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
I made these for my family today. First time making scones and They were amazing. Thank you for this wonderful recipe.
Hi, Sally! Thank you for providing comprehesive recipes that are a JOY to follow. I wanted to make blueberry scones and found your recipe to be the best. The frozen and grated butter seriously makes a big difference in the texture of the scone. These are light, moist, and airy. I absolutely enjoy making them.
Whenever I think up something I’d like to bake, I google it and POP, up comes your website. I know I’ll get a great recipe every time, so I don’t even visit other sites. Made your banana cupcakes w/cinnamon cream cheese frosting which are AWESOME.
Thanks, lady, for your insight and love of baking! I’ll share your site any time!
I’ve tried a blueberry and white chocolate scone during my exchange program when I as in Virginia in the beginning of this year and I couldn’t get it off my mind. I’m from Brazil and it’s really hard to find buttermilk here so I made it using milk and 2 spoons of lemon juice. I just took it out of the oven and they’re beautiful, tasty and smell just like the ones I’ve tried! Such a nice feeling bringing back past memories! Just wanted to share because it made me very happy.
Another stellar recipe
Can you substitute heavy cream with half and half?
Sally,
I have never made scones before and was thrilled to find this recipe. I made the recipe yesterday and your video was most helpful. The taste of the completed scone was awesome but unfortunately, the frozen blueberries bled into the dough turning them a soft black color. I followed the recipe exactly. I froze the butter beforehand and also put the dough in the fridge while mixing the wet ingredients. I also put the scones in the refrigerator before baking. My dough was extremely sticky when I placed it on the counter to finish blending and shaping before cutting. I added flour to make it the right consistency and the batter turned out fine. I plan to make these for a brunch that I am hosting in October and need your expertise in preventing the frozen blueberries bleeding into the dough. I want mine to look as pretty as yours. Thank you in advance for any hints that you can pass my way.
Hi Denise! I’m so happy to help. Mix the wet and dry ingredients together completely, then carefully work in the blueberries as little as possible to combine. Coating the frozen blueberries in 2 Tablespoons of flour should help prevent them from bleeding their color as much.
People are not used to eating American scones here in Switzerland, but everybody found them amazing. I added some white chocolate and it turned out to be really good. Thanks for the recipe !
Can I make these gluten free and which “flour” would you recommend
Hi Deborah, I have never tested this recipe with gluten free flour and I don’t have much experience with different brands of GF flour. Let me know if you try it!
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe! It has been my favorite out of any that I’ve tried. I love how you can use this recipe with any flavors (like fresh peaches). I’ve made scones 4 times this week
Celebrating my shih tzu’s 13th birthday I assigned myself the task of baking for the people invited to his party (a guest brought pumpkin peanut butter homemade dog treats for the canines). Tried this recipe (substituted heavy cream with organic canned Coconut Milk — with just enough left over for another favorite chicken recipe) and omg, they came out delicious and perfect. I did not add the extra icing but found them mouth watering and delicious.
This is the best recipe for blueberry scones! I have made 2 batches to share with family and friends.
Thank you, Sally!!
Sarah D.
Made these yesterday. I used a little more blueberry (1 1/2 cups) and a little less cinnamon (1/2 tsp). Truly outstanding. Baked at 400 F for 25 minutes. I think because I used more blueberry it could have used a little more time in the oven.
We enjoyed them so much I’m making another batch today for my in-laws.
Thank you.
HELP…I’ve just grated the butter but 1/2 cup isn’t mixing in with my flour as if I’m not using enough butter???? I went to view your video but can’t find it? Is it because I’m in Canada??
Can you use table cream 18% instead of heavy? just that I always have 18% on hand for my coffee…thanks!!
That would be fine, actually. The scones won’t taste *quite* as rich.
Just tried this recipe tonight and I loved it (my family did too)!! Flaky, not too dry and not too gooey. Such a good texture thanks to the directions and tips. Thank you SO much for sharing your yummy recipes, and for being willing to teach others with your videos and instructions!
