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
Hi Sally, I look forward to baking these in the morning for my British-themed reading group tomorrow, but I forgot to pick up parchment paper. Should I butter or grease the baking pan? Or do you have another suggestion? I do have waxed paper, but fear it’s not hearty enough for a 400 degree oven. Thank you! Joan
Hi Joan! I’m glad to help, though I know my reply is a couple days late. I’m just seeing your question now. You can lightly grease the pan instead. Do not use wax paper.
I just finished baking these scones and tried a little piece. I don’t know how long these will last! They are delicious!!
I was thinking next time I’ll cut up the butter, freeze it and let the food processor do the work.
Hello,
Can you use buttermilk instead of heavy cream?
No cream in the house and I didn’t want to go to the store again.
Thank you!
Yes! A 1:1 substitution.
I love this recipe. I was hesitant to turn my oven on during this summer heat…but it was soooo worth it! I had 4 pints of fresh blueberries so I was looking for something different to do.
The scones were much lighter than I expected and the lemon zest was a great addition. The lemon icing is key!!! They were delicious. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Hi Sally! I baked these scones today and they were delicious (they tasted just like the lemon blueberry layer cake )! I baked 8 regular sized scones and one mini scone with the leftover dough. I found that the mini scone was a bit dryer and harder (I prefer scones this way) while the regular sized ones were softer and moister (like muffins). Next time I make these scones I’ll try baking mini ones, but are there any changes to the recipe I can make that will make the scones harder and less moist? Thank you for your help!
Hi Puja, You can replace some (or all) of the heavy cream with plain yogurt. That will create a thicker base and a denser scone.
After trying a few other scone recipes from other websites I thought I would try this one. Oh my, that was the best choice I’ve made in a while. This will be my go-to scone recipe now! It was delicious, and the lower sugar level was perfect with the icing. I wasn’t able to chill the dough since I only have a mini-fridge at the moment, but they still turned out great!!
I can’t wait to try all the other scone recipes on your website!
Made these after reading a zillion recipes and very happy I chose this one! Sooo good! We added lemon zest to the wet ingredients and they are soooo yummy! Everyone had 2nds!
Yes, yes, yes!!! So delicious. Lemony deliciousness. Mmmmmmmmmm.
I’m looking to incorporate some fresh thyme into these scones, I think it would make them more savory. At what step do you recommend I incorporate the thyme and about how much should I add? Should I change anything else about the recipe?
Thanks,
Elizabeth
Hi Elizabeth, fresh thyme sounds like a delicious addition! We haven’t tested the recipe this way, but I’d start with 1 teaspoon of finely chopped fresh thyme- increase to your taste preference. Add it when you’re combining the dry ingredients together. Let us know how they turn out!
My first time making scones and I picked the right recipe. They were delicious! Followed recipe to the letter. You definitely get an arm workout grating the frozen butter, but the end results were well worth it. Bravo Sally!! This recipe is a keeper in my household.
This is a great recipe, and the accompanying video was really helpful. I used frozen blueberries and was a bit worried at how purple all the dough turned when it came together, but the scones turned out perfect.
I love your scone recipes and would like to omit the blueberries, would you alter the recipe in any way?
Hi KellyLou, You can leave the blueberries out without making any other changes. You might also enjoy this Master Scones Recipe for other flavor combination ideas.
How do you avoid the butter melting while you’re grating it?
Hi Vanessa, Make sure your butter is completely frozen. When using a box cutter if you find your hands are melting the stick try loosening your grip and/or moving your hand to hold only the back of the stick as you grate it.
Finally tried out this recipe after testing a few others. I loved the method of grating the butter, super easy! I used frozen wild blueberries (smaller, less moisture). One thing to note, because I was making this batch for a customer, I prepped and froze the cut scones 3 days in advance; they still turned out beautiful, and I think it helped reduce spreading of the dough when baked. The only thing I would change is to possibly reduce the sugar to 4 tbsp (I like things slightly less sweet). Thank you!
I immediately wanted to try this recipe when I first saw it! I worried about there being too much lemon, but I was definitely wrong. These scones were a major hit in my family; they said they were absolutely perfect! I will totally bake them again :).
Easy & delicious
Delicious! and so easy. Thank you for the detailed directions.
Absolutely the best. Watch the video. Thank you Sally.
So delicious and easy to follow! Thank you!
Sally,
I have made many of your scone recipes, and love them! I was looking to make lime coconut scones. Any suggestions ? How would I adjust the recipe?
Hi Carla! A coconut lime variation sounds delicious. I haven’t tested it, but to the dough I would add zest from 1 lime and 1 cup of sweetened shredded coconut. Use lime juice instead of lemon juice for the glaze. Let me know how it goes!
So incredibly good! I used half and half instead of heavy creamed and it worked perfectly! Also, I only had salted butter so I just didn’t use salt and it was still amazing!
These were yummy, even though they turned out purple!! Is it possible to use dried blueberries in place of fresh or frozen blueberries?
These are delicious! I used fresh picked blueberries and dusted them with a bit of flour, they didn’t turn the dough blue. I cut them in a circle instead of triangles. These were the best scones, keeping this recipe!
These are absolutely light and delicious! I did not have heavy cream, but used slightly past date skim milk and still came out flaky and tasty! Thank you!
Sally, why did we end up with purple scones? How can we avoid crushing the blueberries when we put the dough together? Help!
Hi Bea, Did you use frozen berries? They can certainly turn your batter purple.
Best scones I have ever tasted!!! I have tried a couple of your recipes and they are always precise and DELICIOUS!!!! I plan on trying many many more I have been talking about you and your recipes to my whole family. You are amazingThank you❤
These were FABULOUS and easy to make. I used fresh blueberries, that I had picked and fresh Meyers Lemons as well. A keeper.
Took my first try at scones with your recipe, 100% amazing and delicious.
Admittedly, I cut the recipe in half with no issues and they still turned out perfect. Printing and keeping this one in the recipe box for sure. Thank you!!!
Pretty delicious. I used whole milk rather than cream because it’s what I had and the scones turned out well. It’s blueberry season here so the scones are bursting with flavor. I really appreciate the “why to grate” butter that taught me the importance of the small bits of butter within the recipe, thank you for that.
Made these for tea! First time making scones, they were fantastic!