Lemon Poppyseed Greek Yogurt Scones

By: Krolls Korner

34 Comments

Updated: 02/15/2022

These lemon poppyseed scones are buttery, flakey, and full of lemon flavor.

My mom has a lemon tree in her backyard that has been producing lemons like crazy and she will call me over to pick up lemons from time to time.

Life literally handed me lemons and said, “Hey Tawnie, make something!” So with lemon overload, and 3 full poppy seed jars I found on the spice rack…I decided to make some lemon poppyseed scones!

I love scones. Not the ones that are dry and crumbly. But ones that have a moist texture and go perfectly with a cup of coffee in the morning.

OR with a cup of tea post dinner, I’ll take both!

I was so pleased with how this batch came out, and I give credit to the Greek yogurt. A lot of recipes use sour cream but I opt for the Greek yogurt for extra nutrients and less fat. (If you only have sour cream, it’s a fine substitute).

Ingredients you will need

• All Purpose Flour: I’ve only ever tested this recipe with All-Purpose Flour. Use pastry flour for lighter scones. I cannot speak for using a whole wheat or gluten free flours in this recipe since I have not tested it personally.
• Poppyseeds: Because lemon and poppyseeds go together like Minnie and Mickey!
• Sugar: I added 1/3 cup in my recipe, some recipes add more. Feel free to add a bit more for a sweeter scones.
• Lemon zest: Adds a brightness to the scone that you’ll love!
• Baking powder: adds lift
• Salt: adds flavor
• Cold, unsalted butter: Be sure butter stays nice and cold! The butter is responsible for a flaky scone and cold butter makes scones rise higher.
• Greek Yogurt: Keeps scones moist. Be sure to use a full-fat plain.
• Heavy cream, cold: Be sure heavy cream is cold when adding into recipe. You can also sub buttermilk. But be sure to avoid thinner milks because it will yield a flatter, less flavorful scone.
• Fresh lemon juice (juice from 1 lemon)

How to make Lemon Poppyseed Scones

1. Sift the flour and then whisk in the poppyseeds, sugar, salt, baking powder, baking soda and lemon zest.
2. Cut in the butter.
3. Whisk together the Greek yogurt, heavy cream and lemon juice.
4. Pour into the dry ingredients and stir just until it begins to come together.
5. Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface.
6. Gently knead and rotate the dough, bringing it together with lightly floured hands.
7. With your hands, shape the dough into a large circle ~1 inch thick. Using a bench scraper, cut in half long ways, and then cut again crossways, and make each section into triangles. It will make 8 scones.
8. Transfer wedges to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and place about 2″ apart.
9. Freeze scones for 15-30 minutes.
10. Preheat oven to 400°F.
11. Brush the tops lightly with heavy cream and sprinkle with coarse sugar.
12. Bake for 16-18 minutes @ 400°F or until tops are lightly browned. Do not over bake, scones will become dry.
13. Remove from oven and let cool and then drizzle glaze on top of cooled scones and finish with a sprinkle of sugar, poppyseeds, lemon zest, etc.

Expert Tips

For buttery, tender scones be sure to follow these pro tips!

• Always use cold ingredients. Keep the butter, cream and yogurt all in the fridge right before you use it in the recipe. Using cold ingredients prevents the butter from melting before the scones are baked, leaving it instead to melt in the oven and create a super-flaky end result.
• I like use frozen butter or if you don’t have any frozen, place butter in the freezer 15 minutes before beginning to ensure it is cold!
• You can even place the bowls you are using in freezer before you begin baking to ensure everything is very cold!
• Gently knead the dough but do not over work it. Scones, like biscuits, are most tender when handled minimally. So have your ingredients ready, and use a soft touch when mixing and patting the dough. Use a little additional flour on your hands if the dough is sticky.
• Your hands can sometimes warm up the dough when working with it, and as we know it’s important for it to stay cold. If you feel the dough has warmed up, cut the scone dough into wedges, place them on a baking sheet, and keep them in the fridge or freezer while the oven preheats.
• Chilling the dough before baking also relaxes the gluten which yields a tender texture. It also cools the butter down again, which is how you’ll get that flaky texture.
• Make sure your oven is fully preheated before baking the scones.
• Don’t over-bake; dark scones will be dry. Break one open to check for doneness: the interior shouldn’t appear doughy or wet, but should feel nicely moist.
• Spacing: Space scones apart from each other 1-2 inches on the baking sheet.

