Blueberry Scones
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These blueberry scones are melt-in-your-mouth tender and topped with a tart and sweet lemon glaze.
Photo by Alexandra Grablewski (Chronicle Books, 2018)
Most scones are dry and crumbly, especially when left to sit out on the counter for more than a few hours. Not these. Some of the blueberries burst during baking, creating little pockets of juice that keep the scones melt-in-your-mouth tender and almost cakelike for days. The lemon glaze adds a pop of bright flavor and looks pretty too.
These are large scones. If you prefer smaller scones, divide the dough into two rounds instead of one, and then cut each round into 6 wedges. Also, when making scones, try to handle the dough as little as possible—a light hand makes for light and tender scones. If it’s outside of blueberry season and you’d like to make these, frozen blueberries will work too but don’t defrost them, or your scones will turn blue.
Table of Contents
“I made these for my daughter and her roommates for finals week. They said they were the best scones they’ve ever had.”
What You’ll Need To Make Blueberry Scones
- All-Purpose Flour: The base of your scones. Measure it by spooning it into the measuring cup and leveling it off to ensure accuracy.
- Baking powder: Acts as a leavening agent, making the scones rise.
- Granulated Sugar: Adds sweetness and contributes to the tender texture.
- Butter: Used in the batter for richness and flavor, and also to add creamy smoothness to the glaze that tops the scones.
- Blueberries: The star ingredient, they add bursts of fruity sweetness.
- Heavy Cream: Adds moisture and ensures the scones are tender.
- Eggs: Used in the dough to add richness and to bind the ingredients together. Also used as a topping brushed on the unbaked scones to create a beautiful golden sheen.
- Vanilla Extract: Enhances the overall flavor and aroma of the scones.
- Confectioners’ Sugar: Provides sweetness and adds thickness to the glaze.
- Lemon Zest and Juice: Infuses the glaze with bright lemon flavor.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-By-Step Instructions
Preheat the oven to 400°F and set an oven rack in the middle position. Line a 13 x 18-inch baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, combine the flour, salt, baking powder and sugar.
Whisk to combine.
Add the pieces of cold butter.
Use your fingertips to rub the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with pea-sized clumps of butter within.
Stir in the blueberries.
In a small bowl, whisk together the heavy cream, egg, and vanilla.
Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients, then add the cream mixture.
Using a rubber spatula, mix until the dough comes together.
It will be a bit crumbly—that’s okay. If it’s too dry to come together, add 1 to 2 tablespoons more cream and mix again.
Dust a work surface lightly with flour; put the dough on top. Dust the dough lightly with flour, then knead gently into a ball. Press the dough into a circle about ¾-inch high, then cut into 8 wedges. It’s okay if you slice through some of the blueberries.
Place the unbaked scones onto the prepared baking sheet at least 1-inch apart. Beat the remaining egg in a small bowl and use it to brush the tops of the scones (you won’t use all of it).
Bake for 17 to 20 minutes, until golden and firm to the touch. Transfer the scones to a wire rack to cool.
Slide the used parchment paper underneath the rack. (The parchment will catch any drips from the glaze). While the scones cool, make the glaze: In a small bowl, whisk together the melted butter, confectioners’ sugar, lemon juice, and zest.
When the scones are completely cool, drizzle the glaze over top. (Hint: if the glaze seems too stiff to drizzle, warm it in the microwave for 5 to 10 seconds.) Let the glaze set, then serve.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, the scone dough can be made, shaped, and refrigerated overnight, and then baked directly from the fridge as directed.
Yes, to freeze the dough, place the raw scones on a baking sheet until they are solid, and then transfer them to an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months. To bake, remove the scones from the freezer while you preheat the oven. Cook as directed, but allow an extra few minutes of baking time.
Yes, frozen blueberries will work here, but don’t defrost them, or your scones will turn blue.
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Blueberry Scones with Tart Lemon Glaze
These blueberry scones are melt-in-your-mouth tender and topped with a tart and sweet lemon glaze.
Ingredients
For the Scones
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off, plus more for dusting
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch pieces
- 1 heaping cup blueberries (see note)
- ⅔ cup heavy cream, plus 1 to 2 tablespoons more, if necessary
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For Glazing Before Cooking
- 1 large egg
For Tart Lemon Glaze
- 1 teaspoon butter, melted
- 1 cup confectioners' sugar
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest, from 1 lemon
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F and set an oven rack in the middle position. Line a 13 x 18-inch baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder and sugar. Add the pieces of cold butter. Use your fingertips to rub the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with pea-sized clumps of butter within. Stir in the blueberries.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the heavy cream, egg and vanilla. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients, then add the cream mixture. Using a rubber spatula, mix until the dough comes together. It will be a bit crumbly—that’s okay. If it’s too dry to come together, add 1 to 2 tablespoons more cream and mix again.
