These bright, zesty mini lemon scones are ready in just 30 minutes and bursting with fresh lemon flavor. Balancing flaky and tender textures, they’re made with lemon juice, zest, and a splash of extract for an extra punch. Follow our step-by-step guide for a foolproof recipe that’s sure to impress!
Delicious homemade mini lemon scones, drizzled with a zesty lemon glaze, are perfectly moist and bursting with fresh lemon flavor. These easy lemon scones are made for a crowd, offering bite-sized treats ideal for breakfast, brunch, or a sweet afternoon snack. Whether you're celebrating Mother's Day, Easter, or any holiday, these scones are the perfect way to add a burst of lemon delight to your table.
Jump to:
- Ingredients
- The difference between scones and biscuits
- Step-by-step instructions for mini lemon scones
- 3 Pro tips for successful scones
- Make ahead of time
- Equipment we used
- Have fun with the scone size
- Favorite riffs
- Storing and freezing
- Other favorite breakfast recipes for a crowd
- Some common FAQs
- 📖 Recipe
- 💬 Comments & Reviews
Ingredients
See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and quantities.
A great scone strikes a delightful balance between light and dense, with a perfect mix of crispy and soft textures—all while remaining moist and delicious. Achieving this balance may take some practice, but we've broken the process down into clear, step-by-step instructions to help you succeed. Remember: start with quality ingredients!
- Cold unsalted butter. Cold butter is key! As cold butter bakes it creates pockets of steam that result in a flaky, tender texture.
- All-purpose flour. Use a good flour like King Arthur or Bob's Red Mill; it really does make a difference!
- Baking powder. Choose an aluminum-free baking power such as Bob's Red Mill or Rumford. Baking powders with added aluminum can leave a slightly bitter or metallic taste in your baked goods.
- Milk. Opt for whole, 2%, or 1% - we don't recommend non-fat milk. The fat in the milk helps your scones remain soft and tender.
- Fresh lemons. For a bright, fresh flavor, use both fresh lemon zest and fresh lemon juice.
- Lemon extract. Using just lemon juice and zest wasn't enough of that delicious lemon flavor we desired, the lemon extract gives us that boost of flavor we're looking for.
PRO TIP:
Use a kitchen scale! Measuring flour by volume (in cups) is notoriously unreliable, so if you must measure the flour in cups, use the scoop and level method for best results. A reliable, inexpensive kitchen scale, like one from Escali, is a great investment. Our recipe lists both weight and volume measurements when applicable.
The difference between scones and biscuits
Good biscuits are light, flaky, and layered, making them easy to pull apart. In contrast, good scones are slightly drier, denser, and tend to crumble more easily. While biscuits are often round and scones are commonly triangular, both can be found in various shapes—round, square, triangle, or drop. Additionally, both can include extra ingredients. Biscuits usually feature savory items like cheese, meats (ham, bacon, sausage), or herbs, whereas scones can be either savory or sweet, with mix-ins such as fruit, herbs, cheese, sugar, chocolate chips, nuts, or spices.
Check out our Easy Biscuits for a Crowd if you're looking for a delicious soft, flaky biscuit recipe.
Step-by-step instructions for mini lemon scones
Zest and juice lemons
This recipe calls for the zest and juice from 3 large lemons. Start by zesting the lemons with a zester and setting the zest aside until needed. We use this microplane zester in our kitchens, any reliable lemon zester will work - choolse what suits you best.
After zesting, cut the lemons in half and juice them. Measure out the required amount of juice for the recipe and store any leftover juice for another use.
Lemon Juicers
We've used many different lemon juicers including a press squeezer, electric juicers like the Cuisinart attachment, and a hand juicer.
- For small amounts of juicing we find the hand juicer to be our tool of choice. It gets the most juice out of the fruit and is easy to use.
- When we have a lot of fruit to juice we pull out the electric juicer.
- While the press squeezer works, we find it leaves a lot of juice on the fruit and is the most difficult if you have any hand or wrist issues.
Cut butter
Cut the cold butter into very small pieces. Start by slicing each stick of butter into thin pats (image 1 & 2). Rotate the pats 90 degrees and cut them into strips (image 3). Rotate another 90 degrees and slice to create a small dice (image 4). Once diced, place the butter in a dish and refrigerate while you prep your other ingredients.
