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
Oh, Sally. These are so tender and buttery and delicious. I don’t have time to make the glaze before many husband babes one of these scones and pronounced them delicious. This may be my favorite of all your recipes.
Replying to my own very garbled comment. I think I was in the throes of scone bliss while typing that mess. Anyway — even without the glaze, these scones far surpass all others.
That said, today we will glaze!
I am not a seasoned baker but followed the recipe (except used frozen berries) and it came out delicious!!! Definitely a new go to treat for the family.
I am not a seasoned baker but followed the recipe (except used frozen berries) and it came out delicious!!! Definitely a new go to treat for the family.
Absolutely perfect recipe and it allows for minor adjustments if you find yourself in a pinch like I do sometimes. I have often used frozen blueberries and they’re still delish, I have used “cold from the refrigerator” butter, not frozen butter AND I’ve not always grated it (when I didn’t have a box grater). STILL fabulous! Made this countless times for at least five years, including this morning. Thank you, Sally!
These scones are amazing!!! I make them all the time and they are delicious every time. You gotta freeze and grate the butter and keep the dough cold. I even put the dry ingredients in the freezer while mixing up the wet. My family can’t get enough of these scones ❤️
Looking for some advice as to what mightve caused my scones to completely burn on the bottom. I took them from the freezer to the oven and had used silicone mats on both baking sheets. Within 10 minutes, they had burned. I checked oven temperature and it was set to 400 degrees. Thank you
Hi Ilene! It’s hard to imagine that they would burn after 10 minutes at 400, perhaps your oven was running a bit too hot? We always recommend using an in-oven thermometer so you know the exact temperature – ovens are often not the temp they say they are!
Is there any reason why I couldn’t make them square?
Can’t see why not, Helen! You may want to try to press the dough ball into more of an 8-inch square than a disc shape in step 3. Let us know how they turn out!
Smoke alarms went off. I have made your pumpkin scones very successfully so tried these today. I put the unbaked scones in the freezer for about 6 hours and then got home to bake them. I brushed them with the cream and put all eight on two baking sheets lined with silicone mats. Within 10 minutes, my smoke alarm went off and when I opened the oven door, all eight had very burnt bottoms and were not even cooked through and had to be tossed. Did I miss something in the instructions about baking right from the freezer? I actually ended up tossing my silicone mats because they were also looking burnt. Oven temperature was 400 degrees. I double checked that. Thanks for any clarification on this.
Hi Ilene, thank you so much for giving these a try. I’m so sorry this happened! That must have been incredibly frustrating, especially after preparing them ahead. You absolutely can bake the scones straight from the freezer, so you didn’t miss anything there. Burnt bottoms that quickly usually point to too much heat on the underside, or the heavy cream all seeping off the scones, rather than the dough itself. A few specific possibilities: (1) Silicone mats can sometimes trap heat, and some brands discolor or scorch at high temps. For best results, I recommend parchment paper on a light-colored baking sheet. (2) If your oven runs hot, especially from the bottom element, the bottoms can brown far too fast. An inexpensive oven thermometer can confirm this. (3) Placing the scones on the upper-middle rack can help keep the bottoms from over-browning. I’m glad to hear you’ve had success with the pumpkin scones, so this was likely an issue with the pan/heat setup rather than anything you did wrong. If you decide to try again, I’d suggest parchment + upper rack placement, and you should be good to go. Thank you again for taking the time to share your experience.
This is the BEST scone recipe I have ever made. Directions clear and easy to follow, flavor is amazing, came out so much better than the store ones. Keep up the good work and please keep sharing your recipes. I will never use any other recipe.
Thank you so much, Cathy!
My husband had been wanting blueberry scones, but none of the bakeries near us carry them. So, I made him these as a surprise. They are the best scones I have EVER eaten! The perfect texture. Amazing flavor. Thank you so much for our new favorite scone recipe!
Such a delicious recipe! My first attempt at scones was your chocolate chip recipe and those were really good, but these blueberry ones are divine! I used frozen blueberries and they turned out great. Thanks for this great recipe and all the tips!
The flavor of these scones is amazing. However I haven’t mastered them yet-mine still spread too much and feel more like a muffin texture. But- we love them anyway!
These scones are amazing, I’ve made them with both fresh and frozen berries. The fresh berries were a bit easier (less moisture) and didn’t make the dough blue, but both tasted amazing. I highly recommend step 4, brushing with the cream and sprinkling coarse sugar, it really adds to the flavour without being too sweet.
I also made the pumpkin scones and they were equally amazing!
Thanks for all the great recipes Sally! (oh and your breakfast cookies are a staple at home, I’ve been making them for years now!)