More Recipes You Will Love

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4.17 from 12 reviews

Lemon Poppyseed Greek Yogurt Scones

Prep: 30 minutes mins

Cook: 16 minutes mins

Total: 46 minutes mins

Servings: 8 scones

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Perfectly tender, sweet lemon poppyseed scones made with Greek Yogurt, lots of fresh lemon juice and lemon zest and finished with a drool worthy lemony glaze.

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Ingredients

• ▢ 2 cups All Purpose Flour, spooned and levled
• ▢ 2 1/2 Tbsp. poppy seeds
• ▢ 1/3 cup sugar
• ▢ 2 Tbsp. lemon zest, or more as desired
• ▢ 1 Tbsp. baking powder
• ▢ 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• ▢ 1 tsp. kosher salt
• ▢ 6 Tbsp. cold, unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
• ▢ 1/2 cup plain, full fat Greek Yogurt
• ▢ 1/2 cup heavy cream, cold + 2 Tbsp, divided
• ▢ 2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice

Glaze:

• ▢ 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• ▢ 2 Tbsp. lemon juice
• ▢ 2 Tbsp. coarse sugar/ turbinado sugar

Last step! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.

Instructions 

• Sift the flour into a large mixing bowl. Then add in the sugar, poppy seeds, lemon zest, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Gently whisk to combine.
• Add the cold, cubed butter pieces and using a pastry cutter, cut the butter into the flour until butter is the size of peas. (I sometimes use my hands for this, but since heat from fingers and hands warm up the butter, if you use this method be sure to freeze or refrigerate the scones for just 15-30 minutes prior to baking).
• Whisk together the Greek yogurt, cold heavy cream, and lemon juice in a separate bowl.
• Add the Greek yogurt mixture into the dry ingredients and stir just until it begins to come together.
• Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface and gently begin to knead the dough to bring it together. Be sure to handle the dough lightly, as you don't want to over-work this dough. Make sure to use a little flour on your hands and on your work surface so the dough does not stick. Fold the dough in half over itself and use your hands to gently flatten layers together.
• Shape the dough into a large circle ~1 inch thick. Using a knife or bench scraper, cut in half long ways, and then cut again crossways, and make each section into triangles. It will make 8 scones.
• Transfer the wedges to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and place about 2" apart.
• Place in the freezer for 15-30 minutes or until dough is chilled.
• Preheat the oven to 400°F.
• Brush lightly with heavy cream and sprinkle with coarse sugar on top. Bake for ~16-18 minutes or until tops are lightly browned. Careful not over bake, scones will become dry.
• Remove from oven and let cool.

For the glaze:

• Stir together the lemon juice and powdered sugar until smooth. Drizzle over scones once they have completely cooled and garnish coarse sugar, more poppyseeds, and lemon zest.

Equipment

Measuring cups & spoons

Whisk

Video

Notes

• Store the scones in a plastic baggie in the fridge, or air tight container for a few days. 
• Scones, like biscuits, are most tender when handled minimally. So have your ingredients ready, and use a soft touch when mixing and patting the dough.

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1scone, Calories: 360kcal (18%), Carbohydrates: 40g (13%), Protein: 7g (14%), Fat: 19g (29%), Saturated Fat: 11g (69%), Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 5g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 70mg (23%), Sodium: 540mg (23%), Potassium: 97mg (3%), Fiber: 2g (8%), Sugar: 14g (16%), Vitamin A: 570IU (11%), Vitamin C: 4mg (5%), Calcium: 215mg (22%), Iron: 2mg (11%)

© Author: Tawnie Graham of Kroll’s Korner