Citrus Scones

Citrus Scones are bakery-style scones with a tender, flaky texture and bright Meyer lemon plus mandarin flavor, finished with a sweet citrus glaze — perfect for brunch, teatime, or a café-style treat at home.

If you are looking for more homemade scones, check out my Banana Scones with Peanut Butter Glaze, Blueberry Cream Cheese Scones Without Eggs, Everything Bagel Scones With Bone Broth, or Sourdough Chocolate Chip Scones.

A Quick Look At The Recipe

• Recipe Name: Citrus Scones
• Ready In: 1 hour 5 minutes
• Makes: 6 scones
• Main Ingredients: butter, all purpose flour, heavy cream, cane sugar
• Flavor Profile: bright, zesty flavor inside a buttery, tender scone
• Dietary Info: no seed oils, gluten free swap available
• Difficulty: Easy!
• Why You’ll Love It: light, flaky and bursting with seasonal sunshine!

Why You'll Love This Recipe

• Seasonal Recipe: This recipe for Citrus Scones uses Meyer lemons and mandarins which are only in season a certain time of year. Using seasonal produce is one of my favorite things because not only does it taste amazing, but it makes it really special as you can only get it during that certain time of year!
• Zesty & Sweet: These Citrus Scones are zesty and sweet! I use the zest of the Meyer lemons and mandarins inside the scones and then the juice for the glaze. This way you get both a sweet and zesty citrus flavor!
• Anytime Snack: This recipe is an amazing anytime snack. While it's sweet and zesty, you can enjoy these Citrus Scones for breakfast, brunch, or an afternoon snack, or even as dessert! I love pairing them with milk and tea.

Ingredients

• All Purpose Flour: I use Cairnspring Mills Organic All Purpose Flour, which is my favorite fresh milled flour.
• Baking Powder: Use baking powder, not soda. Be sure to check out my post the Difference Between Baking Soda and Baking Powder for more info on leavening agents.
• Lemon & Orange Flavor: I use Frontier Co-Op Organic Lemon & Orange Flavors for the best concentrated sweet lemon flavor. This is optional, but boosts bakery-style citrus aroma when fruit isn’t super fragrant. This is a secret trick I used at my bake shop to infuse more flavor into baked goods.
• Citrus: I use organic lemon and mandarin in this recipe. You can use orange, tangerine or even cuties if you don't have mandarin.

*For a full list of ingredients and measurements, visit the recipe card below.

Easy Substitutions

• Meyer Lemon → Lemon: If you swap the Meyer lemons for lemons, you'll get a sharper citrus that's more tart and less sweet.
• Mandarin → Orange: Using orange in place of mandarine is milder.
• Mandarin → Buttermilk: Swap heavy whipping cream for buttermilk for a tangier flavor.
• Gluten Free: Replace the all purpose flour with 310 grams (2 cups) gluten free flour blend.
• High Altitude: Scones can burn easier at high altitude so you'll need to bake them for a few minutes less. Be sure to check to ensure scones are golden brown and the edges look crispy. All ovens are a bit different, so always look for visual signs the scones are done.

Baker's Tips

• Always use a digital food scale for the best results!
• While I'm using salted butter, you can use unsalted if you prefer. Just add 1/4 teaspoon of salt to the recipe.
• Gluten Free: Replace the all purpose flour with 310 grams (2 cups) gluten free flour blend.
• Make sure your butter is cold, straight from the fridge. This is the key to flaky and tender scones!
• I use a large box grater to grate the butter, but if you don't have one you can cut the butter into small cubes.
• The dough should look shaggy, not super smooth. Mix just until it comes together and finish with your hands as needed so you don't over mix.
• Refrigerating the dough is essential to prevent the scones from spreading too much. This also helps keep the butter cold right when it hits the oven so you get tender and flaky scones. You need to refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, but you can leave even longer if needed, up to overnight.
• Scones should be stored in a cool, dry place. I like to leave them out on the counter. Don't store under a cake dome or in an airtight container as they can get soggy.
• High Altitude — Bake at 400°F for 18 to 22 minutes or until lightly golden brown on the bottoms.

Professional Texture & Dough Cues

Bakery-style scones rely on visual and tactile cues more than exact timing.

• Butter: You should see visible shards of cold butter throughout the dough — this is what creates flaky layers and a tender crumb.
• Dough Texture: The dough should look shaggy and slightly crumbly but hold together when pressed. Do not aim for smooth. You want to mix just enough so there are no visible dry bits of flour, then stop.
• Before Baking: Cut edges should be clean, not sticky or smeared.
• After Baking: Bottoms should be lightly golden while tops remain pale with defined edges.

How to Make Citrus Scones (Meyer Lemon + Mandarin) with Citrus Glaze

1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. To make the dough: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the flour, cane sugar, baking powder, and sea salt. Mix on low to for 2 to 3 rotations to combine the dry ingredients.

2. Using a large grater, grate the butter and add to the flour mixture. Don’t mix yet.

3. Add the egg, 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream, lemon flavor, orange flavor, lemon zest, and mandarin zest.

4. Mix on low to combine until you have a shaggy dough, don't over mix as you still want to see small pieces of butter. You’ll have to scrape the bowl to help combine the dry ingredients, and I find it’s easier to finish combining with your hands.

5. Using your hands, form the dough into a round disk that is about 7-inches in diameter.

6. Using a sharp knife, cut into 6 triangle pieces like a pie. Separate the pieces so they are spaced evenly apart. them and place them on a baking sheet with parchment paper.

7. In a small dish, add the 2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream for the topping. Using a pastry brush, brush the tops of the scones to coat completely. Place the baking sheet in the fridge for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 400°F.

8. Bake for 20 to 24 minutes or until lightly golden brown on the bottoms. Allow to cool completely on the baking sheet.

9. To make the glaze: In a medium bowl, add the powdered sugar, lemon juice, and mandarin juice. Whisk until you have a smooth glaze.

10. Drizzle the glaze on top of each scone.

Make-Ahead & Freezing Tips

• Shape and cut scones (do not brush on cream), then freeze unbaked on a sheet pan.
• Once frozen, store in an airtight container for up to 2 months.
• You can bake them frozen, but brush on the cream first.
• Add 2 to 3 minutes to the bake time if baking frozen.
• Glaze only after cooling to maintain crisp edges.

This method ensures fresh-baked texture anytime.

Recipe FAQ's

What to Serve With Citrus Scones

• These make a wonderful light and zesty spring breakfast with Fluffy Scrambled Eggs With Sour Cream or Homemade Pork Breakfast Sausage Patties.
• Enjoy for a mid morning treat with a protein packed smoothie like Tropical Bone Broth Protein Smoothie, Strawberry Watermelon Smoothie With Collagen, or Berry Protein Smoothie Without Banana.
• Have as an afternoon snack with a refreshing beverage like Chocolate Coconut Water, Homemade Orangeade, or Strawberry Limeade.

More Baked Breakfast Recipes

Small Batch Honey Butter Cinnamon Rolls

Everything Bagel Scones With Bone Broth

Tomato Basil Quiche with Bone Broth

Carrot Cake Donuts with Apple Cider Glaze