Buttery Lemon Poppy Seed Scones Recipe - these delicate lemon scones are topped with a sweet lemon glaze. This wonderful small batch recipe yields 4 perfectly sweet scones.
These tender lemon scones are light and buttery and perfect to enjoy with coffee or tea. They're easy to make and the ingredients used are ones you very likely already have in your pantry.
Scones are buttery baked treats that are similar to biscuits. Although they've increased in popularity, they still are thought of as a fancy breakfast or something to be served at a formal high-tea.
Actually, scones are very easy to make. Once the dough is formed, the dough is divided into pieces and baked in the oven.
Why This Recipe Works
- These scones are extra buttery and delicious!
- They have sweet crumbly edges and soft, tender centers.
- The scones are topped with a delightful lemon glaze.
- They're so easy to make.
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Ingredient Notes
See recipe box below for ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions.
- Flour: 1 cup of all-purpose flour is the standard amount of flour needed for homemade scones. You will also need a small amount for your hands and for dusting your work surface
- Baking powder and baking soda: These ingredients give the scones a little lift.
- Salt: Adds flavor.
- Sugar: I recommend using 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar.
- Poppy seeds: Lemons and poppyseeds go so well together. A little goes a long way so I recommend using 1 tablespoon. Poppy seeds can be found in the spice aisle of most grocery stores.
- Butter: Use 4 tablespoons of cold, salted butter. Make sure to keep the butter in the refrigerator until you are ready to use it. Cold butter is essential in making the best tasting scones. It ensures the scones will be flaky with crisp edges.
- An egg yolk: 1 egg yolk is all that's needed in this recipe. It adds flavor and structure. See below for ways to use the leftover egg white.
- Milk: Use any percentage cow's milk (whole, skim, 1%, or 2%). You can also use almond milk, half & half, or cream instead.
- Lemon juice and lemon zest: For incredible lemon flavor!
For the lemon glaze
- Powdered sugar: Use 1/2 cup of powdered sugar.
- Heavy cream or milk: Although I use 2 tablespoons of heavy cream or heavy whipping cream in my scone glaze, you can use half & half or milk instead.
- Lemon juice: 1 teaspoon of lemon juice adds a wonderful flavor to the glaze.
See below for ways to use leftover ingredients.
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How To Make This Recipe
- In a mixing bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda, sugar and poppy seeds. Using a pastry blender, a fork or your fingertips, work the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the egg yolk, milk, lemon juice and lemon zest. Pour into flour mixture and stir until just combined.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Knead very lightly and form a circle. (Add a little more flour to the dough if the dough becomes too sticky to handle).
- Cut the dough into 4 wedges and place them on the baking sheet. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown.
Expert Tips
- The trick to making perfect scones every time is to make sure your ingredients are cold. Don’t take the butter, milk or eggs out of the refrigerator until you are ready to make scones.
- Don’t overwork the dough. Once you add in the liquid (eggs, milk, etc.) stir the dough very little to combine. Remember to handle the dough as little as possible. Over-mixing the dough will lead to scones that are rather chewy instead of light and flaky.
- I am often asked if skim milk or low-fat milk can be substituted for higher fat milk or cream. The short answer is yes, but the scones will be dry and hard. Keep in mind that the higher the fat content, the more tender the scones will be.
Ways To Use Leftover Ingredients
If you have any ingredients left over from this lemon scone recipe, you might like to consider using them in any of these single serving and small batch recipes:
Egg white
Lemons
Poppy Seeds
Frequently Asked Questions
This lemon scone recipe yields 4 delightful scones. They keep well in the refrigerator but are best eaten in a day or so after baking them.
Yes, you can! Make and shape the dough into scones and freeze them on a baking sheet, then transfer the frozen unbaked scones to a zip-top bag, and bake them straight from frozen, adding a couple of minutes to the baking time.
What To Serve With Lemon Scones
Other Small Batch Scone Recipes
- Strawberry Scones
- Ham and Cheese Scones
- Triple Chocolate Scones
- Apple Cinnamon Scones
- Cranberry Orange Scones
RELATED: The Best Small Batch Cookie Recipes
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Ingredients
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon poppy seeds
- 1/4 cup salted butter , cold - cut into small pieces
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
FOR THE GLAZE
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar , sifted
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream , or milk
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
How To Video
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
- Line a baking sheet with silpat or parchment paper.
- In a mixing bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda, sugar and poppy seeds.
- Using a pastry blender, a fork or your fingertips, work the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the egg yolk, milk, lemon juice and lemon zest. Pour into flour mixture and stir until just combined.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Knead very lightly and form a circle. (Add a little more flour to the dough if the dough becomes too sticky to handle).
- Cut the dough into 4 wedges.
- Place the wedges onto the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown.
- Let cool on baking sheet for a minute, then transfer onto wire rack.
TO PREPARE THE GLAZE
- In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, cream and lemon juice until smooth. Spoon over the tops of cooled scones.
Notes
- The trick to making perfect scones every time is to make sure your ingredients are cold. Don’t take the butter, milk or eggs out of the refrigerator until you are ready to make scones.
- Don’t overwork the dough. Once you add in the liquid (eggs, milk, etc.) stir the dough very little to combine. Remember to handle the dough as little as possible. Over-mixing the dough will lead to scones that are rather chewy instead of light and flaky.
- I am often asked if skim milk or low-fat milk can be substituted for higher fat milk or cream. The short answer is yes, but the scones will be dry and hard. Keep in mind that the higher the fat content, the more tender the scones will be.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Easy to make and baked up nice. Bottoms burnt just a bit, and I took them out at 11 minutes. Next time, I’ll bake 10 minutes max. I am going to add a bit more lemon zest and juice to both the batter and the glaze as I felt it needed just a little more lemon for my taste. Thanks for the fabulous recipe.
I’m so glad you enjoyed the lemon bars – thanks so much for your feedback.
Beautiful presentation of the scones! I will need to try this recipe asap.
I didn’t have poppyseed so I used the next closest thing, blueberries! Came out wonderful! Made them for Mother’s Day and my daughter who has travelled throughout the UK said they were the best she’s ever had.
I bet those blueberries were a wonderful addition. I’m definitely going to add blueberries to my scones next time. Thank you so much for letting me know you enjoyed the recipe, I’m so happy you and your daughter enjoyed them.
Joanie
I’d love if I had a few of these sitting in my kitchen right now. I love lemon poppyseed!!