These little quick breads are delicious with your morning coffee or afternoon tea.
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Sweet and buttery fresh blueberry scones are essential for a proper tea!Table of Contents
❤️ Why you'll love it
- Super easy recipe, even if it's your first time baking sweets
- A perfect addition to your morning coffee or tea (or milk for the kiddos!)
- Homemade scones taste better than the ones from your favorite coffee shop—and are much cheaper, too
Scones are merely a dressed-up version of good, ole southern biscuits!
Easy lemon blueberry scones are oh-so flaky and studded with plump, juicy blueberries in each sweet, crumbly bite.
With simple prep-ahead options, a whisper of bright lemon zest, and a dreamy lemon glaze, this is truly the best lemon blueberry scone recipe ever!
🧾 Ingredients
This is an overview of the ingredients. You'll find the full measurements in the green recipe card (printable) at the bottom of the page.
🔪 Instructions
This is an overview of the instructions. Full instructions are in the green recipe card at the bottom of the page.
- Mix the flour, salt, baking powder, lemon zest, and sugar in a large bowl. Grate the frozen butter into the dry ingredients.
- Add the milk and berries and combine.
- Mix gently until the dough holds together.
- Turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Press dough down and pat out (gently!) to ¾ inch thickness.
How to cut, bake, and glaze scones
- Cut in wedges or rounds.
- Brush with egg yolk glaze. Bake.
- While scones are baking mix the glaze ingredients together.
- Spoon glaze over scones.
Scone shapes
Some are round and some are made into wedges. The wedges tend to get more of a crust while rounds have softer sides.
Use the shape you prefer.
Rounds
You don't need anything special to make these delicious scones but I like to make them bigger than I would biscuits.
So, would you like to know about my very fancy biscuit cutters?
I cut the tops and bottoms out of various sizes of cans! A tomato paste can is perfect for biscuits and a tomato sauce can is the size I use for my best scone recipes.
Wedges
You can also pat the dough into a circle and cut it into wedges with a butter knife. This gives you that classic triangle shape you might be used to seeing in bakery-shop windows.
Have a bench scraper in your kitchen drawer? That's a great way to both cut and transfer the blueberry scones from your work surface to the baking sheet.
Once the blueberry lemon scones are out of the oven, let them cool for a few minutes. Then, spoon the sweet lemon glaze over the top. Enjoy the warm scones, or let them cool and the glaze set—it's your choice!
🥫 Storage
Homemade blueberry scones are best the same day they are made, but you can keep leftovers for another day or so. Once they've cooled, store them in an airtight container and keep them at room temperature.
Want to make keep your sweet, tender scones a little longer? The best way to do so is in the freezer!
Wrap the treats in plastic wrap, then place them into another container or storage bag. Frozen, they'll last up to three months. Thaw at room temperature for an hour or so and enjoy!
Make-Ahead (The Night Before) Instructions
This is an easy recipe to make the night before, so you can just pop the scones in the oven the next morning and enjoy!
Prepare the dough, shape the scones, and cover them with plastic wrap (or put them in an airtight container with parchment between the layers.) Store in the refrigerator overnight.
In the morning, bake as directed and add the lemon glaze. Voila—fresh and easy lemon blueberry scones in just minutes!
Make-Ahead (Freezer) Instructions
It gets better! (I told you these are the best scones.) Flash-freeze the scones, unbaked, on a baking sheet or flat board.
Then, put the frozen scones in freezer bags with parchment between (or wrapped around) each scone. They'll keep for three months.
Whenever you're in the mood for scones, bake as many as you want. There's no need to thaw them first, but you may need to add three to five minutes to the baking time.
Here are more tips for freezing scones.
📖 Variations
- Fresh blueberries are best, but you can get away with frozen ones, too. Keep them frozen when adding them to the batter—no thawing.
- You can add in other berries if you have some! It's no use letting fresh raspberries or chopped strawberries go bad in the fridge.
- Use a little vanilla extract (a teaspoon or so) in the scone batter or the glaze for a creamier lemon flavor.
- Add a half cup of white chocolate chips or chopped chocolate into the dough for a sweet taste of creamy goodness.
- Orange zest and juice taste great in place of the lemon.
- If you don't like lemon, omit it from the recipe. Add a teaspoon of cinnamon to the dough instead for a warm flavor.
- Brush the tops of the scones with an egg wash and sprinkle them with coarse sugar. It makes them look pretty and gives a little extra texture. You can do this in place of or in addition to the tangy lemon glaze.
