Today I bring you Blueberry Scones… for breakfast or really any time of the day. I often find scones to be rather dry, but these are perfectly moist and tender. Joe said these were one of his FAVORITE treats that I’ve ever made.


You might want to make a double batch of this blueberry scone recipe. These NEVER last long in our house.
What makes these scones so flaky, tender, and moist is the cold butter and buttermilk.

What I love most about this recipe is that it’s truly loaded with blueberry flavor. Both from fresh (or frozen) blueberries in the dough and from a blueberry glaze made with crushed freeze dried blueberries. It creates the most beautiful natural color and tons of sweet and slightly tart blueberry flavor!
There’s just enough lemon zest in the dough and lemon juice in the glaze to help brighten the blueberry flavor. If you wanted to make these lemon blueberry scones instead, increase the lemon zest to 2 tablespoons.

Make these Blueberry Scones for your next brunch gathering and your friends and family will love you extra. Trust me. Or just enjoy for a fresh and flavorful breakfast right at home with a cup of coffee or tea.
I’ve shared all my tips for making perfect blueberry scones right at home in the pink tip box, just below.
How to Make Blueberry Scones
Ingredients for Blueberry Scones
- All-purpose flour – measured correctly so you don’t end up with crumbly scones.
- Granulated sugar – adds sweetness and moisture to the blueberry scones.
- Grated lemon zest – lemon and blueberry are an amazing flavor match!
- Salt – helps balance out the sweetness.
- Baking powder and baking soda – helps the scones rise.
- Butter – be sure to use COLD butter, not room temperature! Also, use unsalted butter so you’re in control of how much salt is in your scones.
- Buttermilk – makes insanely tender, tall, and flavorful scones. More on this ingredient below.
- Eggs – 1 egg gets whisked with the wet ingredients and the other is for the egg wash to create beautiful golden brown scones.
- Fresh or frozen blueberries – don’t thaw if using frozen blueberries, otherwise they’ll stain the scones.
Ingredients for the Lemon Blueberry Glaze
- Powdered sugar – different brands of powdered sugar will result in thicker or thinner glaze consistencies. Adjust to the perfect thick but pourable glaze consistency by increasing the powdered sugar or adding an extra splash of lemon juice.
- Freeze-dried blueberries – find these at many grocery stores, including Target, Trader Joe’s, and Whole Foods, near the other dried fruits (like raisins) and nuts.
- Lemon juice – this helps add a bit of fresh tartness that enhances the blueberry flavor. You could also use milk or cream if you prefer.
If you can’t find freeze dried blueberries, simply make a glaze of 1 cup of powdered sugar with 2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice or milk, adjusting ingredients to achieve your desired consistency.
Why use buttermilk in scones?
Buttermilk is absolutely the preferred liquid for scones. It helps result in tender, taller scones because of how its acidity reacts with the baking powder and tenderizes the dough overall. It also adds a lovely tang to create more depth of flavor.
I highly advise using real buttermilk instead of a substitute. If you aren’t able to use buttermilk, you can also use heavy cream, just note the final texture will be different. Learn more about buttermilk here.
Overview: how to make Blueberry Scones
- Combine the dry ingredients: in a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, lemon zest, salt, baking powder and baking soda.
- Cut in the butter until the butter is the size of large peas: make sure to use cold unsalted butter. You can use a pastry cutter, box grater, or a fork.
- Whisk the wet ingredients: in a measuring glass, pour in the buttermilk and egg and stir together.
- Make a well and combine the dry and wet ingredients together: mix until just combined. Don’t overmix to avoid dense scones. Very gently fold in the fresh blueberries or frozen blueberries.
- Transfer the dough to a floured surface and pat into a rectangle.
- Divide the dough and cut out wedges: divide into 2 equal parts. Lightly knead each into 3/4-inch thick, 6-diameter rounds. Use a sharp knife to cut each round into 8 wedges and place on prepared baking pans.
- Egg wash and bake! Brush egg wash over the scones and bake until golden brown.
- Make the blueberry glaze: combine the glaze ingredients and drizzle over each scone.


