All you need is 30 minutes for light and tender Lemon Blueberry Scones drizzled with a tangy lemon icing.
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When it comes to coffee shop snacks, scones are high atop the list of my ultimate iced latte accompaniments. When you add juicy berries and a tangy citrus glaze to the equation, you better believe I’ll be bypassing the cream cheese-filled muffins in favor of homemade scones time and time again.
But perhaps the sweetest part of this breakfast staple is the fact that homemade scones of any variety can be on your table in just 30 minutes. Simply stir together a few pantry staples, fold in your favorite mix-ins, cut out wedges and then pop the pastries into the oven. A short while later, you’ll be sipping and snacking from the comfort of your kitchen.
So you can ditch the long coffee shop lines, the overpriced less-than-fresh treats, and, most importantly, the need to change out of your pajamas. Because no shirt + no shoes = no problem!
The Best Lemon Blueberry Scones
- Ready in 30 minutes.
- Moist with a light and tender texture.
- Perfectly crumbly around the edges.
- Bursting with berries and bright citrus flavor.
- Drizzled with the best lemon glaze.
- Flour: You’ll need 2 ½ cups of all-purpose flour, plus a little more for your work surface and hands when you shape the dough.
- Baking powder: Gives these just the right amount of lift.
- Butter: Cold and cubed butter is the real secret to ensuring your scones are extra-flaky and moist.
- Berries: Fresh or frozen (thawed and drained!) blueberries, raspberries or blackberries can be used in this recipe.
- Heavy cream: To achieve that quintessential texture, heavy cream is a must. Buttermilk can be substituted, but don’t use milk or nondairy milk because they aren’t thick enough.
- Lemon juice & lemon zest: Use fresh lemon because you’ll need the zest, but also to achieve the best flavor.
- Eggs: Bind the ingredients together.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat.
- Whisk the dry ingredients together. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, salt and baking powder.
- Add the cold, cubed butter. Use your fingers, a fork or a pastry cutter to work it into the flour until the mixture is the consistency of wet sand. Don’t overmix! Working the dough too much will result in dense scones.
- Stir in the blueberries.
- Whisk the wet ingredients together. Whisk together the heavy cream, vanilla extract, lemon juice, lemon zest and eggs in a separate medium bowl.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Gently stir just until a wet dough forms, being careful not to mash the berries. Transfer the dough onto a generously floured work surface.
- Form the dough into an 8-inch circle and cut it into 8 wedges. Place each wedge onto the prepared baking sheet, spacing them at least 2 inches apart.
- Brush the tops with heavy cream. This will give the scones that perfectly golden brown and crisp exterior.
- Bake until they’re pale golden, about 20 minutes. Remove the scones from the oven and transfer them to a rack to cool completely.
The Best Lemon Glaze
We’re using simple ingredients to create a tangy, citrusy glaze similar to the one on my favorite pound cake. The difference here is that we’re adding just a splash of whole milk to thin the icing to the perfect consistency for drizzling atop scones. Here’s what you’ll need:
- confectioners’ sugar (also known as powdered sugar)
- whole milk (or whatever variety of milk you have on hand)
- lemon juice & lemon zest
- melted butter
Sift the confectioners’ sugar into a medium bowl (this prevents your icing from being lumpy so don’t skip this step!) then whisk in the other ingredients until well-combined. Pro Tip: If the glaze is too thick, whisk in additional lemon juice, 1 teaspoon at a time, until it thins to your desired consistency.
- Don’t overwork the dough. We want to mix it just enough until the ingredients are combined. Overworking the dough will make the scones dense and tough.
- Don’t forget to brush the scones with heavy cream (or buttermilk) prior to baking. It seals in moisture and lends a touch of sheen.
Recipe FAQs
Buttermilk can be substituted or you can make your own heavy cream by combining 2/3 cup of whole milk with ⅓ cup melted butter.
The dough should be tacky to the touch and leans more on the wet side rather than dry.
I recommend keeping them in an airtight container at room temp.
Ingredients
For the scones:
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
- 6 Tablespoons unsalted butter, cold and cubed
- 1 cup blueberries
- 1/2 cup heavy cream, plus more for topping
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 1/2 teaspoons lemon zest
- 2 large eggs
For the glaze:
- 1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
- 1 Tablespoon whole milk
- 2 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 1 1/2 teaspoons melted butter
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
Instructions
Make the scones:
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, salt and baking powder. Add the cubed butter, and using your fingers, work it into the flour until the mixture is the consistency of wet sand. Stir in the blueberries.
