Blueberry Scones

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Today I bring you Blueberry Scones… for breakfast, brunch, 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.

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This recipe is 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’re after a proper Lemon Blueberry flavor, check out my tips on this below.

Make these Blueberry Scones for your next brunch gathering and your friends and family will love you forever. Trust me. Or just enjoy as 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 Sprinkle of Science tip box, just below.

Sprinkle of Science

How to Make Blueberry Scones

How Do I Make MOIST Scones?

• Use Real Buttermilk. Buttermilk is a key ingredient to making scones that are flaky yet moist. More on buttermilk just below.
• Keep the Butter Cold. 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. Tips for keeping your butter cold below.
• Weigh Your Flour. Too much flour will yield dry, hard, crumbly scones. If you don’t have a digital scale, use the spoon-and-level method.
• Avoid Overmixing. 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.

Why Use Buttermilk in Scones?

Buttermilk is absolutely the preferred liquid for scones. It helps result in tender, tall 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, which is so perfect in these blueberry scones. I highly recommend 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.

How to Keep Butter COLD for Blueberry Scones

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. You can also pop the baking sheet of shaped unbaked blueberry scones in the fridge or freezer while the oven preheats to ensure the butter remains nice and cold.

How Do You Make Scones Rise Higher and Get Ultra Flaky?

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!

How to Laminate Your Blueberry Scone Dough:

1. Fold blueberries into dough.
2. Turn the craggly mass of dough out onto your work surface.
3. Shape it into a rectangle.
4. Fold the rectangle horizontally in thirds, like you’re folding a piece of paper to go into an envelope.
5. Flatten it out into a rectangle again.
6. 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 Baking School students (doors are currently closed). Take a look at Benjamin’s un-laminated vs. laminated blueberry scones!

Can I Make These into Lemon Blueberry Scones?

Yes! If you want to up the lemon flavor and make these into Lemon Blueberry Scones instead, simply increase the lemon zest to 2 tablespoons. If you wish, you can also omit the freeze-dried blueberries in the icing to allow the lemon to shine.

Fresh vs. Frozen Blueberries in Blueberry Scones

We have successfully tested this recipe using both fresh and frozen blueberries. Both work beautifully! Don’t thaw if using frozen blueberries, otherwise they’ll stain the scones. I don’t recommend using dried blueberries in this recipe.

Where to Find Freeze-Dried Blueberries

• Freeze-dried blueberries are often available with the dried fruit (like raisins) at the supermarket – or buy them online here.
• Please note, dried blueberries won’t work in this glaze; it needs to be freeze-dried blueberries.
• If you can’t find freeze-dried blueberries, or don’t wish to use them, 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.

How to Make Blueberry Scones Ahead of Time

The shaped unbaked blueberry scones can be covered and refrigerated overnight. Bake from the fridge as the recipe directs. If you need to prep these further in advance, check out the freezing instructions just below.

Can You Freeze Blueberry Scones?

Yes! Place the unbaked shaped blueberry 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:

• Homemade Blueberry Pie
• Brown Butter Blueberry Muffins
• Blueberry Cobbler
• Lemon Blueberry French Toast Casserole

More Scone Recipes You’ll Love:

• Classic 35-Minute Scones
• Shallot, Jalapeño, Goat Cheese, and Honey Scones
• Pumpkin Scones
• Cranberry Orange Scones
• Chocolate Chip Scones

How to Make

Blueberry Scones

By: Tessa Arias

4.81 from 156 votes

Yield: 16 scones

Prep Time: 20 minutes mins

Cook Time: 20 minutes mins

Total Time: 40 minutes mins

Review Print SaveSaved!

These Blueberry Scones are sure to be a hit at your next brunch gathering! They're extremely tender, moist, flaky, light, and full of fresh summer flavors. Topped with an easy lemon blueberry glaze. Plus, they take less than 40 minutes from start to finish!

Ingredients 

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

Instructions

• 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 1 egg. Make a well in the middle of the flour/butter mixture 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-inch 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.

Show us!If you make this recipe, be sure to snap a picture and share it on Instagram with #handletheheat so we can all see!

Recipe Notes

*Find freeze-dried blueberries near the other dried fruit in the grocery store, or online here. Finely crush in a food processor, blender, or by hand with a mallet. Crush soon before making the icing to avoid 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.

May 2022 Baking Challenge

This recipe was the May 2022 selection for our monthly baking challenge! Every month you can join the challenge by baking the recipe and snapping a photo for a chance to win prizes! Learn more about my monthly baking challenges here. Check out everyone’s scones: