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Perfectly spiced with ginger and cinnamon, these Sourdough Gingerbread Scones taste just like Christmas. The warm spices and rich molasses give them that classic gingerbread flavor, and the maple glaze on top complements the flavors so well.
These Sourdough Gingerbread Scones are soft and tender with a melt-in-your-mouth, cake-like crumb. The texture alone will keep you coming back for more, but paired with that warm gingerbread flavor, they make an irresistible holiday bake.
One bite and they just might become your new Christmas morning tradition. For more delightful breakfast treats to try this holiday season, try Cranberry Orange Sourdough Muffins, Sourdough Cinnamon Star Bread, and Sourdough French Toast Casserole.
Why you will love this recipe
- Ready in under 30 minutes – This Sourdough Gingerbread Scone recipe is quick and easy to make. They are quick enough to be in the oven before the kids even wake up for Christmas gifts!
- Cake-like texture – These scones are not your average, dry, boring scones. They are super soft and tender and have the best texture. Just like my Cranberry Orange Sourdough Scones.
- The best flavor – The warm spices pair perfectly with the flavor of the molasses and sweet maple glaze on top.
Important Ingredients and Substitutions
- Sourdough discard – The sourdough starter discard adds flavor and moisture to the scones. Be sure to use cold sourdough discard straight from the fridge so that it keeps the butter cold.
- Unsalted Butter – You will need to freeze the butter for at least 20-30 minutes before grating it to ensure that the butter is nice and cold. The cold butter is what helps create the flaky layers and a tender texture.
- Spices – Ground ginger and cinnamon create a warm spiced flavor in the scones.
- Baking powder and soda – Using both as the leavening agent helps create the tender, cake-like texture.
- Molasses – The molasses adds sweetness and helps create the signature gingerbread flavor. Be sure to use regular molasses and not blackstrap molasses.
- Maple Syrup – The maple syrup adds sweetness and flavor to the icing on top of the scones.
See all the ingredients and amounts in the recipe card below.
Instructions to make Sourdough Gingerbread Scones
Step 1: In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients. Add the all-purpose flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, ground ginger, and cinnamon, and mix.
Step 2: Using a cheese grater, shred a stick of frozen butter and mix it into the flour mixture, rubbing with your fingers to get it into small bits of butter, about the size of a pea.
Step 3: In a separate medium bowl, mix the sourdough discard, egg, molasses, and whole milk. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry mixture and mix until the dough begins to come together.
Step 4: Dump the scone dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently press it together until the flour is incorporated and the dough forms. At first, it will seem like too much flour but it will come together.
Step 5: Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface until it’s about 1/4 inch thick. Use a gingerbread cutter to cut out your shapes, then gather and re-roll the scraps 2–3 times to use up as much dough as possible. You should end up with about fifteen 4-inch gingerbread men.
If you prefer a more traditional look, shape the dough into an 8-inch round and slice it into 8 triangles.
Step 6: Bake gingerbread scones in a preheated 400°F oven for 8-10 minutes or until they are lightly golden brown on the edges and top. Don’t over bake or they will get dry. Remove from the oven and transfer to a wire rack.
If you are making a traditional triangular shape bake at 425°F oven for 13-15 minutes.
Step 7: In a small bowl, stir together the powdered sugar, maple syrup, vanilla extract, milk, and melted butter with a spoon or whisk. Drizzle over the warm baked scones or dip the scones in the icing and enjoy!
Recipe Tips
- Use cold ingredients. One of my best tips for flaky, tender scones is to use cold discard and frozen butter. The colder the ingredients, the better. If your discard is at room temperature and/or butter is not frozen, place the scones in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or more to chill before baking, or the scones will spread.
- Don’t over knead the dough. It will be flaky when mixing. Over kneading will turn a tender scone tough due to the gluten development.
- Use a kitchen scale to measure the ingredients in grams to ensure the measurements are accurate.
Storage instructions
To store the sourdough gingerbread scones, add them to an airtight container or wrap in plastic wrap. You can keep them on the counter at room temperature for 3-4 days or in the fridge for up to a week. You can reheat them in a 300°F oven until they are warmed through or in the microwave for 15 seconds.
If you would like to freeze, wrap the leftovers in plastic or store them in an airtight container and freeze them for up to 3 months. To thaw, you can leave them on the counter or add them to a 300°F oven or microwave until warmed through.
You can also freeze unbaked scones. Once the scones are cut wrap them in plastic wrap and place in a freezer-safe ziplock bag. Freeze for up to 3 months. Bake directly from the freezer but add on a couple minutes to the bake time to accommodate for being frozen.
Recipe FAQ
The scones will spread if the ingredients in the scones are not cold enough. That is why it is important to use cold butter and discard and be sure to not skip the step of freezing your butter. If the dough is getting warm or sticky when working with it wrap the dough in plastic wrap and place in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before baking.
Yes! Once the dough is shaped into the circle, wrap it in plastic wrap and place it in the fridge for up to 3 days. When you are ready to bake, cut the dough and bake.
You can also freeze unbaked scones. Once the scones are cut wrap them in plastic wrap and place in a freezer-safe ziplock bag. Freeze for up to 3 months. Bake directly from the freezer but add on a couple minutes to the bake time to accommodate for being frozen.