- In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the heavy cream, vanilla extract, lemon juice, lemon zest and eggs. Add the wet ingredients to the flour mixture, gently stirring just until a wet dough forms and being careful not to mash the blueberries.
- Transfer the dough onto a generously floured work surface and gather it into an 8-inch circle that’s about 3/4-inch thick. Cut the circle into 8 wedges then place each scone onto the baking sheet, spacing them at least 2 inches apart.
- Brush the tops of the scones with additional heavy cream then bake them for about 20 minute or until they’re pale golden. Remove the scones from the oven and transfer them to a rack to cool completely while you make the glaze.
Make the glaze:
- Sift the confectioners’ sugar into a medium bowl then whisk in the milk, lemon juice, melted butter and lemon zest until well-combined. (If the glaze is still too thick, whisk in additional lemon juice, 1 teaspoon at a time, until it thins to your desired consistency.)
- Drizzle or pipe the glaze over the completely cooled scones. Let the scones sit for at least 15 minutes before serving.
Kelly's Notes:
- Buttermilk can be substituted or you can make your own heavy cream by combining 2/3 cup of whole milk with ⅓ cup melted butter.
- Don’t overwork the dough. We want to mix it just enough until the ingredients are combined. It should be tacky to the touch and leans more on the wet side rather than dry.
- I recommend storing the scones in an airtight container at room temp.
- ★ Did you make this recipe? Don't forget to give it a star rating below!
Nutrition
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Recipe adapted from King Arthur Flour.
Kelly, I would like to start off by saying that this recipe is perfection! I’ve had this link saved on my phone for years and I keep a printed copy of it in my recipe book. Scones are my favorite breakfast pastry to bake, among many other sweets and treats, and I believe this recipe to be the best one. I came back to this site recently to reprint the recipe and I happened to venture into the comments. I’ve noticed that there are people who’ve experienced an overly wet or dry dough, they don’t hold their shape, or they just don’t find success overall.
This is where I’m adding my two cents, since I adore this recipe so much and have baked it time and again for some years now.
My experience has taught me to weigh the dry ingredients for consistency in baking. This is much more accurate than baking by volume. I’ve had recipes fall short by either being too wet or too dry simply because the flour was either compacted and measured straight from the bag, or it was sifted and aerated to where I ended up using less than I should have. Both issues are common, but can be fixed.
Some websites say that 2 1/2 cups of flour weighs 300 grams, while others say it weighs 312 grams. I, personally, weigh the flour to exactly 310 grams for this recipe. Whether the flour is compact or sifted, the same weight brings the same results. Personally, I use unbleached all purpose flour. The other dry ingredients don’t need to be weighed in my opinion, just the flour.
I use a heaping cup of fresh blueberries, and after I rinse them, I dry them completely, without breaking or smashing them, before I add them to the flour mixture. I know the recipe says one cup of blueberries, but I like to add up to 1/4 cup extra. (And for anyone trying this recipe, I made the mistake of using jumbo blueberries once, they are way too wet when baked, so please don’t use jumbo.)
I use the zest of an entire lemon, which is usually a little more than the recipe calls for.
Also, I use a box grater for the butter and shred it cold before adding it to the flour mixture. You can use your hands or a pastry cutter to work it in (some even use a food processor for this,) but I find that the warmth of my hands can melt the butter and lead to the scone spreading too much in the oven. If the shredded butter clumps in the flour mixture, only then do I use my hands to separate it. This is just easier for me, but either method is formidable, my hands are just too warm.
Baking these for the recommended 20 minutes leads to a lightly golden, cakey, tender scone that melts in your mouth- however- I sometimes bake these for 30 minutes. This gives them a deeper, richer golden color, flakey, crispy edges, and a tender inside that isn’t too dry. I like them both ways, but this recipe is perfectly adaptable.
