Easy Lemon White Chocolate Scones with a Lemon Glaze
This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Read my full disclosure.
If you love bright lemon flavors and sweet white chocolate, you will fall in love with these super easy lemon white chocolate scones! They come together with just a few moments of work and taste just like summer!
I’m a lemon fiend. Most lemon recipes just aren’t lemony enough for me because I just can’t get enough of that sunny, tart flavor! These lemon white chocolate scones remind me of lemonade. The flaky scone dough is dotted with sweet white chocolate chips and a mild lemon flavor, but don’t worry. We’ll add a tangy lemon glaze on top that will give you the zesty flavor you’re craving!
They’re wonderful served with a cup of herbal tea or at a summery brunch, but they’re delicious enough to be offered as a dessert, too. I like to pair them with fresh berries because lemon seems to shine with raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, and more! Don’t you agree?
If you love lemon, too, you’ll love this homemade lemon extract to add a little lemon flavor to every recipe! These Lemon Lavender Muffins are perfect for Mother’s Day and would be a great fit with these scones on a brunch table. For a savory option, try this creamy Lemon Ricotta pasta!
Why you’ll love these lemon white chocolate scones
- SO EASY – This easy lemon scone recipe requires almost no effort thanks to the food processor. It takes longer to measure out all of the basic ingredients than it does to make the dough!
- LOTS OF LEMON FLAVOR – Plus, you just can’t top the cheerful flavor of fresh lemon and these lemon white chocolate scones have it in every bite. From the fresh lemon juice and zest in the dough to the lemon glaze, these are truly a treat for lemon lovers like me!
- GREAT FOR BRUNCH – If you’re hosting a Mother’s Day brunch or just having friends over, you’ve got to try these scones! They’re so refreshing and they pair well with omelets, quiches, fruit trays, and more.
Equipment
There are several ways to make this recipe, but the easiest way is with a food processor. After pulsing the ingredients together, you’ll simply mold the scone dough into a circle, cut it into pieces, and bake! It can be helpful to have a microplaner for zesting your lemon and a small bowl and whisk for assembling the glaze.
Ingredients
Scone Dough
- All purpose flour – Use your everyday plain flour to make these easy scones.
- Baking powder & kosher salt – These ingredients will help the scones rise to be light and fluffy.
- Lemon – You’ll need both lemon zest and either lemon zest or juice for these tasty scones.
- Cold butter – By cold, I actually mean frozen. Keep your butter in the freezer and simply chop it into large cubes right before you add it to the food processor.
- Egg – This will help bind the dough together and give them a soft texture.
- Heavy cream – These are cream scones and the cream adds a softness to the dough that gives these scones a perfect texture. You can also substitute buttermilk for extra rise, but try to use a high fat buttermilk.
- White chocolate chips – Creamy white chocolate chunks are such a great complement to sour lemon and adds a nice bite to these scones.
Glaze Ingredients
- Powdered sugar – The base of this simple glaze is powdered sugar, which will absorb any liquid as long as you keep whisking.
- Lemon juice – This is my favorite glaze to make for any recipe because the sugar mellows out the sour lemon juice. So good!
- Lemon zest – This is optional, but it gives the glaze an even stronger lemon flavor!
How to Make Lemon White Chocolate Scones
Prepare The Dough
- Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone liner.
- In the bowl of a food processor, add your dry ingredients and lemon zest. Pulse for 1 second to combine.
- Cube the frozen butter and add it to the flour mixture in the food processor. Run the food processor for about 5 seconds to break the butter into small pieces.
- Add the cream, lemon extract, and the white chocolate chips. Pulse 5-7 times until combined; the dough should look like large coarse crumbs. If the dough doesn’t hold together when you squeeze it, add another tablespoon of cream.
- Pour the scone dough onto a baking sheet and press it into a large circle approximately 3/4 to 1 inch tall. Press the dough down with your hands or roll it smooth using a rolling pin.
- Cut it into 8-10 pieces using a knife or bench scraper. Separate the pieces to give them room to rise.
- Freeze or refrigerate your dough for 30 minutes to make sure it’s really cold.
Bake
- Bake for 15-18 minutes or until just golden brown along the bottom edge. Be careful not to overbake or the white chocolate chips may burn.
- Allow the lemon scones to cool completely on the baking tray at room temperature.
Glaze And Serve
- Assemble the glaze by whisking half of the powdered sugar and the lemon juice together in a small bowl. Feel free to add the zest of another lemon for a really bright flavor. Once combined, whisk in the remaining powdered sugar.
- Drizzle or glaze over the top of the scones as you see fit. Allow the glaze to set and then enjoy!
How to Make Lemon Scones by Hand
If you don’t have a food processor, you can easily make these lemon scones by hand.
- Add the dry ingredients and lemon zest to a large mixing bowl and grate in the frozen butter.
- Use a pastry cutter to combine the butter into the flour mixture.
- Gradually add the cream and lemon zest until the dough starts to come together.
- Mix in the chocolate chips until they are fully integrated.
- Mold it into a circle, cut it into pieces, and bake following the instructions above.
Storing
Scones are best within 1-2 days. You can store them at room temperature or in the fridge in an airtight container. If you’re chilling your scones, let them sit on the counter for 20-30 minutes or microwave them for 30 seconds to bring out all the flavor. To freeze them, place them in a freezer bag and freeze for 1-2 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight.
