Description
These quick and easy lemon scones are fluffy, tender, and bursting with bright citrus flavor. Perfect for breakfast, brunch, or a cheerful snack, they come together in just 30 minutes using simple pantry staples and fresh lemons.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup (65g) granulated sugar
- Zest of 2 large lemons
- 2 teaspoons (8g) baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon (1g) baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon (3g) salt
- 1/2 cup (113g) unsalted butter, cold and cubed
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup (120ml) heavy cream, plus more for brushing
- 2 tablespoons (30ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon (5ml) vanilla extract
- Powdered sugar (optional, for glaze)
- Coarse sugar (optional, for sprinkling)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Add lemon zest to the sugar in the bowl and rub together with your fingers until fragrant.
- Add cold, cubed butter and cut it into the flour mixture using a pastry cutter or two forks until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs with some pea-sized pieces.
- In a separate small bowl, whisk together egg, heavy cream, lemon juice, and vanilla extract.
- Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and gently fold together with a spatula or wooden spoon until just combined. Dough should be shaggy and slightly sticky.
- Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and pat into a 7-inch circle, about 1 inch thick. Do not knead.
- Cut the circle into 8 equal wedges and transfer to the prepared baking sheet, spacing them apart.
- Brush tops with extra cream and sprinkle with coarse sugar if desired.
- Bake for 14-16 minutes, until golden and slightly firm to the touch.
- Let scones cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes.
- For glaze (optional): Whisk 1/2 cup powdered sugar with 1-2 tablespoons lemon juice and drizzle over cooled scones.
Notes
Keep all ingredients, especially butter and cream, very cold for the fluffiest scones. Do not overmix the dough. For gluten-free scones, use a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend. Add-ins like blueberries or cranberries can be folded in before shaping. Scones are best enjoyed fresh but can be stored in an airtight container for up to 2 days or frozen for up to 2 months.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Breakfast
- Cuisine: British
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 scone
- Calories: 220
- Sugar: 8
- Sodium: 220
- Fat: 9
- Saturated Fat: 5
- Carbohydrates: 30
- Fiber: 1
- Protein: 4
Keywords: lemon scones, easy scones, homemade scones, quick scones, brunch, breakfast, citrus, bakery-style, fluffy scones, lemon pastry