Fresh Lemon-Blueberry Scones
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This lemon-blueberry scone recipe yields a flaky, buttery, sugar-crusted, and berry-loaded scone. Buttermilk makes the crumb especially tender, and a hint of fresh lemon zest so nicely complements the berries, adding a touch of brightness, too.
You might recall my obsession with Tartine? When you live hundreds of miles from this magical bakery, it’s good to have a few of their tricks up your sleeve. This lemon-blueberry scone recipe is a great place to start.
The key to making a good scone is similar to making a good pie crust or a good biscuit:
- Use cold butter.
- Handle the dough minimally.
Keeping the butter cold creates a flakiness in the finished pastry. Handling the dough with a light touch ensures the crumb will be tender.
There are a few ways to “cut” cold butter into dry ingredients:
- A pastry cutter: This hand-held, u-shaped tool works well if you have a sturdy one with solid (as opposed to wire) “blades”. I find pastry cutters to be a little tricky initially — they slip and slide — but once you make a few cuts, they beautifully “cut” the butter into the dry ingredients.
- The back of a fork: The back of a fork works similarly to a pastry cutter, but will require a little more elbow grease.
- Food processor: Ten 1-second pulses in the food processor will quickly cut butter into dry ingredients, as in this pie dough recipe. Finish the scone dough by hand, however: once the butter is cut into the dry ingredients, transfer it to a bowl and add the buttermilk and blueberries; combine using a wooden spoon or spatula.
- Box grater: If you freeze the butter before using it, you can run it down a box grater to create fine shreds, which will incorporate easily into your dry ingredients.
Three More Tips for Excellent Scones
- Use buttermilk: Buttermilk tenderizes gluten, which promotes a tenderness in the final product. It also offers a nice tang.
- Add citrus zest: Fresh lemon or orange zest makes all the difference in a pastry, offering a touch of brightness as well as a nice complement to the sweet fruit.
- Use the tea towel trick to shape: To prevent overworking the dough, mix it with a spatula until you have a shaggy dough; then transfer to a large tea towel and twist it into a beggar’s purse to bring it together.
PS: I use this same base recipe to make Buttermilk Currant Scones and Cranberry-Orange “Snow” Scones.
More Lemon-Blueberry Recipes
- Lemon-Blueberry Dutch Baby
- Lemon-Blueberry Muffins
- Buttermilk Blueberry Breakfast Cake
- Lemon-Blueberry Quick Bread
How to Make Blueberry Scones
First, gather your ingredients: flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, butter, berries, buttermilk, and a lemon.
Next, mix the dough just until it comes together (video guidance above and in recipe card):
Turn it out onto a floured work surface and shape into a rectangle or square about 1.5 inches thick:
Cut as you wish: rectangles, squares, triangles or rounds, using a biscuit cutter:
Transfer to a parchment lined sheet pan, and brush with butter and sprinkle with turbinado (or other sugar).
Bake at 400ºF for 20 minutes or until evenly golden:
Transfer to a cooling rack for 5 minutes before serving with butter or jam on the side.
Use this recipe as a guide. These currant scones and cranberry scones are favorites as well:
If you don’t feel like dealing with scraps and re-rolling the dough, simply cut it into triangles:
Fresh Lemon-Blueberry Scones
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 6 to 8 large scones
Description
Adapted from Tartine’s recipe for currant scones.
UPDATE 5/12/2023: I recently updated my method, which is highlighted in bold in the recipe below. If you prefer the old method, see the notes below the recipe. In sum I now:
- Grate the butter using a box grater.
- Use 1/4 cup more blueberries.
- Use the same tea towel method I use for my pie dough to bring the dough together.
- Cut the dough into 6 large triangles as opposed to smaller circles.
As always, for best results, use a digital scale to measure.
To freeze: After you place the scones on a sheet pan, transfer them to the freezer. Freeze until solid; then transfer the scones to an airtight container or bag. When you are ready to bake, there’s no need to thaw them. Bake as directed below straight from the freezer. The scones shouldn’t take much longer to bake from frozen, but keep an eye on them at the 20-minute mark.
To make your own buttermilk:
- Place 1 tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice in a liquid measuring cup.
- Fill cup with milk (2% or whole is best) until it reaches the 1-cup line.
- Let stand for five minutes. Use as directed.
Ingredients
- 2 1/3 cups (300 g) all-purpose flour
- 1.5 teaspoons (5 g) baking powder
- 0.5 teaspoon (3 g) baking soda
- 1/4 cup (50 g) sugar
- 1.25 teaspoons (6 g) salt
- zest of 1 lemon
- 1/2 cup (113 g) cold, unsalted or salted butter (I use salted)
- 1 to 1.25 cups (150 g to 195 g) fresh blueberries (I use 1.25 cups)
- 3/4 cup (190 g) buttermilk, plus more as needed
For finishing:
- 1.5 tablespoons melted butter
- sugar for sprinkling: turbinado is especially pretty but granulated is fine, too
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425ºF. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, salt, and lemon zest. Grate the stick of butter using a box grater, then scatter the shreds over the dry ingredients.
