Blueberry Scones

These blueberry scones are crisp on the outside, moist and buttery in the middle, and bursting with juicy berries. Perfect for breakfast or brunch!

Blueberry scones

These blueberry scones are everything a good scone should be. They’re moist and tender (no dry scones here!), with crisp, buttery, and golden brown edges. And they don’t skimp on the fruit—you get a sweet, juicy blueberry in every bite.

I love making these blueberry scones when I’m having friends or family over for brunch. These bakery-style treats look and taste impressive next to a steaming pot of coffee or tea, but in reality, they couldn’t be easier to make. This blueberry scone recipe comes together with 10 basic ingredients in under an hour.

Even if you’re a first-time scone maker, you’ll be able to pull off this recipe. In fact, one of our readers, Jean, commented, “These blueberry scones are amazing. This is my first attempt at making scones and the instructions are very clear.” I hope you’ll try it!

Hands combining frozen grated butter with flour

How to Make Blueberry Scones

This blueberry scones recipe starts with 10 basic ingredients:

Blueberry Scones Ingredients

  • All-purpose flourSpoon and level it to avoid packing too much into your measuring cup.
  • Cane sugar – For sweetness. I also sprinkle coarse sugar on top of the scones to create a crisp, golden brown crust.
  • Baking powder and an egg – To help the scones puff up as they bake.
  • Frozen butter – Yes, frozen! It won’t melt until you get the scones in the oven, which makes them tender and flaky. You’ll grate it on the large holes of a box grater before adding it to the dough.
  • Buttermilk – For moisture, richness, and a slightly tangy flavor. Heavy cream and full-fat coconut milk work too. If you don’t have any of these options on hand, you can make a buttermilk substitute by mixing a scant 1/2 cup milk with 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice. Set it aside for 5 minutes before adding it to the dough.
  • Blueberries – Fresh blueberries and frozen blueberries both work well here. Just a heads up that the frozen berries will give the dough a blueish color! They might not look quite as pretty, but they’ll still taste delicious.
  • Vanilla extract – For warm depth of flavor.
  • And sea salt – To make all the flavors pop!

Find the complete recipe with measurements below.

Tossing blueberries with butter and flour mixture

Preparing the Dough

To make these blueberry scones, start by whisking together the dry ingredients—the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.

Next, grate the frozen butter on the large holes of a box grater. Use your hands to work the butter shreds into the flour until the mixture looks like a coarse meal. You want some of the butter to stay in larger pieces. When they melt in the oven, they’ll give the scones a flaky texture.

Add the blueberries to the flour mixture and toss to distribute.

Adding wet ingredients to blueberry scone dough

Then, add the wet ingredients. Whisk together the buttermilk, egg, and vanilla in a medium bowl, and pour them over the flour mixture.

Mixing blueberry scone dough with spatula

Use a spatula to mix until a shaggy dough forms. Then, switch to your hands and work in any remaining dry flour.

The dough should be soft, but not sticky. If it feels sticky, work in a little more flour. If it feels dry, work in a bit more buttermilk.

Forming blueberry scone dough into disk

Shaping the Scones

Form the dough into a ball and transfer it to a lightly floured surface.

Flatten it into a 7- to 8-inch disk about 1 inch thick.

Use a sharp knife to cut the dough into 8 equal wedges.

Slicing blueberry scones

Baking the Blueberry Scones

Freeze the scones while you preheat the oven. Place them on a large plate or baking sheet and freeze for 15 minutes to chill the butter. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400°F.

Then, bake the scones. Remove them from the freezer, brush with buttermilk, and sprinkle with coarse sugar.

Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake until golden brown, 18 to 27 minutes.

Transfer to a wire rack to cool, or enjoy warm from the oven!

