Ridiculously Easy Lemon Raspberry Scones Recipe for Tender, Flaky Breakfast Treats

Ridiculously Easy Lemon Raspberry Scones

Some recipes stick around because they are fancy. These lemon raspberry scones stick around because they are genuinely good, and because they ask almost nothing of you. Fifteen minutes of prep, one bake, and a glaze you can whisk together while the oven does its thing. That is the whole deal.

Here is my confession. The first batch I made disappeared faster than I planned, so I wrapped the last few, walked them out to the chest freezer in the garage, and told myself they were officially out of reach.

They were back in my kitchen about 30 seconds later. Not properly thawed, not carefully reheated, just warm enough from a short spin in the microwave to taste like they had come out of the oven minutes earlier. Apparently I have zero willpower and excellent taste.

A friend who tried one told me they were unlike any scone she had ever tasted. I knew exactly what she meant. Scones have a reputation problem.

Too many of them are dry, dusty, and built for dunking because that is the only way to get them down. These are tender, lightly sweet, and studded with pockets of bright raspberry and lemon zest.

They also travel well and hold up on a buffet table, which matters more than I like to admit.

The timing here is refreshingly reasonable. You will spend about 15 minutes getting the dough together, about 20 minutes baking, and 35 minutes total from the moment you decide to make them.

Each scone lands around 282 calories, with 34 grams of carbohydrates, 3 grams of protein, 16 grams of fat, 10 grams of that saturated, 49 milligrams of cholesterol, 220 milligrams of sodium, 1 gram of fiber, and 16 grams of sugar.

If you try to hide these in the freezer, just know they will find their way back to you in about 30 seconds flat.

And then there is the glaze, the crowning glory on a scone that is not overly sweet on its own. It is the difference between a nice breakfast bread and the plate everyone crowds around.

Ridiculously easy!

This recipe belongs to a category I like to call ridiculously easy, and that label is a promise, not a throwaway phrase. It means you get to look like a kitchen rock star with minimal effort.

There is no cutting cold butter into flour with a pastry blender. No rolling, folding, or laminating. You stir a thick batter with a spatula, scoop it onto a pan, chill it, and bake. If you can make drop cookies, you can make these scones.

A brilliant technique

Here is where the magic happens, and it comes from a technique adapted from Cook’s Illustrated.

Classic scone recipes tell you to cut cold butter into the flour until you have pea sized pieces. It works, but it takes time, and warm hands can undo your work in seconds. This recipe flips the order.

You chill the cream in the freezer until it is very cold, then stir it into melted butter. The cold cream shocks the butter into small clumps and globules that stay suspended in the liquid.

When that lumpy mixture meets the dry ingredients, you end up with pockets of butter scattered through the dough. In the oven those pockets melt, release steam, and leave air pockets behind. That is what gives you tender, flaky scones with a fraction of the usual effort. Same idea, new shortcut, better morning.

Do you have to use heavy cream to make these Lemon Raspberry Scones?

Technically, no. Practically, yes, if you want the scones this recipe is known for.

I tested a lower calorie version with buttermilk, and the results were fine. Fine in the way a decent raspberry biscuit is fine. They were not the same scone. The melt in your mouth quality that comes from the cream simply was not there.

The same fat that makes biscuits and scones taste so good is doing the structural work here. Heavy cream is the ingredient that keeps these tender, so plan for 1 cup of the real thing and take the dog for one extra lap around the block if you must. That is the trade I make every single time.

A simple glaze

The scones themselves are not overly sweet, which is exactly why the glaze is the crowning glory. It takes about two minutes. Whisk 2 cups powdered sugar with 3 tablespoons milk or half and half and 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice until smooth. You want it thick but spoonable.

Too thin? Add a little more powdered sugar. Too thick? A splash more cream. Make it while the scones bake, spoon it over the slightly cooled scones with foil or a sheet pan underneath to catch drips, then let the glaze set for about 15 minutes before serving.

A wonderful recipe to have in your breakfast/brunch collection

This is the kind of recipe that makes hosting brunch feel easy instead of exhausting. It bakes fresh, it bakes ahead, and it works either way.

For a make ahead plan, scoop the dough into mounds on a sheet pan the night before, cover it with plastic wrap, and refrigerate. In the morning, slide the pan straight into the oven and add a minute or two to the bake time. Fresh scones with coffee, no 5 a.m. alarm required.

Unbaked scooped scones also freeze well. Bake them straight from the freezer, adding roughly 3 to 5 minutes, and pull them out when they are golden brown. Already baked scones freeze beautifully too, and about 30 seconds in the microwave brings them right back to that just baked softness.

Cafe Tips for making these Ridiculously Easy Lemon Raspberry Scones

Most of the trouble people run into with scones happens in the first five minutes. These tips keep you on the easy path.

