Lemon Blueberry Scones

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Lightly sweet Lemon Blueberry Scones are the best treat for breakfast or brunch, and are one of my favorite afternoon snacks. Grab a hot cup or coffee or tea and enjoy a delicious moment with these terrific Lemon Blueberry Scones.

Buttery, flaky blueberry scones infused with lemon zest and juice

Bet you’re going to love these Lemon Blueberry Scones! These ultimate scones are stuffed with juicy blueberries and loaded with fresh tangy lemon juice and zest.

The scone dough is lightly sweetened just like our favorite coffeehouse confections. We sprinkle plenty of coarse sugar on top before baking to give the scones a nice crispy crust. Even with this sugary crust, the middle of the scones stay moist and tender.

Finally, a tangy sweet lemony glaze is drizzled over the scones just before serving for plenty of zing!

Ingredients overview

For the scone dough:

• granulated sugar – for a super moist scone, substitute brown sugar for the white.
• lemon zest – you’ll need the zest of 2 lemons. No white pith as it may make your scones taste bitter.
• fresh lemon juice – you only need a tablespoon which is about 1/2 of a fresh lemon.
• milk – whole milk is best in this recipe but you can also use heavy cream or half-and-half
• salt
• all-purpose flour – measured correctly using the stir, scoop and level method. Or use a kitchen scale and measure by grams.
• baking powder – always make sure your leavening agents are still active!
• unsalted butter, cold and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• fresh blueberries – in a pinch you can substitute frozen blueberries for fresh, but do not thaw first.
• additional milk or cream for brushing on top to give the scones a nice golden color.
• coarse sugar such as turbinado for topping

For the lemon glaze:

• confectioners’ sugar
• fresh lemon juice
• vanilla extract (optional)

How to make Lemon Blueberry Scones Recipe

1. Make lemon sugar

As with many of our lemon infused recipes, we start by combining the sugar and lemon zest in a small or mini-food processor. Pulse the lemon zest and sugar until the sugar is tinted yellow and the zest is broken down into tiny pieces.

The reason for this step is to release the intense lemon oil ensuring the flavor is distributed throughout the entire mixture. I swear by this step and always incorporate it into our lemon recipes.

This process of making lemon sugar is included in many of our recipes including our Lemon Cheesecake, Lemon Crumble Breakfast Cake, Lemon Sugar Cookies and these pretty little Lemon Cookies with Lemon Cream Filling.

2. Making the scone dough

In a small bowl combine the lemon sugar, lemon juice, milk and salt. Whisk until the sugar is dissolved. Set aside.

Next whisk together the flour and baking powder. Cut the cold butter into the dry ingredients using a pastry blender until only small pea size pieces remain.

Pour the blueberries into the flour and toss to combine. Add the milk and stir gently with a wooden spoon or spatula until the dough comes together. Take care not to overwork the dough or crush the blueberries.

3. Form the scone cake

Line an 8-inch cake pan with a double layer of plastic wrap. Leave the extra hanging over the sides. Sprinkle flour over the plastic wrap.

Using lightly floured hands, gently gather the dough and press into the pan to form an even 8-inch round.

Using the plastic wrap as a sling, lift the dough out of the pan and place on the prepared baking sheet. Discard the plastic wrap.

Cut the dough into eight wedges. Gently press the remaining blueberries into the top of each scone for decoration.

Brush the dough with a little milk or cream and generously sprinkle coarse sugar on top.

Separate the scones and bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack to cool before glazing.

4. Make the lemon glaze

Whisk together the powdered sugar and lemon juice until smooth. Add more sugar or lemon juice as needed for desired consistency. Drizzle over the warm scones and serve immediately.

Can you freeze Lemon Blueberry Scones?

As with many of our recipes, scones are best eaten the day they’re made.

However, feel free to freeze leftover scones, with our without the lemon glaze. Thaw at room temperature, then lightly warm in a microwave set at 50% power, if desired.

The tops won’t be crispy as they were when fresh, but they still taste terrific.

Substituting other fruits for the blueberries

As you know, blueberries and lemon are made for each other. However, raspberries or blackberries would be a great substitute for the blueberries in this recipe.

