These lemon blueberry scones are bursting with delicious flavor! With crisp edges and soft middles, fresh blueberries throughout and a bright lemon glaze on top. Serve them for breakfast, brunch, parties, holidays or anytime!
Lemon + blueberries is one of those flavor combos that can’t be beat. And every time I bake with the two I wonder why I don’t do it more often. This lemon blueberry scone recipe has been on my site for 15 years, and it definitely deserves a regular visit.
Did you know that scones are one of my favorite things to bake? They’re quick and easy to make, extremely delicious, and always feel a bit special. Bake a batch of these lemon blueberry scones and see what all the fuss is about. I promise you’ll love them as much as we do!
Table of Contents
Ingredients you’ll need
These lemon blueberry scones are a variation on my classic scone recipe and both use mostly basic baking staples. Here’s everything you’ll need (full recipe at the bottom):
- All-purpose flour, make sure to measure it correctly
- Cold butter provides flavor, texture and rise
- Sugar, salt and lemon zest for flavor
- Baking powder gives more lift
- Heavy cream for richness
- Fresh blueberries are the star!
- Powdered sugar and lemon juice for the simple glaze
How to make lemon blueberry scones
- Cut butter into dry ingredients and lemon zest. Mix flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt in a bowl. Add lemon zest and cold butter and use a pastry cutter cut the butter into small pieces.
- Add cream and blueberries. Pour cream over flour mixture and use a spatula to combine the two. While the mixture is still very soft and shaggy, add the blueberries and continue working the dough.
- Cut dough into wedges. Use your hands to finish bringing the dough together (being careful not to smash the blueberries!), then shape into a disk and cut into wedges.
- Bake. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet pan and brush with a bit of heavy cream and bake in a 400°F oven until golden brown.
- Top with icing. While scones cool slightly, whisk together powdered sugar and fresh lemon juice to make a thick glaze. Drizzle over the scones.
- Enjoy! These scones are best the day they are baked, but leftover will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for about 2 days.
The secret to baking perfect scones
A perfectly baked scone is incredible, while a mediocre scone is definitely not. Here’s how to make sure every batch of scones that comes out of your oven is
- Keep the butter and cream cold to ensure they rise tall and have the best soft texture.
- Handle the dough as little as possible. Too much kneading and handling strengthens gluten bonds, which creates a tougher texture.
- Use fresh blueberries. Frozen fruit has excess moisture which causes the color to bleed into the dough, and weighs it down.
- Serve them while they’re super fresh. The longer the scones sit, the more they dry out, and the more the contrast of crisp edges and tender insides disappears. I recommend serving them within 1-2 hours of baking, as the difference is notable! (See below for make-ahead tips.)
baking tip:Why biscuit and scone ingredients need to stay cold
For tall, soft, and flaky biscuits and scones, make sure you start with cold butter and milk/buttermilk, and work the dough quickly so the butter doesn’t have a chance to warm up. If your kitchen is really warm, consider freezing your biscuits and scones on the sheet pan for 15 minutes before baking.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, you can use half and half with very similar results, though start with only 3/4 cup and add more as needed. You can also use buttermilk for a slightly different flavor and texture; the scones will be a bit lighter and softer. If using buttermilk, add 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda along with the baking powder.
Absolutely! Use this recipe as a jumping off point to create your own delicious flavor combinations. Raspberries, chopped peaches, strawberries, cranberries etc. would all be delicious. Substitute lemon zest and juice for orange or even lime as you like.
Yes, you can, but I recommend fresh berries if they are available. If you decide to use frozen blueberries, do not thaw and be careful as you work them into the dough so the color doesn’t bleed.
Both unbaked and baked scones freeze very well! To freeze unbaked scones, place on lined sheet pan, cover with plastic wrap, and freeze as-is for several days. Bake as directed, adding a few minutes to bake time if needed. To freeze baked scones, freeze in a single layer in an airtight container or ziplock bag. Thaw at room temperature for a few hours, then glaze and serve.
Here’s the recipe
Lemon Blueberry Scones
These lemon blueberry scones are bursting with delicious flavor! With crisp edges and soft middles, fresh blueberries throughout and a bright lemon glaze on top.
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Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
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In a large bowl combine the flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, and lemon zest. Add the cubes of butter and either with a pastry blender or a fork, cut in the butter until the mixture is grainy and the butter is the size of peas.
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Add heavy cream and mix with a spoon until the mixture just starts to come together. Do not overmix. Add the blueberries and gently fold together so as not to crush the blueberries. Gather the mixture into a ball and dump onto a clean surface.
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Use your hands to form the dough into a dish about 1.5″ tall. Cut into 8 wedges. Place on the sheet pan about one inch apart. Brush scones with more heavy cream.
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Bake until golden, about 18-20 minutes until puffed and golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Meanwhile, make the glaze.
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Stir together the lemon juice and confectioners sugar until smooth, using enough lemon juice to make a thick but pourable glaze. Drizzle over the tops of the scones and let set briefly before serving.
Calories: 374kcal, Carbohydrates: 46g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 20g, Saturated Fat: 12g, Cholesterol: 63mg, Sodium: 160mg, Potassium: 221mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 20g, Vitamin A: 710IU, Vitamin C: 2mg, Calcium: 92mg, Iron: 2mg
This recipe was originally published June 2010, improvements were made to the recipe in 2018, and more tips and baking instructions added in 2025.
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