- Toss the butter with the dry ingredients and, using your hands, squeeze it gently to disperse it throughout the flour.
- Add the buttermilk and the blueberries, and mix gently with a spatula until you don’t see any dry patches in the dough — be patient here. The dough will still be shaggy and will not be a cohesive mass but when pinched, it should hold together. If the mixture seems dry, add a tablespoon more buttermilk (or more as needed). At this point, I now do what I do when I make pie dough: turn the crumbly dough out into the center of a large tea towel, grab the sides and twist the mass into a beggar’s purse, squeezing gently to help it form a disk. Open the tea towel and gently pat the dough as needed to help it come together.
- Dust your work surface with flour and turn the dough out onto it. Pat the dough into a 7-inch round circle. Brush the top with melted butter. Sprinkle with sugar. Use a bench scraper to cut the scones into 6 or 8 triangles (I prefer the larger size of the 6 scones, but they are on the large side, so do 8 if you prefer smaller scones.) Transfer the scones to the prepared sheet pan.
- Bake until the tops of the scones are lightly browned, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from the oven, let cool briefly, then serve with butter on the side.
Notes
Old Method: Step 4 on
- Add the buttermilk and the blueberries, and mix gently with a spatula until the dough holds together. If the mixture seems dry, add a tablespoon more buttermilk (or more as needed). Knead gently if necessary.
- Using your hands, pat the dough into a rectangle about 1½ inches thick. Using a 2.5-inch biscuit cutter or any round cutter, cut each disk into about 8 circles. Gather the scraps together and repeat.
- Transfer scones to prepared sheet pan. (I like to chill my scones for 20 minutes at this point before baking them; you also can freeze the scones at this point — see notes above.) Brush the top with melted butter. Sprinkle with sugar. Note: You also can simply cut these into triangles or rectangles, which is easier.
- Previously I would place another sheet pan beneath the sheet pan holding the scones because often the bottom of my scones would burn, but I have since updated my sheet pans, and I am not having those issues. Something to keep in mind if you find your scones to be too brown on the bottom.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: breakfast, scone, blueberry, buttermilk, lemon, brunch
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
154 Comments on “Fresh Lemon-Blueberry Scones”
Hello Alexandra, I always used the old version of this recipe and never had any problems. I absolutely loved them. Today I used your updated recipes and my scones didn’t rise at all! What could I be doing wrong. Thank you!
★★★★★
So strange! I’m so sorry to hear this. Are you confident in the freshness of your baking soda and baking powder?
Ali,I just took my Lemony Buttermilk Blueberry Scones out of the oven and ate one and they are DELICIOUS!!!This is my new scone recipe.The taste of the blueberries and the lemon and the biscuit itself is very tasty!!!!
★★★★★
Wonderful to hear this, Loretta! This is one of my favorites this time of year. Thanks so much for writing.
It should be 3/4 cup buttermilk as original recipe calls for 1 1/2 cup buttermilk.
Thanks, Renée! I use a cup because I consistently need to add more buttermilk, and I find it easier to add it at the start than to add it slowly as needed at the end. But you are correct in terms of the original recipe. Thanks!
Hello can you use a ice cream scoop for these a instead of rolling them out. Thanks
Worth a shot!
I don’t have buttermilk. Can I use half and half cream instead?
★★★★★
Should be fine, Vanessa! Are you measuring by weight?
Ali, do you think this would work with heavy cream/double cream instead of the buttermilk? I have no buttermilk on hand but really want to try these!! 🙂
Tried your recipes before, love them all. They all turn out perfect, specially your foccacia!
So sorry for the delay here, Liah! Yes, I it will work. Do you have lemon on hand? You could also “make” the buttermilk as directed in the notes using the cream and lemon.
No worries Ali, thanks for responding. Yes I do have lemons actually, so I’ll make the buttermilk with the heavy cream and lemon then (thanks, I didnt know I could do that!!). Trying these next week!
Hi, can frozen berries be used as well?
Thanks!
I measured everything with a scale & followed the directions. Unfortunately they flattened out & have more of a spongy texture. I think I should of held back some buttermilk. They were a bit too sticky. They taste ok & will probably eat them with yogurt or ice cream.
★★
I’m sorry to hear this, Rebecca! I need to revisit the recipe … I think the buttermilk is too much. When I scaled the recipe to a half recipe a few years ago, something got messed up. I made them recently and thought I added 2x the buttermilk by accident, because they came out more like muffins, but it’s possible there is just too much buttermilk to begin with. I’m really sorry about this.
