Small Batch Meyer Lemon Scones Recipe (makes 4 scones) - Dessert for Two (2024)

Small Batch Meyer Lemon Scones for two.

I've created a little lemon monster in my house, and I'm here to warn you. She's 2 years old, her name is Camille, and she's got lemon seeds in her pockets to prove it.

If you cross her, toss a lemon near her, and run the opposite direction. If you don't get away fast, you'll feel the full effect of the terrible twos!

I've always been a lemon dessert lover (more than chocolate, thank you and please close the door on your way out). I'll take a lemon bars over brownies, lemon pie before apple pie, and Meyer lemons over regular lemons. My daughter has always wanted to eat whatever I'm eating, and so she has become a lemon lover, too.

When I spied a bag of this year's Meyer lemon crop, I stocked up. I used to have a Meyer lemon tree in my front yard in California, and I miss it so much! Yes, I still think about that tree!

Camille was asking for a lemon slice as I was making these small batch Meyer lemon scones, and I handed it to her. I didn't expect her to eat the entire thing, skin and all. Yikes.

Then, she ate a scone right when it came out of the oven, too. She's hooked.

I haven't made a scone recipe for you since 2013 (and it was these Black Pepper Scones with Maple Glaze), and really, that scone recipe is so solid, you hardly need another one. My scone recipes are made with heavy cream (as all scone recipes should be), has a very tender crumb, and is subtly sweet. One-quarter cup of sugar total for four scones is the perfect amount of sweetness.

The lemon glaze on top is entirely optional; I admit I make these without the glaze most of the time. Since you only need the Meyer lemon zest, I squeeze the rest of juice into a container and make lemonade for Camille with it. Meyer lemons are sweeter than regular lemons (they're a cross between a regular lemon and mandarin orange), I can use less sugar when making lemonade. And anything with less sugar for kids is GREAT in my book.

Lemon Scone ingredients

• Flour.We need 1 ¼ cups of regular, all-purpose flour to make our lemon scones.
• Sugar. Yes, ¼ cup of granulated sugar is the right amount for this recipe. Scones are not overly sweet like a muffin; they are delicately sweet. Do not omit the sugar altogether, however, because the final result will be too tough.
• Salt. Fine, flaky sea salt.
• Baking Soda. One-quarter teaspoon of baking soda.
• Baking Powder. Most of the lift and rise for these scones comes from the baking powder.
• Butter. Half a stick of cold butter, do not soften it. It needs to be cold when we work it into the flour.
• Cream. The moisture for scones comes from heavy cream. This can be double or single cream (if you’re in the UK).
• Egg Yolk. We only need one egg yolk for this recipe; save the egg white for another recipe.
• Lemons. To make 4 scones, we need the zest of two lemons. We’re not actually using any of the lemon juice in the dough--zest only. We will save the lemon juice for the glaze. I use Meyer lemons for this recipe, but regular lemons are totally fine.
• Powdered Sugar. A small amount of powdered sugar to make the lemon glaze for topping the scones when they’re done baking.

How to make Lemon Scones

1. Preheat the oven to 400. In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, and baking powder.
2. Dice the butter and add it to the flour mixture. Work the butter into the flour mixture until it's evenly distributed (and roughly the size of peas). Use two knives, a pastry cutter, or your hands.
3. Next, add the heavy cream, egg yolk and lemon zest in a small bowl and whisk together. Pour this on the flour mixture and stir until a shaggy dough forms. Don't overmix, but incorporate things well.
4. Scoop the dough out, place it on the baking sheet, and use the warmth of your hands to make it stick together into a circle.
5. Slice the dough circle into 4 even pieces. Brush each piece with extra heavy cream.
6. Bake for 13-15 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean and they lightly brown on the edges.
7. While the scones bake, whisk together the glaze ingredients. Pour on the scones when they come out of the oven. Serve immediately.

Lemon Scones Recipe variations and substitutions

• Lemon- Use regular or Meyer lemons for this recipe.
• Citrus- You can technically use any type of citrus zest for this recipe, including orange and lime zest.
• Tea- If you want to flavor these with tea, add the tea to the cold heavy cream and let soak overnight for a cold infusion. Then, strain and use the heavy cream in the dough.

Things to know about these small batch Meyer lemon scones:

• These small batch Meyer lemon scones are made with all heavy cream, which is how scones should be made (in my humble opinion), and this makes the scone super flaky!
• There is only ¼ cup total of sugar in the recipe, which makes them slightly sweet. The glaze on top is optional, but delicious.
• You can definitely use regular lemons, or any other kind of citrus. Check the comments for recipe variations made by fellow small-batch bakers.

Ok, I'm sending you off into the weekend armed with a recipe for a small batch of Meyer lemon scones. Get to work, friends!

If you're looking for the mini quarter sheet pan I use when baking a small batch of scones, it's here.

How to store this Recipe for Lemon Scones

The best way to store these scones is at room temperature, especially if they have the sugar glaze on top. They will keep for 1 day at room temperature in an air-tight container. Beyond that, it’s best to store already cooked scones (without the glaze) in the freezer for up to 3 months. Double-wrap them with freezer bags and foil. To defrost, unwrap and leave at room temperature for a few hours. You can also warm them through in a toaster oven.

Another sweet treat idea for breakfast that's perfect for Mother's Day is this sweet bread recipe from Julie Blanner. Customize it however you like!