Sally, my wife just simply love these. It’s a bit messy, but comes out so delicious. Thanks you for sharing this wonderful recipe.
I’ve been wanting to make blueberry scones for ages and just tried this recipe for the first time. I used buttermilk since I didn’t have cream, a little maple syrup since I didn’t have vanilla, and skipped the sugar and frosting on top. They turned out great. Light and fluffy, not heavy. Grating the frozen butter was difficult since I have arthritis especially in my dominant hand, but I noticed after the butter thawed just slightly (after a few minutes) the grating got easier. Thanks for the great recipe and I can’t wait to try the variations!
I used frozen wild blueberries and by the time I formed the dough they had melted a bit and added liquid to the dough. I added some flour but ultimately it was a messy purple dough to work with. Tasted ok, but I wouldn’t serve them to friends. I’m sure with dry fresh blueberries it would have been ok.
I had the same experience with mine too. And they weren’t cooked all the way through despite checking after 15minutes and then again after 20. Bottom edges looked too brown so I figured they were done. Not.
I just baked them & I ate two of them so no dinner for me tonight! They were absolutely delicious and as described the only thing was my dough was a bit dry so I had to add quite a bit more heavy cream into it but no big deal absolutely delicious! I am going to give the rest away! LOL
My first attempt at scones was this recipe last week, and they turned out amazing! Making them again today (we picked A LOT of blueberries)!
So, our 8 year old grandson got in his head that he wanted scones for breakfast, so I found this recipe (we had fresh blueberries on hand). So, 2 hours later we have the best breakfast ever! Excellent!
Excellent recipe..I’ll use it often I think. My wife loves them. Yes, I’m a man…sorry
Absolutely loved this recipe. I used fresh blueberries and followed the recipe. A family favourite Will try raspberries next time.
Have made them several times, awesome!!
I have fresh blueberries, should I freeze them first?
Not necessary (I usually don’t if I have fresh berries) but cold berries keep the dough cold– which is always a good thing! If you have time, do it– if not, don’t worry about it!
Love the recipe. I tried these but my batter turned out really dry and, when I added more heavy cream, the blueberries fell apart while kneading them together. I taste tested them and they seem fine – great actually!! I think I need to experiment with the blueberries…..
Can you make this ahead of time? Keep in fridge then bake ?
Hi Alanna! You can, yes, but the baking powder is initially activated once it’s wet, so the scones may not rise as much after hours (or overnight) sitting in the refrigerator.
Made these for the mommies waiting for kids to come out of balletclass in a fundraising bake sale. Sold out very quickly- and while I also had homemade clotted cream there, most of the moms said they were lovely and sweet enough without the cream. I made batter evening before, froze them as per suggestion and came out lovely. I used leftover cream from clotted cream and they tasted fab. One debate that went on though was the shape…most of parents are from Britain (expats in germany) and they said scones have to be round (mine were triangular). So, if you are making them for a British tea, might I suggest round ones!
I love scones! I’m trying this recipe out now, I didn’t get that pea sized texture when i mixed the frozen butter into the dry ingredients. Also, how do you mix the dough without squishing the frozen blueberries? My dough was a little purple at the end. Not sure what I’m doing right or wrong haha. First time baking scones!
Hi Esther! You’re not doing anything wrong. 🙂 Frozen berries begin melting and bleeding their color, so the dough always begins to turn purple. If you use fresh berries, the dough keeps its beige/white color.
I love to bake and love to try new recipes all the time. The directions for your recipe were simple and easy to follow. The scones turned out amazing and tasted great. I tried to grate the frozen butter that did not turn out good, it just clumped and made a mess. So I just cut the butter up and used a pastry cutter. That worked good. I had to add about a teaspoon of whipping cream because the batter was very dry. I chilled them for about 30 minutes and they baked really good. I was worried the scones were spreading to much but they were fine. My girls loved them and my husband loved them too. I can’t wait to make them for teacher gifts. Thanks for sharing your recipe. I am so glad I found your Facebook page and website. I look forward to trying more of your recipes.