These homemade lemon scones are the perfect balance of tangy and sweet, with a crumbly texture that’ll melt in your mouth. And let’s not forget about the delicious sweet lemon icing, which is the cherry on top to make them simply irresistible. Having one of these for breakfast is the perfect way to start your day!
Is there anything better than a sweet, buttery scone fresh out of the oven? If you’re a pastry-lover like me, you’ll have to try these other recipes out next: blueberry scones, glazed orange scones, and maple pecan scones!
Lemon Scone Recipe
Lemon scones with a drizzle of zesty lemon icing are the ultimate indulgence for any citrus lover! These scones are bursting with fresh lemon flavor and have a crumbly yet soft texture that will leave your taste buds in heaven. Whether you make these for breakfast, brunch, or just a sweet treat to have with coffee, I know you will love this recipe as much as I do.
But the best part? Lemon scones are super easy to make and take only 40 minutes from start to finish! Simply mix the dry ingredients, cut in the butter, add the wet ingredients, shape the dough into triangles, and bake. In no time, you’ll have a batch of freshly baked scones that are sure to impress. So, whether you’re looking for a delicious breakfast treat or a snack to enjoy with your afternoon tea, these lemon scones are the perfect choice!
Ingredients Needed
Let’s break down the ingredients that make these lemon scones so scrumptious! Check out the recipe card below to find exact measurements.
- All-Purpose Flour: First up, we have 2 cups of all-purpose flour – the backbone of any good scone recipe. This flour gives the lemon scones their structure and stability, ensuring they bake up light and fluffy. You’ll want to avoid using a flour that has too high of a protein content so your scones don’t end up dense.
- Granulated Sugar: Sugar provides the sweetness that balances out the tangy lemon flavor. Sugar also helps to create a golden brown crust on the outside of the scones. Yum!
- Baking Powder: Acts as a leavening agent and helps the scones puff up in the oven.
- Salt: Don’t forget about the salt – this ingredient is essential for bringing out all the flavors in the recipe.
- Lemon Zest: Adds a burst of citrusy flavor to the scones.
- Unsalted Butter: Butter adds richness and helps create the flaky texture that we all love in homemade scones.
- Heavy Cream: The high fat content in heavy cream helps to make the scones nice and tender.
- Large Egg: To bind everything together and give the scones structure.
- Vanilla Extract: Adds warm, sweet flavor to each bite.
- Coarse Sugar: Because no pastry is complete without a sprinkling of coarse sugar! It’s a bakery-worthy finishing touch.
For the Lemon Icing:
The icing on the cake, or in this case, the icing on the scone! This lemon glaze is the perfect finishing touch to make your lemon scones even more delicious.
- Powdered Sugar: Gives the icing a smooth texture and sweet flavor.
- Lemon Juice: Lemon juice is a must-add so your scones have a pop of zesty flavor. Fresh is best! The acidity of the lemon juice also helps to break down the powdered sugar and create a smooth consistency.
- Heavy Cream: Helps to thin out the icing and make it easy to drizzle over the scones. Plus, the cream adds a touch of richness and creaminess that makes the icing absolutely irresistible. By all means, taste test, but be sure to save some for the actual scones!
How to Make Lemon Scones
It’s super easy and takes less than an hour! Once you get a taste of these homemade lemon scones, you’ll want them all the time. You just can’t go wrong with their bright, zesty flavor and crumbly, buttery flavor! It’s so delicious!
- Preheat Oven, Prep Baking Sheet: Preheat the oven to 375° and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and lemon zest together.
- Add Butter: Use a box grater to grate the cold butter into the dry ingredients. Use your hands to lightly toss the butter into the flour.
- Wet Ingredients: In a medium bowl, combine the cream, egg, and vanilla extract. Pour over the butter and flour mixture and stir to combine. Trying to work the dough as little as possible, turn out onto a lightly floured surface and work into a ball. Flatten into an 8-9 inch disc. Use a sharp knife to cut into 6-8 equal pieces.
- Bake: Arrange the pieces on the prepared baking sheet, leaving about 2 inches between each one. Bake for 22-25 minutes, or until nice and golden brown. If you find the scones are browning too quickly, lay a sheet of foil over the top of them to prevent them from burning while they finish baking. Allow your lemon scones to cool for at least 5-10 minutes before drizzling the icing over the top.
Making the Icing
- Combine Ingredients: In a small bowl whisk together the powdered sugar, lemon juice and heavy cream.
- Adjust Consistency: If needed, thin with more lemon juice 1 teaspoon at a time.
Tips and Tricks
If you’re just getting into baking pastries and bread, scones are a great place to start. They’re so easy to make! Here are a couple extra tips to help you make the best batch of lemon scones possible.
- Use Cold Ingredients: It’s important that your ingredients are chilled and cold when you bake. Because, if your butter melts too soon while it’s baking then you won’t get that soft and tender crumb. Grating frozen butter works best!
- Don’t Overmix: You don’t want to overwork your dough. Make sure that everything is thoroughly combined and then leave it alone. It will make your scones be dense and tough, not soft and flaky.
Storing Leftover Lemon Scones
Whenever I make homemade pastries, they’re always gone in an instant. I totally get it though, they’re too irresistible! Make sure you save a couple for yourself before your family finds them.
- At Room Temperature: Once your scones have cooled, place them in an airtight container. They will keep at room temperature for 2-3 days.
- Reheating: Reheat the scones in the oven at 300 degrees Fahrenheit for about 5 minutes.
More Brunch-Ready Scone Recipes
Baked
Peach Scones
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Summer Berry Scones
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Cranberry Orange Scones
Breakfast
The Perfect Pumpkin Scones
Lemon Scones
Ingredients
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons lemon zest
- ½ cup unsalted butter chilled
- ½ cup heavy cream chilled
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- coarse sugar for topping
Icing
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 Tablespoon heavy cream
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 375° and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
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In a large bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and lemon zest together.
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Use a box grater to grate the cold butter into the dry ingredients. Use your hands to lightly toss the butter into the flour.
-
In a medium bowl, combine the cream, egg, and vanilla extract. Pour over the butter and dry ingredients and stir to combine. Trying to work the dough as little as possible, turn out onto a lightly floured surface and work into a ball. Flatten into an 8-9 inch disc. Use a sharp knife to cut into 6-8 equal pieces.
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Arrange the pieces on the prepared baking sheet, leaving about 2 inches between each one. Bake for 22-25 minutes, or until nice and golden brown. If you find the scones are browning too quickly, lay a sheet of foil over the top of them to prevent them from burning while they finish baking. Allow them to cool for at least 5-10 minutes before drizzling the icing over the top.
Icing
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In a small bowl whisk together the powdered sugar, lemon juice and heavy cream. If needed, thin with more lemon juice 1 teaspoon at a time.