How do I make my scones more moist?
Buttermilk is a key ingredient to making scones that are flaky yet moist. You also want to be sure the scone dough is still nice and cold when it enters the oven so the edges get slightly browned but the center remains moist and soft. Following the tips below for handling the dough helps keep this blueberry scone recipe super moist as well.
Why are my scones so hard and dry?
Whatever you do, do not overmix the flour mixture or dough or allow it to get too warm. Doing so will result in flatter, tougher, and less flaky scones. My favorite tool for making biscuits or scone dough quickly and easily by hand is this OXO bladed pastry blender.
How do you make scones rise higher and get ultra flaky?
Tip 1: The top tip for flaky scones is that the butter must be COLD from start to when the dough enters the oven. The cold butter melts upon entering the heat of the oven, and the water content in butter evaporates in steam. As the steam escapes, it bursts up and creates that beautiful tall, flaky, fluffy texture. I like to cube then pop it in the freezer before assembling the dough.
Tip 2: LAMINATE your scone dough! A little bit of lamination gets the scones to rise high with tons of flaky layers. Don’t worry, it sounds more complicated than it actually is. And if this seems like way too much work, just skip this step. You’ll still have delicious blueberry scones!

Here’s how to laminate your scone dough:
- Fold blueberries into dough.
- Turn the craggly mass of dough out onto your work surface.
- Shape it into a rectangle.
- Fold the rectangle horizontally in thirds, like you’re folding a piece of paper to go into an envelope.
- Flatten it out into a rectangle again.
- Now fold it in thirds once more, but going the opposite direction. This will also help you to gently ‘knead’ the dough so it comes together into a more cohesive disk without overmixing it. Overmixing leads to rubbery and tough scones and biscuits.
I actually demonstrated this during a live Zoom class exclusively for HTH Members last year. Take a look at Benjamin’s laminated vs. un-laminated blueberry scones:

How to keep butter COLD for scones:
- Cube the butter and pop it in the freezer first while you prepare your other ingredients and tools. I like to do this especially if it’s a hot day.
- Use a marble pastry board to help keep the dough cool. If at any point you notice the butter become greasy and melty, pop the dough into the freezer for 10 to 15 minutes before proceeding.
- You can also pop the baking sheet of shaped unbaked scones in the fridge or freezer while the oven preheats to ensure the butter remains nice and cold.
How to make blueberry scones ahead of time:
The shaped unbaked scones can be covered and refrigerated overnight. Bake from the fridge as the recipe directs.
Can you freeze scones?
Place the unbaked shaped scones in an airtight container and freeze for up to 1 month. Bake from frozen, brushing on egg wash before placing in the oven. Add about 2 minutes to the baking time.