And lastly, for the glaze, I just use the zest and juice from one lemon, a teaspoon of vanilla, and 2-3 cups of powdered sugar, give or take. I mix it all together (including the zest) to the right consistency so it’s not too thick or thin, and covers the scones evenly (I like drizzling the glaze from a snipped corner of a ziplock bag.) If it’s too thin, I add more powdered sugar, if it’s too thick, a small splash of water to thin it out. I feel that omitting the butter and milk allows the lemon to shine, but of course, your glaze recipe is very much decadent and delicious.
I have a personal aversion to using milk or cream in glazes and frostings (specifically American buttercream) as it significantly decreases the time it can sit out before the milk in it starts to sour. I use a splash of water to thin it out so it can sit longer at room temp. Only if I’m serving immediately do I use dairy in a glaze or a frosting recipe. That’s just me, though.
This recipe is also perfect as a ‘base’ recipe for other scones as well. I’ve swapped the blueberries for a heaping cup of fresh cranberries that I rinsed, dried completely, and halved horizontally, then I swapped orange juice and zest for the lemon and made the most delicious cranberry orange scones. I never use dried fruit in this recipe if I can help it. There was a time I used dried cherries, though, as fresh, chopped cherries were simply too wet.
I don’t mean to ramble on, but your recipe really is the best and most adaptable one out there. I call this a ‘tried-and-true’ recipe as it is always consistent, never fails, and produces the best scones I’ve ever made, hence the many times I’ve baked and experimented with it.
Thank you, Kelly! This has been my favorite go-to for years now. I appreciate you. I’ve noticed in the comments that you mentioned re-testing this recipe. I’m curious if you were to try any of my suggestions for fun and what your thoughts would be on any of it.
Regardless, this really is the BEST recipe! It’s so fun to play with!
So glad you enjoyed the recipe, Johnathan!
Would this taste okay the next day? Looking for yummy breakfast items I can cook the night before and serve in the morning. I have 25+ teens coming for breakfast.
Absolutely, Olivia! Just store them in an airtight container at room temp.
I made these today. I split the recipe in half (thank you for not having to split 3 eggs!!) to make 4 tho I probably could have made 5. Mine turned out darker than your picture but they were delicious and light. Will definitely put this in my book of keeper recipes. Thank you.
You are so welcome, Cyndi! I’m thrilled you enjoyed the recipe!
I just made these with my kids and we’d all give them 10 STARS if we could! The batter wasn’t too loose. It was perfect and I’m shocked I can actually make scones that taste better than my local bakery scones!
I’m so thrilled you all enjoyed the recipe, Blakely!
Hi everyone! I retested this recipe and decreased the heavy cream from 3/4 cup to 1/2 cup and the dough is perfect and not too sticky (for anyone having that issue!). Enjoy!
Wonderful! Made two days in a row so far! Thank you for this moist scone recipe. My family enjoyed them so much!
I’m so happy to read this, Alexandria!
Easy enough to make, for me though it was a bit lack luster in flavor and texture. Flavor is seriously enhanced by the glaze, the texture is a bit too soft for me, I like a crispier texture on the outside the inside was a bit floury for me, I put them back in and baked a few minutes extra. I followed the recipe very closely, I added more zest other than that I followed it. The blueberries are a great idea, my error could be I used large frozen berries, and they may have make the dough a bit dougheier. (is that a word).. not tender. Next time I would use fresh blueberries, more butter, and made them smaller than suggested to get the outside crispier texture , which we prefer.
Great base recipe though!
Thanks so much for your feedback, Rosie. I’m sorry you didn’t enjoy the recipe.
I have made lots of scones, but these are these best ever! Not sure why, but it came together perfectly and they are so tender and delicious. This is my final scone recipe, won’t ever need another. Thanks!
WOWZA! Love reading this, Lynn! I’m so thrilled you enjoyed the recipe :)
Made these today! Oh so good I love lemon and blueberry together.
I’m thrilled you enjoyed the recipe, Susan!
Amazing recipe! Made these this morning for my girls who are home from college and we all loved them! Thank you!
I’m so thrilled to read this, Robin!
This is my go-to scone recipe! They melt in your mouth and are so delicious. Perfect for company. Thank you!
I’m so thrilled you’ve been enjoying the recipe, Meghan!
I’ve made these twice with no problem of the batter being too wet. Great taste and easy to make.
Woohoo! I’m so thrilled you’ve been enjoying the recipe, Lisa!