Followed all the steps, but my scones spread beyond salvaging despite having a decent structure when placed on a baking tray. Very disappointed.
Hi Rebecca, We’re sorry you had trouble with this recipe; we’re happy to help troubleshoot. Make sure all of your ingredients are very cold. We recommend using frozen butter. You can even place your bowl of flour in the refrigerator. 15 minutes is the minimum we recommend chilling the dough but you can chill it longer–up to overnight. Expect some spread, but if the scones are over-spreading as they bake, remove from the oven and press back into its triangle shape using a silicone spatula. You can also try adding 2-3 extra Tbsp of flour to the dough as well. Hope this helps for your next batch!
ALWAYS!! Always know it is good when it say’s “Sallys”.
Thank you sl much for all your time and hard work Miss S
They were perfection. Thanks for sharing the recipe. On a side note don’t use colossal blackberries. They’re just too big. Hahaha.
Can’t wait to try another variation.
Love the recipe! Made rhubarb scones yesterday. They were lovely and delicious! Making blueberry ones today…using frozen blueberries (did not thaw them). Dough was wet when forming discs as they blueberries thawed, some spreading occurred), and baking time was difficult to get right. Any suggestion for how to work with frozen berries? Btw… still delicious, just not as pretty. 🙂
Hi Terryn, Fresh berries are easier to mix in the dough but frozen berries definitely work too. With frozen berries do not thaw them but your dough will still be be more purple. We find the scones don’t spread as much when you use fresh. Adding a little extra flour to the dough can help as well, such as an extra 2 Tablespoons.
Hi Sally, I saw you told someone to make 2 5-inch disks, for 1 disk what would the length be? 8 inches, 10 inches? I am not sure if I missed the length in the directions.
Hi Lgr, we do one 8 inch disc. Enjoy!
I’d love to make mini-versions of these for my sister’s bridal shower. How much would I need to adjust the bake time? Thanks!
Hi Kayla! To make smaller scones, press dough into two 5-inch discs and cut each into 8 equal wedges. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until lightly browned.
Hi! I checked out comments for the same question. Would I still bake the mini scones at 400 or lower the temp a bit? Thanks!
Same temp!
Can I use buttermilk instead of heavy cream?
Hi Tracie, yes, that will work here.
I love this recipe! I use gluten-free flour, and it is tricky to get the consistency right. It’s very important to keep the butter, and dough, cold!
I can’t even keep track of how many times I’ve made these. Probably one of the top items I make and get comments on. I send these to my husband’s work on occasion and once word goes out across the radio all he hears are doors opening and closing and they’re gone by the end of shift. I’ve had them requested and I’ve had them used as leverage for shift pick . The dough might seem wet for some, but they come out beautifully if you stick with it. Grating frozen butter is the only way to do this. I have a similar biscuit recipe that uses the same method. It’s the only method now! Thank you for brining such joy through these scones for so many in our circle!
Kirsten
Hi Sally, I follow you, and have made many of your recipes, I have never made scones before but decided tonight to try them. Your video and notes are alway very helpful. They turned out amazing and I even surprised myself at how easy they were. I will definitely be trying some of the other flavors. Thank you so much for your amazing recipes.
These blueberry scones are amazing. I followed the recipe exactly.
My adult children thank you! My husband thanks you! My friends thank you! And I thank you! This is such a delicious scone recipe.
Hi Sally! I’ve tried making these twice and the blueberries keep bursting (from frozen) and making the dough too wet. Any suggestions?
Hi Catie, frozen blueberries definitely let off more liquid and can make the dough seem extra wet. You can keep adding flour (about a tablespoon at a time) to help bring the dough together into a workable form. For next time, use an extra gentle hand when adding the blueberries and you can also try coating the frozen blueberries in 2 Tablespoons of flour should help prevent them from bleeding their color and bursting. Thanks for giving these scones a try!
This first time I made the scones they were perfect. I tried this recipe today and the scones are way too wet. What could be the problem?
Hi Judy, is it particularly humid where you live? There are a lot of variables that go into the consistency of dough, even down to the weather and humidity in the air. There’s nothing wrong with adding just a little more flour to make them a little less wet. Try adding flour a little at a time and keeping both your hands and your work surface dusted with flour helps also. Hope this helps!
Delicious Blueberry Scones! I love many of your recipes and this is one of my favorites! They come out so perfect and yummy!
Thank you very much!!
Followed this to the tee. Not good. Dry. How can you give 5 star?
Just made these with a blueberry compote. I froze them for ten minutes before baking and they came out perfectly at 22 minutes. So yummy!