Make scone dough
Add flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and lemon zest to a mixing bowl (image 5) and stir until well combined. Next, add the cold, diced butter to the bowl (image 6). Using your hands, rub the butter into the dry ingredients until the butter breaks into small, flat flakes (images 7 & 8).
FOR BEST RESULTS
- Work quickly so the butter doesn't melt from the heat of your hands.
- If the butter starts to warm up and soften, chill the bowl in the freezer for 10-15 minutes before proceeding.
Ensure your butter-flour mixture is still cold, then add the milk, lemon juice, and lemon extract (image 9). Gently mix using a fork until just combined (image 10)—you don't want to over-mix the dough. The mixture may still be a bit crumbly - that's ok!
Amount of milk. If you measure your flour by weight using a kitchen scale (our recommendation!), the amount of milk in this recipe should be just right. However, if you measure your flour by volume (with cups), you might need an extra Tablespoon or two of milk to help the dough come together. In high humidity or if you cut the butter into the dough instead of shredding it, you might need slightly less milk. Start with ¾ cup milk and add one Tablespoon at a time until the dough just begins to hold together - remember, it should still be a dry dough, not sticky.
Forming the scones
Tip the dough onto a lightly floured cutting board. If it's still be a bit crumbly, gently bring it together with your hands (image 11 & 12). Divide the dough in half (image 13) and set one half aside. With the other half, shape the dough into a large rectangle about ½ inch thick. Cut the rectangle lengthwise in half (image 14), then cut each strip into fourths (image 15). Finally, cut each square diagonally to form triangles (image 16).
Work quickly to avoid melting the butter, cold butter is essential for a light, crumbly scone. Use a chef's knife or bench scraper for cleaner cuts. Place cut scones on a baking sheet lined with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper. For softer sides, position the triangles so they touch; for firmer edges, leave space between them.
If you prefer more uniform scones, trim the edges of your large rectangle to create straight corners and sides before cutting it into triangles. We opted for a more rustic shape in these photos.
Repeat the shaping process with the remaining dough. Once all scones are prepared, chill the baking sheet in the freezer for at least 10 minutes while the oven preheats. This step helps re-chill the butter and promotes a flaky texture.
Bake for 12-14 minutes until lemon scones are lightly browned. Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack before glazing.
Make the lemon glaze for scones
When the scones have cooled and you're ready to glaze, add powdered sugar to a bowl and stir in the lemon juice until smooth and creamy. Adjust the amount of lemon juice to achieve your desired glaze consistency: add more for a thinner glaze, ideal for a light drizzle, or use less for a thicker glaze, perfect for a frosting-like layer.
Drizzle or spread the glaze over the scones, adding as much or as little as you like.
3 Pro tips for successful scones
While a good homemade scone might take a little practice, they aren't hard to master. Keep in mind the following tips for a deliciously balanced scone.
1. The star ingredient: Butter
Use a good butter and keep it cold! Cold butter helps produce a flaky, airy scone on the inside with a crispy outside. Good butter will have a higher fat content, which affects texture, and a richer flavor, which affects the overall taste of your scone. We love Kerrygold, but it comes at a higher price. Other brands we frequently use are Kirkland, Land O'Lakes, and Tillamook.
Rubbing the butter with the dry ingredients creates flakey layers of butter and using your hands helps you know when the butter and dry ingredients are well mixed. Make sure to work fast and refrigerate the mixture if it becomes too warm. You can also grate the butter by wrapping the butter wrapper around the end of the butter and grate it with a box grater. The wrapper gives a better grip, acts as a small buffer between your hands and the blade, and stops the butter from melting as quickly. Once grated, place butter in the freezer to keep cold. You won’t have to rub the butter and the dry ingredients together like with the diced butter. Both methods give a great texture.
2. Keep the dough cold
To help the dough stay cold, work quickly and don't over-mix the dough, use a fork to mix the wet ingredients into the butter-flour mixture, and mix just until combined.
Cold dough helps the scones be taller and not spread as much. Place them in the fridge for at least 20 minutes (or the freezer for at least 10 minutes) before baking. This allows the butter in the dough to firm up again, allowing the water in the butter to evaporate during baking, resulting in a light and airy scone.
3. Measure ingredients correctly
Use a kitchen scale! Measuring flour by volume (in cups) is notoriously unreliable, so if you must measure the flour in cups, use the scoop and level method for best results. Our recipe lists both weight and volume measurements when applicable.
