This is my go-to scone recipe bursting with fresh blueberries and zingy lemon zest, and topped with a sweet lemon icing. These glazed lemon blueberry scones are soft and tender in the middle, with crisp-crumbly edges, and simply perfect for brunch, tea parties, bridal showers, or really any time at all!
I originally published this recipe in 2015 and have since added new photos and success tips. These have become such a fan favorite that I included the recipe in my New York Times best-selling cookbook, Sally’s Baking 101.
When you think of breakfast treats, do scones come to mind first? In a bakery-case lineup of cinnamon rolls, donuts, muffins, croissants and other pastries, the humble scone doesn’t always get the prime spot or the most attention… but it absolutely should. With the right recipe, scones easily compete with muffins, pastries, and—yes!—even cinnamon rolls.
This lemon blueberry scone recipe in particular has received so much love over the years from readers who have tried it, that I wanted to shine the spotlight on it once again. Here are just a few of the many glowing reviews readers have shared after making these scones:
One reader, Andrea, commented: “Literally the best scone recipe! Grating the frozen butter is a game changer. Everyone comments on how wonderful these scones are… ★★★★★”
Another reader, Susan, commented: “I’m so glad I found this recipe! Absolutely delicious scones. Exactly what I was looking for, as I wasn’t satisfied with other scone recipes I’ve tried. This will be my forever scone recipe! I loved the tip about freezing and grating the butter. What a good idea! ★★★★★”
And one more reader, Claudia, commented: “Easy to make and came out perfectly! This was my first time making scones and these came out so good! Easy-to-follow directions and can be made ahead or frozen! ★★★★★”
If you can’t get enough of my lemon blueberry muffins, you’ll definitely love these scones, as well!
These Lemon Blueberry Scones Are:
- Soft & tender in the center, with crumbly edges
- Packed with juicy blueberries and fresh lemon zest
- Topped with coarse sugar and lemon icing for a sweet finish
All of my scone recipes begin with the same base recipe for scones. A few ingredients change based on flavor, but the process remains the same. This careful formula brings us chocolate chip scones, blueberry scones, pumpkin scones, apple cinnamon scones, and more. It promises the BEST flavor and texture.
Why the Ingredients Promise the Best Results:
- Flour: 2 cups of all-purpose flour is my standard amount, but have some extra on the side for the work surface and your hands.
- Sugar: Scones aren’t meant to be super sweet, so we’re using just enough granulated sugar to lightly sweeten and balance out the tart lemon flavor. You can top them with coarse sugar and icing if you want a sweeter scone, or leave them plain on top to keep these lightly sweet.
- Baking Powder: Adds lift.
- Salt & Vanilla Extract: Add flavor.
- Lemon Zest: You need a full Tablespoon of lemon zest, which is about 2 lemons. Zest the lemons for the scone dough, then juice them to make the lemon icing.
- Cold Butter: Besides flour, cold butter is the main ingredient in scones. It adds flavor, flakiness, crisp edges, and rise. More on butter below!
- Heavy Cream: For the best-tasting pastries, use a thick liquid such as heavy cream. Buttermilk works too! For a nondairy option, try using full-fat canned coconut milk. Avoid thinner liquids such as regular milk or almond milk—you’ll be headed down a one-way street to flat, dry scones.
- Egg: Binds ingredients together.
- Blueberries: For best results, use fresh blueberries. If using frozen, do not thaw.
In Photos: Making Lemon Blueberry Scones
You’ll start with the dry ingredients. Whisk those together with the lemon zest, then cut cold butter into the dry ingredient mixture. You can use a pastry cutter, 2 forks, or your hands. A food processor works too, but it often overworks the scone dough. We want to avoid that.
Success Tip: Use Frozen Grated Butter
Frozen grated butter is key to scone success. As with pie crust, work cold butter into the dry ingredients to create tons of flour-coated butter crumbs. When these crumbs melt as the scones bake, they release steam, which creates all the scone flakiness we love. The exterior becomes crumbly, crunchy, and crisp.
Refrigerated butter might melt in the dough as you work with it, but frozen butter will hold out until the oven. And the finer the pieces of cold butter, the less the scones spread and the quicker the butter mixes into the dry ingredients. I recommend grating the frozen butter with a box grater. Use the side with the larger holes.
After cutting the frozen, grated butter in with a pastry cutter, you’ll have a bowl of tiny flour-coated crumbles:
Place the bowl of dry ingredients in the freezer while you get your wet ingredients together. We want to keep things as cold as possible when it comes to making scones.