If you want to freeze your scone dough before baking, simply form the dough into the large circle like the instructions, but wrap it in plastic wrap or parchment paper instead of cutting it. Freeze it solid. When you’re ready to bake, cut the frozen into triangles and bake from frozen.
How to Use
These delightful scones make a lovely breakfast or a perfect afternoon treat to enjoy with a cup of tea! They are lovely to serve at a brunch, baby shower, bridal shower, or other party. They’d look lovely next to these Lemon Lavender Muffins or my Pink Chocolate Covered Strawberries!
Tips & Variations
- White chocolate chips can caramelize if baked for too long at too high of a temperature. If this happens to you, drop your temperature to 375 degrees instead of 400.
- All flour absorbs liquids a little differently. If your scone dough seems way too dry and hard to work with, add additional tablespoons of cream one at a time until the mixture just starts to come together. I’ve made scones with too little liquid (which were still yummy, but a little crumbly) and too much liquid (which were light and fluffy, but a little soft. They all taste good, so don’t overthink it!
- Feel free to brush the tops of your scones with milk or cream for a nice golden crust. Since we’re glazing these scones, I don’t worry about this extra step!
- To make mini scones, cut each triangle into 3-4 smaller triangles and bake for approximately 10 minutes or until golden brown.
- The glaze is optional, of course. If you prefer to skip it, try brushing the scones with milk or cream and sprinkle the tops of the scones with a little coarse sugar for a lovely appearance.
FAQs
That depends on the type of scone you are making as British and American scones are somewhat different. This recipe makes cream scones, which are softer with a lovely flaky texture. The added fat content in the cold cream gives the scone dough a smooth texture.
You can substitute buttermilk for cream for extra rise. Another option is to use whole milk or plant-based milk. These may not have the same rich texture as using cream, but will work in a pinch. Be sure to chill your milk until it is very cold to keep the butter very cold.
Related Recipes
If you love baking scones, try these other scone recipes!
- Matcha Scones
- Date Scones
- Light and Fluffy Cheese Scones
- Blood Orange Scones
- Apple Cider Scones
- Whole Wheat Scones
- Blue Cheese Scones
Lemon White Chocolate Scones
Equipment
- 1 parchment paper or silicone liner
- 1 Chef's knife
- 1 small bowl
- 1 Whisk
Ingredients
Scone Dough
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1-2 lemons, zested
- 1/2 cup butter, frozen, cubed
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 tsp lemon extract, or juice
- 1/3 cup white chocolate chips
Lemon Glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 lemon, zested, optional
Instructions
Prepare the Dough
- Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone liner.
- In the bowl of a food processor, add your dry ingredients and lemon zest. Pulse for 1 second to combine.
- Cube the frozen butter and add it to the flour mixture in the food processor. Run the food processor for about 5 seconds to break the butter into small pieces.
- Add the cream, lemon extract, and the white chocolate chips. Pulse 5-7 times until combined; the dough should look like large coarse crumbs. If the dough doesn't hold together when you squeeze it, add another tablespoon of cream.
- Pour the scone dough onto a baking sheet and press it into a large circle approximately 3/4 to 1 inch tall. Press the dough down with your hands or roll it smooth using a rolling pin.
- Cut it into 8-10 pieces using a knife or bench scraper. Separate the pieces to give them room to rise.
- Freeze or refrigerate your dough for 30 minutes to make sure it's really cold.
Bake
- Bake for 15-18 minutes or until just golden brown along the bottom edge. Be careful not to overbake or the white chocolate chips may burn.
- Allow the lemon scones to cool completely on the baking tray at room temperature.
Glaze and Serve
- Assemble the glaze by whisking half of the powdered sugar and the lemon juice together in a small bowl. Once combined, whisk in the remaining powdered sugar.
- Drizzle or glaze over the top of the scones as you see fit. Allow the glaze to set and then enjoy!
Notes
Storing Suggestions
Scones are best within 1-2 days. You can store them at room temperature or in the fridge in an airtight container. If you’re chilling your scones, let them sit on the counter for 20-30 minutes or microwave them for 30 seconds to bring out all the flavor. To freeze them, place them in a freezer bag and freeze for 1-2 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight. If you want to freeze your scone dough before baking, simply form the dough into the large circle like the instructions, but wrap it in plastic wrap or parchment paper instead of cutting it. Freeze it solid. When you’re ready to bake, cut the frozen into triangles and bake from frozen.Tips & Variations
- All flour absorbs liquids a little differently. If your scone dough seems way too dry and hard to work with, add additional tablespoons of cream one at a time until the mixture just starts to come together. I’ve made scones with too little liquid (which were still yummy, but a little crumbly) and too much liquid (which were light and fluffy, but a little soft. They all taste good, so don’t overthink it!
- Feel free to brush the tops of your scones with milk or cream for a nice golden crust. Since we’re glazing these scones, I don’t worry about this extra step!
- To make mini scones, cut each triangle into 3-4 smaller triangles and bake for approximately 10 minutes or until golden brown.
- The glaze is optional, of course. If you prefer to skip it, try brushing the scones with milk or cream and sprinkle the tops of the scones with a little coarse sugar for a lovely appearance.
