These better-than-the-bakery blueberry scones are bursting with juicy blueberries. They’re buttery and moist with crisp, crumbly edges and soft, flaky centers. Crunchy coarse sugar and creamy vanilla icing are the perfect finishing touches!
I originally published this recipe in 2014 and have since added new photos and a video tutorial.
Scones. You either love them or hate them. I used to fall in the latter category, passing on them in favor of muffins or quick breads. Scones can taste pretty dry, comparable to lackluster triangles of cardboard. No, thanks.
But my opinion on scones took a total 180 a few years ago when I attended a cooking event in the Panera Bread test kitchen. Turns out that I’ve been eating all the wrong scones because when done right, these sweet treats tiptoe into a world of pastry perfection.
Since then, I mastered chocolate chip scones, apple cinnamon scones, ham & cheese scones, cinnamon scones, lavender scones, and strawberry lemon scones. I use the same master scone recipe for each flavor, a formula promising the BEST scone texture. By the way, I wrote an entire post devoted to my favorite base scones recipe. Today we’re making blueberry scones, which is definitely my favorite scone flavor.
There’s no denying these are the best blueberry scones on the planet. Strong statement, right? Trust me.
One reader, Rich, commented: “Sally, I would like to say thank you! These pastries were awesome. I was expecting a dry and pale flavor that I usually get from scones. These blueberry scones absolutely melted in our mouths. I can’t say enough about the recipe. One word for these—AWESOME! I am going to try more of your recipes, and I’m sure I won’t be disappointed. ★★★★★“
These Blueberry Scones Have:
- Crisp, crumbly edges
- Soft, moist centers
- Crunchy golden brown exterior
- Buttery rich flavor
- An overflow of blueberries
- Mega vanilla icing drizzles
Let’s make them!
Blueberry Scone Ingredients
Nothing but basic ingredients coming together to produce something extraordinary. 🙂
- Flour: 2 cups of all-purpose flour is my standard amount, but set extra aside for the work surface and your hands.
- Sugar: I stick with around 1/2 cup of sugar for this scone dough. Feel free to slightly decrease, but keep in mind that the scone flavor and texture will slightly change.
- Baking Powder: Adds lift.
- Salt, Cinnamon, & Vanilla Extract: Add flavor.
- Cold Butter: Besides flour, cold butter is the main ingredient in blueberry 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 milk or almond milk—you’ll be headed down a one-way street to dry, bland, and flat scones.
- Egg: Adds flavor, lift, and structure.
- Blueberries: For best results, use fresh blueberries. If you must use frozen, do not thaw.
Before baking, brush the scones with heavy cream and sprinkle with coarse sugar. These extras add a bakery-style crunch and beautiful golden sheen. Highly recommended!
Frozen Grated Butter
Frozen grated butter is key to blueberry scone success.
Like with pie crust, work the cold butter into the dry ingredients. The cold butter coats the flour. When the butter/flour crumbs melt as the scones bake, they release steam and pockets of air. These pockets add a flaky center, while keeping the edges 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. Remember, you don’t want to over-work scone dough.
I recommend grating the frozen butter with a box grater.
How to Make Blueberry Scones
Blueberry scones are a quick and easy breakfast pastry recipe. Since there’s no yeast, they go from the mixing bowl to the oven relatively quickly. First, mix the dry ingredients together. You need flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Second, cut cold butter into the dry ingredients. You can use a pastry cutter, 2 forks, or your hands. A food processor works too, but it often overworks the scone dough. To avoid overly dense scones, work the dough as little as possible.
Next, whisk the wet ingredients together. You need heavy cream, 1 egg, and vanilla extract. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, add the blueberries, then gently mix together. Form the dough into a disc on the counter, then cut into 8 wedges.
One of my tricks: To obtain a flaky center and a crumbly exterior, scone dough must remain cold. Cold dough won’t over-spread, either. Therefore, I highly recommend you chill the shaped scones for at least 15 minutes prior to baking. You can even refrigerate overnight for a quick breakfast in the morning.
After that, bake the scones until golden brown.
The scones are fantastic warm out of the oven, but taste even better with a drizzle of vanilla icing on top. The icing is totally optional, but you should never pass up the chance to accessorize! It seeps down into the cracks and crevices, adding even more sweet flavor. A dusting of confectioners’ sugar or pat of homemade honey butter is tasty, too!
More Essential Breakfast Recipes
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My Favorite 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
These better-than-the-bakery blueberry scones are bursting with juicy blueberries. They’re buttery and moist with crisp, crumbly edges and soft, flaky centers. Read through the recipe before beginning. You can skip the chilling for 15 minutes prior to baking, but I highly recommend it to prevent the scones from over-spreading.
Ingredients
- 2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled), plus more for hands and work surface
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 2 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup (8 Tbsp; 113g) unsalted butter, frozen
- 1/2 cup (120ml) heavy cream (plus 2 Tbsp for brushing)
- 1 large egg
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 heaping cup (140g) fresh blueberries
- for topping: coarse sugar and vanilla icing
Instructions
- Whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt together in a large bowl. Grate the frozen butter using a box grater. Add it to the flour mixture and combine with a pastry cutter, 2 forks, or your fingers until the mixture comes together in pea-sized crumbs. See video for a closer look at the texture. Place in the refrigerator or freezer as you mix the wet ingredients together.