Yes, either discard or active starter will work in this recipe. Just be sure that it is cold so it helps keep the butter cold.
More sourdough scones
Fall Sourdough Recipes
Sourdough Pumpkin Scones with Brown Butter Icing
Sourdough Breakfast Recipes
Sourdough White Chocolate Almond Scones
Sourdough Breakfast Recipes
Blueberry Coffee Cake Sourdough Scones
Sourdough Breakfast Recipes
Strawberry Lemon Sourdough Scones
Tried this Sourdough Gingerbread Scones or another recipe from the site? I’d love to hear about it! Drop a star rating and share your thoughts in the comments—can’t wait to see what you’re baking!
Sourdough Gingerbread Scones
Ingredients
- 280 grams all-purpose flour, 2 cups
- 50 grams sugar, ¼ cup
- 5 grams baking powder, 1 teaspoon
- 5 grams baking soda, 1 teaspoon
- 5 grams salt, 1 teaspoon
- 4 grams ground ginger, 3 teaspoons
- 6 grams cinnamon, 3 teaspoons
- 113 grams butter, frozen, ½ cup
- 120 grams sourdough discard, cold, ½ cup
- 1 large egg, cold, 50 grams
- 40 grams molasses, 2 Tablespoons
- 45 grams milk, cold, 3 Tablespoons
Maple Glaze
- 120 grams powdered sugar, 1 cup
- 45 grams maple syrup, 3 Tablespoons
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 15 grams milk, 1 Tablespoon
- 28 grams butter, melted, 2 Tablespoons
- Flaky salt, optional
Instructions
- Before starting, add a stick of butter to the freezer for 20-30 minutes.
- In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients.280 grams all-purpose flour, 50 grams sugar, 5 grams baking powder, 5 grams baking soda, 5 grams salt, 4 grams ground ginger, 6 grams cinnamon
- Shred a stick of frozen butter and toss it into the flour mixture.Alternatively, you can use a pastry blender to mix the cubed butter into the flour until it resembles coarse sand. 113 grams butter
- In a separate medium bowl, mix the wet ingredients.120 grams sourdough discard, 1 large egg, 40 grams molasses, 45 grams milk
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry mixture and mix until the dough begins to come together.
- Dump the scone dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently press it together until the flour is incorporated and the dough forms. At first, it will seem like too much flour but it will come together. If it is still too dry, slowly add up to another Tablespoon of milk to the dough, it should not be sticky dough.
- Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface until it’s about 1/4 inch thick. Use a gingerbread cutter to cut out your shapes, then gather and re-roll the scraps 2–3 times to use up as much dough as possible. You should end up with about fifteen 4-inch gingerbread men. Work quickly, if the dough is getting warm and sticky place the dough in the fridge for 30 minutes and then continue. If you prefer a more traditional look, shape the dough into an 8-inch round and slice it into 8 triangles.
- Place the scones on two lined baking sheets. Bake gingerbread scones in a preheated 400°F oven for 8-10 minutes or until they are lightly golden brown on the edges and top, rotating the trays halfway through. Don’t over-bake or they will get dry. Remove from the oven and transfer to a wire rack.If you are making a traditional triangular shape bake at 425°F oven for 13-15 minutes.
- In a small bowl, stir together the powdered sugar, maple syrup, vanilla extract, milk, and melted butter with a spoon or whisk. Drizzle over the warm baked scones or dip the scones in the icing and enjoy! Top with flaky salt if desired. 120 grams powdered sugar, 45 grams maple syrup, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, 15 grams milk, 28 grams butter, melted
Notes
- Use cold ingredients. One of my best tips for flaky, tender scones is to use cold discard and frozen butter. The colder the ingredients, the better. If your discard is at room temperature and/or butter is not frozen, place the scones in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or more to chill before baking, or the scones will spread.
- Don’t over knead the dough. It will be flaky when mixing. Over kneading will turn a tender scone tough due to the gluten development.
- Roll to 1/4 inch thick. If you are using a cookie cutter, you want your dough to be rolled out to 1/4 inch thick. Too thin and they can burn, but too thick and they will lose their shape.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
How well do these freeze after baking? I’d like to make them in advance and then send serve them at a later date.
Cinnamon rolls (without the frosting) freeze well!
Such a lovely scone recipe! The flavors were so good. I did the triangles. Definitely chill the dough for the 30 minutes while the oven preheats to get the best flaky layers. We don’t like super sweet scones and these need the glaze to get the most amazing flavor.
Thanks so much Dani!
Made these today! They were so good!
Thanks so much Jessica!
Can I make ahead the dough, shape, and freeze before baking? So excited to try them!!
Yep! Scones freeze really well and you can bake from frozen you may just need to add a little extra time for them to bake. I would just keep an eye on them and see how they look after the original baking time.
do we feed the sourdough first? I have some in my fridge, wondering if I could just pull it from that or would I need to feed it a couple of times first. these looks SOOO yummy and adorable!
Nope you can just use what’s in your fridge no need to feed it! Thanks!
These sourdough gingerbread scones are so cute and festive! They pack a lot of gingerbread flavor and the maple glaze on top is delicious.