These beautiful Lemon Blueberry Scones are so moist and tender, plus the zesty citrus flavor is a fantastic complement to this sweet biscuit. Top with a light and creamy cream cheese spread with a burst of lemon to really bring out all those wonderful flavors.
Our local mart was overflowing with blueberries and had a lot of good BOGO sales going on, so naturally scones are being made. Can’t beat that, and I just freeze whatever blueberries I have left (which is a lot since this recipe only requires a cup) and use them when I need.
Their great to have on hand in the mornings for oatmeal or pancakes since you can toss them in frozen before cooking.
I also pick through the berries and gather the smaller ones. I like them being more spread out and even through the scone.
What is the difference between scones and biscuits?
- Firstly, scones contain eggs and sugar whereas biscuits do not.
- Scones are also usually denser than biscuits and not as flaky.
- The scone dough is also denser and can be shaped more easily which isn’t the case for biscuits.
- Biscuits call for baking soda, whereas scones do not.
- Scone recipes call for more butter than a biscuit recipe.
Fresh or frozen blueberries in scones?
You can use frozen blueberries in this lemon blueberry scone recipe if you prefer. Just be sure that they are frozen when adding them to the mixture. They also may bleed into the dough moreso than fresh. This shouldn’t affect the sweet biscuit other than the color.
Fresh blueberries are my favorite as you can still taste the freshness even after baking and you retain that beautiful, lemony yellow color from the biscuit.
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What are the ingredients for blueberry lemon scones?
- all-purpose flour
- baking powder
- sugar
- salt
- unsalted butter
- heavy cream
- egg
- vanilla extract
- blueberries
- lemon, zest and juice
How to make this Lemon Blueberry Scones recipe
In a large bowl, combine your dry ingredients: flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Stir to combine.
Grate the frozen unsalted butter using a hand grater and cut into the dough with a pastry cutter, hand masher, two forks, or your hands until crumbles are pea-sized. Set this bowl of flour and butter mixture in the freezer while working on the remaining steps.
Whisk together the heavy cream, egg, lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla. Pour this over the flour mixture with the blueberries and fold until just combined. Try not to overmix, but everything is moistened, still.
Place down a piece of wax paper for easy clean up. Dump the scone dough onto the paper and press together to form a large ball. Then, press down and shape into a flat 8″ disc. If it is a little too sticky, flour your hands as you go.
Cut this disc into 8 equal pieces and arrange on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Place this baking sheet in the freezer for at least 15 minutes. If the sheet won’t fit, you can simply adjust this step and freeze the round first before cutting and arranging to be baked.
Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 400°F (204°C). When ready, remove the scones from the freezer. Brush heavy cream on top and bake for about 18-22 minutes, or until golden brown and cooked through. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely.
Top with your favorite glaze, or try this easy sweet cream cheese recipe. It’s the same recipe that I use to stuff crepes with! Plus, with the addition of lemon juice, it is so fresh and compliments the lemon blueberry scone perfectly.
Try these yummy sweet treats
- Poached Pear Sour Cream Tart
- Banana “Nanner” Nut Scones with Chocolate Chips
- Apple Cinnamon Crumb Cake with Brown Sugar Cream
- Indulgent German Chocolate Cake
Can you make scones ahead of time?
Most definitely. The best way is to freeze them uncooked and just pop in the oven whenever you’re ready. These blueberry scones with lemon zest already have a step before baking to do just this.
If freezing, wrap in plastic and store in an air-tight container or bag (after frozen) for up to 3 months. There’s no need to thaw, just add a few extra minutes to the baking time.
Want to make scones the night before? Not a problem, store in the refrigerator, covered, overnight and bake when ready.
Scones really are best warm out of the oven, so I don’t recommend baking them ahead of time. If you do, just be sure to store in an air-tight container up to 1-2 days. You can quickly warm the scone in the microwave for about 10 seconds, or about 3-4 minutes in a pre-heated oven.
Baking tips
- To ensure you get the best texture for scones, use frozen butter and grate it! It’s crazy how much of a difference this makes. Also, after preparing your dough, place the scone dough round in the freezer for about 30 minutes before baking.
- Also try to keep your cream cold, and even keep your mixtures cold throughout the prepping process, such as placing scones in the freezer before baking.
- For a crispy top, brush each scone with heavy cream before placing in the oven.
- Measure your flour by scooping into the measuring cup and leveling.
I hope you enjoy this Lemon Blueberry Scones recipe! Let me know in the comments if you tried this recipe. Be sure to tag #ladleandgrain on facebook, instagram, and twitter!
Lemon Blueberry Scones
Course: All Recipes, Breakfast, Dessert, Snacks, BrunchCuisine: British, AmericanDifficulty: Easy8
servings15
minutes18
minutesThese beautiful Lemon Blueberry Scones are so moist and tender, plus the zesty citrus flavor is a fantastic complement to its sweet biscuit.
Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour, scooped and leveled
1 tablespoon baking powder
6 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, frozen and grated
1/2 cup heavy cream, plus 2 tablespoons for top
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup fresh (or frozen) blueberries
1 tablespoon lemon zest, from about 1 large lemon
1 tablespoon lemon juice
- Cream Cheese spread
4 ounces cream cheese
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3-4 tablespoons lemon juice
Directions
- Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Add in cold grated butter and cut with a pastry cutter, or two forks until pea-size crumbles. Place the bowl in the freezer.
- In another bowl, whisk the egg, cream, vanilla, zest, and lemon juice together. Remove the flour bowl from the freezer and pour in the wet ingredients and stir until just combined and fold in blueberries. Do not over mix.
- On a piece of wax paper, dump the scone dough out and shape it into a large ball. Then, press down to form an 8-inch disc. Place this disc in the freezer for at least 15 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Pull scones from the freezer and cut into 8 equal triangle pieces. Place each scone on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- With the remaining heavy cream, brush the tops of the scones. Bake for about 18-22 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through. Removed from oven and allow to cool. Top with cream cheese and enjoy!
- While the scones are baking, make cream cheese topping.
- Cream Cheese Spread
- In a medium bowl, cream together cream cheese and sugar. Add in 2 tablespoons heavy cream, lemon juice, and vanilla and combine.
- In a separate bowl add in 1/4 cup heavy cream and whisk until stiff peaks form. Fold whipped cream into cream cheese.
- Store covered in the fridge for up to 3 days.