Now, whisk the wet ingredients together, then pour into the dry ingredients. Add the blueberries, then gently mix together:
Form the dough into a disc, then cut into 8 wedges.
Before baking, brush the scones with heavy cream mixed with water, and sprinkle with coarse sugar. This is one of my little scone tricks. These extras add a bakery-style sparkly crunch and beautiful golden sheen. 🙂
I know I sound like a broken record, but to obtain the desired flaky center and a crumbly exterior, you really have to keep the scone dough as cold as possible. I highly recommend chilling the shaped scones for at least 15 minutes before baking. You can even refrigerate overnight and then bake in the morning, for a quick and easy breakfast treat!
After they’ve chilled, bake the scones until just turning golden brown on top.
Video Tutorial
If you’re interested, I have a 5-minute video demonstrating the scone recipe. I’m making regular blueberry scones in this video, but the process is the same.
2-Ingredient Lemon Glaze
Lemon juice and confectioners’ sugar produce a sweet & tangy lemon icing. The icing seeps into the tops of the scones making these sunshine-y treats almost more than you can handle. They’re so good!!! Vanilla icing or lemon curd would be equally fabulous topping choices, too.
How lovely would a plate of these flavorful scones look on your table of Easter Brunch recipes, or for a special afternoon tea?
More Lemon Recipes
- Lemon Blueberry Cake & Lemon Blueberry Cupcakes
- Lemony Blueberry Galette
- Lemon Bars
- Lemon Blueberry Babka
- Homemade Lemon Cupcakes
- Lemon Meringue Pie
- Lemon Crinkle Cookies
Lemon Blueberry Scones
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 8 large scones
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
This is my go-to scone recipe bursting with fresh blueberries and zingy lemon zest, and topped with a sweet lemon icing. These glazed lemon blueberry scones are soft and tender in the middle, with crisp-crumbly edges, and simply perfect for brunch, tea parties, bridal showers, or really any time at all! Read through the recipe before beginning; it’s imperative to keep the scone dough as cold as possible. This recipe is also in my New York Times best-selling cookbook, Sally’s Baking 101.
Ingredients
- 2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled), plus more for hands and work surface
- 6 Tablespoons (75g) granulated sugar
- 1 Tablespoon fresh lemon zest
- 2 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup (8 Tbsp; 113g) unsalted butter, frozen
- 1/2 cup + 1 Tablespoon (135g/ml) heavy cream, cold and divided
- 1 large egg, cold
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 heaping cup (140g) fresh blueberries
- 1 Tablespoon (15g/ml) water
- optional for topping: coarse sugar
Lemon Icing
- 1 cup (120g) confectioners’ sugar
- 3 Tablespoons (45g/ml) fresh lemon juice
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, lemon zest, baking powder, and salt. Using the large holes of a box grater, shred the frozen butter. Add the butter to the flour mixture and use a pastry cutter, two forks, or your fingers to blend until the mixture comes together in pea-sized crumbs. Place the bowl in the freezer before you continue.
- In a small bowl or liquid measuring cup, whisk together 1/2 cup (120g/ml) of the heavy cream, the egg, and vanilla extract. Remove the flour mixture from the freezer. Drizzle the cream mixture over the flour mixture and add the blueberries. Gently mix together with a spatula or wooden spoon until everything appears moistened and the ingredients are just combined.
- Lightly flour a work surface. Pour the crumbly mixture onto the surface and, with floured hands, work the dough into a ball as best you can. The dough should be sticky and shaggy. If it’s too sticky, sprinkle a little more flour on top. Press the dough into an 8-inch disc, about 1 inch thick. Use a sharp knife or a bench scraper to cut the disc into 8 wedges.
- In a small bowl, mix the remaining 1 Tablespoon cream with the water, then brush it on the scones. For extra sweetness and a little crunch, sprinkle the tops with coarse sugar. (You can do this before or after refrigerating in the next step.) Place the scones on a plate or a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes or up to 24 hours. (If refrigerating for more than an hour, lightly cover the scones.)
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (204°C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Arrange the chilled scones 2–3 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake for 22–25 minutes or until lightly browned on top and golden around the edges. Cool the scones on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before icing.
- Make the lemon icing: In a small bowl or liquid measuring cup, whisk together the confectioners’ sugar and lemon juice. Drizzle the icing over the scones.
- Store leftover scones covered tightly at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Glass Mixing Bowl | Whisk | Box Grater | Pastry Cutter | Citrus Juicer | Citrus Zester | Bench Scraper | Brush | Baking Sheet | Silicone Baking Mat or Parchment Paper
- Sugar: These scones are sweet, but feel free to increase to 1/2 cup (100g) of granulated sugar for sweeter scones.
