Ina Garten Maple Scones Recipe

Nothing beats the smell of homemade bread baking. Ina Garten’s Honey White Bread delivers two perfect golden loaves with a soft crumb and subtle sweetness from honey. This classic yeast bread takes about 3 hours, but most of it is hands-off rising time. Ideal for sandwiches, toast, or alongside soup, it’s a comforting staple everyone will love.

Ina Garten Honey White Bread Overview

Ina’s honey white bread is soft, slightly sweet, and stays fresh for days. The recipe makes two 9×5 loaves using simple ingredients and a stand mixer. Perfect for beginners who want bakery-quality results at home.

Why This Recipe is Worth Trying

• Bakery-style at home – Better than coffee-shop versions.
• Maple flavor in every bite – Not just in the glaze.
• Quick to make – Ready in about 50 minutes.
• Freezes beautifully – Bake fresh whenever you want.
• Crowd pleaser – Everyone asks for the recipe.
• Versatile – Great for breakfast or dessert.

Ingredients You’ll Need for This Recipe

For the scones:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup whole-wheat flour
• 1 cup old-fashioned oats
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ¾ pound (3 sticks) cold unsalted butter, diced
• ½ cup buttermilk
• ½ cup pure maple syrup
• 2 extra-large eggs

For the glaze:

• 1¼ cups confectioners’ sugar
• ⅓ cup pure maple syrup
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Useful Equipment

Electric mixer with paddle, baking sheet, parchment paper, 3-inch cutter, and small bowl for glaze.

Steps to Make Ina Garten Maple Scones

• Preheat oven – Set to 400°F and line baking sheet with parchment.
• Mix dry ingredients – Combine flours, oats, baking powder, sugar, and salt in mixer bowl.
• Cut in butter – Add cold butter and mix on low until pea-size pieces remain.
• Add wet ingredients – Whisk buttermilk, maple syrup, and eggs; add quickly to dry mix until just combined.
• Shape and cut – Dump dough on a floured surface, roll ¾–1 inch thick, cut into 3-inch rounds.
• Bake – Place on sheet, brush with egg wash, bake 20–25 minutes until golden.
• Glaze – Mix glaze ingredients and drizzle over warm scones; sprinkle with oats.

What I Got Wrong (And How I Fixed It)

• Dry scones – Overworked dough; mix just until combined.
• Flat scones – Butter not cold enough; keep butter in fridge until last minute.
• Glaze too thick – Added while scones were too hot; wait 5 minutes.
• Burned bottoms – Oven rack too low; use the middle rack.
• Sticky dough – Added extra flour when shaping; work quickly on a well-floured surface.

Ways to Make Ina Garten’s Maple Scones Healthier

• Reduce butter – Cut to 2 sticks and add applesauce.
• Whole grain – Use all whole-wheat pastry flour.
• Less sugar – Cut glaze sugar by half.
• Add protein – Stir in chopped almonds.
• Smaller size – Make mini scones for portion control.

Alternative Ingredients for Ina Garten Maple Scones

• Gluten-free – Use 1:1 gluten-free flour blend.
• Dairy-free – Almond milk + vegan butter.
• Nutty – Add chopped pecans or walnuts.
• Fruit – Stir in dried cranberries or blueberries.
• Spiced – Add cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice.

What to Serve With Ina Garten Maple Scones

• Fresh berries – Bright contrast to maple sweetness.
• Whipped cream – For extra indulgence.
• Coffee or tea – Classic pairing.
• Scrambled eggs – Complete brunch plate.
• Yogurt – For a lighter breakfast.
• Bacon – Sweet-savory balance.

Best Tips for Ina Garten Maple Scones

• Keep everything cold – Cold butter = flaky layers.
• Don’t overmix – Lumps are good for tenderness.
• Flour hands and cutter – Prevents sticking.
• Bake until deep golden – Color means flavor.
• Glaze while warm – Helps it set beautifully.
• Freeze unbaked – Bake straight from freezer (add 3–5 min).
• Serve same day – Best texture when fresh.

Unique Takes on Ina Garten Maple Scones

• Maple Pecan – Fold in toasted pecans.
• Pumpkin Maple – Add pumpkin puree and spices.
• Mini Scones – Perfect for parties.
• Glazed Twice – Extra drizzle for sweetness.
• Savory Maple – Reduce sugar and add herbs.

How to Store Ina Garten Maple Scones

• Room temperature – Airtight container up to 2 days.
• Refrigerate – Up to 4 days.
• Freeze – Up to 3 months (glaze after thawing).

How to Reheat Ina Garten Maple Scones

Warm in 300°F oven for 5–8 minutes or microwave 15–20 seconds. Glaze after reheating if needed.

Print

Try Other Ina Garten Recipes

• Ina Garten Honey White Bread
• Ina Garten Banana Nut Bread
• Ina Garten Cacio e Pepe Eggs
• Ina Garten Popovers

FAQs

Where does Ina Garten’s Maple Scones recipe come from?

These Maple Scones first appeared in Ina Garten’s 2006 cookbook Barefoot Contessa at Home. Ina wanted a scone that tasted like the ones from her favorite bakery, but with more maple flavor and hearty oats. After perfecting the butter-to-flour ratio and the maple glaze, this recipe became an instant classic and is still one of the most-baked recipes from all her books.

What is the single most important preparation tip for tall, flaky scones?

Keep every single ingredient ice-cold, especially the butter. Cut the butter into small cubes and keep it in the freezer for 10 minutes before mixing. Work quickly so the butter doesn’t soften. Cold butter creates steam pockets as it melts in the hot oven, which is exactly what gives these scones their signature flaky layers and tall rise.

Why are my scones flat?

The butter was too warm, or the dough was overworked. Keep everything chilled and mix just until the dough barely comes together — a few visible butter pieces are good. Over-kneading develops gluten and makes the scones tough and flat.

Can I freeze the dough?

Yes! Cut the scones, place them on a tray, freeze until solid, then transfer to a freezer bag. You can bake them straight from frozen — just add 3–5 extra minutes to the baking time and brush with egg wash right before baking.

How do I make them less sweet?

Reduce the maple syrup in the dough by 2 tablespoons and cut the confectioners’ sugar in the glaze by half. The oats and butter still give plenty of flavor, so they taste delicious even with less sugar.

Do they need the egg wash?

Yes — the egg wash gives that beautiful, deep golden color and slight shine you see in bakery scones. Skip i,t,/ and they’ll still taste great, but they won’t look as professional.

Conclusion

There you have it — Ina Garten’s irresistible Maple Scones that taste straight from a bakery. Crisp, tender, and dripping with maple goodness, they’ll disappear fast. Bake a batch this weekend and watch everyone come back for seconds. Happy baking!