Lemon Poppy Seed Scones

Quick Summary

Lemon Poppy Seed Scones- tender, buttery scones speckled with poppy seeds and bursting with fresh lemon flavor. The perfect treat for breakfast or brunch!

I am always up for a good scone. Some of my favorites include: strawberry, blueberry, raspberry, and cranberry orange. I also love these Lemon Poppy Seed Scones. Lemon is always a good idea!

This scone recipe is really simple, so if you haven’t made scones before, don’t be afraid. They come together in no time and taste just like the scones you get at a bakery, maybe even better.

The scones are soft, tender, buttery, and filled with crackly poppy seeds and lots of fresh lemon flavor. There is lemon zest and lemon juice in the scones, plus a sweet lemon glaze that gets drizzled over the top.

Lemon poppy seed is a classic combination (love my lemon poppy seed cookies and waffles) and the combo works SO well in these scones. I love making these scones for bridal showers, baby showers, or any special breakfast or brunch. They are just so lovely.

Lemon lovers, get excited, I know you are going to LOVE these scones!

Scone Ingredients

Sugar– you will need granulated sugar.
Lemon– lemon zest and a little fresh lemon juice. I always zest before I juice to make it easier.
Flour– use regular all-purpose flour.
Poppy seeds– look for poppy seeds in the spice aisle.
Baking powder– make sure your baking powder is fresh! I replace mine every 4 months or so.
Salt– just a little.
Butter– make sure you use COLD butter. To make sure it is super cold, you can cut the butter into small cubes and put it in the freezer while you prep the other ingredients.
Heavy cream– to make the scones moist, rich, and delicious!
Vanilla extract– because vanilla is always a good idea!

How to Make Lemon Poppy Seed Scones

Preheat the oven and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat baking mat.
In a small bowl, combine the sugar and lemon zest. Rub together with your fingers until fragrant and well combined. This will really bring out the lemon flavor. Don’t skip this step!
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar mixture, poppy seeds, baking powder, and salt.
Using a pastry blender or your hands, quickly cut the cold butter into the flour mixture. Mix until mixture resembles coarse meal, with a few larger butter lumps.
In a small bowl, whisk together 1 cup heavy cream, lemon juice, and vanilla extract. Pour the liquid ingredients over the flour mixture and stir with a spatula until dough begins to form. Don’t over mix.
Transfer dough to a floured countertop and gently push the dough together with your hands, just until it forms a ball. Form the dough into a 1-inch circle by patting the dough and gently pressing the dough. Don’t overwork the dough. You want to work quickly so the butter doesn’t get too warm.
Cut the scones into 8 triangles.
Place scones on prepared baking sheet and put in the freezer for 15 to 20 minutes. This will prevent the scones from spreading when baking.
Remove the scones from the freezer and brush with a little heavy cream.
Bake until scones are golden brown on the bottom and around the edges. Let the scones cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes and then transfer to a wire cooling rack.

Lemon Glaze

While the scones are cooling, make the lemon glaze.

In a small bowl, whisk together the confectioner’s sugar, lemon juice, and heavy cream.
Drizzle the glaze over the cooled scones. We like a lot of glaze:) You can also garnish the scones with a little lemon zest if you want to add a pop of yellow to the tops.

Storing Tips

We rarely have to worry about storing scones because if they are in kitchen, we devour them the day they are made. They are TOO good:)

The scones really are best the day they are made, but you can keep leftover scones in an airtight container for up to 2 days on the counter. If you live in a humid climate, you can loosely cover them so they don’t get too moist in the container.

Scones do freeze well. You can freeze the scone dough, after they have been cut into triangles. Store in a freezer container or freezer bag for up to 2 months.

You can also freeze baked scones. Let the scones cool completely and freeze in a freezer container or freezer bag for up to 2 months.

lemon poppy seed scones with lemon glaze

More Scone Recipes

Scones

Lemon Poppy Seed Scones- tender, buttery scones speckled with poppy seeds and bursting with fresh lemon flavor. The perfect treat for breakfast or brunch!

For the scones:

1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon lemon zest
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon poppy seeds
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
1 cup heavy cream, plus 1 tablespoon for brushing the scones
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

For the lemon glaze:

1 cup confectioners’ sugar
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon heavy cream

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with a Silpat baking mat or parchment paper. Set aside.
In a small bowl, combine the sugar and lemon zest. Rub together with your fingers until fragrant and well combined.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar mixture, poppy seeds, baking powder, and salt.
Using a pastry blender or your hands, quickly cut the cold butter into the flour mixture. Mix until mixture resembles coarse meal, with a few larger butter lumps.
In a small bowl, whisk together 1 cup heavy cream, lemon juice, and vanilla extract. Pour the liquid ingredients over the flour mixture and stir with a spatula until dough begins to form. Don’t over mix.
Transfer dough to a floured countertop and gently push the dough together with your hands, just until it forms a ball. Form the dough into a 1-inch circle by patting the dough and gently pressing the dough. Don’t overwork the dough. You want to work quickly so the butter doesn’t get too warm. Use a sharp knife to cut the scones into 8 triangles.
Place scones on prepared baking sheet and put in the freezer for 15 to 20 minutes. This will prevent the scones from spreading when baking.
Remove the scones from the freezer. Use a pastry brush to brush the tops of the scones with the additional heavy cream. Bake for 18 to 23 minutes, or until scones are golden brown on the bottom and around the edges. Let the scones cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes and then transfer to a wire cooling rack.
While the scones are cooling, make the lemon glaze. In a small bowl, whisk the confectioners’ sugar, lemon juice, and heavy cream together until smooth. Drizzle glaze generously over the cooled scones. Enjoy!

Calories: 379kcal, Carbohydrates: 50g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 19g, Saturated Fat: 12g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 6g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 66mg, Sodium: 235mg, Potassium: 226mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 21g, Vitamin A: 728IU, Vitamin C: 3mg, Calcium: 111mg, Iron: 2mg