PREV
Easy peasy blueberry scones with a perfectly tart lemon glaze on top! When I was pregnant with my son I had a major sweet tooth and would get a blueberry scone from the Farmer’s Market almost every Sunday. I made a batch for Mother’s Day because I was feeling sentimental, but they’d also be great for any brunch spread.
These scones are also pretty much foolproof! I’ve tested them with different berries – frozen, fresh, you name it – and they always came out delicious. Scones are somewhat similar to biscuits, so don’t be afraid of a shaggy, dry dough. The butter will melt and they will be nice and flakey! Enjoy!
Watch Me Make Blueberry Scones
Table of Contents
What Makes a Good Scone?
Ingredients and Substitutions
How to Make It
Storing and Reheating
Tips
Reasons to Love It
Blueberry Scone Recipe
What Makes a Good Scone?
Scones are at the top of my list of my favorite baked goods of all time. You might think they’d be tricky, but they’re actually one of the easiest and quickest baked treats to make for yourself at home. The key is getting the texture right. A good scone has risen nicely, without spreading too much out the sides. It should also have a rough, almost biscuit-like texture on top, NOT a flat and smooth texture. When you bite into a good scone, it’s buttery and slightly flakey, but not crumbly or dense. It’s somewhere between cake and pie dough. The key to achieving the perfect scone is having cold ingredients and not overworking the dough. See the Tips section below for more help!
Blueberry Scone Ingredients and Substitutions
Blueberries
I use beautiful, plump, fresh, in-season blueberries for these scones, but you can use any fresh or frozen berry you want in this recipe, like strawberries or blackberries. If using frozen berries, just make sure to add 1/4 cup of extra flour to account for the added moisture. Add the berries frozen without thawing first.
All Purpose Flour
If you are gluten free, most 1:1 flour mixes substitute pretty well, though I did not test this recipe with gluten free flour. Let me know in the blog comments if you try that!
Greek Yogurt
I recommend using plain whole milk or 2% Greek yogurt as opposed to thinner yogurt or ones that are flavored, fat-free, or low-fat. The fat content really matters when baking scones! You could substitute the Greek yogurt for sour cream, or even for creme fraiche if you want a milder, less tangy, more luxurious flavor.
Milk
Like with the Greek yogurt, the fat content of the milk matters, so avoid getting fat-free or low-fat milk. I use whole or 2%. I have not tested this recipe with dairy-free milks like oat, almond, or soy, but they might work.
Salted Butter
Your butter should be frozen before AND after grating it prior to adding it to your dough mixture. I love baking with salted butter, but you can also use unsalted butter if you add an extra 1/2 teaspoon of salt to the dry ingredients.
Lemon Zest
You can zest your lemon using a microplane, zester, or the smallest holes of a box grater. If you are switching up the flavors of your scones, lime, orange, or grapefruit zest would be delicious!
Vanilla Extract
Vanilla extract packs in so much more rich flavor than vanilla flavoring, so make sure to get the good stuff. It’s worth it. A 1:1 substitution of vanilla paste works here too. For a different flavor profile, you can swap 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract for 1/2 teaspoon almond extract.
Egg
Make sure your egg is cold, not room temp.
How to Make Blueberry Scones
Step 1
Grate the frozen butter onto a plate using the large holes of a box grater and place the shreds back in the freezer.
Step 2
In a large mixing bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and lemon zest. Add the frozen butter shreds to the flour mixture. Use your fingers to toss and work the butter into the flour until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs with some pea-sized bits. Stir in the frozen blueberries.
Step 3
In a separate small bowl, whisk together the milk, yogurt, egg, and vanilla extract until smooth.
Step 4
Pour the yogurt mixture into the dry ingredients. Use a silicone spatula to fold everything together until a shaggy dough forms. Do not over-mix; it’s okay if there are a few floury spots.
Step 5
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured cutting board or countertop. Gently pat it into an 8-inch wide disc about 1 inch thick. Use a sharp knife to cut the disc into 8 wedges (like you’re cutting a pie or pizza). Place the dough (keep it in the disc shape) on a parchment-lined small baking sheet and chill in the refrigerator for 20 minutes before baking. Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 400°F.
Step 6
Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the scones are golden brown and cooked through. Let them cool completely before making the icing.
Step 7
When the scones are cool, make the icing: To a medium bowl, add the powdered sugar, salt, and 1.5 tablespoons of lemon juice. Use a spoon to stir to combine, and add a little more lemon juice if needed; the icing should be pourable but not too thin.
Step 8
Drizzle the icing over the cooled scones. You can enjoy immediately, let the glaze set on the counter for 30 minutes, or refrigerate for 15 minutes until the icing is set.
Storing and Reheating Blueberry Scones
Scones are definitely best enjoyed the same day you bake them, but storing and reheating them properly will help them last a few more days. With or without the glaze, you can store scones in an airtight container or Ziploc bag for a few days at room temperature.
To restore your leftover scones to their once warm and flakey deliciousness, simply reheat them for 5-10 minutes in an oven set to 350 degrees. An air fryer or a toaster oven are also destined for reheating scones to crispy-topped perfection. In a pinch, reheat your scones in the microwave in 15-second intervals, but just be prepared for their softer texture. At least they’ll be warm and buttery!
Tips for Making the Best Blueberry Scones
- Cold ingredients: Using frozen butter and cold milk, yogurt, and egg help make the scones more flakey as the water in them quickly turns to steam when baked, creating pockets of air in the dough.
- Working in the butter: After grating and re-freezing your butter, gently work it into your flour mixture using the tips of your fingers, sifting through the dough until just before it starts to resemble shelf-stable parmesan cheese. You still want pea-sized bits of butter to create flakey layers, so don’t over-incorporate it.
- Patience is key: Try not to get too frustrated when your dough isn’t coming together in a nice clean ball. There will be a few dry floury spots, which is preferable to a wet, overworked dough (that’s what makes it dense and cakey). Instead of kneading it into a dense ball, use the pressure of the palm of your hand to press it all together in the bowl a few times before turning out onto a floured surface.
- Smooth slice: One thing that helps the scones rise properly is having a clean slice on the sides of each scone. To achieve that clean edge, use the biggest knife you have and cut straight down in one swift chop. If you happen to have a stainless steel bench scraper, it’ll cut your scones perfectly every time.
- Glaze gradually: Every time I make a simple glaze with powdered sugar, salt, and lemon juice, it seems like the ratios change on me. So add your lemon juice gradually until it reaches a just-pourable consistency without becoming runny. If it gets too thin, simply add more powdered sugar.
Why You’ll Love These Blueberry Scones
- They’re so quick! It’s pretty rare to be able to whip up a baked treat in an hour, but scones are easy to mix up and bake pretty quickly. When you get hit with a scone craving, you don’t have to wait too long for your treat!
- Scones are easier than you think. There’s no wait time for the dough to chill, mixing the dough is straightforward, and shaping the scones just takes a few sharp cuts with a knife.
- You can make any flavor you want. These blueberry and lemon scones are a classic flavor combination, but you could get as creative as you want with the add-ins once you nail the base dough recipe. Try strawberries and lime or blackberries and orange! You can even make sweet scones with chocolate chunks and nuts or savory scones with cheddar and green onion.