Make ahead of time
These scones can be made ahead of time, formed and placed in the refrigerator up to 12 hours before baking. To make further ahead of time, we recommend freezing the scones (see Storing Scones below for more information on this.) Make sure scones are always stored in airtight containers.
Equipment we used
There are three tools that make this recipe so much easier.
- A zester. We use this microplane zester but there are many good zesters available, select one that works for you. No zester? Use a knife or peeler to cut thin strips of lemon peel, then chop them into very fine pieces with a sharp knife. Be careful to avoid the white pith, as it can be bitter.
- A good juicer. To get every last bit of juice from your lemons, we recommend a juicer. This simple hand juicer is our favorite juicer for just a few lemons. No juicer? Once you cut your lemon in half, press a fork into the fruit and squeeze. Move the fork as needed, to help loosen up the fruit and juice the lemon.
- A kitchen scale. You've heard us say this so many times, please use a kitchen scale. There are so many good, inexpensive ones available. We like this one from Escali and if you have plans to bake, it's definitely a tool we recommend! No kitchen scale? Use the scoop and level method.
Have fun with the scone size
Make these scones any size you want by starting with larger squares, eliminating the final cut into triangles, or use any size biscuit cutter for circles. For a drop scone, add an additional tablespoon milk when mixing the dough making for a little looser dough that's perfect for dropping by the spoonful directly onto the baking sheet. If you adjust the size of your scones, you may need to adjust the baking time!
Favorite riffs
- This is a very lemon forward scone recipe! For a less lemon-y scone, omit the lemon extract in the scone dough and use milk (instead of lemon juice) in the glaze.
- Add poppy seeds to the dry ingredients for a lemon poppy seed scone. Add roasted, chopped walnuts or pecans, to the dough before shaping and cutting the scones.
- For vegan scones, substitute cold coconut oil for the butter and coconut milk or almond milk for the dairy milk.
- For a subtler glaze that still delivers rich lemon flavor, apply the glaze while the scones are just slightly warm. This allows the glaze to melt and soak in a little, imparting delicious lemon taste without a heavy, noticeable coating.
Storing and freezing
Storing and Freezing baked scones. These scones are best eaten the day they're baked but will last 1-2 days in an airtight container on the counter. The glaze will slowly melt into the scones making them softer over time. If you want to freeze baked scones, omit the glaze, store in an airtight container, and freeze for up to 3 months. Remove, thaw, and glaze when ready to serve. We don't recommend adding glaze or icing to scones you plan to freeze, as the texture can be compromised in the freezer.
Storing unbaked scones. Scones are a fantastic item to have on hand for a quick breakfast or when guests visits. Once you've cut and formed your scones, place them on a sheet pan and freeze until solid—about 1-2 hours. Then, transfer the frozen scones to an airtight container and store for up to 3 months. When you're ready to bake, defrost the desired amount on the counter while the oven preheats, then bake, glaze, and serve as directed.
Other favorite breakfast recipes for a crowd
Some common FAQs
We tested this lemon scone recipe with a lot of different lemon flavor combos. This combination of lemon juice, lemon zest, and a splash of lemon extract gives these scones the lemon-forward flavor we were looking for without compromising on texture. For a less lemon forward scone omit the lemon extract.
No, but you can make them vegan by substituting cold coconut oil for the butter in the dough and coconut or almond milk for the dairy milk.
Yes! We love to make and form these scones and freeze them unbaked. Remove the desired quantity from the freezer and thaw while you preheat the oven. Bake and glaze according to directions for fresh scones whenever needed.
You can also freeze baked scones - without the glaze - for up to 3 months. Remove from the freezer and thaw on the counter, glaze, and serve.
Always store in an airtight container.
📖 Recipe
Mini Lemon Scones - For A Crowd
- Total Time: 33 minutes
- Yield: 32 1x
Description
These mini lemon scones are ready in just 30 minutes and bursting with fresh lemon flavor. Balancing flaky and tender textures, they’re made with lemon juice, zest, and a splash of extract for an extra punch.
Ingredients
For the scones
- 3 Tablespoons lemon zest (about 3 large lemons)
- ⅓ cup lemon juice (about 3 large lemons)
- 12 Tablespoons (1 ½ sticks) cold unsalted butter
- 480 grams (4 cups) all-purpose flour
- 100 grams (½ cup) sugar
- 12 grams (3 teaspoons) baking powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 teaspoons lemon extract
- 1 cup milk
For the glaze
- 2-3 Tablespoons lemon juice
- 180 grams (1 ½ cups) powdered sugar
Instructions
Prepare the lemons
- Zest each lemon; set the zest aside. You should have about 3 Tablespoons of lemon zest.
