This lemon poppyseed scones recipe is the perfect brunch treat! These easy lemon poppy seed scones with sour cream have a deliciously rich texture. You'll love making and eating them!
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And if you love these scones, you’ll definitely want to try my Earl Grey Scones with Vanilla Bean Glaze, my Pecan Pastry Braid, and my Iced Sugar Cookie Almond Milk Latte (Starbucks Copycat)!
Best Lemon Poppy Seed Scones Recipe
I love citrus season! Some of my favorite recipes on this site, like my Earl Grey Lavender Cake or my Chocolate Orange Cake are full of citrus flavor that is so perfect during citrus season. So I'm so excited to share these lemon poppyseed scones! They're a great recipe for a morning treat or afternoon snack any time of year.
They're soft and tender, with the perfect amount of tart lemon flavor and crunchy poppy seeds for texture. Then, just top them with a simple lemon glaze and you've got the perfect brunch treat or afternoon tea snack!
This lemon poppyseed scones recipe is based on my cinnamon scones recipe, and just like those, you won't be able to stop eating them! They're a twist on a classic scone recipe, and they're perfectly sweet and so easy to make! Enjoy them with a delicious Sweet Cream Cold Brew or as part of a Mother's Day brunch platter!
And lemon lovers will definitely want to check out my Lemon Bars with Graham Cracker Crust, my Lemon Dump Cake, or my Ricotta Lemon Pasta!
Jump to:
What makes a good scone?
So what is the secret to making good scones? Well, the number one thing to remember is to keep your ingredients cold. That means starting with frozen butter, and adding cold sour cream and a cold egg.
Plus, we're grating our butter into the dry ingredients, which will help it to mix in easily without giving it time to warm up. Finally, when our lemon poppyseed scones are ready to bake, we'll pop the whole baking sheet in the freezer while the oven preheats. This re-chills the butter and makes sure we get the best rise and most tender and flaky texture.
Should you put eggs in scones?
What does adding an egg do to scones? An egg is an important ingredient in scones to provide the texture and structure for the best lemon poppy seed scones! Without an egg, your scones will be a bit drier and won't rise as high.
Lemon Poppyseed Scones Ingredients
Here's what you'll need for this simple lemon poppyseed scones recipe:
- granulated sugar - adds just enough sweetness to these scones!
- lemon zest - we're going to rub the zest into the sugar to release the lemon oil and boost the fresh lemon flavor even more! Be sure to only zest the yellow outer part of the lemon rind, avoiding the white pith, which can add bitterness. And if you want even more lemon, you can spread my lemon curd on these scones!
- all-purpose flour - you'll want to measure your flour mixture by weight using a kitchen scale for the most accurate result, or use the spoon-and-level method.
- baking powder & baking soda - helps to give these lemon poppyseed scones their lift!
- poppy seeds - these add some nice nutty flavor and texture to these scones.
- frozen salted butter - because we need the butter to be very cold and stay cold until the scones are in the oven, we're going to use frozen butter grated with a box grater so that our cold butter incorporates into the dough quickly without too much manipulation. Using frozen grated butter also eliminates the need for a pastry blender!
- sour cream - I recommend using full-fat sour cream for the best texture. Using sour cream instead of heavy cream in our scone dough helps give our lemon scones a moister, soft texture. You won't need to let your sour cream come to room temperature for this recipe, since we want all our ingredients to be nice and cold. If you don't have sour cream, full-fat Greek yogurt works too.
- an egg - unlike in most baking recipes, you'll actually want to use a cold egg for this lemon poppyseed scones recipe!
- vanilla extract - definitely opt for a good-quality pure vanilla extract. Or better yet, check out my post on how to make vanilla extract at home with just 2 ingredients!
And for the quick lemon icing you'll just need:
- fresh lemon juice - adds a delightful lemony flavor to the glaze we'll spread on our baked scones.
- powdered sugar - also called confectioners' sugar, powdered sugar adds wonderful sweetness to this tangy lemon glaze.
- vanilla extract - I love adding vanilla to glazes, just to balance the bright lemon flavor.
Equipment
You'll need a box grater to grate your frozen butter, and I like to use a bench scraper to divide the dough into 8 pieces. Other than that, you'll need a large bowl, a large sheet pan to bake your scones and a lightly floured surface to form your homemade lemon poppyseed scones.
Here are all my tool recommendations for this lemon poppy seed scone recipe:
Tips and F.A.Q.
