Blueberry scones have to be one of my favorite breakfast treats. They are so buttery and delicious, yet not overly sweet. The best part is: they are super easy to make. They come together in just a few minutes and don’t require any special equipment to make.
HOW TO MAKE MOIST AND TENDER SCONES
Unfortunately, a lot of store-bought scones tend to be dry and stale. I’ve tested and perfected this recipe so that the stones are slightly crisp on the outside, and moist and tender on the inside.
However, like homemade biscuits and breads, I recommend eating the scones when they are the freshest. They will remain moist for a couple of days — when stored in an airtight container — but there is just something about the texture and freshness of a scone straight out of the oven that you just can’t beat!
HOW TO MAKE FLAKY SCONES
The secret to making scones flaky is keeping all of the ingredients chilled. I also chill my finished dough in the freezer for about 15 minutes before baking, which helps the scones to puff up nicely in the oven and prevent them from spreading.
Also, be sure to gently fold the dough over 2 to 3 times before forming it into a disk. This creates layers in the dough that puff up in the oven — just as you would laminate a dough when making puff pastry!
CAN YOU FREEZE SCONES?
Absolutely! Once the scones are fully cooled, place them in an airtight container or sealed bag and place them in the freezer. When ready to serve, I recommend putting them in the microwave. They will lose the slight crisp on the outside, but they may dry out if reheated in the oven.
CUSTOMIZING YOUR SCONES
Using this recipe, you could easily swap out the blueberries for just about any ingredient you would like. A few of my favorites are cranberries and orange zest, strawberries, or even chunks of chocolate and nuts!
Preheat your oven to 400℉.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
Next, cut the chilled butter into ½” cubes and add them into the flour mixture. Using your hands, mix the butter into the flour mixture by rolling the butter between your fingers until only pea-sized pieces of butter remain.
Mix in the blueberries and lemon zest.
Place the flour/butter/blueberry mixture into the freezer or fridge while preparing the liquid mixture.
In a small bowl or liquid measuring cup, whisk together the cream and egg.
Remove the flour/butter/blueberry mixture from the freezer and mix in the liquid. Using a rubber spatula (or your hands), gently mix until just combined. If there are any large, dry patches in your dough, you can add an additional 1 Tablespoon of cream.
Empty the dough out onto a very lightly floured surface and gently fold the dough over onto itself 2 or 3 times. This creates layers that will create more “puff” in the oven and will produce a flakier scone.
Gently press the dough into a disk that is about 1” thick and 8” round. Place it on a plate or cutting board, cover gently with plastic wrap, and place it in the freezer for 15 minutes (or in the fridge for at least 30 minutes).
Remove the disk from the freezer and cut the dough into 8 equal slices. Place the slices on a lined baking sheet. Using a pastry brush or your fingers, brush the top of each with additional heavy cream. Lightly sprinkle the tops with Demerara sugar.
Place the scones into the center of the oven and bake for 18 to 22 minutes, until lightly golden brown.
Blueberry Scones
Ingredients
- 1 heaping cup fresh blueberries
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 Tbsp baking powder
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into ½" cubes
- 1 cup heavy cream, chilled (plus more for brushing scones)
- 1 large egg, chilled
- 1 tsp lemon zest (about 1 lemon; optional)
- Demerara sugar (for sprinkling; optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400℉.
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.2 ½ cups all-purpose flour¼ cup granulated sugar1 Tbsp baking powder½ tsp kosher salt
- Add in chilled, cubed butter. Using your hands, mix the butter into the flour mixture by rolling the butter between your fingers until only pea-sized pieces of butter remain.½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into ½" cubes
- Mix in the blueberries and lemon zest (optional). Chill the flour/butter/blueberry mixture in the refrigerator or freezer while preparing the liquid mixture.1 heaping cup fresh blueberries1 tsp lemon zest
- In a small bowl or liquid measuring cup, whisk together cream and egg.1 cup heavy cream, chilled1 large egg, chilled
- Remove the flour/butter/blueberry mixture from the refrigerator or freezer. Add in liquid mixture. Using a rubber spatula (or your hands), gently mix until just combined. If dough has large, dry patches, add in additional 1 Tbsp of cream.
- Empty the dough out onto a very lightly floured surface. Gently fold the dough over onto itself 2 or 3 times (this will create more butter layers, leading to a flakier scone).
- Gently press the dough into a disk that is about 1" thick and 8" round. Set disk onto a plate or cutting board, gently cover with plastic wrap, and chill in the freezer for 15 minutes (or the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes).
- Remove the disk from the freezer. Cut into 8 equal slices. Set the slices on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Using a pastry brush (or your fingers), brush the top of each scone with additional cream. Lightly sprinkle the top of each with Demerara sugar.Demerara sugar
- Bake in the center of the oven until lightly golden brown (about 18 to 22 minutes).
Notes
- Fresh or Frozen Blueberries? You can use either for this recipe. However, if you use frozen, be sure to use them straight out of the freezer; otherwise, they may get mushy and bleed throughout your dough.
- For Tender, Flaky Scones: Keep all ingredients as cold as possible, and try not to overwork the dough (hands can warm it up)! I recommend returning the ingredients/mixtures to the refrigerator or freezer as often as possible to keep everything chilled. Doing this before cutting and baking the scones will also help them to puff up nicely in the oven and will prevent spreading.
- Make Them Ahead: Instead of chilling the dough in the freezer for 15 minutes before baking the scones (Step 8), you can easily refrigerate the dough for as long as needed, including overnight.
- Looking for Other Ideas? You can substitute the blueberries in this recipe for just about anything! Some of my favorites: cranberries and orange zest; strawberries; or chocolate and nuts.
- How to Store: You can freeze the fully-cooled scones in a freezer bag or an airtight container. I recommend reheating them in the microwave (rather than the oven), so that they don’t dry out.
