I’m not gonna lie — some days, I bake just so the house smells like something good is happening. I don’t always have a plan. But when I’ve got a lemon sitting on the counter looking at me like, “you gonna use me or what?” — that’s when I pull this recipe out.
These lemon cream scones? They’re soft, a little crumbly on the edges, sweet but not too sweet, with a glaze that tastes like sunshine and good moods. They’re the kind of thing you make once and end up texting three people the recipe before the batch even cools.
The first time I made them, I was just trying to use up heavy cream before it expired. Honestly? Zero expectations. But something about the lemon zest, the real butter, and that thick glaze — it all just… worked. And I’ve made them a dozen times since.
Okay, but why are they so good?
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That lemon glaze is straight-up dreamy.
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The scones themselves are soft in the middle, with the perfect crumbly edges.
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They don’t feel fussy, but they still look kinda fancy.
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You don’t need a mixer. Just a bowl, a fork, and maybe a good podcast while you work.
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They’re great the next day. Or two. Or four, if you’re hiding them.
What you’ll need (and what’s okay to wing)
For the scones:
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3 cups all-purpose flour – the regular stuff, nothing special.
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2/3 cup sugar – not a ton, just enough to balance the lemon.
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5 teaspoons baking powder – yeah, it sounds like a lot. It’s fine.
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1/4 tsp salt – balances everything.
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2 sticks cold butter – cold is key. I cut mine up and throw it in the freezer for a few minutes.
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1 egg
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1 cup heavy cream – don’t sub milk here, it just won’t be the same.
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1 tsp vanilla
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Zest of 1 lemon – this part is weirdly important. Don’t skip it.
For the glaze:
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5 cups powdered sugar, sifted – I mean… measure with your heart. You can adjust it later.
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1/2 cup whole milk
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Zest + juice of 1 lemon
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A pinch of salt – yep, even here.
Let’s make some scones (you got this)
Step 1: Turn on your oven
Set it to 350ºF. Line a baking sheet with parchment. If you don’t have any, butter it up. Close enough.
Step 2: Mix up the lemon cream
Whisk together the cream, egg, vanilla, and lemon zest in a little bowl. Let it sit for about 10 minutes. You don’t have to, but it gives the lemon time to mingle. Totally worth it.
Step 3: Dry stuff in a big bowl
Flour, sugar, baking powder, salt — toss it all together. Just a quick mix to keep things even.
Step 4: Butter time
Now grab your cold butter and cut it into the flour mixture. You can use a pastry cutter, two knives, or just smash it up with your hands like I do. You want it to look like little crumbs—pea-sized chunks are totally fine.
Step 5: Bring it all together
Pour in your lemony cream mixture and gently stir it with a fork. It won’t look like dough at first, but keep going. Once it starts to come together, dump it onto a floured surface.
Step 6: Pat, roll, and cut
Press the dough into a rectangle (don’t overwork it), then roll it gently to about ¾-inch thick. I usually get it to about 18×10 inches, but I don’t measure. Just eyeball it.
Trim the edges if you want tidy corners. Cut into 12 squares, then slice each in half to make 24 triangles. Again—don’t overthink it. Scones are like jeans; a little imperfect still fits just fine.
Step 7: Bake
Place those triangles on your baking sheet and bake for 18 minutes, or until the edges start to turn golden. Not too dark, not too pale — just right.
Let them sit on the pan for 15 minutes, then move them somewhere to cool (a rack, a plate, your mouth… whatever works).
The glaze that makes it all make sense
While the scones cool, stir together the milk, lemon zest, juice, and salt. Let it hang out for 10 minutes so the lemon gets punchy.
Whisk in the powdered sugar until it’s smooth and creamy. If it’s too runny, add more sugar. If it’s too thick, splash in some milk. I like it thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
Dunk the tops of your cooled scones right into the glaze. Let the excess drip off. Set them back down and let that glaze set up — about an hour or so. Or eat one while it’s still sticky. I always do.
