Blueberry Scones
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Better than anything at the coffee shop, these blueberry scones are tender, loaded with berries, and finished with a lemony glaze.
Photo by Alexandra Grablewski (Chronicle Books, 2018)
Blueberry scones (and scones in general) are often dry and crumbly, especially if they sit out 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.
This blueberry scone recipe makes large scones. If you prefer smaller ones, 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.
“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
- Flour, baking powder, and sugar form the base of the scones—be sure to spoon and level the flour so the dough stays light and tender.
- Cold butter is cut into the dry ingredients for that classic flaky texture, and a bit more goes into the glaze for a smooth, rich finish.
- Eggs and heavy cream add moisture and richness; brushing a little egg on top before baking gives the scones a beautiful golden color.
- Blueberries bring bursts of fruity sweetness—fresh are best when they’re in season, but frozen work too. Just don’t thaw them first, or your dough will turn blue.
- Vanilla adds warmth and depth to the flavor
- Confectioners’ sugar, lemon zest, and lemon juice make a tangy glaze that complements the berries beautifully.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-By-Step Instructions
Step 1: Mix the dry ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, and sugar.
Step 2: Cut in the butter. Add the pieces of cold butter and use your fingertips to rub them into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with pea-sized clumps of butter.
Pro tip: Keeping the butter cold is key to achieving flaky scones. The small butter pieces create pockets of steam when baked, resulting in a light, tender texture.
Step 3: Add the fruit. Stir in the blueberries and set aside.
Step 4: Mix the wet ingredients. In a small bowl, whisk together the heavy cream, egg, and vanilla.
Step 5: Combine wet and dry. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the cream mixture.
Step 6: Mix. Using a rubber spatula, stir until the dough comes together—it will be slightly crumbly. If too dry, add 1 to 2 tablespoons more cream. Try to stir gently; this will keep the blueberries from getting crushed.
Step 7: Shape the scones. Lightly flour a work surface and turn out the dough. Lightly dust the top with flour, then knead gently into a ball. Press into a ¾-inch-high circle and cut into 8 wedges. It’s okay if you slice through some of the blueberries. (At this point, the scone dough can be refrigerated overnight and baked fresh, or frozen for up to three months and baked straight from the freezer with a few extra minutes in the oven.)
Step 8: Add egg wash. Place the scones on the prepared baking sheet, spacing them at least 1 inch apart. Beat the remaining egg in a small bowl and brush the tops (you won’t use all of it).
Pro tip: An egg wash is simply a beaten egg—sometimes mixed with a little water, milk, or cream—that’s brushed onto pastry or dough before baking. It helps baked goods develop a golden, glossy finish.
Step 9: Bake. Slide the baking sheet into a preheated 400°F oven for 17 to 20 minutes, until golden and firm to the touch. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
Step 10: Make the glaze. Slide the used parchment paper under the rack to catch drips. In a small bowl, whisk together the melted butter, confectioners’ sugar, lemon juice, and zest.
Step 11: Glaze. Before glazing, make sure the scones are completely cool to prevent the glaze from dripping off. Using a small spoon, drizzle the tops with the glaze. Let set, then serve and enjoy!
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Blueberry Scones with Tart Lemon Glaze
This classic blueberry scone recipe brings all the cozy bakery vibes—right from your own kitchen.
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!