Blueberry scones on baking sheet

Blueberry Scone Recipe Tips

  • Use grated frozen butter. Like a good pie crust, the best scones are flaky. They get this delicious texture when small pieces of butter in the dough melt in the oven, creating air pockets. If the butter melts before the scones go into the oven, while you’re working with the dough, these pockets won’t form. For perfect flaky scones, I use the same trick I did to make the flaky biscuits in my blueberry cobbler recipe: frozen grated butter. It’s very cold, and the small shreds don’t require much handling, so they won’t melt until they’re in the oven.
  • Freeze the scones before baking. It cools down the butter after you’ve worked it into the dough. Remember, cold butter=light and flaky scones.
  •  Work in more liquid or flour if necessary. If your scone dough feels too sticky or dry, don’t hesitate to add more flour or liquid, respectively. The exact ratio you’ll need can vary based on factors like the humidity in your kitchen, whether you’re using buttermilk or cream, etc. Just add a little at a time until you have a soft, workable dough.

Blueberry scones with glaze

How to Serve and Store

You have a few options for serving these blueberry scones:

  • Plain – They’re delicious on their own!
  • With a flavorful spread – Slather them with butter, jam, honey butter, or lemon curd.
  • With a glaze – Drizzle them with my 2-ingredient lemon glaze (pictured). For an extra pop of lemon flavor, sprinkle them with lemon zest too.

Store leftover blueberry scones in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. For longer storage, freeze them for up to 3 months. Allow to thaw at room temperature, or quickly defrost unglazed blueberry scones in the microwave.

Blueberry scones recipe

More Favorite Baking Recipes

If you love this recipe, try one of these easy baked goods next:

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Blueberry Scones

rate this recipe:
4.80 from 124 votes
Prep Time: 40 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Serves 8
Buttery, flaky, and crisp around the edges, these easy blueberry scones are a delicious treat for breakfast or brunch. Enjoy them plain or topped with my quick lemon glaze.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
  • ¼ cup cane sugar
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt
  • ½ cup unsalted butter, 1 stick, frozen
  • cups blueberries
  • ½ cup cold buttermilk, plus more for brushing*
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Coarse sugar, for sprinkling, optional

Instructions

  • Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
  • On the large holes of a box grater, grate the frozen butter. Add to the flour mixture and toss to coat. Use your hands to work the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles a coarse meal. Add the blueberries and toss to incorporate.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, egg, and vanilla, if using. Pour over the flour mixture and use a spatula to mix until a shaggy dough forms. Knead with your hands to incorporate any remaining dry flour. The dough should feel soft but not sticky. If it’s sticky, work in a bit more flour. If it’s dry, drizzle in a little more buttermilk. Form the dough into a ball.
  • Transfer the dough ball to a lightly floured surface and form it into a 7- to 8-inch disk about 1 inch thick. Slice into 8 equal wedges and transfer to the prepared baking sheet, leaving a little space around each scone.
  • Freeze the scones for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400°F.
  • Remove the scones from the freezer and brush with buttermilk. Sprinkle with coarse sugar, if using. Bake for 18 to 27 minutes, or until golden brown on top.
  • Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Notes

*If you don't keep buttermilk on hand, substitute heavy cream or full-fat coconut milk. Another simple substitute is a scant 1/2 cup milk mixed with 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice. Set the mixture aside for 5 minutes to thicken before adding to the dough.

 

215 comments

4.80 from 124 votes (34 ratings without comment)

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Rate this recipe (after making it)




  1. Jennifer Miller
    12.24.2021

    5 stars
    The BEST scones ever! Can’t wait to make this again with fresh clotted cream! Also, I was able to use frozen blueberries successfully as well. Thank you Love and Lemons! ❤️ ?

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      12.24.2021

      I’m so glad you loved them!

  2. Soula
    09.26.2021

    5 stars
    SO easy and quick to make! SO delicious! They don’t last in my house! Everyone loves them! Thank-you!

