An Aussie twist on a British classic, Pumpkin Scones hold a special place in many Aussie hearts. This recipe is the one made famous by Australian politician, Lady Flo Bjelke-Petersen.
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Flo's Pumpkin Scones
I've tested a few recipes for Pumpkin Scones and Lady Flo's recipe wins hands down every time – in terms of both simplicity and flavour.
When she shared her famous pumpkin scone recipe with Australian Women's Weekly readers in 1981, Lady Flo was both a senator and wife of the Queensland premier. She served as a senator from 1981 to 1993, while her husband Joh was Queensland's longest serving premier, from 1968 to 1987.
In the article, she attributes the recipe to her mother, saying "I'm sure my mother, if she were still alive, would be surprised to see her pumpkin scone recipe achieve such fame."
Why you'll love these scones
If you've tried them before, you just know how perfect they are.
But if you haven't, well I was in the same boat. In fact, I'd always avoided them. If I was having scones, I'll have plain Buttermilk Scones with cream and jam, thanks!
But after testing a few pumpkin scone recipes, I now totally get it.
Pumpkin Scones are so deliciously soft, not quite sweet and not quite savoury.
They're a wonderful way to enjoy pumpkin during the often abundant pumpkin season. And, when served warm with butter, they're pure bliss – and such a wonderful celebration of the cooler months.
(Want more pumpkin recipes? I also have recipes for Pumpkin Soup, Pumpkin Cake and Pumpkin Croquettes.)
Ingredient notes
The star ingredient for these legendary scones is, of course, the pumpkin.
And the best pumpkin for pumpkin scones is the Queensland Blue.
TIP: If you can't get your hands on a Queensland Blue, a Kent Pumpkin is also great for making scones.
The Queensland Blue, Cucurbita maxima, is an Aussie heirloom pumpkin and one of our favourites. Its seeds were shared with the United States in 1932, and it's now popular worldwide.
Queenslanders were also kind enough to share seeds with us here in New South Wales, and a farmer living down the road from my house grows them every year and sells them on a makeshift roadside stall.
TIP: Depending on the density and dryness of your pumpkin, you may have to add more flour to the mixture. More on that below.
Okay, so the other ingredients you'll need are pretty standard: butter, sugar, an egg, SR flour (or plain/all purpose flour plus baking powder), salt and a little milk (for brushing tops of scones before baking).
Ingredient quantities can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
How to make Pumpkin Scones
Prepare the mash in advance
You need one cup of cold mashed pumpkin to make these scones (see image 1).
To prepare this ingredient:
- peel and seed the pumpkin (you'll need about 250-300 grams for 1 cup of mashed pumpkin)
- cut the raw pumpkin into small chunks and boil for 10-15 minutes or until very tender
- drain (well) and mash the pumpkin
- give the mash enough time to cool completely.
Prepping
Pre-heat the oven to 200 degrees celsius/390 degrees fahrenheit (fan-forced).
Grease a cake tin (or any baking dish with higher sides).
Mix, stir, fold
Beat the butter, sugar and salt with an electric hand mixer for a few minutes. Add the egg and beat again for one minute (see image 1).
Add the pumpkin and mix on lowest speed until combined (see image 2). Next, fold through the sifted flour with a blunt knife until combined (see image 3).
The scone dough should hold together and be slightly sticky but manageable once you turn it out onto a floured surface.
The moistness of the mashed pumpkin can be variable, so it's not unusual to have to adjust the ingredient quantities at this stage.
- If your mixture is too sticky and wet, add a little extra flour.
- If the mixture is too dry, add a little milk.
Remember, the mixture should be slightly sticky and very flexible but hold together (see image 4).
Shaping and cutting
Turn the dough onto a floured surface and shape into a rectangle about 3-4 cm thick.
TIP: For super soft scones, do NOT knead - just handle the dough gently while shaping into a rectangle.
Using a 5-6 cm scone cutter, cut out circles and place them about ½ - 1cm apart on the greased tray. Placing them close together helps them rise more evenly.
Brush the tops with a little milk.
Baking
Bake for 12-15 minutes or until a pale golden colour on top.
Allow to cool for a minute or two in the tray before turning out into a clean tea towel placed on a cooling rack.
Wrap in the tea towel and – if possible – serve while still warm with butter.
Recipe FAQs
Once completely cooled, place them in an airtight container and they will last a day or two. Fresh is best here, though. They really are great straight from the oven or eaten within a few hours.
Yes, they freeze well. Once completely cooled, wrap them individually in plastic food wrap and then place in an airtight container or freezer bag. They can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months.
I think they're best simply served with butter. Save the cream and jam for traditional scones!
More scone recipes
Love your scones? Same! Here are some more of my favourite scone recipes:
Made this recipe and love it? Please take a moment to rate the recipe and leave a comment below. It’s such a help to others who want to try the recipe. (And it really makes my day to hear how Nana Ling's recipes are being made, shared and loved all around the world! - Libby x)
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Pumpkin Scones
Equipment
- electric hand mixer
- cake tin (or any baking dish with higher sides)
Ingredients
- 1 cup mashed pumpkin (cold) (Queensland Blue or Kent Pumpkin work well)
- 20 grams butter
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 egg
- 2 cups SR flour (or 2 cups plain/all purpose flour plus 4 teaspoons baking powder)
- 1 pinch salt
- little milk (for brushing tops of scones)
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 200 degrees celsius/390 degrees fahrenheit (fan-forced) and grease the tin.
- Beat butter, sugar and salt with an electric hand mixer for a few minutes.
- Add egg and beat again for one minute.
- Add pumpkin and mix on lowest speed until combined.
- Fold through sifted flour with a blunt knife until combined.
- Turn dough onto a floured surface and shape into a rectangle about 1 inch thick. Using a 5-6 cm scone cutter, cut out circles.
- Place circles about ½ - 1cm apart on the greased tray.
- Brush tops of each circle with milk.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes or until a pale golden colour on top.
- Allow to cool for a minute or two in the tray before turning out into a clean tea towel placed on a cooling rack. Wrap in the tea towel and – if possible – serve while still warm with butter.
Notes
- The scone dough should hold together and be slightly sticky but manageable once you turn it out onto a floured surface.
- If your mixture is too sticky and wet, add a little extra flour.
- If the mixture is too dry, add a little milk.
- For super soft scones, do NOT knead - just handle the dough gently while shaping into a rectangle.
Candy
Question regarding the butter in the recipe: cold, softened or melted?
Libby Hakim
Hi Candy. The butter needs to be beaten together with some other ingredients. I use butter when it's somewhere between cold and softened - let's say you leave it out of the fridge for 15 minutes before using. I'll add this info to the post. Thanks for asking and happy cooking!
Shane Hyham
Made these this morning. Absolutely delicious and really easy. I did have to add a little extra flour but thanks to the notes in the recipe describing how the mixture should be they turned out perfectly. Will definitely be making these regularly.
Linda Rogers
I would like to add sourdough discard to this recipe. is this possible and when would be the best time to add?
Libby Hakim
Not sure about that one - sorry but you'd have to experiment yourself here. Happy cooking!
Kat
yum. Best paired with butter and Hungarian jam (plum powidl) a taste from my youth. Thank you
Libby Hakim
Hi Kat - the jam sounds like an amazing addition!