- Blueberries: For best results, use fresh blueberries. If you must use frozen, do not thaw.
- Freeze Before Baking: Freeze scone dough wedges on a plate or baking sheet for 1 hour. Once relatively frozen, they won’t stick together, and you can layer them in a freezer-friendly bag or container and freeze for up to 3 months. Bake from frozen, adding a few minutes to the bake time. Or thaw in the refrigerator overnight, then bake as directed.
- Freeze After Baking: Freeze the baked and cooled scones before topping with icing for up to 3 months. I usually freeze in a freezer-friendly bag or container. To thaw, leave out on the counter for a few hours or overnight in the refrigerator. Warm in the microwave for 30 seconds or on a baking sheet in a 300°F (149°C) oven for 10 minutes.
- Overnight Instructions: Prepare scones through step 4. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Continue with step 5 the next day.
- Over-spreading: Start with very cold scone dough. Expect some spread, but if the scones are over-spreading as they bake, remove from the oven and press back into its triangle shape (or whatever shape) using a rubber spatula.
Reader Comments and Reviews
I made these today. Best scone recipe ever. I followed it exactly and have never had a better scone. So light and soft. I did add extra zest to the scone and icing recipe because you can’t have too much lemon. Even had one for dessert with vanilla ice cream. Thank you Sally !
I’ve previously tried and failed baking scones. I lost confidence for a long time. Yesterday I came across your recipe and noticed I have all the ingredients in my pantry. Decided to give it a go. Followed the recipe to the tee. Refrigerated them overnight. Just scared down 2 pieces fresh from the oven with the lemon glaze. My gosh, the recipe is so simple, the ingredients are pantry staples and the result was amazing! Mine was quite craggy-looking (I’ll call it rustic-looking). Might probably have to freeze and bake as they spread out QUITE a bit. Or it might be the blistering hot weather where I’m at.
Id also like to add that during the bake, it seemed like my scones were swimming in butter, got me a little worried, but it eventually dried out 🙂
We’re so glad you went back to try again, Lee. Happy baking!
Thank you so much Sally! I made these lovely lemon blueberry scones this afternoon for a tea party themed surprise birthday, and they were not only gorgeous, but tasted absolutely delectable, and were devoured! The best part is that today was the very first time I’ve ever made scones from scratch and I will never go back. Thank you for making baking enjoyable again. ❤️
I’ve already made this recipe 3x since stumbling upon it! It’s so delicious and easy to follow. The only thing I did differently is I prepped by dry ingredients and frozen butter in a food processor, so I didn’t have to grate the butter. And I added a 1/4 cup of lemon juice into my wet ingredients for an additional pop of lemon flavor.
My batch turned out to be delicious, but the dough was so crumbly that I ended up piling it onto the baking sheet in a rough circle, hoping the heat would melt the butter and it would all stick together. It did ! If I had tried to mix it more , my partridgeberries( also known as lingonberries) would have been mush. I cooked it for 22 minutes, sliced it into 8 and returned them to the oven for 5 more minutes.
These have the perfect amount of blueberries and lemon! Very yummy! Thank you 🙂
If I make these mini-does the cooking time change?
Hi Lecia, you can follow the baking times from these mini sprinkle scones as a guide. Enjoy!
I used the recipe but used orange zest and replaced the blueberries for frozen cranberries and made and orange glaze they taste amazing oh also replace the heavy cream for buttermilk and increased the sugar to 1/2 cup
I made these for Valentine’s Day breakfast and I’m so glad I did. These are INCREDIBLY GOOD. I was shocked at how good they turned out because I’m a novice baker.
To make these slightly more heart healthy, I swapped out regular flour for whole wheat flour and replaced some of the cream with part skim Greek yogurt and a dash of water. The substitutions worked really well.
The flavor of these scones is incredible.
I have been making scones for thirty years and I knew this wasn’t right, but…
not enough liquid, couldn’t get the mixture to form a ball, had at least an entire scone sticking to my hands and no way to get it off. This is a bad recipe.
Hi Elizabeth, the dough will eventually come together as you work it. It sounds like yours was dry (not enough liquid) but also too wet if it was sticking. Were you sure to spoon and level the flour or weigh it? The dough will be sticky, which is why it’s helpful to flour your hands and work surface.
Can you substitute cherries for blueberries?
I made these last weekend and shared some with a couple of friends — who loved them — and now they are asking me to give them scone baking lessons! I followed the recipe precisely and I need to say — the grating frozen butter tip is a game-changer!
Hi! Can I substitute coconut sugar 1:1 in this?
Thank you!