  3. Kristen Jellison
    04.28.2021

    Made it. Doubled it. Chilled the dough. Cut the triangles.
    Realized I never added the sugar. ?‍♀️

  4. Jane Higgins
    04.26.2021

    1 star
    The recipe was too complex and lengthy, and I dont feel the end product was worth it… sorry to anyone who loves this recipe

  5. Valencia
    02.01.2021

    Hi, may I substitute the heavy cream with full cream milk?

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      02.01.2021

      That should be fine!

  6. Caroline
    12.25.2020

    These are perfection! I added some ginger instead of the tea…outstanding!
    Thank you for the only scone recipe I will ever need…

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      12.25.2020

      I’m so glad you loved them!

  7. Brooke
    12.07.2020

    5 stars
    Love this recipe! Can you do half brown sugar and half cane sugar as well?

  8. I don’t have heavy cream. Will 1/2&1/2 suffice?

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      04.30.2020

      that should be fine!

  9. Rachel
    04.29.2020

    Loved this recipe! I didn’t have chamomile tea so I subbed in a bag of chai and it added some nice warm spice-y notes. Thanks!

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      05.03.2020

      Hi Rachel, I’m so glad you loved them!

  10. Heather
    04.07.2020

    These look so yummy! I’d like to try using King Arthur’s GF flour instead – do you think that would work?

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      04.07.2020

      Hi Heather, I’ve had really dry results by swapping King Arthur’s GF flour in another similar recipe (a biscuit recipe), so I’m not sure it’d be great here.

  11. Beth
    11.03.2019

    5 stars
    These came out great and I’m surprised because I usually have trouble with baking 🙂 I made the cranberry/orange zest version and they were gobbled up in no time!

  12. Averie
    10.28.2019

    This recipe looks delicious! I’ll be sure to make it for my family.

  13. Grace
    07.04.2019

    5 stars
    These were delightfully easy to make and they were so tasty that they were all eaten before I had a chance to take any pics! Will definitely make these again (and maybe try making some Devon cream to go with). Thanks for sharing.

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      07.10.2019

      I’m so glad you enjoyed them!

  14. These look so good! I have yet to make a successful scone, but these directions make it seem very easy!

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      07.10.2019

      they were very easy!

  15. Stella from swa.uonbi.ac.ke
    06.26.2019

    I can’t stop salivating … definitely baking this tonight Yum….

  16. Annette Barnes
    06.22.2019

    5 stars
    I made these blueberry scones a few days ago and it turned out absolutely delicious! Not too sugary, tender on the inside, crusty on the outside! My kids loved it so much. Thank you, Jeanine and Jack, for sharing this recipe with us!

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      06.22.2019

      Hi Annette, I’m so glad you enjoyed them!

  17. Quiz Lover
    06.16.2019

    Ooh, these look exquisite and yummy! Can’t wait to whip it up soon! 🙂

  18. Quiz Lover
    06.16.2019

    Ooh, these look exquisite and yummy! Can’t wait to whip it up soon!

  19. Pam from Innbtween.com
    06.16.2019

    This sounds like a nice recipe and I love the idea of adding chamomile tea to the cream. Would you freeze them after you bake them or before?

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      06.16.2019

      Hi Pam, I freeze them after I bake them. I hope you enjoy the recipe!

  20. Natalie from lilcookie.com
    06.15.2019

    5 stars
    I love homemade scones! Looks so delicious and perfect for weekend brunch.

    • "Peter Drake" Hexham
      06.07.2021

      5 stars
      Totally agree. A little bit of heaven
      “Peter Drake” (teacher)
      Hexham
      Northumberland

      • John Davison
        06.07.2021

        5 stars
        Hear Hear “Peter Drake” of Hexham
        John Davison

A food blog with fresh, zesty recipes.
Photograph of Jeanine Donofrio and Jack Mathews in their kitchen

Hello, we're Jeanine and Jack.

We love to eat, travel, cook, and eat some more! We create & photograph vegetarian recipes from our home in Chicago, while our shiba pups eat the kale stems that fall on the kitchen floor.