Easy Blueberry Scones
These blueberry scones draw on our favorite master scone recipe, which calls for butter and cream. They turn out light, fluffy, delicious, and bursting with blueberries! Of all the baking recipes I’ve shared with you, I make scones the most often. They are quick to make, call for ingredients I likely already have, and I can easily adapt them to whatever fruit I have on hand. In this case, we are using lots of fresh blueberries, which soften, turn extra juicy, and burst into the scones. I love blueberries and lemon, so I make a quick lemon sugar for the dough and lemon glaze for the tops to turn these into blueberry lemon scones. The lemon is optional, but I highly recommend it! For more scones, see our cranberry orange scones, blackberry scones, and our popular pumpkin scones. Key Ingredients Blueberries: While fresh blueberries are my favorite option for these scones, you can use unthawed frozen blueberries or dried blueberries in this recipe. Other berries like chopped strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries are lovely, too. Lemon: The lemon added to our scones is optional, but I do really love the blueberry lemon combo (as demonstrated by these blueberry lemon muffins and my lemon blueberry cake!). I make a simple lemon sugar by rubbing some lemon zest into plain granulated sugar, which perfumes the dough with lemony flavor. Then, I make a simple lemon glaze with lemon juice and powdered sugar to drizzle over the tops of the baked scones. Flour: I stick to all-purpose flour for my scones. It consistently yields light and flaky results. For gluten-free scones, use your favorite all-purpose gluten-free flour (like Bob’s Red Mill). Baking Powder: This is crucial for lift and lightness, and you’ll use a generous tablespoon. To avoid any metallic aftertaste, always opt for aluminum-free baking powder. I also rely on baking powder for our popular fluffy biscuits and this strawberry shortcake. Butter: The secret to truly flaky scones is very cold butter. As it melts in the oven, it creates steam, resulting in a soft and tender texture. Heavy Cream: I’m particularly fond of cream scones because they naturally turn out lighter and more tender than those made solely with butter. For a beautiful golden sheen, I also love to brush a little cream over the tops of these blueberry scones just before baking. Sugar: For the dough, I use plain granulated sugar (though coconut sugar or brown sugar are fine alternatives). Before baking, an optional but lovely touch is a sprinkle of coarse sugar over the cream-brushed tops. Finally, powdered sugar mixed with lemon juice creates that perfect drizzly glaze for serving. Blueberries: While fresh blueberries are my favorite option for these scones, you can use unthawed frozen blueberries or dried blueberries in this recipe. Other berries like chopped strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries are lovely, too. Lemon: The lemon added to our scones is optional, but I do really love the blueberry lemon combo (as demonstrated by these blueberry lemon muffins and my lemon blueberry cake!). I make a simple lemon sugar by rubbing some lemon zest into plain granulated sugar, which perfumes the dough with lemony flavor. Then, I make a simple lemon glaze with lemon juice and powdered sugar to drizzle over the tops of the baked scones. Flour: I stick to all-purpose flour for my scones. It consistently yields light and flaky results. For gluten-free scones, use your favorite all-purpose gluten-free flour (like Bob’s Red Mill). Baking Powder: This is crucial for lift and lightness, and you’ll use a generous tablespoon. To avoid any metallic aftertaste, always opt for aluminum-free baking powder. I also rely on baking powder for our popular fluffy biscuits and this strawberry shortcake. Butter: The secret to truly flaky scones is very cold butter. As it melts in the oven, it creates steam, resulting in a soft and tender texture. Heavy Cream: I’m particularly fond of cream scones because they naturally turn out lighter and more tender than those made solely with butter. For a beautiful golden sheen, I also love to brush a little cream over the tops of these blueberry scones just before baking. Sugar: For the dough, I use plain granulated sugar (though coconut sugar or brown sugar are fine alternatives). Before baking, an optional but lovely touch is a sprinkle of coarse sugar over the cream-brushed tops. Finally, powdered sugar mixed with lemon juice creates that perfect drizzly glaze for serving. When making blueberry scones, gentle handling is key! Overworking the dough develops gluten, which can make your scones less fluffy and tender. That’s why I skip the biscuit cutter and lightly pat the dough into a circle with my hands before cutting it into 8 triangles. From there, transfer your triangles of dough onto a baking sheet, leaving a little room (they will spread slightly), and then brush them generously with cream. For a beautiful, shiny, textured top, sprinkle coarse sugar over the cream and then bake. Easy Blueberry Scones PREP 15 mins COOK 15 mins TOTAL 30 mins PREP 15 mins COOK 15 mins TOTAL 30 mins You’ll use butter and heavy cream to make the dough for these easy blueberry scones. The combination of these two fats ensures the scones turn out wonderfully tender, soft, and delicate. You can certainly substitute any fruit you like (fresh, frozen, or dried), but for this recipe, we’re using a heaping cup of blueberries (keep them frozen if using frozen). To complement the blueberries, we’ve added lemon zest to the dough and a simple lemon glaze to drizzle on top, making them truly irresistible (orange would be great, too). Another recipe calling for the same cream scone dough is our cranberry orange scones. These are delicious as-is, but to