How do you make scones rise and not spread? Well, as I mentioned, make sure you grate in frozen butter and use cold ingredients!
Also, don't over mix your dough or handle it too much before baking. We're also using a special ingredient, sour cream, as an additional boost. It interacts with the baking soda in the dry ingredients to add even more lift to these lemon poppyseed scones!
Finally, make sure your oven is the right temperature and is fully preheated before you begin baking. If your oven temp is a little low, your butter may melt before the outside of the scones have risen and firmed up. I recommend using an oven thermometer to double check your oven temperature and adjust accordingly.
I think so! Adding an egg gives these lemon poppyseed scones a richer, softer texture and helps them to rise while baking.
One of these scones, including the lemon glaze, has a total of 406 calories. See below for complete nutrition information.
Yes! They're best frozen prior to baking -- just freeze them solid, then place in a freezer bag or another airtight container for up to 2 months. Then just bake straight from frozen and add a few more minutes to the bake time.
The chilling step allows the gluten in the dough to rest so that your lemon poppyseed scones keep their shape as they rise in the oven. That way you'll end up with nicely shaped, tender scones.
If you try this recipe, I would love it if you could leave a star review rating and comment below! It’s so wonderful hearing your feedback! And don’t forget to share your creations with me by tagging @chenee_today on Instagram!
More Lemon Recipes You'll Love
- Almond Lemon Cookies
- Vegan Olive Oil Cake with Lemon and Pistachio
- Buttermilk Blueberry Muffins with Lemon Zest
- Lemon Lavender Cupcakes
- Lemon Icebox Pie
📖 Recipe
Equipment you may need
Ingredients
- 1 large egg
- ¾ cup (173 g) full-fat sour cream - or greek yogurt
- 2 teaspoon (10 ml) pure vanilla extract
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon (6 g) lemon zest - packed (about one lemon)
- 2 cup (250 g) all-purpose flour - measured by weight with a kitchen scale or with the spoon-and-level method
- 2 teaspoon (8 g) baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon (1 g) baking soda
- 2 tablespoon (18 g) poppy seeds
- ½ cup (114 g) salted butter - frozen
Lemon Glaze
- 2 cups (240 g) powdered sugar
- ¼ cup (61 g) fresh squeezed lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon (2 ml) pure vanilla extract
- pinch salt
Instructions
- At least one hour before preparing dough (or the night before), place butter in freezer.½ cup salted butter
- In a medium bowl, whisk together sour cream, egg, and vanilla. Set aside in fridge to keep cool.1 large egg, ¾ cup full-fat sour cream, 2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- In a separate large bowl, combine sugar and lemon zest, pressing zest into sugar to release oils.½ cup granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- Whisk in flour, baking powder, baking soda, and poppy seeds and mix well.2 cup all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoon baking powder, 2 tablespoon poppy seeds, ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- Grate in frozen butter and combine with dry ingredients. Using a pastry blender or a fork, blend butter into flour mixture.
- Fold sour cream mixture into dry ingredients with a rubber spatula until just combined. Use floured hands to continue to lightly knead dough into a ball.
- Place dough on a lightly floured surface and dust top of dough ball with a little more flour. Gently shape into a 8-inch round flattened disk and cut into 8 wedges. Place wedges in a circle, slightly touching each other, on a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking liner.
- Preheat oven to 400°F and place baking sheet with scones in the freezer to chill while it heats up.
- Bake for 16-17 minutes or until scones are lightly golden on top and golden brown on bottom. Let cool before adding glaze.
Lemon Glaze
- Whisk glaze ingredients together until smooth.2 cups powdered sugar, ¼ cup fresh squeezed lemon juice, ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract, pinch salt
- Place scones on cooling rack over parchment paper or paper towels to catch drips. Drizzle glaze over cooled scones and allow to set.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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Last Updated on April 5, 2025 by Chenée Lewis
Hayley Dhanecha says
These lemon poppyseeds scones are so delightful, perfect for spring celebration parties!
Wanda says
I had all the ingredients in my fridge so I made these today. They are so delicious - and the family has already mostly devoured them! Thanks for sharing!
Chenée Lewis says
I'm so glad to hear that! thank you!
Andrea says
Fantastic flavors for a scone. I love that I can make them whenever I want and that the whole family will enjoy them.
Chenée Lewis says
Absolutely! Thanks so much!
Dana says
These are amazing! I love lemon anything when it comes to baked goods. These scones are so bright and refreshing!
Chenée Lewis says
Thank you! The lemon flavor is so yummy!
