Almond Poppyseed Scones with Almond Glaze

These almond poppy seed scones are a bit of a twist on the common lemon poppy seed scone recipe. Instead of lemon extract, almond extract graces these tender and flaky scones and offers a less tart but equally flavorful result. Almond flavored desserts have my heart. The bold unique flavor is one of my favorites. The almond flavor in these scones together with the poppyseed in the buttery flaky dough hits just right. 

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Scones are one of my favorite things to enjoy with a cup of coffee. I used to think they were so dry and dull, until one time a friend blessed me with pumpkin scones straight out of the oven. I realized that the key to a good scone is to serve them warm and fresh, even a day-old scones seem to lose some tenderness. If I eat a day old scone, I pop it under the oven for a couple minutes, it freshens right up. The glaze melts into the scone but for myself, I don’t mind, for guests I would just serve them fresh .

Scones are my go-to choice to bake when I don’t have a lot of time but need a treat when I have a friend over for coffee. There are about a million other scone recipes I want to try, but for now these almond poppyseed scones are my favorite. 

Scones are a perfect option to make for simple occasions like brunch or afternoon tea, and still fancy enough for a special occasion like a baby shower. They have a delightful texture and taste, resembling a light and airy biscuit. 

Ingredients for the almond poppyseed scones:

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp poppyseeds
• 1/2 cup cold butter, cubed or shredded
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tsp almond extract

Ingredients for the glaze:

• 2 tbls melted butter
• 1 tsp almond extract
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 tbls milk (more depending on consistency)

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. 
2. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
3. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the sugar, flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and poppy seeds.
4. Drop the cold cubed or shredded butter into the dry mixture, and gently toss the butter into the flour until its all individually covered. Using a pastry cutter, mix the butter and flour mixture until the butter pieces resemble a coarse meal.
5. In a small bowl, whisk together the sour cream, egg, vanilla, and almond extract. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined, and the dough can hold its shape without crumbling apart.
6. Pat the dough out into a circle on a floured surface. Make your circle eight inches in diameter. 
7. Cut the scone dough into eight equal sized wedges using a long sharp knife or a pizza cutter. 
8. Place scones on the prepared baking sheet. Bake 15-17 minutes, or until golden brown around the edges.
9. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly.
10. While the scones are cooling, whisk together the melted butter, almond extract, milk and powdered sugar. If it is too thick, add another half tablespoon of milk, but you don’t want it too runny. 
11. Drizzle the glaze over the scones and allow to cool completely.
12. Top with sliced almonds if you wish, while the glaze is still wet.

FAQ’s

Can I mix scones using a KitchenAid mixer or food processor?

Yes, but scones should really be mixed very minimally, in order to avoid developing the gluten structure. Over mixing will result in less crumbly end product. So I wouldn’t recommend it, but you can. Just be really careful to stop mixing when it comes together.

How do you store these almond poppyseed scones?

You can store leftover scones at room temperature in an air-tight container once the glaze has hardened. They will be good up to three days. You can freeze them in an air-tight container as well for up to 3 months. 

Why do my scones turn out dry or hard?

The most common reason why scones turn out dry or hard has to do with working the dough. You have to work the dough to mix things together properly, but many people go overboard. Another reason could be overbaking them, scones need only be golden brown around the edges to be ready. 

Can I make these scones ahead of time?

You can prepare the dough ahead of time so that you can bake the scones just a bit before you need them to be ready. Scones are best when they’re served warm and fresh, but you can work ahead so that everything will be ready for you.

Make your dough and shape it however you want to. Then, store the dough in the refrigerator overnight so that it’ll be ready to be baked. 

Can I substitute the almond extract for another flavor?

You can substitute the almond extract for lemon juice to make lemon poppyseed scones, but instead of doing 2 teaspoons almond, do a tablespoon lemon juice OR 2 tsp lemon extract. You would want to use a different glaze too for lemon scones, but the adjustment would be simple. Just swap out the almond extract for lemon juice. Top lemon poppyseed scones with a light dusting of lemon zest over the glaze, it makes them so pretty.

Other Recipes you will enjoy:

Chocolate Banana Bread

Pumpkin Bundt Cake

Soda Cracker Peach Pie

Simple Almond Poppyseed Scones Recipe with Almond Glaze

Sylvia Hofer

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 18 minutes mins

Course Breakfast, Dessert, Snack

Cuisine American

Servings 8

Ingredients

  

Ingredients for Scones

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp poppyseeds
• 1/2 cup cold butter cubed
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tsp almond extract

Ingredients for Glaze

• 2 tbls melted butter
• 1 tsp almond extract
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 tbls milk more depending on consistency

Instructions

 

Instructions:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
• In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the sugar, flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and poppy seeds.
• Drop the cold cubed butter into the dry mixture, and gently toss the butter into the flour until its all individually covered. Using a pastry cutter, mix the butter and flour mixture until the butter pieces resemble a coarse meal, with pieces no larger than pea sized.
• In a small bowl, whisk together the sour cream, egg, vanilla, and almond extract. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined, and the dough can hold its shape without crumbling apart.
• Pat the dough out into a circle on a floured surface. Make your circle eight inches in diameter.
• Cut the scone dough into eight equal sized wedges using a long sharp knife or a pizza cutter.
• Place scones on the prepared baking sheet. Bake 15-17 minutes, or until golden brown around the edges.
• Remove from the oven and let cool slightly.
• While the scones are cooling, whisk together the melted butter, almond extract, milk and powdered sugar. If it is too thick, add another half tablespoon of milk, but you don’t want it too runny.
• Drizzle the glaze over the scones and allow to cool completely.
• Top with sliced almonds if you wish, while the glaze is still wet.