More Blueberry Recipes:
More Scone Recipes You’ll Love:
May 2022 Baking Challenge
This recipe is the current pick for our monthly baking challenge! Join the challenge by baking the recipe and snapping a photo for a chance to win prizes!
May 2022 Baking Challenge – Blueberry Scones
For the scones:
-
3
cups
(381 grams) all-purpose flour
-
1/3
cup
(66 grams) granulated sugar
-
1
teaspoon
grated lemon zest
-
1
teaspoon
salt
-
1
tablespoon
baking powder
-
1/2
teaspoon
baking soda
-
1 1/2
sticks (170 grams) unsalted butter,
cold and cubed
-
1
cup
buttermilk
-
2
large eggs, divided
-
1 1/2
cups
(200 grams) fresh or frozen blueberries (don’t thaw if frozen)
For the glaze:
-
1
cup
(125 grams) powdered sugar
-
1
cup
(20 grams) freeze dried blueberries,
finely crushed and sifted*
-
2
tablespoons
fresh lemon juice
-
Adjust the oven rack to the center position and preheat to 400°F. Line two baking pans with parchment paper.
-
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, lemon zest, salt, baking powder and baking soda.
-
Add the butter and cut with a pastry cutter or a fork until the butter is the size of large peas. In a measuring glass, whisk together the buttermilk and egg.
-
Make a well in the middle and add the liquid mixture. Mix until partially combined. Use a spatula to gently fold in the blueberries to the scone dough. Take care not to break the blueberries or their color will bleed. If using frozen blueberries, keep frozen and don’t thaw before using.
-
Transfer the dough to a floured surface and divide into 2 equal parts. Gently knead each into 3/4-inch thick, 6-diameter rounds. Cut each round into 8 wedges and place on your prepared baking pans. Space them out about 2 inches apart.
-
In a small bowl, combine the remaining egg with 1 teaspoon of water. Brush over the scones.
-
Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until lightly browned.
Make the glaze:
-
In a small bowl, combine the sugar, crushed and sifted blueberries, and lemon juice with a fork until a smooth and thick glaze forms. Add more powdered sugar to make the glaze thicker or thinner with lemon juice to your desired consistency. Drizzle or dip each scone with the glaze. Let set before serving. Scones are best served the day they’re baked.
*Find freeze dried blueberries near the other dried fruit in the grocery store. Finely crush in a food processor, blender, or by hand with a mallet. Crush soon before making the icing to avoid it clumping if it sits too long.
This post was originally published in 2015 and recently updated with new photos and a complete recipe overhaul. Photos by Joanie Simon.
These turned out so well! I did the laminating technique, and they puffed right up! They were nice and buttery, fluffy on the inside with a nice flakey/crunchy outside. So far, this is my favorite recipe that I have tried from HTH. The only thing I didn’t have on hand was buttermilk, so I had to improvise a bit there, but they still turned out really well! I also didn’t have enough blueberries to make the glaze from this recipe, so I just made a lemon glaze instead. (Full disclosure, I’m pregnant and craving lemon everything, so this worked out even better for me in the end!)
Hi Michelle! So excited that you loved these scones! I’m glad the lemon icing alternative worked out for you, and satisfied your pregnancy cravings!! 🙂
Wow! Delicious and full of blueberries! Love the idea of lamenting the dough. Thank you for this scrumptious recipe!
Hi Melissa! So excited to hear you loved these scones, and that Tessa’s lamination technique helped!! Thank you for letting us know!! 🙂
Delicious scones
So thrilled to hear that, Fithria! 🙂
Absolutely one of the best flavored scones I have ever had!
Yay!! Thrilled to hear you love these scones, Cecilia! 🙂
EXCELLENT!!!!!!!!!!!! These were gone within ten minutes…next time I’ll make a triple batch.
Yay, so thrilled these were such a hit, Victoria!! Thank you for letting us know 🙂
My roommate said these were the best scones she’s ever had!
Hooray!! So excited your roommate loved these, Erica!! 🙂
I had no idea how much I would love these scones the awesome tips really take them up a notch. Thanks again for another great HTH recipe. They never fail!!
Wonderful to hear that, Sarah! So excited you love this recipe, and all of Tessa’s fantastic tips 🙂
so yummy and moist!
SO excited you loved this recipe, Dawn!!
These were absolutely delicious. Laminating them really made a difference.
Hi Rebecca! I’m thrilled to hear you loved these scones, and Tessa’s laminating tips worked so well for you 🙂