- Once the lemons are zested, slice them in half and juice them, removing any seeds.
- Measure out the amount of lemon juice you'll need for these scones; save the rest for other recipes.
Prepare the butter
- Dice the cold butter into small pieces. See post for more information on how we dice our butter into small pieces.
- Place diced butter into a dish and transfer to the refrigerator while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
Make the dough
- Whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and lemon zest together in a large mixing bowl.
- Add cold cubed butter to the bowl and rub the butter between your fingers with the dry ingredients to form flat flakes of butter. Continue rubbing the butter and dry ingredients together until there are no more small cubes of butter.
- Measure out milk in a large measuring cup. Add lemon juice and lemon extract to the milk and stir.
- Pour the liquids into the dry ingredients and use a fork to mix until just combined. The mixture may still be a bit crumbly - that's ok!
- Tip scone dough onto a lightly floured cutting board. Use your hands to quickly and gently bring the dough together. Cut the dough in half and place one piece to the side. Pat the other half of the dough into a large rectangle, about ½ inch thick. Work quickly here to avoid melting the butter with the heat from your hands! You want the butter to stay cold in order to create an airy, crumbly scone.
- Cut the dough into small rectangles. We cut in half lengthwise and then divide these halves into fourths using a chef’s knife or bench scraper. Cut each small rectangle diagonally creating two triangles from each rectangle.
- Place on a lined baking sheet (we recommend a silicon baking mat or parchment paper). Place each wedge right next to each other for a soft side scone or separate each wedge for a firmer side.
- Heat oven to 425°F.
- Place the scones in the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes or the freezer for at least 10 minutes before baking, while the oven preheats.
- Bake at 425° F for 12-14 minutes or until lightly browned.
- Remove from the oven and let cool completely before adding a lemon glaze (recipe below).
Make the lemon glaze
- Place powdered sugar in a small mixing bowl.
- Whisk in lemon juice a little at a time until you have a smooth glaze and have reached your desired consistency.
- Drizzle the glaze over cooled scones and enjoy!
Notes
Why use lemon extract? After extensive testing, we found this combination of lemon juice, lemon zest, and a splash of lemon extract gives these scones the perfect lemon-forward flavor without compromising on texture. For a less lemon forward scone omit the lemon extract.
Additions and Substitutions. Add poppyseeds to the dry ingredients. Include some roasted, chopped nuts (walnuts, pecans, pistachios) to the dough. Add minced, fresh ginger, fresh berries, cherries, or dried cranberries for a boost of flavor. For vegan scones, use cold coconut oil instead of butter and coconut milk or almond milk instead of dairy milk.
Adjust the size and shape. Make larger scones by cutting larger triangles. Use any size biscuit cutter for circles. Cut into squares instead of triangles. Make a drop scone - you may need to add an additional Tablespoon milk to the dough for a looser dough if making drop scones. If you adjust the size of the scones the baking time may need to be adjusted.
Adjust the amount of milk if necessary. If you measure your flour with a kitchen scale (by weight) the amount of milk in this recipe should be just about perfect. If you measure your flour with cups (by volume), you may need an extra Tablespoon or two of milk to help the dough come together. If it's especially humid outside you might need a tiny bit less milk than the recipe calls for - start with ¾ cup milk and add a Tablespoon at a time as necessary.
Adjust consistency of glaze. Add more lemon juice for a thinner glaze, ideal for a light drizzle, or use less for a thicker glaze, perfect for a frosting-like layer.
To help promote a flaky texture, re-chill the butter by placing the sheet pan of scones in the fridge for at least 20 minutes, or the freezer for at least 10 minutes, before baking.
Storing and Freezing. The glaze will slowly soak into the scones over time, causing them to soften, so they’re best enjoyed on the day they’re baked. However, they will last for 1-2 days on the counter in an airtight container or in the freezer for up to 3 months. We don't recommend adding glaze or icing to scones you plan to freeze.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 13 minutes
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 scone
- Calories: 133
- Sugar: 9.2 g
- Sodium: 24.9 mg
- Fat: 4.6 g
- Carbohydrates: 21.3 g
- Protein: 1.9 g
- Cholesterol: 12.1 mg
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