Dotted with juicy blueberries and scented with lemon, this Lemon Blueberry Scone Recipe is one of the best! Tender and delicious, it makes a bulk batch so you can freeze extra for later.
If you love Lemon Drop Scones and Easy Blueberry Pie, then it’s a safe bet that you’ll fall in love with this scone mash-up of the classic lemon blueberry combo. They are a great addition to your favorite Tea Party Food Ideas.
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These Lemon Blueberry Scones rock. Yes, I said it.
Made with fresh blueberries that are bursting with juicy goodness, these easy scones boast a lemon flavor that comes through quite nicely. If you want to gild the lily, you could drizzle on a glaze, but I don’t think you need it. Just a cup of tea or your favorite joe and you’re good to go.
Why Make This
They are delicious. These scones are definitely worth your while. They beat whatever your local bakery can dish out. Take them over the top with a drizzle of Lemon Sauce.
They’re easy. You can mix up a batch of these in just a few minutes, no baking experience required.
They’re freezer-friendly. Make extra to freeze so you can enjoy these anytime.
Ingredients
flour: While some experts recommend using cake flour in scones, that hasn’t been my experience. I’ve used all-purpose, self-rising, white whole wheat, and whole wheat pastry flour in a variety of scone recipes and always been pleased with the results. That said, this recipe has been tested with unbleached, all-purpose and that is what I recommend or this.
leaveners: This recipe calls for salt, baking powder, and baking soda to give it some lift. You can’t find a substitute for salt or soda, but you can make your own baking powder if you run out.
butter: Keep your butter cold for this recipe. You want to cut the chunks of butter into the flour as you would do for pie crust.
cream, etc: I like to use cream, half and half or buttermilk in my scones. I call for half and half here but either of the other would be a fine substitute.
You can use milk or a plant milk if you prefer, just be sure to substitute 1 tablespoon of white vinegar for part of the liquid. This will help the baking powder react and give the dough a lift. Alternatively, you can substitute half the liquid with sour cream or yogurt and the rest of the liquid with milk.
blueberries: These add excitement to your scones. For best results, use fresh blueberries. If you’ve got extras, bake up a batch of Lemon Blueberry Cookies.
lemon zest: The zest of the lemon adds a subtle flavoring that is just perfect in these scones. You can use fresh or dried zest, though fresh will give it a better flavor. Remember you can freeze lemons, so if you don’t have an immediate use for the rest of the lemon, slice or juice it and freeze for later.
Variations
In lieu of blueberries, you can stir in raspberries, blackberries, or chopped fresh cherries. You can also swap the lemon zest for lime or orange for a slightly different flavor. Other mix-ins include: chocolate chips, chopped nuts, or candied ginger.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Making homemade blueberry scones is really quite simple, but in the middle of the process in can feel a little overwhelming, especially when the dough gets sticky.
Note: this recipe produces a fairly shaggy dough, but trust me it works out.
To prepare the pans. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. This makes it easy to work the dough and reduces the chances of the scones sticking to the pan.
1. Combine the dry ingredients.
In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade, combine the flour, cubed butter, cup sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Pulse until coarse crumbs are formed, then transfer the mixture to a large bowl.
Alternatively, you can use a pastry blender to cut the butter into the dry ingredients.
2. Add the liquid.
Fold in the half and half with a few turns of a rubber spatula, until a shaggy dough is formed.
3. Add the berries and zest.
The dough will not be completely mixed yet, so this is a good time to add the berries and zest. The less you stir, the less likely the berries are to break and smear purple through the dough. You want the dough to stay a bit shaggy.
4. Knead the dough lightly.
Turn the dough ball out onto a lightly floured surface. I simply do this on the prepared parchment, sprinkling it with a bit of flour. Knead just until the dough holds together. I use the parchment paper to fold and knead the dough. This way, it doesn’t all stick to my hands.
5. Shape the scones.
Pat the dough into a large, 2-inch thick circle and cut into 12 wedges. Separate the wedges carefully and arrange them on the parchment, about 2 inches apart. If you need a second baking sheet, that is fine.
You can freeze the scones at this point if you like. See notes below.
Brush the scones with milk or half and half and sprinkle heavily with sugar.
Bake the scones. Bake in the oven until golden, 15 to 18 minutes. Cool on a rack and serve.
Freezing tips
Serving these scones fresh from the oven is the best. That’s why I love to freeze scones to bake for later.
You can make them as a mix, but that is just not as much fun as popping flash frozen, unbaked scones in a hot oven and having them ready to eat in less than 20 minutes.
To freeze: prepare the scones according to the recipe, but do not bake them. Instead slide the tray of scones into the freezer and let them freeze solid. Once firm, you can transfer them to a ziptop freezer bag or container. Be sure to label the package with the date, recipe name, and baking instructions. Store in the freezer for up to 2 months.
