Lemon Poppy Seed Scones

These easy lemon poppy seed scones are flavored with lemon zest and poppy seeds, and topped with a sweet lemon glaze. 

If you don't want to top these scones with a glaze, skip it and serve the scones with whipped cream and lemon curd!

These homemade scones, made with simple ingredients are flaky, tender, easy, and sweet. The classic combination of lemon and poppy seeds makes for a delicious treat that is best enjoyed with a hot cup of coffee or cup of tea. 

Recipe Development Notes

This lemon poppy seed scone recipe required a few variations before I was happy with the final product. One of the problems I initially faced with making these buttery scones was the scones spreading too much during baking. So I knew the recipe probably had too much butter, which was odd considering the same amount of butter worked for my chocolate chip scones and cinnamon scones. However, these didn't contain lemon zest, which is full of natural oils. 

And then I had to play around with the sugar content - I wanted a sweet scone, but not too sweet. 

I also revised my classic scone recipe, which is a British/English version of the scone. And decided that this would still be a mix between a British and an American scone. This is why I prefer using cream over milk for this particular lemon poppy seed scone recipe. 

Then I had to play around with the cream/milk content to get the perfect scones. I wanted something was flaky and reminiscent of an English scone, with the added flavor of cream that the American scone has to offer.

Ingredients

Here are notes on the ingredients used, please refer to the recipe card for full quantities.

Plain flour (all-purpose flour or standard grade) flour is used to make these lemon poppyseed scones. This flour has a protein content of about 9.5-12%. This flour can be substituted on a 1-to-1 basis with self-raising or self-rising flour. Just leave out the baking powder. 

Baking powder is used to give these scones a bit of lift. I like to use 1 teaspoon of baking powder per cup/125 grams of flour for scones. Any more than that and I feel it leaves a bit of a taste in the scone. 

White granulated sugar sweetens these scones. These scones contain more sugar than my date or cinnamon scones, but I found they needed a touch more sweetness. 

​Heavy cream (or whipping cream) is used as the main wet ingredient in these lemon scones. This can be substituted with a lower-fat cream or even whole milk. But I do think the cream gives these scones a better flavor profile than when using milk.

Note - If you want a softer scone, with an almost muffin-like consistency, then increase the cream to ⅔ cup. Just take note that the dough will be very wet and require a decent amount of flour on the surface when bringing it together and for shaping. This will also result in the scone spreading more, so I would use a large baking sheet and have at least 2 inches of space between the scones.

Lemon zest gives this lemon poppy seed scones a delicious fresh lemon flavor. At the same time, the fresh lemon juice is used to make a simple lemon glaze for a super lemony flavor.

For a plain lemon scone recipe, simply leave out the poppy seeds.

Poppy seeds (which I find are usually stored with the spices) give these scones a slightly sweet, nutty flavor. 

Salt helps balance the flavors in sweet baked goods while enhancing the flavors. I usually use table salt. Of which one teaspoon is equal to 1.5 teaspoons of Morton Kosher salt and 2 teaspoons of Diamond Crystal. 

Icing sugar (powdered sugar or confectioner's sugar) for the lemon icing. 

Cold butter cut into cubes. I use New Zealand butter for these tender scones, which is similar to European butter with a butterfat content of about 82%. You can use salted or unsalted butter for this recipe. 

Vanilla extract (just a single teaspoon) to compliment the flavor

Cold Ingredients

Cold ingredients are a must for the perfect tender scones. I like to weigh out my butter, cut it into cubes, and measure out my cream, then I pop everything back into the fridge while I continue preparations.

Weighing and Measuring Ingredients

Weighing ingredients with a kitchen scale is more accurate than using measuring cups. All my recipes are developed and tested using grams only.

However, I have activated the metric-to-cup conversions. Simply click on "USA/Cups" or "metric" for your preferred measurements. For these conversions, cups are equal to 240mL/8 fl oz, tablespoons are 15mL and teaspoons are 5mL.

Small-Batch

For a small batch or only 4 scones, click on the "½x" button. Follow the instructions as is.

Step-By-Step Instructions

Step 1 - Line a large baking sheet, baking tray, or plate with parchment paper or baking paper. 

Step 2 - In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. 

Step 3 - Zest the lemon using a zester, Microplane, or box grater. In a small bowl, combine the lemon zest and the sugar. Rub the lemon zest into the sugar. This releases the oils and flavors of the lemon zest into the sugar.

Step 4 - Cut the cold butter into blocks, and toss into the dry ingredients. Then rub the butter into the flour until there are only small pieces of butter left. This can also be done with a pastry cutter or two knives - which is helpful if you have warm hands. 

Step 5 - Add the lemon-sugar mix as well as the poppy seeds. Stir through to distribute the flavors. 

Step 6 - Add the vanilla extract to the cream and then pour the wet ingredients into the flour mixture. Stir through with a fork until it seems that most of the flour is moist. 

Step 7 - Turn the scone dough onto a lightly floured surface. Bring the dough together to form a rectangle or disc. The dough will look a bit dry. Using a bench scraper fold the edges of the dough over into the middle. Continue until it is mostly cohesive. Then cut the dough in half, place one half on the other, and press down. Repeat one more time if needed. 

Step 8 - Press the dough into a circle about 7 inches across and 1 inch tall. Scoot the edges of the disc in if needed after pressing the dough down. Cut the dough into 8 wedges with the bench scraper or a sharp knife, or cut out 8 scones with a cookie cutter. Then transfer the wedges onto the prepared baking sheet, about 3cm or 1 inch apart, and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Add a little bit of flour to the surface if needed.

Step 9 - While the scones are resting in the fridge, preheat the oven to 200°/400°F. 

Step 10 - Brush the tops of the cold scones with 3-4 tablespoons of cream. Bake the scones for 25 minutes or until they are a beautiful golden brown. 

Step 11 - Remove from oven, and allow to cool for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. 

Step 12 - While the scones are cooling, combine the icing sugar, lemon juice, and cream to form a lemon glaze. Drizzle the glaze over the scones either while still slightly warm or wait until they have cooled completely before drizzling with the glaze. 

Step 13 - Alternatively, the glaze can be left off the scones, and they can be served with whipped cream and lemon curd. 

Expert Tips for This Recipe

• Use cold ingredients for any scone recipe. It's a must for that tender flakey texture.
• Cut the butter into cubes and pop it back into the fridge while you continue preparations.
• Measure out the cream and keep it refrigerated while you continue.
• I like to rest sweeter scones in the fridge for 30 minutes for baking, and then bake them in a hot oven.
• A hot preheated oven is crucial to the success of your scones. The hot temps allow the steam to escape from the small pieces of butter which creates those tender layers in a scone.
• If you can, use a light-colored baking sheet when baking scones.
• If using a convection, fan-forced, fan-assisted oven or air-dryer, reduce the temperature by 20°C/25°F.
• If using an air fryer check on the scones at the 20-minute mark.
• Invest in an oven thermometer and remember that all ovens work a bit differently. Bake times may need to be adjusted for your particular oven.

Storage and Freezing

Store the cool lemon poppy seed scones in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 days, or up to 5 days in the refrigerator. They can be freshened up by popping them in the microwave for 20-30 seconds before serving. 

Scones dough can be frozen (for up to 2 months) and baked from frozen but may need a couple more minutes to completely bake through. Or thaw in the fridge overnight and follow the baking instructions on the recipe card. 

Scones can also be frozen after being baked before topping with any glaze. Place them in an airtight container and freeze for up to 2 months. Allow to defrost before warming up in the microwave (20-30 seconds) before serving. 

Lemon Poppy Seed Scones FAQ

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