Vicky says
Lemon poppyseed scones are one of my favorite breakfast pastries. I love the tangy lemon flavor and crunchy texture from the poppyseeds. Perfect with a cup of coffee or tea in the morning.
Dannii says
I love any kind of lemon dessert and these scones were incredible. Really easy to make too.
Chenée Lewis says
Thank you! I'm a huge lemon fan too!
Tavo says
One of the best scones recipes that I have tried so far! The texture was great!
Chenée Lewis says
Thank you so much! I love these scones!
Tara says
Such gorgeous scones! I love that bright refreshing flavor. So perfect paired with the poppyseeds.
Chenée Lewis says
Thank you so much! 🙂
Gary says
I made a comment here back in the summer about how great this recipe is - but I wanted to follow up that comment with another.
Since then, I have made many different combinations: blueberry, lemon blueberry, maple bacon, orange ginger, cranberry orange, wineberry white chocolate, raspberry white chocolate, and others I can't remember.
For all of them, I have used your basic recipe and techniques as a starting point, then added various ingredients to make different combinations. It's never failed once. I've had MANY people tell me that they are the best scones they've ever had. One particular friend even mentioned that her aunt was very competitive and had been making her own for years. After the friend tried mine, she said they were better, and even told her aunt. The aunt was very skeptical, but after I shared the recipe, she made them and agreed.
I can't thank you enough. I think I would have given up on making a decent scone if I hadn't found your recipe!
Chenée Lewis says
Gary you made my day with this comment! I'm so glad you like the recipe and that it works with so many combinations! Thank you so much for trying it and for the feedback! 🙂
Gary says
This was the second lemon poppy seed scone recipe I tried today. The first was a disaster (which is why I sought out a second). It was poorly written and the directions and ingredients didn't match - on top of which it tasted like crap. It was so bad I started wondering if I had lost my touch.
Then I found your recipe. I read it through it first and it was obviously written with a lot of thought and care by someone that actually knew something about cooking.
I followed it to a "T" (with the exception of adding minced fresh rosemary). These are THE best scones I've ever had - and that includes all the ones we had over in Ireland when we visited for two weeks last month (and those were quite good).
I'm going to be looking for your other recipes and just wanted to say thanks for such a well-written and easy-to-follow recipe (the weights in grams were just a huge bonus!).
Chenée Lewis says
Thank you so much Gary! It's great to hear that you enjoyed the scones and that they were able to redeem your scone baking experience from earlier in the day! Really appreciate the feedback. 🙂
Erica S says
The scones are tender and delicious with just the right amount of sweetness! What I really appreciate, though, is the hassle-free way you laid out the recipe! The ingredients listed under each step was perfect and something I haven’t seen elsewhere.
Chenée Lewis says
Thanks so much for the feedback! It definitely saves the effort of scrolling up and down!
Biana says
These scones look so good, they are perfect for spring! Looking forward to making them.
Chenée Lewis says
I hope you enjoy them! 🙂
Sara Welch says
Enjoyed this for breakfast this morning and started my day off right, indeed! Paired perfectly with my morning cup of coffee; delish!
Chenée Lewis says
Wonderful! Thanks for giving them a try. I'm so glad you enjoyed them!
Jamie says
I love how this looks with all the poppyseeds! Definitely one of my favorite flavors for scone!
Chenée Lewis says
Mine too! It's such a great flavor combination!
Michelle says
These lemon poppyseed scones were so delicious and easy to make! Thank you!
Chenée Lewis says
Great! I'm so glad you liked them!
Lindsay says
these are so good! I love how lemony and sweet they are, and the crunch from the poppyseeds is totally perfect.
Chenée Lewis says
Thank you! I'm so glad you liked them!
Cathleen says
I am OBSESSED with scones, so this is perfect!! Definitely giving this a try this weekend, thank you so much for the recipe 🙂
Chenée Lewis says
You're welcome! I hope you enjoy them!
Jacqueline Meldrum says
They look so good and I'm really into lemon sweet treats right now. Scottish scones are so different. No eggs and they are always round.
Chenée Lewis says
That's so interesting! I would love to try Scottish scones too!
Dannii says
I love any kind of baked good with lemon, and these look delicious. I can't wait to try it.
Chenée Lewis says
Yes lemon is such a great flavor! Hope you enjoy!
Julia says
Thanks for sharing this, i have been looking for scone recipe that I’d like to make and i think i found one!
Chenée Lewis says
Wonderful! I hope you enjoy!