Tessa’s Recipe Rundown
Taste: Amazing! Perfectly sweetened buttery pastry filled with little bursts of blueberries, and a sweet icing on top.
Texture: Tender and moist on the inside with a slightly crisp outside.
Ease: Pretty easy. Perfect for a fun weekend breakfast or Mother’s Day!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe: Moist, fluffy, buttery, sweet, has an amazing blueberry glaze.
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My husband, Joe, said these were one of his FAVORITE recipes I’ve ever made!
If you’ve ever been disappointed by dry, crumbly scones, you’re not alone.
This Blueberry Scone recipe is the exception. They’re tender, flavorful, and surprisingly quick and easy. Whether you’re hosting Easter brunch, celebrating Mother’s Day, or simply craving a feel-good summer treat, this recipe delivers bakery-style perfection right from your kitchen.
These scones owe their flaky, tender, and moist texture to the cold butter and real buttermilk.
To get the most blueberry flavor, I use both fresh (or frozen) blueberries in the dough and from crushed freeze-dried blueberries in the glaze. It creates the most beautiful natural color and tons of sweet and slightly tart blueberry flavor.
Don’t skip the lemon zest in the dough and lemon juice in the glaze, it adds a burst of bright freshness to enhance the blueberry flavor!
If you’re a baking nerd like me, I’ve shared all my tips for making perfect Blueberry Scones right at home in the Sprinkle of Science tip box, just below.
I’m proud to say I’ve converted several scone-haters to scone-lovers with these tips!
Sprinkle of Science
How to Make Blueberry Scones
How Do I Make Moist Scones?
- Use Real Buttermilk. Buttermilk is a key ingredient in making scones that are flaky yet moist. More on buttermilk just below.
- Keep the Butter Cold. The butter must be COLD from the start until the dough enters the oven. The layers of cold butter burst into pockets of steam once the scones hit the oven. 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 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 my preferred liquid when making American-style scones. Its acidity reacts with the baking powder and tenderizes the dough. It also adds a lovely tang to create more depth of flavor.
I highly recommend using real buttermilk, not a substitute. If you aren’t able to use buttermilk, you can use heavy cream – just note the final texture will be different. Learn more about buttermilk here.
How to Keep Butter COLD for Blueberry Scones
- Cube the butter and pop it in the freezer first while you prepare your other ingredients and tools.
- If it’s a hot day, fill plastic bags with ice and a splash of water and lay them across your work surface to cool it down before forming the dough (can you tell I live in a very hot climate?!).
- 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.
- Pop the baking sheet of shaped but unbaked 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 too much work, just skip this step. You’ll still have delicious Blueberry Scones!
How to Laminate Your Blueberry 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 letter.
- Pat out into a rectangle again.
- 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 demonstrated this during a live Zoom class. Take a look at Benjamin’s un-laminated vs. laminated Blueberry Scone!
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. Feel free to also omit the freeze-dried blueberries in the icing to allow the lemon to shine.
Fresh vs. Frozen Blueberries
I 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
The key to the vibrantly colored and ultra flavorful glaze is the freeze-dried blueberries. You can always skip the glaze altogether, but it really elevates this recipe to a gourmet level.
- 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:
More Scone Recipes You’ll Love:
Blueberry Scones
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Ingredients
For the scones:
- 3 cups (381 grams) all-purpose flour, measured correctly
- 1/3 cup (66 grams) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 1/2 sticks (170 grams) unsalted butter, cold and cubed
- 1 cup (237 grams) 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.
Recipe Notes
The Ultimate Cookie Handbook
Learn the sweet SCIENCE of cookie baking in a fun, visual way to customize your own recipes frustration-free. Plus, my best 50+ homemade cookies!
This post was originally published in 2015 and has been with new photos and a complete recipe overhaul. Photos by Joanie Simon.
They turned out nice, but seems like way too much baking powder! My scones smelled like baking powder! Next time I might use about half as much, since scones don’t really need a lot of rise. They do have a nice flavor once you ignore the baking powder smell.
Hi Lisa! Try reducing the baking powder by just 1/2 a teaspoon next time to see if that makes a difference. Let me know if that helps.
This recipe is so amazing. Soft, buttery, full of blueberry flavor. This recipe comes together easy and did not last long…everyone went back for seconds and thirds!
Happy to hear your scones were such a hit!
I don’t normally choose to either eat OR create scones as I generally think that they are one of the most dry/flavorless of all baked goods. It turns out that I am happy to report that this recipe proved me wrong! I may not have had the most picturesque of results but they were absolutely moist & delicious and the glaze/frosting (depending on how thick you make it) definitely gave it that extra pop! The most tasty scones I’ve ever had!
So happy you tried this recipe, even with your past experiences, and loved it!
Love the flavor!! So yummy. How would you recommend them to become more crispy on the outside? Thanks!!
The egg wash should crisp up the outside while preventing the inside from drying out, but you could try baking just a little longer, to your crispy preference. As the glazed scones sit, they will soften. I hope that helps!
Oh my! These scones are amazing. They turned out amazing and soft. I think I didn’t mix them well enough as the dough was still really moist as I tried to add the blueberries. This caused my blueberries to “bleed” into my dough (my hubby is calling them Nebula Scones). I placed my preformed scones in the freezer overnight, and baked them for 17min. per the recipe recommendation for frozen scone. They look a hot mess, but they turned out great! I love the glaze that goes on these! Due to the moist dough I didn’t laminate my scone dough. Also, don’t be fooled they started off kind of small but grew in the warmth of the oven.
My blueberries for the icing must not have been freeze dried because I couldn’t finely crush them, even with a Vitamix. The icing turned out to be a gooey mess. I would make the scones again, but without the icing. They are delicious on their own.
Hi Elizabeth! I’m sorry to hear you had issues with your glaze! Next time, you can eat them plain, as you say, or you can just make a lemon glaze for topping. Tessa explains how to do this in the pink box above the recipe. I’m glad you found them delicious, regardless of the glaze mishap!
– Kiersten @ HTH
If I wanted to make smaller scones, could I divide dough into 3 or 4 parts and then cut the wedges? How would i adjust baking time? I’m baking for a brunch event and want bite-size portions for easier serving. Thanks! Love the idea of the blueberry glaze.
Hi Marlene! I’m sorry, I can’t specify the exact baking time because we haven’t tried baking them as smaller versions. I don’t see why that wouldn’t work, however they may be a little drier than the larger scones. If you do wish to make this recipe into mini scones, I can only recommend that you keep a close eye on them, and take them out when they are lightly browned. Let us know what you think!
– Kiersten @ HTH
I have made numerous scone recipes but the simple directions of laminating the dough made these scones rise significantly and will be consistent each time. So yummy!! Thanks Tessa!!
Happy you enjoyed this recipe!
Delicious and easy! For the glaze I did a simple drizzle of 1/2 cup icing sugar and a generous tablespoon of lemon juice.
Sounds delicious!
hello.. if i use freeze dried blueberry powder, how much do i need to use for the glaze? thank you..
We haven’t tried that, so I can’t say for sure! I’d add until the taste and consistency is to your preference. Let us know what you think when you give this recipe a try 🙂
Lemony, buttery, blueberry sweetness in every bite!
These scones were soft, moist and delicious! I love the lemon and blueberry combo!