Soft Lemon Scones (w/ lemon glaze!)

These Lemon Scones are made with cream for the softest scones ever! Drizzled with a sweet and tangy icing these fluffy scones are perfectly tender and bursting with bright lemon flavor. Great for any breakfast, brunch, or afternoon tea!

this recipe

Anyone else obsessed with all things lemon? When spring time rolls around, I want to make all the lemon things… this incredible Lemon Coffee Cake, healthy Lemon Quinoa, easy Homemade Lemonade Concentrate, crispy baked Honey Lemon Pepper Wings, and of course these ultra soft Lemon Scones!

Homemade scones mean different things depending on which side of the pond you are from. English scones are usually not sweetened whereas American scones have a bit of sugar in them.

Where we come from scones are made from a slightly sweet dough reminiscent of American biscuits. They can be cut into circles or wedges. Either way they taste the same so it's just personal preference.

If you are looking for other quick bread recipes that are moist and delicious, try this Orange Loaf, Chocolate Bread, or Banana Bread.

These lemon scones were originally inspired by Ree Drummond’s Petite Vanilla Scones, but we switched up the flavor profile and made them slightly larger.

🏅 Why this recipe is great

• I’ve made my share of dry, dense, and bland scone recipes. Not these! These are pillowy soft with just slightly crisp edges. They’re fluffy in the middle and full of flavor from the fresh lemon zest. 
• Soft scones really aren’t difficult to make! I make them in a mixer for less arm work, then do some simple kneading, slicing, and baking. That’s all there is to it. 
• They’re great for the next time you are having Sunday brunch, weekend breakfast, Mother’s Day, a baby or bridal shower, Easter morning - you name it!

🍋 Ingredients for soft scones

A full list of the ingredients is in the recipe card below, but here are a few noteworthy comments.

Baking powder: This is the main lift agent, meaning it will help the scones rise and get fluffy in the middle. Make sure to use fresh baking powder that hasn’t expired.
Butter: Another key to tender scones is to use very cold butter. Similar to when you make biscuits, the cold butter will melt during the baking and create flaky layers in the scones.
Egg: One main difference between lemon cream scones and biscuits is the egg. The egg in scones gives them a slightly more cakey texture.
Cream: Using heavy whipping cream ensures that these are the softest scones possible. Make sure it is super cold before using.
Lemon: Use fresh lemons only. Bottled lemon juice doesn't have the same flavor and neither does lemon extract. Fresh lemons have a bright flavor that can't be mimicked.

🥣 How to make soft, fluffy lemon scones

Start by preheating the oven temperature to 350°F. 

In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together the dry ingredients. Note that this will not work with hand beaters, but can be done in a food processor instead of a stand mixer. Of course, you can do this by hand in a large bowl, it will just take a bit longer.

Add small pieces of very cold butter to the flour mixture and mix on medium-low (or pulse) until the mixture becomes fine crumbs. If doing this by hand, use a pastry cutter or two knives to cut in the butter.

In a separate small bowl combine the egg, cold cream, vanilla extract, and lemon zest. Add wet ingredients to the flour mixture and mix on low (or pulse) until the dough comes together, adding more cream 1 tablespoon at a time if needed until it is moist and mostly holds together (see picture). 

Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead 4-5 times. Then use your hands to pat into a rectangle ½ inch thick. It should be roughly 11 inches long and 8 inches wide. If you prefer use a rolling pin, but be sure to use gentle pressure.

Using a sharp knife or bench scraper (affiliate)(these are amaaaazing), cut the scones into 16 triangles. First cut the dough in half lengthwise, then in half widthwise. Cut each of the 4 sections into 4 triangles. See the picture for reference. 

Place on two sheet pans lined with parchment paper. The bake time is 15-18 minutes, or until lightly golden brown on the bottom and the tops of the scones look dry.

While the scones are baking, combine the powdered sugar, heavy cream, vanilla extract and freshly grated lemon zest in a small bowl. Mix the icing ingredients until fully combined.

Once finished baking, allow scones to cool for 5-10 minutes on the cookie sheet. Then place them on a wire cooling rack. Once cool, drizzle with the sweet lemon glaze or lightly brush with a pastry brush and serve. Don't skimp on the glaze, it just might be the best part. 😋

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 For a crowd

Soft Lemon Scones are a great breakfast or brunch option for serving a crowd. Make them for Mother’s Day, a spring bridal shower, Easter morning, or just a special weekend treat. 

When making a double batch of scones, I suggest making each batch separately. Doubling the recipe in one bowl will cause the dough to be overworked, which will lead to tough, dense scones.

🙋 Questions and Answers

👨🏼‍🍳 Tips & Tricks

• To keep the scones soft and tender, avoid over mixing and overworking. You want to handle the dough gently to keep that flaky texture. 
• Use fresh lemon juice and zest. They won't have the same fresh, bright flavor without it.
• Use very cold butter and cream. This will help the dough rise and make the scones fluffy. 
• Last, to avoid dry scones make sure not to overbake them. They should be nice and golden on the bottom and the tops will look dry. They will continue cooking slightly on the sheet pan while cooling. 
• To make circle scones instead of triangles, use a biscuit cutter. For mini lemon scones, just cut the triangles to the desired size and adjust the baking time as needed. (When deciding size, note that they will puff and rise larger than the size you cut them.)

📖  More breakfast treats

• For another lemon treat, try this amazing Lemon Coffee Cake. Tender cake, a tangy lemon curd layer, and sweet crumb topping… can it get any better? 
• For a classic breakfast make these fluffy Buttermilk Pancakes. They’re moist, golden, and super easy to make. 
• Have over-ripe bananas on hand? This Coconut Banana Bread is a great recipe for that! It’s incredibly moist and has an addictive sweet flavor.
• Fresh fruit salad with this easy Fruit Salad Dressing. Yum!

👋🏻 Connect with us!

If you try this recipe, please leave a comment and star rating to let us know how it is! We’d also love to connect with you on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest. Tag @borrowedbites or hashtag #borrowedbites to show us your food!

📋 Recipe

Soft Lemon Scones (w/lemon glaze)

These Lemon Scones are made with cream for the softest scones ever! Drizzled with a sweet and tangy icing these fluffy scones are perfectly tender and bursting with bright lemon flavor. Great for any breakfast, brunch, or afternoon tea!

4.64 from 19 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Breakfast, Brunch

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 18 minutes

Total Time: 38 minutes

Servings: 16 scones

1x2x3x

Calories: 307kcal

Author: Borrowed Bites

Ingredients

Lemon Scones

• ▢ 3 cups flour
• ▢ ⅔ cups sugar
• ▢ 4 teaspoon baking powder
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon salt
• ▢ 2 sticks butter cut into ½ tablespoon cubes and very cold
• ▢ 1 large egg
• ▢ ¾ cup heavy cream (plus more if needed) very cold
• ▢ 1½ tablespoon lemon zest from about 2 lemons
• ▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla

Lemon Icing

• ▢ 1¼ cups powdered sugar
• ▢ ¼ cup half and half or heavy cream
• ▢ 1 lemon zested
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon vanilla

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. This will not work with hand beaters, but can be done in a food processor instead of a stand mixer.
• Add very cold butter to the flour mixture and mix on medium-low (or pulse if using food processor) until the mixture becomes fine crumbs.
• In a separate small bowl combine the egg, cream, vanilla, and lemon zest. Add to the flour mixture and mix on low (or pulse) until the dough comes together, adding more cream 1 tablespoon at a time if needed, until it is moist and mostly holds together (see picture).
• Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead 4-5 times. Then use your hands to pat into a rectangle ½ inch thick. It should be roughly 11 inches long and 8 inches wide.
• Using a sharp knife or bench scraper, cut the scones into 16 triangles. First cut the dough in half lengthwise, then in half widthwise. Cut each of the 4 sections into 4 triangles (see picture).
• Place on prepared sheet pans and bake for 15-18 minutes, or until lightly golden on the bottom and the tops look dry.
• While the scones are baking, combine the glaze ingredients in a bowl.
• Once finished baking, allow scones to cool for 5-10 minutes on the sheet pan. Then place on a cooling rack. Once cool, drizzle with glaze and serve.
• We love comments! Please come back and leave us one after you’ve tried this recipe.

Notes

Tips & Tricks

• To keep the scones soft and tender, avoid overmixing and overworking. You want to handle the dough gently to keep that flaky texture. 
• Use very cold butter and cream. This will help the dough rise and make the scones fluffy. 
• Last, to avoid dry scones make sure not to overbake them. They should be nice and golden on the bottom and the tops will look dry. They will continue cooking slightly on the sheet pan while cooling. 
• To make circle scones instead of triangles, use a biscuit cutter. For mini lemon scones, just cut the triangles to the desired size and adjust the baking time as needed. (When deciding size, note that they will puff and rise larger than the size you cut them.)

 

Make Ahead Instructions

You can make these ahead and store in the fridge for up to a day before baking. In our experience they lose their shape more when baking after refrigeration, but they still taste amazing! When you store them, make sure to keep them well covered in plastic wrap to prevent them from drying out.

 

Freezing Instructions

Scones are best when served fresh, but the freezer will preserve them pretty well too! Make sure to cool fully and serve without the glaze if possible. Keep for 3-4 months, then thaw at room temperature and add fresh glaze.

Nutrition

Serving: 1scone | Calories: 307kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 59mg | Sodium: 254mg | Potassium: 57mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 18g | Vitamin A: 549IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 81mg | Iron: 1mg

All nutrition information is provided by a third party and is an estimate only. Use your own nutritional calculator for more specific measurements.

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