I’m not the greatest at making scones (I’ve found that one thing or another always goes wrong- usually I over knead or under cut my butter) however these scones turned better than I’ve made yet! They’re still not the greatest (my fault!) but the recipe was super helpful and the flavor is amazing! I always enjoy your recipes! If I can ever find freeze dried blueberries I will remake these asap with the correct glaze!
Hi Jamey! I’m so excited that you had your best results yet with this recipe, and that Tessa’s tips and techniques helped so much! I’m sure they were delicious 🙂
I was a bit intimidated to make scones because I had never laminated any doughs before. This recipe was simple, and the scones turned out delicious! I actually decided not to make the glaze because I thought the scones were so perfect without the glaze. I’ll definitely be making scones again and experimenting with different flavors/mix-ins.
Yay, so happy this was a hit, Rae!! 🙂
These are delicious. My one complaint is that a lot of the butter melted out of the dough and spilled onto my oven and made a mess.
Hi Emma! I’m sorry these made a mess for you! There are a couple of reasons why the butter may have leaked out so much. Firstly, the butter may not have been cold enough when it hit the oven. If the butter was getting a little warm (which happens so easily!), it can start to leak out as soon as it hits the heat. Tessa mentions a few tips on how to keep your butter as cold as possible in the pink box above the recipe! The other reason could be that your oven wasn’t hot enough. Tessa explains all about oven temperature, and why having an oven thermometer is so important, in this article here. I’m so happy you still enjoyed your scones! Please let us know if you wish to troubleshoot any further! Happy baking 🙂
Easy and delicious! I don’t recommend using frozen blueberries because it’ll get messy but it was still yummy. I especially loved the buttermilk flavor and the glaze.
Woohoo, so happy you loved these scones, Alexa! 🙂
This is my go-to recipe, but I went today and it’s different. I loved your tip to use a frozen cube of butter to grate, and it had sour cream (I use yogurt). Can you please share the old one again?? THe glaze is also different, but it was so good, I never made the glaze for the old recipe. Thank you!
Hi Jill! You are correct, Tessa has updated the Blueberry Scone recipe on our site with her own version. The old recipe was actually from a guest blogger, Melanie from Garnish & Glaze. You can find her recipe here, but we hope you give our recipe a try as well! Let us know if you do 🙂
So tasty! They were like blueberry biscuits. I’d make these again!
So happy to hear that, Angie! Thrilled you love this recipe 🙂
Wonderful recipe. Nice height, moist, great flavor. Had for breakfast, so cut down on topping.
Hi Barbara! Yay – I’m so glad you loved these scones! Happy baking 🙂
I had no idea making scones was so easy. I immediately made a second batch right away because it was soooo easy. Perfect for a beginner!
That’s SO wonderful to hear, Mae! I’m so happy you found this recipe so easy – and delicious enough to make again immediately! Happy baking 🙂
Very easy to make and super quick recipe. The blueberry lemon glaze on top was the crowd winner, but the scones are so fluffy and moist.
Hi Jackie! So happy to hear you loved these scones! Definitely a crowd-pleaser for sure 🙂
Absolutely delicious!! Pretty easy to make as well!! Definitely a keeper!
I’m so excited you loved these scones, Jayne! Happy baking!
Maybe this is too obvious even for a comment but can you indicate within the recipe at what point you should laminate the dough? Thanks!
Hi Lacey! Right after you have folded in your blueberries, you would turn the craggly mass of dough out onto your work surface, and follow Tessa’s instructions on how to laminate (in the pink box, above the recipe!), then shape. Just be gentle, so you don’t overwork your dough or break the blueberries apart 🙂 I hope that helps!
I’ve never been a fan of scones as the ones I’ve had have always been dense and dry. But oh my goodness this recipe changed my mind!! These were soo good! Tender, moist and flavorful. You have to try them!
Hi Caitlin! I’m so thrilled this recipe changed your view on scones! So glad you enjoyed it 🙂 Happy baking!
I love these scones, it was my first attempt and they were delicious. I couldn’t find the freeze-dried blueberries, so I used fresh Bluberries for the glaze. Love it!!!
Hi Sesitlalin! I’m so happy to hear that you loved the blueberry scones! Thank you for letting us know 🙂 Happy baking!
Delicious! I loved these, especially the glaze.
So happy you loved this recipe, Kaitlin! 🙂