and let it cook for 2 hours in a 400°F oven. I used a rather large potato so adjust the cooking time depending on the size of your potato.
• Do not grate the citrus all the way. When grating your fresh orange and lemon zest be sure not to grate down to the white skin of the fruit. You only want the colored portion of the rind. The white part is bitter and will give your scones a bitter taste.
• Do not overmix the dough. This is very important. The dough should be rough; so don’t strive for a smooth dough. This was the mistake I made so many times when I first started making scones.
• Work quickly. Because we are using cold butter, you want it to stay cold, so work quickly. You want to handle the dough as little as possible since the warmth of your hands will warm the butter.
• Do not roll the dough. When shaping the dough, gently pat it into a 7-inch round disc instead of rolling it. Then, cut the disc into 8 equal-sized wedges.
• Freeze the dough before baking. Arrange the wedges on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone mat and pop the entire thing into the freezer for 30 minutes. This is a trick I learned about a year ago and it helps to ensure the scone dough is super cold before going into the oven.

Honey Citrus Sweet Potato Scones

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Loaded with brown sugar, cinnamon and citrus zest, and topped with a honey glaze, these Honey Citrus Sweet Potato Scones are the perfect way to start your morning.

Jen Sobjack

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Total Time 45 minutes minutes

Servings 8

Ingredients

For the scones

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

For the glaze

• ¼ cup (84 g) honey
• 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter

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Instructions

Make the scones

• In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, orange zest, lemon zest, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, 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 the dough comes together, taking care not to over mix.
• Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead it gently about 5 times. Shape the dough into a 7-inch round disk. Cut the dough into 8 equal sized wedges. 
• Arrange the scones 2 inches apart on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Place the scones in the freezer for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400°F.
• Brush the tops of the scones with cream. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack to cool then drizzle with glaze. Scones are best enjoyed right away.

Make the glaze

• Combine the honey, brown sugar, and butter in a small saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring often, until the sugar melts and the mixture becomes smooth. 

Notes

• 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: You can keep leftover scones for up to 2 days in the refrigerator.
• Freeze: Unglaze scones can be frozen for up to three months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight then reheat and glaze before serving.

Nutrition

Serving: 1scone | Calories: 350kcal | Carbohydrates: 52g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 36mg | Sodium: 168mg | Potassium: 169mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 20g | Vitamin A: 1606IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 64mg | Iron: 2mg

The nutrition information provided is for convenience and as a courtesy only. It is not guaranteed to be accurate because nutrition information can vary for a variety of reasons. For precise nutritional data use your preferred nutrition calculator and input the exact ingredients and brands you used in the recipe.

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: American

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