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Ridiculously Easy Lemon Poppy Seed Scones
5 from 16 votes

Ridiculously Easy Lemon Poppy Seed Scones

These lemon poppy seed scones combine a tender, flaky texture with a bright lemon zest and subtle crunch from poppy seeds. The scones are made by blending chilled heavy cream and melted butter into dry ingredients, resulting in a thick dough. A glaze made with powdered sugar and fresh lemon juice adds a sweet citrus finish. The recipe yields about 12 scones, sized according to preference.

Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
20 mins
Total Time
40 mins
Servings: 12
Calories: 327 kcal
Course: Breakfast, Baked Goods
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

For the scones:
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 8 tablespoons butter
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 6 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 tablespoon corn starch
  • 1½ tablespoons poppy seeds
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • lemon zest of 1 medium-size
For the glaze:
  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 3-4 tablespoons milk or half and half
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice fresh

Instructions

For the scones:
    Cup of Yum
  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper (you'll need 2 sheet pans for smaller scones). Set an oven rack on the middle level of the oven.
  2. Measure 1 cup heavy cream and place it in the freezer for 10 minutes. Place the butter in a microwave-safe bowl, cover with a paper towel and heat on high for 1 minute. If not completely melted, return to the microwave for 10-second intervals till melted. Set aside to cool a bit while prepping other ingredients.
  3. Whisk flour, sugar, corn starch, poppy seeds, baking powder, baking soda, salt and lemon zest in a medium-size bowl. Stir to combine and set aside.
  4. After heavy cream has been chilled in the freezer for 10 minutes, combine it with the melted butter. Stir with a fork until butter forms small clumps or globules (see the picture above in the post).
  5. Add the cream mixture to the dry ingredients and stir with a rubber spatula until all flour is incorporated. The batter will be very thick, like a cookie dough. Don’t over mix it, but you do need to make sure all the little flour bits are incorporated.
  6. Spray a cookie scooper (see notes above) or large spoon with non-stick cooking spray. Scoop up scones in mounds onto the prepared pan. Space the scones at least 2 inches apart to allow for some spreading.
  7. Refrigerate unbaked scones for at least 15 minutes (longer is fine).
  8. Bake for 12 minutes then check for doneness. You want them to be a nice, light, golden brown. In my oven, it takes 15-20 minutes, but every oven is different. When scones are light golden brown, remove them from the oven and transfer to a wire cooling rack.
For the glaze:
  1. While the scones are baking, make the lemon glaze. Combine the powdered sugar, milk (or half and half) and lemon juice in a medium-size bowl. Whisk well until smooth to make a thick, but spoonable glaze. (If the glaze is too thin, add a bit more powdered sugar, if too thick add a little more cream.)
  2. Place a sheet pan or piece of foil under the cooling rack and spoon the glaze over scones to cover completely, allowing any excess to drip onto the sheet pan or foil. Sprinkle each scone with extra poppy seeds for a pretty presentation, if desired. If you can wait, let the glaze set before serving.

Notes

  • Chill the heavy cream before mixing for improved texture.
  • Melt the butter gently and allow it to cool slightly before combining with cream to form clumps in the dough.
  • You can adjust scone size as preferred; larger scones will require longer baking time.
  • The recipe yields about 12 average-sized scones.

Nutrition Information

Calories 327kcal (16%) Carbohydrates 44g (15%) Protein 3g (6%) Fat 16g (25%) Saturated Fat 10g (50%) Trans Fat 1g (50%) Cholesterol 49mg (16%) Sodium 220mg (9%) Potassium 155mg (3%) Fiber 1g (4%) Sugar 26g (52%) Vitamin A 538IU (11%) Vitamin C 1mg (1%) Calcium 82mg (8%) Iron 1mg (6%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 12 Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 327

% Daily Value*

Calories 327kcal 16%
Carbohydrates 44g 15%
Protein 3g 6%
Fat 16g 25%
Saturated Fat 10g 50%
Trans Fat 1g 50%
Cholesterol 49mg 16%
Sodium 220mg 9%
Potassium 155mg 3%
Fiber 1g 4%
Sugar 26g 52%
Vitamin A 538IU 11%
Vitamin C 1mg 1%
Calcium 82mg 8%
Iron 1mg 6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.