Blueberry Scones
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure policy.
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.
You May Also Like
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
Powered by 
- 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.
See more recipes:
Comments
Add a Comment
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
Do you think I can freeze these before baking? Looking to make ahead, freeze unbaked, and then pull them out of the freezer the night before while I’m hosting family for the weekend. Any adjustments needed?
Hi Kim, that would be fine. See guidance from this recipe for more details. 🙂
Best scone I’ve ever eaten!
These are exactly the blueberry scones I have been looking for. Thank you. So yummy.
I do have a question:
Can I use this recipe as a basic scone as well? Sometimes I want a cheddar and herb scone, so I am wondering, can I use this recipe?, omitting the blueberries and glaze adding 1 cup of shredded cheddar and a tablespoon of herbs
I just love all the recipes I have made of yours.
Thank you
Hi Gina, so glad you enjoyed these! Instead of using this as a base for savory scones, I have a recipe for one on page 234 of my first cookbook. If you don’t own the cookbook, email me at jennifer@onceuponachef.com and I’d be happy to send you the recipe. 🙂
These are amazing! When I was making them, I questioned whether or not I should make two smaller rounds of dough and make smaller scones, but so glad I stuck with the recipe as I wanted to eat every last bite of mine! These have a refreshing degree of moisture due to the blueberries, but still are very scone-like. I love the idea of lemon and berries together and the blueberry glaze on top just elevated these to the next level. These will remain on my baking list for whenever I have nice fresh, blueberries – thanks Jenn for all of these beautiful recipes!
I’ve made scones before, but I think something went very wrong with this recipe. I’m a little confused. Your recipe said to add one egg to the cream mixture. But then when making the scones, it said, ‘use remaining egg’ to brush on top.What ‘remaining’ egg would that be? My batter was so wet. I added flour and still it was too gooey. So my question is: how many eggs are supposed to be used in the total recipe? Thanks
Hi Joni, I’m sorry that you had a problem with the scones! The recipe calls for a total of two eggs. You use one egg in the dough and the other for an egg wash brushed on top of the scones prior to baking. The dough should not have been very wet – is there a chance you made a measuring error? Regardless, I’m sorry you struggled with these!
Did you use the metric or US measurements? I’ve made them twice and when I used the metric, I also found the batter WAY to wet. I compared the measurements to the weight and they don’t line up so maybe just stick with the US measurements.
Hi Jenn, I have an event coming up where I’m supposed to bring baked goods. I thought your scones would fit the bill perfectly. I’d like to make them on the smaller side, though—like mini scones, so to speak. Any idea how to adapt this recipe? Also, any thoughts on how many minis this recipe would make? As always, thanks for all the wonderful recipes!
Hi Alex, I’d make the dough for the scones and instead of forming the dough into one large disc, I’d split it in half and form it into two. Then cut each disc into 8 triangles (like you would for the larger ones). I’d bake them at the same temp and start checking them for doneness at about 10 minutes. I’d love to hear how they come out as minis!
I made them mini! They still took about 16 minutes to bake, although I began checking at 10 minutes. They are delicious! I was a bit worried because my blueberries started to burst inside the dough as I was forming it, but it doesn’t have an impact on the taste or even the overall look. I made two batches, and my second batch was by far better as I used more flour when I went to form the dough ball and then discs. I will definitely be making these again! I have a summer full of visiting guests and now I have a treat ready for the first morning. Thanks!!!
So glad that they turned out nicely and good to know about the baking time — thanks for reporting back! 🙂
Hi Jen,
I’ve recently started substituting evaporated milk for heavy cream in some recipes, with great success. Would it work here? And can you give me a general rule of thumb for when it wouldn’t work? Thanks so much.
Hi Jan, I’m not 100 percent sure, but I think it would probably work for scones, but I wouldn’t use it in cooking. Please report back if you try it. I’d love to hear how they turn out!
Easy and awesome, like all your recipes, Jenn! Thank you!
How would I adapt this recipe for cranberry orange scones? Would I simply replace the bb for cranberries and just add jest of one orange?
Thanks again for your delicious recipes!
So glad you enjoyed them, Sue! I actually have a recipe for cranberry orange scones on page 202 of my second cookbook. If you don’t own the cookbook, email me at jennifer@onceuponachef and I’ll email you the recipe.
Hi Jenn, Like everyone else here, I love your recipes. Your site has become my go-to after the demise of Fine Cooking. I KNOW what I make will be good!! I’m wondering if you could make the glaze ahead and freeze it (separately of course) along with the scones. It would be nice to have everything available in the freezer when I need it.
So glad you’re enjoying the recipes, Leah! I do think that would work well.
It was perfect! Thanks so much. These will become a regular in my diet.