Filled with sweet shredded carrots, warming spices, and finished with a bright lemon-butter glaze, these carrot cake scones are a delightful taste of spring. Soft and tender, they bake up golden and plush — perfect warm from the oven. This recipe yields 14 scones.
This is one of my favorite homemade scone recipes. It’s easy to assemble ahead of time and freeze, so you can bake scones whenever a craving hits.
To bake from frozen, brush the wedges with cream, sprinkle with sugar, and add a few extra minutes to the baking time. While they bake, whisk together the lemon glaze and drizzle it over warm scones for a bright, buttery finish.
Make Ahead Scones
Cut each circle of dough into wedges on the baking sheet, cover, and freeze overnight. When ready to bake, brush with cream, sprinkle with sugar, and bake directly from the freezer, adding 1–2 minutes to the baking time. For longer storage, transfer frozen scones to a freezer bag for up to two months.
Craving more carrot cake?
- Carrot Cake Spice Bread
- Baked Carrot Cake Doughnuts
- Classic Carrot Cake
Carrot Cake Scones
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- Author: Laura Kasavan
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 22 minutes
- Total Time: 47 minutes
- Yield: 14 scones
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
Description
Carrot cake scones with lemon-butter glaze are a bright, comforting breakfast treat. The scones are tender and lightly spiced, balanced by the tangy-sweet glaze. Makes 14 scones.
Ingredients
Scones
- 3 cups flour
- 1 Tbsp aluminum-free baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- 1/8 tsp ground cloves
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 1/3 to 1 1/2 cups cold heavy cream
- 1 1/4 cups grated carrots
Topping
- 1 Tbsp cold heavy cream
- 1 Tbsp sugar
Glaze
- 1 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 2 tsp Meyer lemon zest (or regular lemon zest)
- 2 Tbsp Meyer lemon juice (or regular lemon juice)
- 2/3 cup sifted powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, spices, and sugar.
- Combine the vanilla with 1 1/3 cups cold heavy cream. Drizzle the cream over the dry ingredients and fold gently until mostly incorporated. Add the grated carrots and fold just until a shaggy dough forms; if the dough is too dry, add up to 2 tablespoons more cream.
- Divide the dough in half and turn each portion onto a lightly floured surface. With lightly floured hands, shape each half into a 6-inch (15 cm) circle. Place both circles on the prepared baking sheets and cut each into 7 wedges. Chill the baking sheets in the freezer for 20 minutes while the oven preheats.
- Separate the wedges slightly so there’s about an inch between them. Brush the tops lightly with cold heavy cream and sprinkle with sugar.
- Bake for 20–22 minutes, rotating the sheets halfway through, until the tops are set and edges are golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the scones cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.
- For the glaze, whisk melted butter, salt, lemon zest, lemon juice, and sifted powdered sugar until smooth. Drizzle over warm scones and allow the glaze to set before serving.
Notes
Make ahead: After cutting each dough circle into wedges on the baking sheet, cover and freeze overnight. When ready to bake, brush with cream, sprinkle with sugar, and bake from frozen, adding 1–2 minutes to the baking time. For longer storage, transfer frozen scones to a freezer bag for up to two months.