Overhead view of lemon blueberry scones with a tangy lemon glaze.💭 Things to know
Expert Tip: The trick to making perfect, tender blueberry scones is to let them rest in the fridge for about 15-20 minutes before baking. This allows the gluten to relax and the butter to solidify again if it started to soften.
- Remember to wash your blueberries in advance of starting this recipe so that they have time to dry thoroughly.
- Scone dough should be soft and a tad sticky—don't worry, this is good!
- I like White Lily Flour—it's got less protein and is more delicate than other brands of all-purpose flour. This will make more delicate scones.
- Use either all-purpose flour or self-rising.
- If you use self-rising flour, remember not to add salt or baking powder.
- Freeze the butter before grating it. This makes it much easier to handle and keeps the butter from melting so your scones are extra flaky.
- Use a gentle hand when mixing up the butter/berry/flour mixture. You don't want to smush the blueberries!
- Like when making biscuits, don't twist the cutter as you press down into the dough. Simply apply gentle pressure straight down, and lift straight back up. This'll help scones (and biscuits) rise better.
- Don't roll or knead the scones—you want to handle them as little as possible.
- Brushing a little egg wash on top of the scones (an egg yolk blended with 1 teaspoon of water) gives them a pretty color after baking.
👩🍳 FAQs
Here are the questions I am most frequently asked about this recipe.
Here's the trifecta to good scones: ice-cold butter, don't over-mix, and let them rest for 30 minutes before baking. Easy, peasy, lemon... scones!
Make sure your oven is fully preheated before putting the scones in. Baking powder begins to rise as soon it heats, and the water in the butter starts to evaporate. Both processes need to happen quickly and at the right temperature. Baking is a science, y'all!
Also, don't twist the cutter (and don't make sawing motions with the knife) when cutting the dough. That'll seal the edges and make it harder for the scones to rise. Just like making biscuits, press straight down, and lift gently back up.
Nope! For best results, don't try to cut the cold butter in with a pastry blender—leave it in long shreds. I recommend mixing it gently into the flour with a fork. This is the secret to the crumbly, flaky scones that melt away in your mouth!
I generally recommend using unsalted butter so that you don't have too much salty flavor in your delicious sweets. Plus, self-rising flour already has salt added to it.
📚 Related recipes
What’s new? Check out my Restless Chipotle & Co. Store on Amazon where you'll find all kinds of nostalgic goodness! Thanks so much for being a part of Restless Chipotle!
🍽️ Serve with...
- Devonshire Cream is delicious (and classic) dolloped on top of scones.
- Chicken Salad adds a savory element to any brunch or high tea
- Coffee Punch is a fun way to share a little caffeine with a crowd!
📞 The last word
When I'm not making my raspberry thumbprint scones I'm making this fluffy, bakery style recipe!
A lemon blueberry scones recipe.
Doesn't that seem like the perfect beginning of a summer adventure in a book?
I always imagine my favorite scones sitting on a farm table made of warm wood in a yellow and white kitchen. Nothing modern in sight.
No matter when I make them it's always summer in my head while I'm nibbling on them!
Try this copycat Starbuck's blueberry scones recipe soon, who knows? You might find that they really are the springboard to an adventure!
If you click on the number of servings in the recipe card you can adjust the measurements up or down for the exact number of servings you need. Don't forget that you can click on "add to collection" to save it to your own, private recipe box!
If you love this recipe please give it 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
📖 Recipe
Glazed Lemon Blueberry Scones
Print Pin Recipe Save Recipe Rate RecipeIngredients
- 3 ½ cups flour, White Lily preferred, may use self-rising flour
- 2 tablespoons baking powder, omit if using self rising flour
- 10 tablespoons butter, frozen
- ½ cup sugar
- pinch salt, omit if using self rising flour
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 1 ⅓ cup whole milk
- 1 cup blueberries, fresh preferred
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon water
Glaze
- 1 ¾ cups Confectioner's sugar
- 1 ½ tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon butter, melted
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400F
- Grease a baking sheet.
- Mix the flour, salt, baking powder, lemon zest, and sugar in a large bowl.
- Use a box grater to grate the frozen butter into the dry ingredients. Stir gently to cover the butter with flour.
- Wash the berries and let dry overnight. Dust with flour.
- Add the milk and berries and gently mix to make a soft dough.
- Turn out onto a floured surface.
- Pat dough (gently!) out to ¾ inch thickness.
- Cut into rounds with a cutter or into wedges with a knife.
- Place the scones on the greased baking sheet.
- Mix the egg yolk and water and brush on the tops of the scones.
