These Lemon Rhubarb Scones are tender and moist on the inside, with golden, crispy edges that make each bite a little irresistible. They’re packed with sweet-tart rhubarb and bright lemon zest, then finished with a drizzle of vanilla glaze.
Rhubarb season is starting to wane here in the Midwest, so I’m seizing the opportunity to celebrate it a little longer with recipes like strawberry rhubarb crisp and these flaky rhubarb scones. This recipe makes the BEST scones. They’re irresistibly moist inside and crispy-golden outside, packed full of tart rhubarb and zippy lemon zest. I drizzle my scones with a simple vanilla bean glaze and they’re the perfect treat at breakfast or teatime. Until the rhubarb runs out, we can’t stop. We won’t stop!
Why These Rhubarb Scones Are a Standout Bake
- Just the right texture. These rhubarb scones are soft and tender in the center with beautifully crisp, golden edges. Dry, crumbly scones? Not happening here.
- Bright, fresh flavor in every bite. Tart rhubarb, zingy lemon zest, and a sweet vanilla glaze come together in the most irresistible way. And that pop of real vanilla bean? It takes the whole thing over the top.
- Ready in a snap. No yeast, no rise time, no fuss. Just simple ingredients and easy steps that’ll have warm, bakery-style scones on your table in under 30 minutes.
If you love scones as much as I do, try my cranberry orange scones or these easy strawberry shortcake scones, next!
What You’ll Need
These lemon rhubarb scones are made with mostly pantry staples, plus a few key ingredients that infuse them with just the right balance of sweet and tart flavor. Here are some notes. Scroll to the recipe card for a printable ingredients list.
For the Rhubarb Scones
- Dry ingredients – All-purpose flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Your baking basics! Using both types of leavening allows the scones to rise just enough and create a moist, delicate texture.
- Lemon – You’ll need fresh lemon juice and zest. Zest the lemon before you juice it.
- Unsalted butter – The butter you use for scones should be cold from the fridge. Cut the butter into cubes before you start.
- Buttermilk – There’s really no substitute for buttermilk in this recipe. But if you don’t have store-bought buttermilk, you can make your own by combining 1 tablespoon of lemon juice (or white vinegar) with enough whole milk to make 1 cup. Rest the mixture for 5 minutes, and stir. Your homemade buttermilk is ready to use!
- Vanilla extract – This can also be substituted with equal parts vanilla paste. Whichever you choose, make sure it’s real vanilla for the best flavor possible.
- Egg – You’ll need one large, lightly beaten egg for this recipe.
- Rhubarb – The star ingredient of these scones! You’ll need to chop fresh rhubarb stalks into ¼” pieces. I’ll sometimes make these scones with a mix of chopped strawberries and rhubarb for some extra sweetness.
For the Glaze
- Powdered sugar – Also called confectioner’s sugar.
- Half and half – You can also use whole milk or heavy cream, depending on the consistency you’re going for.
- Vanilla – I flavor the glaze with vanilla extract and boost the flavors with real vanilla beans. You’ll need to scrape the beans from one half of a pod.
How to Make Rhubarb Scones
Both the lemon rhubarb scones and vanilla bean glaze come together in just a few steps. Be sure to follow the directions closely and be gentle with the dough. You’ll find the full printable recipe in the recipe card below the post.
- Make the dough. First, you’ll stir together the dry ingredients and lemon zest, then cut in the cold butter until the mixture resembles a coarse meal. Add buttermilk, lemon juice, vanilla, and egg to a well in the center. Stir to combine, then gently fold in rhubarb.
- Shape the scones. Gently knead the dough 2 or 3 times on a lightly floured surface. Next, shape the dough into a circle and use a sharp knife to cut 8 wedges. Transfer the scones to a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Bake. Bake the rhubarb scones at 425ºF until they are puffed and golden brown, about 12 to 14 minutes. Let the scones sit on the baking sheet for a few minutes before moving to a wire rack.
Making The Vanilla Bean Glaze
I love this easy vanilla glaze and the vanilla beans make the flavor absolutely shine! To make it, all you do is whisk all the glaze ingredients together until they’re smooth. Drizzle the glaze over freshly baked scones. I usually give the glaze a few minutes to set before serving.
The Secret to Making Good Scones
- Don’t substitute buttermilk. Trust me, it is worth buying buttermilk just to make these rhubarb scones! You won’t regret it.
- Avoid over-mixing. The number one mistake when making scones is to over-mix the batter. Doing so will result in a tough, dense dough that won’t give you the light and moist texture you’re ideally looking for.
- Shape the perfect scones. There are many ways to shape a scone. But the method I return to most often is the pie-shaped one. I simply pat out the finished dough into a smallish-sized circle, cut it into wedges, and transfer the triangular shapes to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Thin the glaze. If the glaze is a bit stiff, add another teaspoon of vanilla extract or half and half.
- Allow the scones to cool before glazing. While the scones don’t need to be completely room temperature, they should be given time to cool before adding the vanilla bean glaze. Otherwise, the glaze will melt a little too much.
- Eat them quickly. For the best scone-eating experience, enjoy these as soon as they cool! They’ll be the most moist and decadent when still warm from the oven.
How to Store
- Store at room temp: Rhubarb scones are best the day they’re baked. That being said, store any leftovers in an airtight container and they’re fine to enjoy for another day or two. To revive leftover scones’ flaky texture the following day, preheat a cooking stone to 300° in the oven. Place any number of scones on the stone and warm them for 5 minutes.