You can switch out the lemon with orange zest and juice if you want as we’ve done in our Cranberry Scone recipe. Whenever the fruit is naturally tart, I prefer adding orange juice which tends to be a bit sweeter.

Another great option is to omit the lemon and the blueberries and add chocolate chips instead. Make a simple glaze from melted chocolate, or use a combo of powdered sugar and milk.

It’s so easy to be inspired by these delicious wedges or buttery flakiness 🙂

More great scone and biscuit recipes:

We’re smitten with scones and biscuits but especially those loaded with fruits and tangy zest.

Try one of our easy recipes next time you want to turn your ordinary weekend breakfast into something extraordinary.

• Strawberry Scones
• Almond Peach Scones
• Buttery Apricot Scones
• Almond Cranberry Scones
• Apple Cinnamon Scones
• Blueberry Buttermilk Biscuits

Finally, don’t miss these tender Vanilla Bean Scones or these Raspberry Cream Scones. Both look amazing and are easy to make. Perfect for company any time of the year!

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Lemon Blueberry Scones

Prep Time: 20 minutes mins

Cook Time: 30 minutes mins

Total Time: 50 minutes mins

Yield: 8

Course: Breakfast

Author: Tricia

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5 from 4 votes

Lightly sweet and stuffed with blueberries, lemon juice and plenty of lemony zest!

Ingredients

For the scone dough:

• ¼ cup granulated sugar (55g)
• zest of 2 lemons
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 cup whole milk cold (8oz)
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 3 cups all-purpose flour (378g)
• 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
• 10 tablespoons unsalted butter cold (5oz)
• 1 ⅔ cups fresh blueberries divided
• milk for brushing on top
• 1 tablespoon coarse sugar for topping

For the lemon glaze:

• 1 cup powdered sugar (115g)
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, about 1/2 lemon +/- as needed

Instructions

To prepare the scones:

• Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
• In a small food processor combine the granulated sugar and lemon zest. Pulse until the sugar is bright yellow and the zest is broken down into tiny pieces.
• In a 2-cup measuring cup combine the lemon sugar, lemon juice, milk and salt. Stir until the sugar is dissolved. Set aside.
• In a large mixing bowl whisk together the flour and baking powder. Cut the butter into ½-inch pieces and add to the flour mixture. Blend using a pastry cutter until only small pea size pieces remain. Add 1 ⅓ cups of the blueberries to the flour mixture and fold gently until incorporated. Add the milk mixture and stir with a wooden spoon or stiff spatula until the dough comes together and no dry flour remains. Take care not to crush the blueberries.
• Line an 8-inch cake pan with a double layer of plastic wrap with extra hanging up and over the sides. Sprinkle a little all-purpose flour over the plastic wrap. Using lightly floured hands gather the dough together and transfer to the 8-inch cake pan. Lightly flour the top of the dough, if sticky. Gently press the dough to form an even 8-inch round.
• Using the plastic wrap as a sling, lift the dough out of the pan and place on the prepared parchment lined baking sheet. Discard the plastic wrap.
• Cut the dough into 8 wedges. Press a few of the remaining ⅓ cup of blueberries on top of each scone for decoration. Lightly brush the top of the dough with a little milk then generously sprinkle with coarse sugar.
• Separate the scones on the baking sheet. Bake for 25 to 35 minutes or until golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack and cool slightly before adding the glaze.

To prepare the glaze:

• Whisk the powdered sugar and lemon juice together in a small bowl. Add more lemon juice or powdered sugar as needed for desired consistency. Drizzle over the scones and serve immediately.

Recipe Notes

• Scones are best eaten the day they’re made.
• Store at room temperature for up to 1 day. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for 2 to 3 days. Rewarm gently in the microwave if desired. The scones will soften over time but are still delicious.
• You can skip forming the scone in a cake pan and use floured hands to mold into an 8-inch round.

Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. When multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.

Nutrition

Calories: 418kcal | Carbohydrates: 64g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 41mg | Sodium: 294mg | Potassium: 117mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 27g | Vitamin A: 499IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 120mg | Iron: 2mg

Originally published July 2011, updated June 2021SaveSave