I stumbled upon this recipe and after trying it, along with a few others, there is definitely too much buttermilk in this recipe. It’s a great recipe, but too wet and then the scone doesn’t rise. A bit spongy too which is again due to too much buttermilk. Most recipes call for 1/2 cup buttermilk per 2 cups flour so the 3/4 suggested by someone else seems accurate here. But otherwise an excellent recipe. It would be 5 stars if you had updated your recipe!
★★★★
Hi Ali,
I have always used the original recipe since I like to freeze half for time purposes. Could you resend the original version so that I may have both?
Thank you!
Arlette
★★★★★
This was perfect, first time I made these and I reccomment them to anyone.
★★★★★
Great to hear, Marianne! Thanks so much for writing 🙂 🙂 🙂
Hi Ali, I have made your original recipe many times and would like to continue to do so. Will doubling your current recipe take care of that? If not would you mind sending me the original recipe? I always like to make the larger batch and freeze one half! Thank you for your time.
Arlette Y.
Hi Arlette! Here are the double recipe proportions:
4 3/4 cup (608 g) all-purpose flour
1 T. baking powder
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp. lemon zest, grated
1 cup + 1 T. unsalted butter, very cold
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
2 cups blueberries
Topping
3 T. butter
sugar for sprinkling such as demerara or turbinado (regular granulated is fine, too)
Thank you so much! This delicious and very easy recipe is my go to for scones . I have made them many times and will continue to do so!
★★★★★
Great to hear 🙂
your recipe states 3/4 cup buttermilk but your video shows 1 cup. Can you please tell me which is the correct measurement? thank you
3/4 cup! or if you’re using a scale: 187-190 grams is most accurate
These looked just like the picture! The directions were easy to follow and the texture was perfect. I followed the recipe exactly. I like my scones a little sweeter though. I would increase the sugar next time and maybe sprinkle the top sugar a little heavier.
Thanks for the recipe!
★★★★★
Great to hear, Sheri! Thanks so much for writing and sharing your notes 🙂 🙂 🙂
I used kefir instead of buttermilk, worked out great!
★★★★★
Great to hear! Thanks for writing 🙂
Can I substitute buttermilk for heavy whipping cream?
I’m sure that would be fine!
Oh my! These are wonderful! For years I just bought store made scones because I thought I’d never be able to make them. That was a mistake! So easy! I’ll definitely be making these again! Thank you for the recipe!
★★★★★
Great to hear, Julie!
Made them today and they came out perfectly! I am a fairly good baker but have struggled with scone’s. They came out rock hard, so I kind of gave up on them. UNTIL….I’ve seen your version on a Facebook reel. Thank You – your technique worked like magic and they are delicious. I was so excited how perfect they came out, and used your method and made a batch of Bacon-Cheddar scones!
★★★★★
Yay! And I lOVE the sound of your savory scones… going to try!
Followed recipe exactly as written, excellent scone, thank you for the recipe!
★★★★★
Great to hear, Rick! Thanks for writing 🙂
Just made these for hubby’s birthday. He said “this is the best scone I’ve ever had”. My daughter and I both loved them as well. I was a little skeptical with the grated butter and working it into the flour but it came together and I only needed the recommended amount of buttermilk. I did put a lemon juice/confectioner sugar glaze over them after I pulled them out. They were light and tender. I will definitely make these again.
★★★★★
Great to hear Juliet! Thanks so much for writing and sharing your notes 🙂
Had this saved for quite some time and decided to make them this morning. Came out great! I used a 1/3 cup and did them as drop scones instead. Everyone loved them. Made a lemon glaze to drizzle on top. Definitely will be making these again
★★★★★
Yum! Sounds delish. Thanks for writing 🙂 🙂 🙂
I’ve made these a lot and it’s my favorite blueberry scone recipe. I also love Tartine and their blueberry scones, so was very happy to find this recipe. So good!
★★★★★
Great to hear, Stephanie! THanks for writing 🙂
Hi – I have made your blueberry scones and we loved them. I am trying zucchini/monterey jack scones. They’re in the oven now. I kind of used part of your recipe and part of a zucchini scone recipe I saw on instagram. Have you ever made savory scones? I’ll let you know how they turn out.
Karen, I have not! I have made cheddar cheese biscuits, which are similar and spirit, but not identical. I need to get on the savory scone bandwagon! I have become much more of a savory-treat person in recent years — as in, I’d order a ham and cheese croissant over a chocolate one any day. Hope your scones turn out well!
This recipe has become a favorite of our family. I mix the dry ingredients the night before to make it quick and easy in the morning.
★★★★★
Great to hear, Jeanette! Thanks for writing 🙂