really make them special, serve with homemade whipped cream, coconut whipped cream, or this homemade honey butter! Makes 8 Scones You Will Need Blueberry Scones 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest 2 cups (260g) all-purpose flour 1 tablespoon baking powder, use aluminum-free 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt 5 tablespoons (70g) cold, unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch cubes 1 cup (235ml) heavy cream, plus more for tops of scones 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 heaping cup (140g) fresh blueberries or frozen blueberries (do not thaw) 2 tablespoons coarse sugar for tops of scones (or use granulated sugar) 1/2 cup (60g) powdered sugar, sifted 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract Directions 1Preheat the oven: Adjust the oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or use a silicon baking mat. 2Make lemon sugar: In a large mixing bowl, use clean hands to rub the lemon zest into the sugar until the sugar smells fragrant and takes on a light yellow hue. 3Make the dough: Add the flour, baking powder, and salt to the lemon sugar. Whisk until well blended. 4Use a pastry blender to work the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles a coarse meal with a few small crumbles of butter the size of peas. (Or use a food processor). 5Pour in the cream, add the vanilla, and use a rubber spatula to mix until a crumbly dough forms. You should be able to press the mixture together. If it’s too crumbly, add 1 to 2 more tablespoons of cream. 6Gently fold in the blueberries (it’s okay if some smash). 7Form and cut the scones: Transfer the dough and any dry, floury bits to a lightly floured work surface. Knead the dough 3 to 5 times until it just comes together. Form into an 8-inch circle (pressing blueberries into the dough if they fall out). Cut into 8 triangles. 8Bake the scones: Place the scones on the baking sheet with a few inches between them, brush with extra cream, and lightly sprinkle the tops with coarse sugar. Bake until light golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Cool for at least 10 minutes before serving or adding the optional lemon glaze. 9Make the lemon glaze (optional): Whisk the powdered sugar, lemon juice, and vanilla until smooth. Thin out as needed with more lemon juice for a drizzly texture, then drizzle over the scones. 1Preheat the oven: Adjust the oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or use a silicon baking mat. 2Make lemon sugar: In a large mixing bowl, use clean hands to rub the lemon zest into the sugar until the sugar smells fragrant and takes on a light yellow hue. 3Make the dough: Add the flour, baking powder, and salt to the lemon sugar. Whisk until well blended. 4Use a pastry blender to work the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles a coarse meal with a few small crumbles of butter the size of peas. (Or use a food processor). 5Pour in the cream, add the vanilla, and use a rubber spatula to mix until a crumbly dough forms. You should be able to press the mixture together. If it’s too crumbly, add 1 to 2 more tablespoons of cream. 6Gently fold in the blueberries (it’s okay if some smash). 7Form and cut the scones: Transfer the dough and any dry, floury bits to a lightly floured work surface. Knead the dough 3 to 5 times until it just comes together. Form into an 8-inch circle (pressing blueberries into the dough if they fall out). Cut into 8 triangles. 8Bake the scones: Place the scones on the baking sheet with a few inches between them, brush with extra cream, and lightly sprinkle the tops with coarse sugar. Bake until light golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Cool for at least 10 minutes before serving or adding the optional lemon glaze. 9Make the lemon glaze (optional): Whisk the powdered sugar, lemon juice, and vanilla until smooth. Thin out as needed with more lemon juice for a drizzly texture, then drizzle over the scones. Adam and Joanne's Tips Storing: Scones are best eaten fresh. If you do have leftovers, your best bet for keeping them fresh is to freeze them. Freeze baked and cooled scones until hard, then transfer to resealable plastic bags. Freeze for up to 1 month. To reheat, bake in a 350°F oven until warmed. It shouldn’t take long. You can freeze unbaked scone dough: Chill cut scones in the freezer until firm, then transfer to resealable plastic bags. They can be kept for up to one month. Bake in a 425°F oven straight from the freezer. (They may take a few extra minutes.) Recipe inspired and adapted from America’s Test Kitchen and these cranberry orange scones. Nutrition facts are estimates. Storing: Scones are best eaten fresh. If you do have leftovers, your best bet for keeping them fresh is to freeze them. Freeze baked and cooled scones until hard, then transfer to resealable plastic bags. Freeze for up to 1 month. To reheat, bake in a 350°F oven until warmed. It shouldn’t take long. You can freeze unbaked scone dough: Chill cut scones in the freezer until firm, then transfer to resealable plastic bags. They can be kept for up to one month. Bake in a 425°F oven straight from the freezer. (They may take a few extra minutes.) Recipe inspired and adapted from America’s Test Kitchen and these cranberry orange scones. Nutrition facts are estimates. Nutrition Per Serving Serving Size 1 scone (8 total) / Calories 360 / Total Fat 18.3g / Saturated Fat 11.4g / Cholesterol 52.7mg / Sodium 157.2mg / Carbohydrate 45.7g / Dietary Fiber 1.4g / Total Sugars 19.9g / Protein 4.3g AUTHOR: Joanne Gallagher We’re Adam and Joanne, a couple passionate about cooking and sharing delicious, reliable recipes since 2009. Our goal? To inspire you to get in the kitchen and confidently cook fresh and flavorful meals.More About Us