Easy Lemon Poppy Seed Scones with Glaze
Start your morning with a citrusy breakfast treat! These lemon poppy seed scones are tender, moist and topped with a sweet lemon glaze. Try this easy recipe for Mother’s Day or on a sunny spring day!
Scones are one of my favorite breakfast treats and I know that is not the case for many. However, when you learn how to make a good tender scone that is moist and flavorful, you’d love them too! This lemon poppy seed variation is full of citrus flavor thanks to the lemon zest and lemon glaze. It’s the perfect accompaniment to your morning coffee or afternoon tea.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Citrusy and slightly sweet. The lemon adds a zesty flavor and the icing guarantees that every bite has just the right amount of sweetness!
- Unique nutty flavor. A touch of almond extract highlights the subtle nutty flavor from the poppy seeds.
- Easy to make ahead of time. Scones freeze really well and can be baked from frozen. This is perfect if you don’t want to bake the whole batch all at once and want a fresh scone to eat in the morning!
- Reliable recipe. For the base, I used my go-to scone recipe and adjusted the flavor. The texture turns out tender and moist every time!
Ingredient Notes
- Lemon juice and zest: Use fresh lemon juice for the most citrus flavor. A lemon zester makes zesting easy!
- Poppy seeds: Poppy seeds are easy to find in the spice aisle at your local grocery store.
- Heavy cream: Use cold cream to add moisture and richness to the scones.
- Butter: Frozen unsalted butter is easy to grate on a box grater. Alternatively, cold butter from the fridge may be cut into 1/4-inch pieces.
- Baking powder: This leavening agents helps the dough rise in the oven. Check that it’s fresh and not expired.
- Almond extract: This optional flavoring complements lemon desserts well. If you’re not a fan, use vanilla extract instead.
Refer to recipe card for full list of ingredients and measurements.
Recipe Variations
Use orange instead of lemon. Poppy seed recipes aren’t limited to lemon. Swap out the lemon for orange instead like I do for my orange poppy seed muffins.
Try a different glaze. For a vanilla glaze, omit the lemon and add 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and 1 Tablespoon milk or cream.
Add some mix-ins. Stir in 1/2 cup fresh blueberries or chopped nuts, such as almonds.
Make mini scones. Divide the dough in half and shape into two 6-inch round discs. Cut each disc into 6 triangles to yield 12 mini scones.
How to Make Lemon Poppy Seed Scones
- Whisk together heavy cream and poppy seeds. Set aside.
- Whisk together flour, sugar, lemon zest, baking powder and salt. Add shredded butter and whisk again to combine (or use a pastry cutter to cut butter pieces in).
- To the heavy cream, add the egg, lemon juice and almond extract. Whisk to combine.
- Pour over dry ingredients. Stir to combine. If the dough is too dry, add more cream. If the dough is too wet, add more flour.
- Transfer dough to a floured work surface. Shape into a disc, then cut into 8 triangles. Place on a baking sheet, brush with cream and sprinkle with sugar.
- Place scones in the refrigerator while oven preheats. Bake at 400°F for 20 to 22 minutes or until golden. Cool completely.
- For the glaze, whisk together confectioners’ sugar and lemon juice. Drizzle over cooled scones.
Expert Tips
Make sure the ingredients are cold. This is the secret to making good scones that are tender and moist (not tough and dry). I keep all my ingredients in the refrigerator until ready to bake. As an extra precaution, I put the scones in the refrigerator while the oven preheats.
Soak the poppy seeds in the cream. This step softens them up a bit and releases the flavor into the cream. I use the same trick for my lemon poppy seed bread.
Use fresh lemon juice. This is crucial for any lemon recipe. Bottled lemon juice doesn’t have nearly as much flavor as fresh lemon juice. Zest also guarantees plenty of citrusy flavor!
Avoid overworking the dough. When combining the wet and dry ingredients, stir just until large clumps form and then use your hands to form the dough into a disc. Remember that your body heat warms the dough so it’s important to work quickly.
Make Ahead and Storage Tips
Make ahead the dough and form into a disc. Wrap in plastic wrap and keep in the refrigerator for up to 48 hours before cutting into triangles and baking.
Store scones in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. Scones are best when they are eaten the same day they are baked.
Freeze unbaked scones for up to 3 months. Individually wrap them in plastic wrap and place in an airtight container in the freezer. Unwrap and let them sit on a baking sheet while the oven preheats. Bake at 400 F for 20 to 24 minutes. You can also freeze baked scones for up to 3 months.
Recipe FAQ
Why do you use cold butter when making scones?
Cold butter helps make scones fluffy and tender. The cold pieces of butter contain water and when baked the water evaporates to create pockets of air in the scones.
I have not tested this, but it’s not recommended to use buttermilk with baking powder. The acidity in the buttermilk affects the leavening process the baking powder provides in baked goods.
Either they were over-baked, the dough was over-worked or there wasn’t enough cream added. You want the dough to form large crumbles and be easy enough to press into a disc without it falling apart. Keep in mind scones are somewhat crumbly by nature, but they shouldn’t be dry.
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Get the Recipe: Easy Lemon Poppy Seed Scones with Glaze
Ingredients
Scones
- ⅔ to ¾ cup (160 to 180 ml) cold heavy cream
- 1 Tablespoon poppy seeds
- 2 cups (250 g) all purpose flour, plus more for dusting work surface
- 3 Tablespoons granulated sugar, plus more for sprinkling on top
- 1 Tablespoon lemon zest
- 1 Tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 4 Tablespoons frozen unsalted butter, (see notes)
- 1 large egg
- 1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
Glaze
- 1 cup (120 g) confectioners’ sugar, sifted
- 1-2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Instructions
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a large measuring cup, whisk together ⅔ cup heavy cream and poppy seeds. Set aside for 10 minutes.
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, lemon zest, baking powder and salt.
- Use a box grater to shred butter into small pieces (it's best if the butter is frozen). Alternatively, cut butter into small 1/4-inch pieces. Add butter to flour mixture and cut butter into the mixture by using a pastry cutter or your hands.
- To the measuring cup with cream and poppy seeds, add egg, lemon juice and almond extract. Whisk until combined.
- Add wet ingredients to flour mixture. Use a wooden spoon or silicone spatula to mix ingredients together until large dough crumbles form (avoid over mixing!)
- Use your hands to form dough into a loose ball. If the dough is too dry and doesn’t come together, add another Tablespoon of cream. If the dough is too wet (like cookie dough), add another Tablespoon of flour. Transfer dough ball to a floured work surface and press into an 8-inch round disc. Use a bench scraper or sharp knife to cut dough into 8 triangles.
- Place scones on prepared baking sheet. Brush the scones with cream and sprinkle with additional sugar if desired. Place baking sheet in the refrigerator to keep the scones cold while the oven preheats (about 15 minutes).
- Preheat oven to 400° F. Once the oven beeps, wait 5 more minutes so ensure it is at 400 and hot!
- Remove scones from the refrigerator and transfer them to the oven. Bake for 20-22 minutes or until the edges are golden brown. Let scones cool on the pan for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
- For the glaze, whisk together confectioners’ sugar and lemon juice. Drizzle over scones and serve.