Can we have measurements in weights as well as cups, far more precise and accurate And the rest of the world does it that way. Maybe °C as well as °F
Hi Neil – I don’t provide metric conversions for my recipes, as I cannot guarantee they would be 100% accurate without being tested. However, you are welcome to use an online converter. :)
Hello
After reading comments about mixture being to wet and response of you re- testing the recipe, am wondering if the recipe amounts have been corrected before attempting to make them.
Thank you
Hi Joycelyn! I haven’t yet updated the recipe. Here’s a link to all of my scone recipes in case you’d like to try a different one: https://www.justataste.com/?s=scones :)
Second time I’ve made these. I’ve followed the recipe exactly as written and they were delicious! Thanks for sharing this recipe, Kelly – it’s a keeper! :)
You are so welcome, Lauren! I’m thrilled you’ve been enjoying the recipe!
I have made these a couple times now and they always turn out excellent. I have had a batch or two where the dough is quite wet and hard to work with, as others have mentioned. I figure that has to do with measuring flour by the cup… it can be significantly different amounts depending on how packed it is. Maybe adding amount of flour by weight would helpful? Either way they’ve always turned out great!
Awesome!
I had the same experience that Sue had, dough was so wet, I ended up adding at least another cup of flour. They turned out tough, not that tasty. Maybe I should have added 1 egg instead of 2, and I also used whole milk instead of heavy cream, since I had none. I don’t think that should have made a difference in how wet it was. Don’t know what went wrong.
I’m sorry you experienced this issue, Gloria. We’re re-testing the recipe, stay tuned!
I used half and half instead of heavy cream, since I had one and not the other. Otherwise, I followed the recipe exactly. Even double checked myself twice to make sure I got the measurements right.
The dough was incredibly wet… so wet that I had to add probably another cup of flour after I turned it out of the bowl. It was driving me nuts because sadly, I know the dough was way over-handled. Figuring my “happy birthday to myself” scones are going to be super tough and not the delicacy I was hoping for. I’m bummed.
Anyone else have the same issue??
Hi Sue! I’m sorry you experienced this issue. We’re re-testing the recipe now and will let you know.
This is the best scone recipe. Everyone thought I went and bought them at the bakery. Going to make second batch as they Went fast!!
Woohoo! I’m so thrilled you enjoyed the recipe, Sandy!
I had never made scones before. This recipie was a huge success. It was my turn to bring snacks to a monthly 9 am meeting. Everyone loved them. They requested that I bring these scones to a tea we are having in April. I made them 1/2 the size the recipie suggested. It yielded 16 scones, which was the perfect size for my event. Everyone thought they looked like bakery scones. They were so pretty with the drizzled glaze over the top of the scones. Thank you for making this recipie easy to understand and follow.
Thank you so much for your comment, Denise! I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Turned out awesome. The glaze super lemony
I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe, Becky!
My family and I really enjoyed these scones. We had them for breakfast this morning with coffee and hot chocolate. Thank you!
Can you use half & half instead of heavy cream?
Hi Chris Anne! You can make your own heavy cream by combining 2/3 cup of whole milk with 1/3 cup melted butter. Hope that helps!
Waaayyyyy too wet -I bake often and when it called for 3/4 c of heavy cream I thought it did sound like a bit much but after mixing – according to instructions it was a huge blob. I ended up scooping and baking -great flavor but way too much liquid. Next time I’ll know what adjustments to make
My first time trying to make scones for my
Scottish Wife she loved them. They definitely are not a “sweet” treat. I did put cane sugar on top before I baked them. I know now that I needed a little more flour. But they were divine. Thanks fir the recipe!
So glad you enjoyed the recipe, Debi!
Thank you for the delicious recipe. My family enjoyed them. Mine also didn’t hold shape as well as yours, but I think with a small adjustment of more flour or less milk it would have been perfect. Thank you!
So glad you and your family enjoyed the scones, Cheryl!
I made these for the first time today and they were a hit…twice! Thanks for making not the guy who came late, but the guy who brought homemade scones.
Woohoo! So glad you enjoyed the scones, Joshua!
Hello. I just made your scones, but they didn’t hold their shape as well as yours. Can you offer any suggestions as to why? I would like to try again.
Thank you :)
Hi Rebecca – It’s hard to say what might cause this. It could be that the mixture was overworked or your ingredients were at room temperature (versus cold).