- Whisk 1/2 cup heavy cream, the egg, and vanilla extract together in a small bowl. Drizzle over the flour mixture, add the blueberries, then mix together until everything appears moistened.
- Pour onto the counter and, with floured hands, work the dough into a ball as best you can. Dough will be sticky. If it’s too sticky, add a little more flour. If it seems too dry, add 1–2 more Tablespoons heavy cream. Press into an 8-inch disc and, with a sharp knife or bench scraper, cut into 8 wedges.
- Brush scones with remaining heavy cream and, for extra crunch, sprinkle with coarse sugar. (You can do this before or after refrigerating in the next step.)
- Place scones on a plate or lined baking sheet (if your fridge has space!) and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400°F (204°C).
- Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking mat. After refrigerating, arrange scones 2–3 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake for 22–25 minutes or until golden brown around the edges and lightly browned on top. Remove from the oven and cool for a few minutes before topping with vanilla icing.
- Leftover iced or un-iced scones keep well at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Freeze Before Baking: Freeze scone dough wedges on a plate or baking sheet for 1 hour. Once relatively frozen, you can layer them in a freezer-friendly bag or container. 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. 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 the recipe the following day.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Glass Mixing Bowls | Box Grater | Pastry Cutter | Whisk | Silicone Spatula | Bench Scraper | Baking Sheet | Silicone Baking Mat or Parchment Paper | Pastry Brush
- Blueberries: For best results, use fresh blueberries. If you must use frozen, do not thaw.
- 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 use a spatula to press back into shape, then return to the oven to finish baking.
Reader Comments and Reviews
This recipe got me a blue premium at the fair! I fiddled with them too much and they ended up spreading as they baked (I tried to add the blueberries after cutting them into wedges to minimize the juice flowing out. Should have left it alone and done them the normal way!). I was sure I’d be docked points for lack of height and the spread, I’m convinced the excellent flavor is what kept these in the blue! Thank you – I also didn’t want to turn them in, my family and I wanted to just eat them 😀
Loooooved this recipe! I did a sugar-free version because I wanted to share it with my 1 year old and 4 year old. Absolutely delicious without it, the cinnamon seemed to lift up the sweetness of blueberries even more! Also tried it with jam & cream and omg it was devine. My 1 year old and I gobbled down three as soon as they came out of the oven because it was crumbly and super yummy plus so simple!
I use a hand crank grater from Amazon. Game changer for grating frozen butter. After grating butter put it back in the freezer for 15min. Use frozen blueberries. Toss butter in flour, then blueberries. Don’t overwork it. Pat out disk. Put it back in freezer to firm up then cut. I always bake from frozen. 22min is perfect.
My first attempt was super moist. Had to keep adding flour. I’m going to try a second attempt. Can I substitute yogurt or sour cream for the heavy cream?
Hi Mtc, we don’t recommend using yogurt. Heavy cream or buttermilk would be best (and half-and-half or whole milk will work in a pinch).
I made this and the dough was super wet. I kept adding flour at 2 tablespoon increments up to a cup but it was still wet. I followed everything correctly. So it ended up as blueberry muffins.
Hi Carolyn, I’m sorry to hear this! Happy to help troubleshoot. Were you using fresh or frozen blueberries?
These were perfection! I added some lemon juice to your vanilla icing recipe to drizzle on these and it was everything.
Delicious! I made them with fresh blueberries and they came out great. Didn’t even need to add the glaze bc they were sweet enough for me. Definitely making again.
Delicious! This was my first time making scones and they turned out perfectly. I’m not someone who usually comments on recipes, this may even be my first time, but I just had to for these. They are that good. Thanks for the recipe!
Where is the video tutorial?
Hi Erin, it’s in the recipe card, beneath the recipe instructions. You can get there quickly by clicking Jump to Recipe at the top of the page, then scrolling down from there. Or here is a link to the video on YouTube.
I was wondering if you leave convection bake on or if it is best not to? Thanks!
Hi Tessa, We always recommend conventional settings for baking (not convection/fan). The flow of air from convection heat can cause baked goods to rise and bake unevenly and it also pulls moisture out of the oven. If you do use convection/fan settings for baking, lower your temperature by 25 degrees F and keep in mind that things may still take less time to bake.
Hi Sally,
I’m looking forward to making these scones this summer! I had a question about the blueberries though. When I made your blueberry muffin recipe they tasted great but the blueberries were bland and tasteless. To make the blueberries in the scones more flavourful, could I macerate the blueberries in sugar (and make sure they are drained/dry)?
Hi Meagan, it sounds like it may have been your particular batch of blueberries. We’re they tasteless on their own, too? We haven’t tested this recipe with macerated blueberries, but you could certainly try it (draining/drying them as you mention). You may want to tinker with the added sugar if you do. Let us know what you try!
Omg! I used baking SODA instead of powder! What was I thinking???? Other than that, they look just like your video! Is that why they taste so floury?