- Can I freeze them? Yes, you can freeze scones baked or unbaked. Flash-freeze them in a single layer on a baking sheet then transferred to a freezer bag. To prevent freezer burn, you may want to individually wrap them with plastic wrap. Baked scones will last for up to 3 months in the freezer and should be defrosted on the counter before popping them into the microwave. Unbaked scones will stay fresh for 3 weeks and can go straight into the oven.
More Rhubarb Recipes
Lemon Rhubarb Scones with Vanilla Bean Glaze
Yield: 8 scones
These rhubarb scones are filled with juicy tart rhubarb and fresh lemon zest, perfect for spring baking! Enjoy them drizzled with vanilla bean glaze for a sweet breakfast treat.
Print
Ingredients
for the lemon rhubarb scones:
- 2 c. all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- ¼ tsp. baking soda
- ½ tsp. kosher salt
- ⅓ c. sugar
- zest from 2 large lemons
- ½ c. cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
- ½ c. buttermilk do not substitute
(do not substitute)
- 1 T. freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
- 1 large egg lightly beaten
- 1 scant c. small chopped rhubarb about 1/4″ size
for the vanilla bean glaze:
- 2 c. powdered sugar
- 3 T. half and half
- 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
- vanilla beans scraped from half of a vanilla bean
Instructions
for the lemon rhubarb scones:
- Preheat oven to 425° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, sugar, and lemon zest, breaking up any clumps of lemon zest. With a rigid pastry blender or two knives, cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse meal. Make a well in the center, and then add buttermilk, lemon juice, vanilla, and egg. Stir just until combined, taking care to not over mix. Gently fold in rhubarb, just until barely combined.
- Transfer dough to a lightly floured work surface and gently knead 2 or 3 times to bring it all together. Pat dough into a 7” diameter circle and cut into 8 wedges. Transfer wedges to prepared baking sheet.
- Bake until scones are puffed and golden brown, 12 to 14 minutes. Remove pan from oven and let scones sit on baking sheet for a couple minutes before removing to a wire rack.
for the vanilla bean glaze:
- While scones are still slightly warm, prepare the glaze. In a small bowl, whisk together all glaze ingredients until smooth. If the glaze is a bit stiff, add another teaspoon of vanilla extract or half and half. Drizzle the vanilla bean glaze over the scones using a spoon. Allow icing to set completely, then serve.
- Scones are best eaten on the day they are baked. To revive leftover scones’ flaky texture the following day, preheat a cooking stone to 300° in the oven. Place any number of scones on the stone and warm for 5 minutes.
Nutrition Information:
Serving: 1 Calories: 397kcal Carbohydrates: 66g Protein: 5g Fat: 13g Saturated Fat: 8g Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g Cholesterol: 56mg Sodium: 352mg Fiber: 2g Sugar: 39g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated by Spoonacular. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee accuracy. If your health depends on nutrition information, please calculate again with your own favorite calculator.
Did you make this recipe?Please leave a comment below. And share a photo on Instagram with the hashtag #afarmgirlsdabbles or tag @farmgirlsdabble!
That’s so great that these scones will be featured at The Building’s coffee shop! I wish I had one to go with my coffee now!
Thanks, Jessica! :)
Look at those lofty scones! This is a must for my rhubarb crazed family!
yummy …. going to make this afternoon … do you mean the little seeds that are in the vanilla bean ????
Yes. Exactly! :)
Your photos are absolutely stunning and the scones sound so refreshing for summer!
I can see why Ree picked them! These look amazing and with butter and rhubarb at the heart they are sure to taste great too!
Thanks, Emily Marie!
These scones look perfect! I love rhubarb too and can’t get enough of it this time of year. Congrats on winning the competition!
Thank you, Annalise!
Made these last night – perfect!!
That’s awesome – thank you for coming back to let me know! :)
these look like the perfect breakfast
That is SO AWESOME that your scones will be on the menu at The Building’s coffee shop! Congrats! Now all I want to do is go to there and eat these scones all day long.
Thank you, Stephanie! :)
These are picture perfect in every way. And so excited that they will be featured in The Building!!
Thank you, Megan!
Congrats on these lovely scone being selected! They look and sound so good.
Thanks, Naomi!
Can you use frozen rhubarb in these scones by chance? My friend gave me some a while back now and I froze a big old bag of it all cut up already.
I really prefer to always use fresh rhubarb, unless it’s a coffee cake or a pan of strawberry rhubarb crisp. But if you do give it a try in these scones, please let me know how it goes for you. Thanks!
I am so jealous that you go to meet Ree!! Also, these scones are to die for. Totally pinning!
I bake for a local high end coffee shop. Rhubarb is in season and my rhubarb scones sell so quickly! But i hadn’t thought of adding lemon! I’m sure our customers today will appreciate the new addition!
Wonderful! I hope you – and your customers – like them!
We are big fans of rhubarb in this house, so I know these scones would be devoured in minutes! I’d like to snack on one, with one of your rhubarb mojitos on the side.
Rhubarb, rhubarb, rhubarb…YES! :)
Rhubarb is growing like crazy around here lately – these look perfect!!! And you know I love the lemon!
Oh I so want one of these now! They look amazing!
I’ve never had rhubarb in a scone. What a delicious idea.
It’s been a many months since I’ve made scones, which, seeing how obsessed I am with them, is kind of amazing (and very very sad). These look so wonderful and it’s so nice seeing someone use rhubarb… I feel like it scares people, but it’s so good and tangy!
I think it scares alot of people, too. But for me, I don’t know life without it. Mom is a huge rhubarb fan, it’s always been celebrated. Thanks, Brian. :)
I’m so jealous! These look amazing and I can’t find rhubarb anywhere near me!