You can also freeze baked scones. Cool completely and wrap well for freezing. Use within 6 weeks.
FAQs
A scone is a quick bread of Scottish origin. In the US, a scone is like a sweetened American biscuit. Originally scones were made with oats, triangular-shaped, and baked on a griddle. Nowadays scones are made with wheat flour, cut into any number of shapes, and baked in the oven.
I’ve based this recipe on a classic cream scone, albeit using half and half. If you prefer, you can substitute buttermilk for the half and half, or if you want to use sour cream, substitute half the liquid with sour cream and the rest milk.
You can use frozen blueberries in scones, however, be sure not to thaw them. The excess juice will dye your batter a purple-blue-gray. Instead, fold the frozen berries in gently, not stirring too much so you don’t get too much juice mixed in with the batter.
Recipe costs
Knowing how much it costs you to prepare a recipe can help you decide if it’s the type of recipe to make regularly or one you might want to save for special occasions. Let’s crunch some numbers and see how this recipe pencils out.
- flour – $0.75
- sugar – $0.17
- baking powder – $0.06
- baking soda – $0.02
- salt – $0.01
- butter – $1.38 (based on $3.69/lb)
- half and half – $0.74
- lemon zest – $0.25
- blueberries – $1.97
These are non-sale prices at a mid-range grocery store in Southern California. Your mileage may vary. But, as an estimate, a batch of 12 large scones costs $5.35 or 45 cents a piece!
Conversely, a blueberry scone from Starbucks costs $2.75 and a grocery store mix for lemon blueberry scones that makes 8 costs $6.99. No matter how you mix it, homemade it best. Cheaper and guaranteed better tasting!
How to save even more
You can save even more when you work the Good Cheap Eats System:
- Shop the kitchen – Use what you have. This is simple to do with the extensive substitutions we’ve listed above. Don’t have blueberries? Use raspberries or cranberries or nuts or chocolate instead.
- Make a plan for leftovers – Food waste equals money waste. If you end up wasting the rest of the lemon or the half and half, you cancel out any savings from baking homemade. Find recipes in our archive to help you use up these bits.
- Visit the store with the best prices – Not all stores are created equal, nor do they offer the same prices. Do some comparisons to see what store is the best place to spend your grocery dollar.
- Check the sales and clearance – butter is the biggest line item in this recipe. Wait for a sale and stock up. Butter freezes beautifully, so you can always have some on hand for baking. Likewise keep an eye out for when blueberries are on sale.
- Freeze extra for later – Chances are you won’t eat all 12 scones in one sitting. Be sure to freeze or share the extra scones to save time as well as avoid food waste.
More Great Blueberry Recipes
Tell us what you think!
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Lemon Blueberry Scone Recipe
Equipment
- food processor
- pastry blender
- bench knife
- parchment paper
- heavy duty sheet pan
Ingredients
- 5 cup unbleached, all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup granulated sugar plus extra for sprinkling
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup butter cut into cubes (1 ½ sticks)
- 1 ½ cup half and half plus extra for brushing
- 1 lemon, zested
- 1 ½ cup blueberries
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat baking mat.
- In a large mixing bowl combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Cut in the butter with a pastry blender. Or use the food processor in batches to cut in the butter quickly. Gently mix in the half and half, just until mixed. Fold in the berries and lemon zest.
- On a lightly floured surface, pat dough into a 2 inch thick rectangle. Cut into 12 squares or triangles, depending on how big you want them.
- Place the scones on the prepared tray, keeping the scones about 2 inches apart. These will spread a fair amount.
- Brush them with the extra half and half and sprinkle with the extra sugar. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes. Cool on a rack before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
This post was originally published on August 17, 2010. It has been updated for content and clarity.
Kelly Janowski
Love this recipe! I keep hearing about all the awesome health benefits of blueberries and I’m trying to integrate more into my diet.
Jennie
I made mine this morning and did have quite a time. My dough was on the dry side so kneeding it to bring it together was difficult. Also, a lot of my blueberries got crushed in the process. I perservered through and eventually got them formed and cut and cooked a few for beakfast. I kind of left the dough sitting out on the counter until they came out of the oven and I tasted them (just to make sure they were good enough to keep). They were very good just a little on the dry side. I think next time I will use a little more half & half and try to get the dough to come together more in the bowl before I turn it out onto my counter top (because it did make quite a mess). Also, I think that frozen blueberries would hold up better during the kneeding & forming process than my fresh ones did. I do have to add that a glaze on top would make them just perfect. Thanks!
Jessica
Thanks for your feedback! I’m perplexed. Some people have had great success and others not so much. I’m wondering if we’re measuring flour differently. That could account for some of the changes.
