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Master the art of making bakery-style Blueberry Scones—flaky, buttery, and packed with juicy blueberries. Drizzled with icing, they are sweet, but not too sweet!
Meggan’s notes
When I set out to create this blueberry scone recipe, I had a very specific vision in mind. They needed to be light, with a texture that’s somewhere between a blueberry muffin and a biscuit, while still delivering that signature flaky, buttery bite. My secret to these blueberry scones is balance: the scone itself isn’t overly sweet, but a drizzle of powdered sugar icing adds just enough sweetness to complement the buttery, flaky base.
Frozen blueberries can work in a pinch, but they add extra juice that can make the scone batter too wet and can even turn it purple! While this doesn’t affect the flavor—and the baked scones will still have a lovely golden-brown exterior—the inside may have a purplish hue. For the bakery-style look you see in photos, fresh blueberries are the way to go. I also used wild blueberries for their vibrant flavor, but any fresh variety will work.
The secret to achieving flaky scones is leaving pea-sized crumbs of butter in the dough, so make sure not to overwork it. An egg wash is the final touch that gives the scones their bakery-perfect shine. We tested batches without it, and while the flavor remained the same, the finished scones lacked that irresistible golden glow.
Pro Tip: Before baking, sprinkle a little sugar on top of the egg wash for a touch of sweetness and added texture. It’s a small step that makes a big difference.
After several iterations (and one purple batter surprise), I perfected a blueberry scone recipe fit for a classically-trained chef yet simple enough to whip up on a Saturday morning.
Table of Contents
Recipe ingredients
At a Glance: Here is a quick snapshot of what ingredients are in this recipe.
Please see the recipe card below for specific quantities.
Ingredient notes
- Fresh vs frozen blueberries: For best results, use fresh blueberries instead of frozen. Even if frozen blueberries go into the batter without thawing, they will still turn the batter purple, and they made add extra water which will make the scone batter too wet.
- Milk: If you don’t have milk for your glaze, you can use water or half-and-half. Add enough for your desired glaze consistency.
Step-by-step instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper for easy cleanup. In the bowl of a standing mixer fit with the whisk attachment, beat together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. On the lowest speed, beat in cold butter until pea-sized crumbs form.
- Meanwhile, whisk together the egg and heavy cream. Add to mixer and beat until combined. Stir in blueberries by hand until just combined. Generously flour a flat, clean work surface.
- Scrape dough onto prepared work surface and knead with your hands to be sure it’s combined. If the dough is too sticky, flour your hands or add 1 or 2 tablespoons of flour to the dough.
- Press the dough into an 8-inch disk that is about 1 inch tall. Using a chef’s knife, pizza cutter, or bench scraper, cut the disk into 8 wedges.
- Transfer the wedges to the prepared baking sheet. Whisk together the egg and water to make egg wash, then brush over the top of the scones.
- Bake until the outsides are set and the insides are fully baked, about 20 to 25 minutes. Cool completely. To make the powdered sugar icing, whisk together powdered sugar and milk, then drizzle over cooled scones.
Recipe tips and variations
- Yield: This recipe makes 8 scones.
- Storage: Store leftovers covered at room temperature for up to 2 days.
- Freezer: The scones can be wrapped in plastic and stored in a freezer-safe bag, labeled, and frozen for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature. To reheat, bake in a 350-degree oven for 5 to 7 minutes or until warmed through.
- Ease up on the stirring: Don’t overmix; the secret to flaky, buttery scones is leaving pea-sized crumbs of butter in the dough.
- Shaping: Wedges are traditional, but you can form rounds if you prefer a more biscuit-like presentation.
- Brunch: Serve the blueberry scones alongside a tray of mini quiche, egg bites, and set up a mimosa bar to brunch in style.
Frequently Asked Questions
American scones use more butter and are sweeter than British scones.
Don’t overmix your batter or you will end up with a scone that’s too hard.
Scones are more bread-like, with a nice crunchy outside and soft inside. Muffins have a fairly wet batter that gives them a cake-like texture.
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Blueberry Scones
Ingredients
For the scones:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour plus more for flouring the work surface
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup butter chilled and diced into pea-sized pieces (1 stick)
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup fresh blueberries (see note 1)
For topping:
- 1 egg beaten with 2 tablespoons water (egg wash)
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 3 to 4 tablespoons milk or water (see note 2)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper for easy cleanup.
- In the bowl of a standing mixer fit with the whisk attachment, beat together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. On the lowest speed, beat in cold butter until pea-sized crumbs form.
- Meanwhile, whisk together the egg and heavy cream. Add to mixer and beat until combined. Stir in blueberries by hand until just combined. Generously flour a flat, clean work surface.
- Scrape dough onto prepared work surface and knead with your hands to be sure it's combined. If the dough is too sticky, flour your hands or add 1 or 2 tablespoons flour to the dough.
- Press the dough into an 8-inch disk that is about 1 inch tall. Using a chef's knife, pizza cutter, or bench scraper, cut the disk into 8 wedges.
- Transfer the wedges to the prepared baking sheet. Whisk together the egg and water to make egg wash, then brush over the top of the scones.
- Bake until the outsides are set and the insides are fully baked, about 20 to 25 minutes. Cool completely. To make the powdered sugar icing, whisk together powdered sugar and milk, then drizzle over cooled scones.
Notes
- Blueberries: For best results, use fresh blueberries instead of frozen. Even if frozen blueberries go into the batter without thawing, they will still turn the batter purple, and they made add extra water which will make the scone batter too wet.
- Milk: If you don’t have milk, use water or half-and-half. Add enough for your desired glaze consistency.
- Yield: This recipe makes 8 scones.
- Storage: Store leftovers covered at room temperature for up to 2 days.
Nutrition
Meggan Hill is a classically-trained chef and professional writer. Her meticulously-tested recipes and detailed tutorials bring confidence and success to home cooks everywhere. Meggan has been featured on NPR, HuffPost, FoxNews, LA Times, and more.
These are the best scones. I have made them multiple times. They also freeze well so make a double batch
So glad you loved them, LaNae! – Meggan
I’ve made this recipe several times and it’s perfectly delicious each time. So easy, so good!
Thanks, Colleen! Take care! – Meggan