I’m so mad at myself
I’m answering my own question from yesterday. They came out PERFECTLY with the baking powder. So delicious!
I’ve made these many times and love the recipe – except this time I got distracted and FORGOT the baking powder. They weren’t rising or browning. So I kept adding a couple minutes of baking time until they browned. They were a little “biscuit-y” but my friends still loved them. I had used cherries this time, so I used almond extract in the icing and topped with slivered almonds. All was well!
I also have a baking addiction.
What a delightful treat. Will surely be making these again. I would like to know how to make them using dried cranberries and orange zest/juice for the fall. Many thanks.
Hi – I have made these many times, and they are incredible!
This time, I am having a brunch and would like the scones to be smaller in size. Should I divide the dough in half and make 2 smaller discs and cut wedges? How much should the baking time be reduced?
Hi Frannie, we’re so glad you enjoy these scones! For mini scones, follow the baking instructions from these sprinkle scones as a guide.
Is it possible to sub in sourdough starter?
Hi Katie, we haven’t tested sourdough here, but let us know if you do.
I made these in a Norde Ware scone pan and they came out tall and cake like. Delicious, but should I make any changes to make them more “scone” like?
I made 3 batches today for an event. The blueberry was great flavor. (I I grew my own blueberries lol) . As for the scones, I was a little disappointed. Although the taste was fine, but not much texture to them so I am thinking that I really needed more flour in it? These were too light and airy. I did everything exactly like the recipe, but a bit too soft and crumbly. I lived in the UK for a few years and it’s nothing like the scones over there. Maybe it’s the ingredients we have in the US, but certainly not the same.
Love this
I decided to put the scones in the freezer so I could have one the next morning. After putting on the cream and sugar then freezing them separately, they were too sticky to keep them from sticking to each other. I managed to get one out and bake it. Unfortunately, it spread and came out more like a cake. I tried this again – watching for spreading, but found when I took it out to re-shape, it just was too sticky and got the same result anyway. SO disappointing. The flavor of course is great, but …
I really do not care for the texture of scones made with egg: they are too much like cake rarher than biscuit. Can I use your recipe and add more cream to compensate for the eggs moisture, or is more butter/fat also needed?
Hi Kristin, we have not tested a version of these scones without an egg. If you do any experimenting, let us know how it goes.
Can I use half & half?
Hi Liova, half-and-half works in a pinch but the scones may spread a bit more.
Do you think you could sub a homemade buttermilk ( say t. of lemon juice with ½ cup half and half) for the heavy cream?
Hi Victoria, yes, a buttermilk substitute should work well here. Enjoy!
Hi, I haven’t tried the recipe yet, and I’m making them for my county fair, but I was wondering if you have any tips on making them?
I am practicing making these for an upcoming wedding shower. Taste – amazing. Not hard to follow directions. I did change out lemon zest for the cinnamon. My problem is that I made them yesterday and today they are not crisp. I cannot cook them day of the shower (unless I get up at 4). Any thoughts or suggestions? Mine were also not flaky – more biscuity. Did I use too much cream?
Hi Tracy, if the scones seemed overly biscuit-like, it could be that the dough was over-worked and/or that the butter became too warm. You’ll want to mix the dough until just combined. The cold butter helps to create flaky layers and overworking it into the dry ingredients can eliminate those layers. How did you store the scones? They are freshest on day 1, but if you are storing them in a bag or container, keep it open just a crack to help promote air flow and reduce the moisture inside of the container. The dough can be frozen ahead of time, if you do have time to just pop them in the oven for fresh scones the day of the shower. Hope this helps!
I wasn’t sure about the grating of the butter but it really made the combining of the butter and the dry ingredients so much easier!
They came out great! Thanks.
I just picked fresh blueberries off the vine. Can I use from the refrig or should I freeze first?
Hi Doreen, fresh berries are easier to mix in the dough but frozen berries definitely work too. We find the scones don’t spread as much when you use fresh. Enjoy!
I made these blueberry scones but I have to admit I had a very difficult time grating the frozen butter the first time making this recipe. So the second time I decided instead to grate cold butter from my fridge, then spread it on a wax paper lined cookie sheet and put it in the freezer. After ½ hr the grated butter was quite frozen and stiff, so I then mixed this with the dry ingredients. This really saved my hands and fingers from the too difficult task of grating the butter when frozen. I reduced the cinnamon to ½ tsp which is my preference. I also found the dough was too sticky and also loose for me to work with in order to make a big round and cut it into triangles, so instead I just formed 8 balls and flattened them somewhat when placing on the cookie sheet. They turned out very well and were delicious! If you have arthritis or have problems grating the frozen butter, try my tip instead since it worked out beautifully.
hi, i just wanted to know if folding the dough would give it more layers, as i have done that in the past and it gives the scones more height. can i do that for these?
Hi Hazel, you can certainly give it a try!
incredible. i’m not even the biggest scone fan but wanted to use up some blueberries. this recipe is amazing! topped with some vanilla ice cream and it’s de-lish!
These are the best scones I’ve made. So moist and delicious. I won’t be trying any other recipes. This one is perfect!