- Sprinkle with some sugar crystals, if desired.
- Let stand for 15- 20 minutes. If the kitchen is hot put them in the fridge during this time.
- Bake for 12 - 15 minutes or until the tops are golden brown.
- Glaze while warm.
Glaze
- Mix all glaze ingredients together until smooth. You may need a little more Confectioner's sugar or a little more lemon juice to get the right consistency.
Notes
- I like White Lily Self Rising Flour - it's got less protein in it and is more delicate than all-purpose flour. If you use self-rising then don't add salt and use unsalted butter
- Freeze the butter before grating
- Dust blueberries with flour before adding them to your dough
- Let the scones rest after cutting - about 30 minutes is right. It's best to let them rest in the refrigerator
- Don't try to cut the butter in but leave it in long shreds
- Add a little of the milk at a time and mix gently with a fork
- Pat into shape - don't roll or knead
- Brushing on a little egg wash helps them have a pretty color
- These are best the day you make them.
- You can freeze scones for up to three months.
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition information is estimated as a courtesy. If using for medical purposes, please verify information using your own nutritional calculator. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
This recipe has been tested several times. If you choose to use other ingredients, or change the technique in some way, the results may not be the same.
This recipe has been updated from the original August 2013 version to improve the instructions and images. Last updated April 26,2023 with new images, more tips, and better information.
Anne says
My Irish friends call these Lemon Blueberry Pizza. They don't consider them scones. But, they sure love the taste. They are yummy and in my opinion better then scones. Moist and favorful.
I make my own Clotted cream, in the oven using Heavy (NOT ultra pasterized ) Cream. These are a hit!
Corina Woodcock says
Made the blueberry scones last night, boy they were a hit. Making more this Saturday for friends. Thank you for the recipe
Linda kirwan says
Great taste and texture thank you
Danielle G says
First time and turned out amazing. Thanks for sharing!
Mary Holtz says
Would this recipe work if made gluten free?
Marye says
Yes it should. 🙂
Mel says
Second time making them and better the second time around!! Learning how to work the mix better. Thank you for this awesome easy recipe!!!
Janie Tanner says
My first time making scones and these turned out absolutely perfect and delicious!! Thanks a million Marye!!
Kendall says
I don’t see a baking temperature anywhere, am I missing something?
Marye says
It's in the recipe card right in the recipe at the bottom.
Sue K says
Yummy!!! We are here watching the NFL playoffs. I threw these together and into the frig before I put together a pizza for dinner. When the pizza came out, these went in. Earlier my other half, while I was cleaning out the frig, had been lamenting earlier that there were blueberries in the frig that I was going to be throwing away. They were fine and so were the scones.
Marye says
Sue that's awesome! So glad you liked them. They're definitely a favorite.
Nick T says
Hello, just was curious if these are alright to leave in the fridge or freezer to cook in the morning? I just don't have enough time to make it all up before work.
Marye says
Yes. They should be fine.
Toni Smith says
I just made these for Christmas morning breakfast. Wonderful! Very light and tender. I halved the recipe to make 8 generous wedges and upped the blueberries.. They needed 20 minutes at 400 in my oven.
Beverly Katzman says
These scones look excellent. I hesitant to make them because I am a household of one & the recipe asks for a lot of flour. How many circular- or wedge- shaped scones does the recipe make?
Marye Audet says
12 wedges. You can click on the serving size and dial it down to your preferred number of servings and the recipe with adapt.
Carolyn says
I had a difficult rolling them out and cutting them. Any tips? More flour? It was a very sticky mess. I survived, but these scones better be delicious cause it took me about an hour to get them put together. LOL.
Marye Audet says
The dough is very soft. You can chill it to make it a little easier if you like. More flour will make them tough.
Shannon @ Dinner from the Heart says
I've had summer on the brain and these would definitely help! They look delicious. I didn't know the trick about letting the dough rest. I will be trying that next time. 🙂 I think the "fancy" cutters are a great idea and very smart. I may have to try a tuna can for big scones.
Miranda @ Cookie Dough & Oven Mitt says
My dad loves blueberries! I'll have to make these scones for him. I wouldn't have guessed that they grow blueberries in Texas. I guess I learned something new today!
Kristen @ A Mind Full Mom says
The scones with the Devonshire cream is killing me. This is amazing!
Christine says
These were quite good-even with rehydrated dried blueberries (you know...because finding fresh blueberries in January is not really a possibility;) I'll be making these again soon! Thanks for the recipe, and here's to wishing it were summer!