• Use fresh raspberries. Frozen berries bleed as they thaw and turn the batter an unappealing purple.
• Halve the berries by hand. Break each raspberry in half, scatter the pieces over the dough, and fold with just a stir or two so the batter does not turn pink.
• Check your clumps. If the cream and butter mixture forms no clumps after stirring, it was not cold enough. Return the bowl to the freezer for 5 to 8 more minutes, then stir again with a fork.
• Do not overmix, but do scrape the bowl. The batter is very thick, like cookie dough. Work in every bit of flour from the bottom of the bowl, then stop.
• Use a sturdy tool. A strong spatula or a wooden spoon gets the job done. If the dough seems like it will never come together, keep stirring. Do not add extra liquid.
• Chill before baking. At least 15 minutes, up to an hour. This rechills the butter for a tender crumb and helps the scones hold their shape.
• Space them out. Leave at least 2 inches between scones on the pan to allow for a little spreading.
• Scoop smart. A medium retractable scoop gives you about 12 scones. A larger scoop gives closer to 8. Spray the scoop with nonstick cooking spray so the dough releases cleanly.
• Parchment is optional. It is not required, but it makes cleanup a whole lot easier.
• Expect drips. You may not need all of the icing, and some of it will land on the foil or the pan. That is completely normal.

The process, start to finish

1. Preheat the oven to 400 F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper, and set an oven rack in the middle of the oven.
2. Measure 1 cup heavy cream and place it in the freezer for 10 to 15 minutes while you prep everything else.
3. Melt 8 tablespoons butter in a microwave safe bowl, covered, for about 1 minute. If it is not fully melted, heat in 10 second intervals. Set it aside to cool slightly.
4. Whisk 2 cups all purpose flour, 1 tablespoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 6 tablespoons sugar, the zest of 1 medium lemon, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl.
5. Stir the chilled cream into the melted butter with a fork until small clumps form.
6. Add the cream mixture to the dry ingredients and stir with a rubber spatula until the flour is incorporated and the batter pulls away from the sides of the bowl. It will be very thick, like cookie dough.
7. Break each raspberry in half, scatter them over the top, and stir once or twice gently to mix them through.
8. Spray a cookie scoop or large spoon with nonstick cooking spray, then scoop mounds onto the prepared pan, trying to get some berries into each portion.
9. Refrigerate the scooped scones for at least 15 minutes, or up to an hour.
10. Bake for 18 to 22 minutes, until light golden brown, then transfer to a wire cooling rack.
11. Spoon the glaze over the scones, letting the excess drip onto the pan or foil underneath, and let the glaze set for 15 minutes.

Here is the quick troubleshooting guide I keep in my head when a batch goes sideways.

One last note on timing. If you chill the shaped scones for the full hour, you can bake them straight from the refrigerator without any change to the recipe. If your refrigerator is crowded, stack them all on one pan to chill and separate them before baking.

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The gear that makes this recipe painless: a medium retractable cookie scoop, two sheet pans, parchment paper, a wire cooling rack, and a small whisk for the glaze. Nothing fancy required, just tools that earn their cabinet space.

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Ridiculously Easy Lemon Raspberry Scones

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Ridiculously Easy Lemon Raspberry Scones Some recipes stick around because they are fancy. These lemon raspberry scones stick around because they are genuinely good, and because they ask almost nothing of you.

• Total Time: 35 min
• Yield: 12 scones 1x

Ingredients

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For the scones
1 cup heavy cream
8 tablespoons butter
2 cups all purpose flour
6 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 medium size lemon, zest of
½ cup fresh raspberries

For the glaze
2 cups powdered sugar
3 tablespoon milk or half and half
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

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Instructions

For the scones
1-Preheat the oven to 400 degrees: 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. Measure 1 cup heavy cream and place in the freezer while proceeding with the recipe. (You want the cream to be in the freezer 10-15 minutes.)
2-Place butter in a microwave safe bowl,: Place butter in a microwave safe bowl, cover with a paper towel and heat on high for 1 minute. If not completely melted, return to microwave for 10 second intervals till melted. Set aside to cool a bit while prepping other ingredients.
3-Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar,: Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, lemon zest and salt in a medium-size bowl. Stir to combine.
4-After heavy cream has been chilled in: After heavy cream has been chilled in the freezer for 10-15 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 butter/cream mixture to dry ingredients and: Add butter/cream mixture to dry ingredients and stir with rubber spatula until all flour is incorporated and batter pulls away from sides of bowl. The batter will be very thick, like a cookie dough. Don’t over mix it, but you do make sure all the little flour bits are incorporated.
6-Break each raspberry in half and sprinkle: Break each raspberry in half and sprinkle them evenly over the top of the batter. Stir once or twice, gently to mix the berries throughout the dough.
7-Spray a cookie scooper (see notes above): Spray a cookie scooper (see notes above) or large spoon with non-stick cooking spray. Scoop up scones in mounds onto prepared pan. When you scoop, try to get some of the raspberries into each portion. Space the scones at least 2-inches apart to allow for some spreading.
8-Refrigerate scones for at least 15 minutes: Refrigerate scones for at least 15 minutes or up to an hour. If you don’t have room for 2 sheet pans in your refrigerator, put them all on one to chill. Then separate before baking.
9-Bake for 18-22 minutes or until light: Bake for 18-22 minutes or until light golden brown. Transfer to a wire cooling rack.

For the glaze
10-While the scones are baking, make the: 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 glaze is too thin, add a bit more powdered sugar, if too thick add add a little more cream.)
11-Place a sheet pan or piece of: 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.
12-If you can wait, let scones sit: If you can wait, let scones sit for 15 minutes to let glaze set before serving.

Last Step:

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• Prep Time: 15 min
• Cook Time: 20 min
• Method: bake

Nutrition

• Calories: 282
• Sugar: 16g
• Sodium: 220mg
• Fat: 16g
• Saturated Fat: 10g
• Carbohydrates: 34g
• Fiber: 1g
• Protein: 3g
• Cholesterol: 49mg