Saralyn
Yum, yum! I made these tonight for a quick breakfast tomorrow and had no problems with the dough coming together. If anything it was a bit sticky. I use a food processor to make my scones, mixing the dry ingredients and then pulsing in the butter and the wet. I folded in the blueberries as I patted them out to cut. Thanks for the great recipe!
Jessica
Well, I did the cutting in with the food processor and then transferred everything to a ginormous bowl and used my hands. I’m guessing that slight differences in method could make a difference?
We’re almost out, so I’ll have to make some more and test again.
From Cristin to Mommy
i just printed the recipe and cant wait for blueberries to go on sale so i can make these. i LOVE scones!
sarah k. @ the pajama chef
i love all your scone recipes! thanks!
Kathy
I made these today. My kitchen looked like a bakery with floor from floor to ceiling. It was so difficult to kneed the dough together that I made such a mess. They are baking right now and it smells delicious. I sure hope they taste good because they was such a mess to make! Please let me know if I am doing something wrong or if there is an easier way to mix the mixture together in a way that you don’t have flour everywhere or your hands full of sticky batter. It was funny, that is for sure!
Jessica
I think some of that comes with practice. You could try adding more half and half and see if that makes the dough come together better for you.
Laura Greiving
I am getting ready to put these in the oven. I am thinking there is something missing in the recipe. These seem very dry and I sure wasn’t able to knead them with blueberries in them. I have made scones quite a few times, and I am not mad at all : ), I am just thinking some tweaking is in order.
Also, because they are so hard to handle , I was only able to make 15 scones that are too large but in order to shape them without totally mangeling the berries, that was how I have had to do it. I am sure they will taste good. Thanks and I will let you know how these taste! I love your blog btw
Jessica
Hmmm…. I don’t remember them being such a problem. But, you’re the second person to say they were difficult to form. I have a huge, huge board that I worked the dough on, so I know I had lots of room to work with. Thanks for the feedback!
Jenny
We will be making these in the next few days. Love the premade baked goods in the freezer. Love the quick breakfasts, please keep the tasty recipes coming!
Rebecca
I found a recipe very similar to this recently for banana scones, and I added dried blueberries. I flash froze them like you do, and over the next few weeks I would heat up 2 or 3 on the days I needed something sweet for breakfast, and they were excellent. I wish I had a bigger freezer so I could always have something like this on hand.
AllieZirkle
so tell me about half and half. how important is it in a scone as compared to, say, nonfat milk or whole milk?
i’m thinking blackberry lemon would make my heart sing. 🙂 making them tonight!
allie
Jessica
Did you make them? Some are having trouble. Would love your feedback.
AllieZirkle
I just saw your comment (I thought I had subscribed to comments?). this recipe is short on liquid. Your 4th of July uses another 6-8 oz of liquid. I’m going to check it out this am again.
Jessica
I made them again for this freezer cooking day and they turned out fine. But, I’m wondering if the amount of whole wheat (which I did not specify) is throwing people off. Also, maybe cutting butter in with the food processor makes a difference?
BTW, you should be getting an automated email every time someone replies to your comments. Is that not happening?
Kim Kauffman
Those look so good. I’ll have to make those and have them ready for after our baby is born (hopefully in three weeks or less!) so I can pop some in the oven when we have visitors. I also LOVE your butterhorn recipe. Yum!
jan
would be wonderful to have them flash frozen and ready to pop some in the toaster (aka small) oven when it’s too hot to bake.
Debbi Does Dinner Healthy
Very nice! I keep saying I am going to make scones one of these days but I just don’t! These look so good though!
Liberty
These look yummy! lemon/blueberry is one of my favorite combinations!!
*Blessings*
LIB
http://bit.ly/bYNiFE
Janet
I am going to have to give these a try. I have a ton of blueberries in the freezer and company coming this weekend. Sounds like the perfect breakfast.
Nikki
I’ve been looking for a great recipe that this. Thanks for sharing.
Wendy Prestley
Jessica, Made these this morning for my family, which includes 6 kids. GONE very quickly! Thanks, really great…will make these again VERY soon! Thanks!
Jessica
Can you give me some feedback? Some people are having trouble getting the dough to come together. Did you have this problem?
Susan
These look fabulous! I always love having something sweet first thing in the AM with my coffee, so this fits that bill for sure!
Tracy
How many scones does this make?
Jessica
It depends on how small you cut them. I make them kid-size, so I think there were at least 20. Good question! Sorry I didn’t pay better attention.
Tracy
No problem! Just needed to decide whether or not to double the recipe for my horde of munchkins!
jacinda w
Yes I loved the butterhorns that you made. They turned out great and just as good as if they were never frozen.