Hi Ashley, we haven’t tested that substitution, so we’re unsure of the results. The taste, texture, and spread would likely change and may require some modifications to the other ingredients. Let us know if you do decide to do some experimenting.
First – thank you for all of your wonderful recipes!!
Second – I am on a very restricted sodium diet. For your cakes and pastries, can I safely reduce the amount of salt without compromising the recipe? If so, what %?
Thank you so much!
Hi Nina! It will really depend on the recipe, so there isn’t a hard and fast percentage that would work across the board. It will take some experimenting to determine what works best for you, keeping in mind that reducing the salt will impact overall flavor.
These scones are always a hit when I make them. It is important to keep everything as cold as possible while working. And, rolling the dough into a ball can be tricky, but don’t give up, you won’t regret it!
These scones are always a hit when I make them. It is important to keep everything as cold as possible while working. And, rolling the dough into a ball can be tricky, but don’t give up, you won’t regret it!
Made these today. So delicious! Easy recipe, used buttermilk.
Soooo gooood! I actually thought I did not do something correct because they were pretty damp, just added a little flour ‘as instructed and they came out fabulous! Don’t second guess yourself. The glaze is important…
I have made a variety of scones over the years but this one I love and so does everyone else! Also, due to the dryness here where I live I always have to add a tbsp extra of cream. I love your recipes!
I made these scones for the first time today. They came out great! My husband can’t stop talking about them (and sneaking another bite every time he walks through the kitchen). We will definitely have this recipe on repeat.
Easy to make and came out perfectly! This was my first time making scones and these came out so good! Easy to follow directions and can be made ahead or frozen!
Second time baking these already! I appreciate the tip on freezing the butter. I think I’ve been over mixing the dry/butter mixture before adding the wet-when I cut into the disc this morning you could really see the layers of butter and flour, like a biscuit! I’m having trouble getting the disc to 8” without feeling like I’m crushing all the blueberries, best I can do is about 6-7”. I used a cinnamon flavored high end coffee creamer as my cream, try it out sometime, lol!
Literally the best scone recipe! Grating the frozen butter is a game changer. Everyone comments on how wonderful these scones are and I have shared the recipe with several ladies. Thank you Sally!
I just noticed we both felt the need to leave a reply this morning, I’m laughing! I brought these to a work event and my job title may have now grown to include Team Baker.
I tried this scone recipe with a small twist—I swapped the cream for ayran, a tangy, slightly salty yoghurt drink popular in Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisine. Ayran added a subtle savoury note that perfectly balanced the buttery richness of the scones. The result was a batch of incredibly fluffy scones with a delightfully crispy golden crust. They had the perfect texture: soft and airy inside with just the right amount of crumble, making them a great match for both sweet and savoury toppings. I brushed the top of the scones with Ayran and sprinkled raw sugar on top. Fabulous outcome, would highly recommend.
That sounds amazing thank you for sharing!
These scones are amazing! Mine turned out delicious and moist, but I found they didn’t crisp up on top and give that traditional crunchy scone texture that the image of yours seems to have. Any recs?
Hi Rebecca, did you brush the scones with heavy cream before baking? You could try moving the scones to a higher position in your oven for more browning. Glad you enjoyed them!
Made them for a book club meeting. Everyone loved them. I used my food processor to mix the dough. Cut the butter into 1/2 inch slices than froze them for 15-20 minutes. Pulsed the slices into the flour mixture (about 30 pulses) . They were perfect.
Everything went well til I added the blueberries. They were frozen but my dough turned blue and I had to add more flour. They taste okay.
Well I followed the directions, and the frozen blueberries got all mushed turning the scones blue. Puzzling.
Hi Joyce! Frozen blueberries will often do that. Try to mix the dough as little as possible after adding the blueberries.
Do you have a cookbook with your scone recipes in it?
Hi Kathy, The website is the only place we have the scone recipes published– not in the cookbooks. The cookbook recipes are mostly exclusive to the books.
Thank you, we are really enjoying the scone recipes. We have tried a few and they are very good and easy to follow.
We would like to try to freeze the scones before baking. We have a question, do we brush the scones (e.g., with heavy cream / egg whites) before freezing?
We would brush them just before baking!
Made these this morning. Came out GREAT! Excellent recipe! I used White Lily all purpose, and they came out nicely tender inside. I didn’t have to use a pastry cutter after grating my frozen butter, just stirred it up a bit with a fork, it was already at the right consistency. I used fresh blueberries, frozen tend to turn your baked goods purple.
Can I use whole milk instead of heavy cream?
Hi Kristin! You really need the rich heavy cream for scones.