Lemon blueberry scones are a bright and tender treat that can be made year round. This recipe can be made with either fresh or frozen blueberries. The lemon zest inside the scones and the lemon juice in the glaze on top make for a delicious flavor pairing.
In the early months of summer before the relentless heat overtakes us, I look forward to blueberry picking with my children. I will never forget the first time my daughter started picking blueberries from our neighbors’ bushes. I could hear her a few feet away from me gleefully whispering, “One for me, one for the bucket. One for me, one for the bucket.” Needless to say, I ended up doing most of the blueberry picking. What a joyful memory I will have for the rest of my life. These lemon blueberry scones that we made on repeat after that blueberry picking session will always bring that memory right back to me.
WHY YOU WILL LOVE THESE SCONES
- No special equipment needed. A couple of mixing bowls and a fork is all it takes to bring this scone dough together!
- Can be made ahead. The scone dough can be mixed, divided into two discs and chilled ahead of time. The discs can also be frozen. The scones can even be cut out and frozen ahead of time as well and baked straight from the freezer!
- Customizable! The blueberries and lemon zest in this recipe can be replaced with any number of different additions. Cranberries and orange zest, raspberry almond or savory ham and cheddar would be delicious. Chopped nuts, chocolate chips or added spices like cinnamon are all wonderful options.
TIPS FOR MAKING LEMON BLUEBERRY SCONES
- Keep the ingredients cold. Unlike many other baked goods, scones benefit from all the wet ingredients being cold from the fridge. This contributes to the flaky texture of a scone. When the heat from the oven hits the cold butter in the scones, it creates tender layers.
- Grate the butter. I recommend grating the cold butter on a box grater before incorporating it into the flour. The butter breaks down a little quicker this way and increases the flakiness of the final scone.
- Don’t add all the wet ingredients at once. In the recipe I recommend adding about 3/4 of the yogurt, milk and egg mixture to the dry ingredients. Just like when making pie dough, too much moisture can ruin the tender nature of a scone.
- Press and fold the dough. Scone dough, though tender, can tolerate a bit of manipulation. Once the dough comes together, gently pressing the dough into a disc and folding it over on itself a couple of times creates more layers.
- Chill the scones while preheating the oven. In my recipe, I recommend letting the scones chill in the refrigerator while the oven preheats. Allowing the dough to rest and the butter to get cold again aids in the final baking results. The scones can be chilled in the freezer if the dough seems particularly warm.
Love lemon desserts? Be sure to try my Lemon Bars!
Like using Greek yogurt when baking? My Greek Yogurt Cheesecake will not disappoint.
Lemon Blueberry Scones
A recipe for soft and flaky lemon blueberry scones!
Equipment
- 1 digital kitchen scale
- 2 mixing bowls
- 1 fork
- 1 measuring cup with a spout
Ingredients
For the scones
- 2 cups (240 grams) all purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup (50 grams) granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup (113 grams) salted butter cold from the fridge
- 1/4 cup (55 grams) whole milk yogurt or full fat sour cream cold from the fridge
- 1/4 cup (55 grams) whole milk cold from the fridge
- 1 extra large egg cold from the fridge
- 1 cup (150 grams) fresh blueberries or frozen (do not thaw)
- zest of 1 lemon
For the glaze
- 1 cup (115 grams) powdered sugar
- 2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. In a separate bowl or measuring cup, whisk together the yogurt, milk and egg.
- Grate the cold butter on a box grater directly into the bowl of dry ingredients. Using your fingers, begin to pinch and smear the butter into the flour. Lift the flour and butter up with your fingers as your rub the butter into the flour. Repeat this process until the butter is broken up and the flour is hydrated. The flour will look a bit like damp sand.
- Add the blueberries and lemon zest. Toss all of the ingredients together gently.
- Pour about 3/4 of the wet ingredients into the butter/flour mixture and slowly begin to mix with a fork. Using a fork helps to aerate the scones while mixing. As the flour slowly absorbs the wet mixture, if there is still quite a bit of dry flour at the bottom of the bowl, add a bit more wet mixture.
- When a shaggy dough begins to form, use your hand to gently press the mixture into a flattened disc and then fold it over on itself a couple of times. This will help create layers.
- Dump the scone dough out onto a lightly floured surface. At this point you can divide the dough into two halves. Press each half into a disc. Cut each disc into six triangular scones. Place the scones on two baking sheets lined with parchment and let them rest in the refrigerator while the oven preheats.
- Preheat a conventional oven to 350 degrees F. If there is any leftover wet mixture, brush that on the top of the scones before baking. If not, you can use milk, cream, egg or a combination. Bake the scones for 20-25 minutes, or until lightly golden on top. Let the scones cool while you make the glaze.
- In a small mixing bowl or measuring cup with a spout, whisk together the powdered sugar and lemon juice until the glaze is smooth. The consistency should be more thick than thin so the glaze doesn't completely run off the scones. When the scones are cool, pour the glaze over them.
Notes
To freeze the scones: After the dough is made and shaped into discs, the discs can be wrapped in plastic or placed in freezer safe bags and frozen. Alternatively, the scones can be cut out, placed on a parchment lined baking sheet and frozen solid. Scones can then be stored in a freezer safe container for up to 3 months.
To bake from frozen: Place the frozen scones on sheet trays. Let them come to room temperature just a bit while the oven preheats. Brush them with egg wash or cream before baking. Bake them for about 5-8 minutes longer than the recipe calls for.