- Dust a work surface lightly with flour; put the dough on top. Dust the dough lightly with flour, then knead gently into a ball. Press the dough into a circle about ¾-inch high, then cut into 8 wedges. It’s okay if you slice through some of the blueberries.
- Place the unbaked scones onto the prepared baking sheet at least 1-inch apart. Beat the remaining egg in a small bowl and use it to brush the tops of the scones (you won’t use all of it). Bake for 17 to 20 minutes, until golden and firm to the touch. Transfer the scones to a wire rack to cool. Slide the used parchment paper underneath the rack. (The parchment will catch any drips from the glaze).
- While the scones cool, make the glaze: In a small bowl, whisk together the melted butter, confectioners’ sugar, and lemon juice and zest. When the scones are completely cool, drizzle the glaze over top. (Hint: if the glaze seems too stiff to drizzle, warm it in the microwave for 5 to 10 seconds.) Let the glaze set, then serve.
- Note: When making scones, try to handle the dough as little as possible—a light hand makes for light and tender scones.
- Make-Ahead/Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The scone dough can be made, shaped, and refrigerated overnight, and then baked directly from the fridge as directed. To freeze the dough, place the raw scones on a baking sheet until they are solid, and then transfer them to an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months. To bake, remove the scones from the freezer while you preheat the oven. Cook as directed, but allow an extra few minutes of baking time.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (8 servings)
- Serving size: 1 scone
- Calories: 402
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated fat: 11 g
- Carbohydrates: 56 g
- Sugar: 30 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Sodium: 299 mg
- Cholesterol: 98 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Grating the cold butter worked. I did not put this on a floured counter. Simply mixed it well in the bowl. Used a tablespoon cookie scoop to put into each place in my King Arthur small scone pan. Added more to each space until they were all filled evenly. Baked 17 minutes. Tender and perfect scones.
These are divine! My kids and I are making several batches for thank you gifts. Jenn, all your recipes are amazing and I’m so much more confident in the kitchen because of all your tips..ty!!
The only way this could be better is with clotted cream and strawberry jam!
Perect!
These are now a go-to for fluffy scones. Simple, but perfect!
Made these for Mother’s day and they were delicious. Everyone loved them!
These look amazing!! Wondering if I could keep everything the same and sub strawberries in for blueberries? Just don’t love blueberries as much!
Hi Anne, I think you could. Please LMK how they turn out if you try it!
Hi Jenn — thanks for another delicious recipe!! First time ever making scones. Wondered if you have tried some of the alternate methods of mixing cold butter into dry mixture. I cut the cold butter into pieces about 1/4 inch cubes. Even so it took quite a while to get it incorporated into the dough and I was afraid I was over handling the dough. One alternate I saw was simply freezing the butter and grating it using the larger holes on the grater just before adding to the dough. The other was using a food processor to incorporate the butter into the dry ingredients, which I have done with pie crust before quite successfully. And the third was making the dough in a stand mixer that has a paddle like the big Kitchen Aid mixers. Have you tested any of these methods? The grater sounded closest to your recipe.
Anyway — it’s Mother’s Day morning and I made them for the family. They will love them. I have already sampled.
Eileen in Maine
So glad they turned out well, Eileen! The first two methods you mentioned will work beautifully here. I use the food processor method when making plain scones; I only use the cutting-in method here so as not to have to dirty a second bowl when mixing in the blueberries.
This is the first recipe I tried from Jenn’s first cookbook that I had borrowed from the library. Liked the scones them so much I immediately tried a second recipe. Returned the book to the library and bought my own copy. Highly recommend this recipe. They were delicious – loved the lemon glaze.
These are the most delicious scones ever! I have made several times from Jenn’s wonderful second cookbook. A word of advice – listen to Jenn when she suggests you use King Arthur flour. I made them once with store brand flower and they did not turn out nearly as well. Thank you so much Jenn for all the wonderful recipes!
I received this recipe on my email and decided I would give it a try. So very glad I did! I only had frozen berries and they worked great. Silly me even read the recipe wrong, I only used a cup of flour and realized my mistake at the very end when the batter was too thin to form a ball. I just dumped the extra cup and mixed again. Figured it would turn out awful but they were delicious! Next time I make them, they should be even better if that’s possible! Another keeper for me! Thank you!