Carrot Cake Scones with Brown Sugar Glaze

We love these carrot cake scones and think they’re perfect for the Easter holiday weekend—especially for breakfast.

I wanted to incorporate the flavours of one of this season’s most popular desserts—carrot cake—into a one-bowl breakfast that could even be made in advance if desired. They aren’t sweet, with only two tablespoons of sugar in the entire recipe, which helps to balance out all of the chocolate you’re likely to consume come Sunday morning. However, you can serve them, as I like to do, topped with a brown sugar glaze, which ups the sweetness factor if you want to enjoy something a little more decadent.

The scones can be made and cut ahead of time and tucked into the freezer until Sunday morning, when you can bake them, no thawing needed. You may need to add a few extra minutes to the baking time, but that gives you time to slowly enjoy the Easter egg hunt.

Carrot Cake Scones with Brown Sugar Glaze

Makes 8 scones

You’ll Need:

For the scones:

• ¾ cup half and half cream, plus extra for brushing on scones
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 2 Tbsp brown sugar
• 1 Tbsp baking powder
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp fine sea salt
• ½ cup butter, well chilled or frozen
• 1 cup grated carrot
• 1/3 cup raisins
• 1/3 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
• Optional: coarse sugar

For the glaze:

• 1 Tbsp butter
• 2 Tbsp milk
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 – 3/4 cup powdered sugar

Prep and Cook:

1. Preheat the oven to 400°. In a glass measuring cup, whisk together the cream, egg and vanilla. Place in the refrigerator to chill while you are assembling the remaining ingredients.
2. In a medium mixing bowl, stir together the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.
3. Using the large holes of a box cheese grater, grate the butter into the flour mixture. Rub the butter into the flour with your fingers or a fork. It’s okay if there are still small pea-sized pieces of butter in the bowl. Add the carrots and toss to combine.
4. Remove the chilled milk mixture from the refrigerator and pour it into the bowl. Add the raisins and pecans and stir just enough to bring the dough together into a ball. Knead it once or twice, gathering up the crumbled odd bits at the bottom of the bowl.
5. On a parchment-lined baking sheet, pat the dough into a circle about 1-inch thick. Cut into 8 wedges with a sharp knife, and pull the scones apart from each other, leaving an inch or so between them.
6. Brush the tops of the scones with a bit of cream and sprinkle with coarse sugar, if using. Bake for 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool completely.
7. To make the glaze, combine the butter and milk in a small saucepan and heat until the butter is melted. Add the brown sugar and vanilla, and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Whisk in the powdered sugar, starting with 1/2 cup. Add more powdered sugar if desired to make a thicker glaze. If glaze happens to get too thick, thin it out with a touch more milk.
8. Just before serving, drizzle the glaze over the scones. The glaze will harden after setting for a minute or two, and can be served right away. Store uncovered at room temperature for up to one day, or in a lidded container in the freezer for up to two weeks. Reheat frozen scones in the oven or toaster oven.