Vanilla Chai Spice Lemon Scones

Sep 25, 2026 · By VanillaGoods

Baking Scones Origin: Tahitian Vanilla: Extract Easy

Vanilla Chai Spice Lemon Scones on parchment

These scones are tender inside with crisp, golden edges and visible layers from cold butter. It combines black tea infused with cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, and a restrained touch of clove. Lemon adds flavor and texture. Best with Tahitian vanilla (floral, cherry, anise); any pure vanilla works.

Prep 20 min

Cook 18 min

Cooling 10 min

Total 48 min

Yield 8 scones

Diet —

Ingredients

Adjust yield

scones

2 ½ cups (300.0 g)all-purpose flour
½ cup (100.0 g)granulated sugar
½ cup (113.0 g)cold unsalted butter, cubed
¾ cup (180.0 ml)heavy cream
1.0 (50.0 g)large egg
1.0 tbsp (12.0 g)baking powder
½ tsp (3.0 g)fine sea salt
1 ½ tsp (7.5 ml)VanillaGoods vanilla extract
1.0 tbsp (6.0 g)Assam black tea leaves
1.0 tsp (2.6 g)ground cinnamon
¾ tsp (1.5 g)ground ginger
¾ tsp (1.5 g)ground cardamom
⅛ tsp (0.26 g)ground cloves

Flavor Accent

2.0 tsp (4.0 g)finely grated lemon zest

Make it at home

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Instructions

Heat the oven to 400°F (205°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment.
Whisk the finely grated lemon zest evenly into the dry ingredients so the lemon is dispersed before the wet and dry mixtures are combined. The accent should be evenly distributed with no visible pockets.
Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Cut in the cold butter until most pieces are pea-sized, with a few smaller flakes. Whisk the cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, and cloves into the dry ingredients. Visible pieces of cold butter help create a tender, layered scone.
Warm the measured cream with the Assam tea until steaming but not boiling. Remove from the heat, steep for 5 minutes, strain, add a little more cream if needed to bring it back to the original amount, and chill completely. When cold, whisk the infused cream with the egg and vanilla. Pour it over the dry ingredients and fold only until a shaggy dough forms. Stop before the dough becomes smooth; overworking makes scones dense.
Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface, pat it into a 1-inch-thick disk, and cut it into 8 wedges. Transfer the wedges to the prepared sheet.
Bake for 16 to 20 minutes. The scones should be well risen with golden tops and browned edges.
Cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Tips

Optional add-in: fold 85 g toasted almonds, pecans or pistachios (cooled and chopped) into the finished dough or batter just until evenly distributed.
Optional finish, honey glaze (¾ cup confectioners' sugar, 1½ tbsp honey, 1 tbsp whole milk): whisk the confectioners' sugar, honey, and milk until smooth and pourable. Drizzle over the fully cooled scones.
Optional finish, vanilla glaze (1 cup confectioners' sugar, 1½ tbsp whole milk, ½ tsp VanillaGoods vanilla extract): whisk the confectioners' sugar, milk, and vanilla extract until smooth. Drizzle over the fully cooled scones.
Add any glaze or dusting only after the scones have cooled completely, about 30 minutes.
Vanilla bean paste swaps 1:1 for the extract and adds visible vanilla seeds; for a whole bean, use the seeds of 1 bean in place of 2 teaspoons of extract.
Best vanilla for this: Tahitian (floral, cherry, anise), or Madagascar (rich, creamy, classic). Any pure vanilla works.

Recipe FAQ

How long does it take to make vanilla chai spice lemon scones?

Plan on 20 minutes of prep and 18 minutes of cooking, plus 10 minutes to rest, chill, or cool. It makes 8 scones.

Can I use a different form of vanilla?

Vanilla bean paste swaps 1:1 for the extract and adds visible vanilla seeds; for a whole bean, use the seeds of 1 bean in place of 2 teaspoons of extract.

Estimated · per serving

Nutrition

Per serving = 1 of 8 servings this recipe makes.

377 Calories / serving

20.5g Fat

42.7g Carbs

5.5g Protein

13.4g Sugar

Whole recipe (8 servings): ~3016 cal · 164g fat · 342g carbs · 44g protein · 107g sugar

Estimated values per serving, calculated from standard ingredient data. Not verified Nutrition Facts; actual values vary with brands, measurements, and preparation.

Per serving · 377 calories

What it takes to burn one serving

Brisk walking 71 min·4.1 mi·~8300 steps
Walking uphill or incline treadmill 51 min·2.6 mi·~5100 steps
Moderate cycling 38 min·7.6 mi
Swimming laps 53 min
Jogging 37 min·3.1 mi·~5900 steps
Stair climbing 35 min·~3150 steps
Dancing 61 min
Bodyweight circuit training 38 min
Cleaning, errands, or playing with the dog 88 min

Rough estimates for one serving, based on standard MET values at about 155 lb. Your own burn depends on body size, effort, and fitness. Shown for context only — food is not something you have to earn.