Whether it’s for a brunch spread or an afternoon pick-me-up, this homemade Blueberry Scones recipe is sure to delight! Buttery and flaky-yet-moist, dotted with chewy dried blueberries, and finished with a light sprinkle of sugar, these scones are a bakery-style treat you can easily make at home.
The inspiration for this Blueberry Scones recipe came from a bakery + bike shop next door to the office where I used to work. If you can only imagine how wonderful our office smelled every day, with their gorgeous baking projects wafting into our space. While everything they offered was delicious, I fell particularly hard for their scones; they had the perfect flaky-yet-moist texture and were just lightly sweet. It was hard to not walk next door every day to grab one out of their bakery case. Such yummy temptation! (Also be sure to check out this recipe for Strawberry Scones, because one can never have too many scone recipes.)
Why This Blueberry Scone Recipe Is the ONE
Once I perfected this recipe at home, I took a batch of these scones into the office for a test. I wanted to make sure I wasn’t fooling myself as to how closely they resembled the scones next door. And the response was overwhelmingly positive, with one co-worker friend even declaring them better than the scones next door! Here’s what makes this recipe a win:
- The perfect scone texture. If you like scones that are tender, moist, and flaky all at the same time, this blueberry scones recipe is just that. The butter-filled dough is very slightly sweet, and when baked, has a lovely thin, crisp exterior. Bliss!
- Easier than you think. I should also add that, despite their (undeserved, in my opinion) reputation for being fussy, this recipe for blueberry scones is easy and quick. Follow the instructions and pointers below and you can’t go wrong.
- Those dried blueberries, though. Dried blueberries are a little nod to the dried currants often added to traditional scones, and what the bakery next door always used. I do prefer to use dried blueberries instead of fresh (save those for Banana Blueberry Muffins), as they’re chewy and more intensely flavored than fresh blueberries. They add indescribable yumminess to these scones.
“Thank you for sharing this recipe! It’s delicious and so easy to make. I think the options for variations are endless!”
Maria
What You’ll Need
This recipe consists of mostly kitchen basics. Scroll down to the printable recipe card to find the exact ingredient quantities and full recipe instructions.
- Flour – Everyday all-purpose flour provides the base.
- Baking powder and baking soda – For rise.
- Salt – I use Morton’s kosher salt in my baking.
- Sugar – Add some to the dough and sprinkle some over the top of the scones. For a more assertive sugary crunch, you can use a coarser sugar like Turbinado or Demerara for sprinkling.
- Butter – Use unsalted butter straight out of the refrigerator. Cold butter is key to successful (flaky) scones!
- Dried blueberries – I recommend the dried wild blueberries from Trader Joe’s – they’re plump, chewy, and intensely flavored. My grandma loved them so much, she’d request that I pick up a few bags for her when she knew I was going to visit her.
- Buttermilk – Whole-fat store-bought buttermilk makes for a rich, tender crumb. Do not use the homemade buttermilk kitchen hack that has you whisking lemon juice or vinegar with milk; that’ll do in some recipes, but not for these blueberry scones.
- Egg – This adds rich flavor and helps to bind the batter together.
- Milk – Any kind you have on hand will work; this is for brushing onto the scones before baking, which gives them a golden glow and helps the sugar stick.
Can I Use Fresh Blueberries?
You can use fresh blueberries in this recipe, but to keep your scones free of big, juicy pockets that compromise their structure, I do recommend sticking with wild blueberries. They’re easier to work into the dough and offer a deeply rich and fruity flavor.
With that being said, you certainly can use fresh blueberries. Just know that the fresh berries can burst when working the dough and can get sliced when cutting the dough into individual scone shapes. So it does get to be a bit “messier”. But they’re still reeeeeally delicious. I find that it helps to use smaller sized berries if you want to use fresh blueberries, and adjust the quantity to 3/4 cup.
How to Make Blueberry Scones
Here’s a step-by-step view of the process for making homemade blueberry scones.
- Prepare. Preheat your oven to 425° F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Mix the dry ingredients. Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and 3 tablespoons of sugar in a large mixing bowl.
- Cut in the butter. Add cubes of cold butter to the dry ingredients. Use a pastry blender to cut in the butter until the mixture resembles a coarse meal.
- Add the blueberries. Fold them in, making sure they’re evenly distributed.
- Add the liquids. Form a well in the center of the flour mixture and add the buttermilk and egg to it. Stir until a shaggy dough forms.
- Knead. Knead the dough a few times, then form into a round.
- Shape the scones. Pat the dough round into an 8-inch disk, then cut into 8 wedges.
- Brush & sprinkle. Transfer scones to the prepared baking sheet. Brush the scones with milk and sprinkle the remaining sugar over their tops.
- Bake. Place pan in the oven and bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the scones are golden. Cool 5 minutes on the pan, then finishing cooling the scones on wire racks.
Tips for Making the Best Scones Ever
These are the three most important pointers for making sure your blueberry scones turn out perfect!
- Freeze your butter if needed. If you’re new to making scones, it can help to pop your butter in the freezer for 5 to 10 minutes so it’s extra chilly. This gives you a little more time to mix everything together before the butter starts warming up.
- Do not over-mix. Consider this the golden rule of making scones! Stir the liquids in just until combined (yes, streaks of unmixed dry ingredients are fine!), and handle the dough gingerly when you’re shaping and cutting it. You don’t want to over-activate the gluten or soften the butter from the heat of your hands, which are the two biggest culprits in lackluster scones.
- Make swift, confident cuts. Use a bench scraper or large chef’s knife to cut the dough into wedges. Don’t saw back and forth, or you’ll “seal” the edges and your scones won’t rise as much. Cut straight down quickly with firm pressure, and lift straight back up.
Serving Suggestions
On a cool, drizzly day, I can’t think of a better pick-me-up than a homemade blueberry scone with a schmear of Blueberry Butter and a warm Lavender Latte. A Vanilla Steamer would be excellent too!
Storing Scones
Whether it’s these blueberry scones or another variety, it’s a universal truth: scones are best enjoyed the day you make them. You can keep them at room temperature for 2 or 3 days or freeze the baked scones for up to 2 months, but they simply won’t have the same crazy-wonderful texture as the first day.
To revive a bit of that lovely outer crispness the following day, though, I do have a great tip. Rewarm the scones briefly in a toaster oven or air fryer. Works like a charm!
If a batch of scones is more than you can eat in one day, I recommend freezing the unbaked dough. I’ve shared instructions for this in the recipe card below so you’ll have them when you print the recipe.
More Scone Recipes
Blueberry Scones
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar, plus 2 teaspoons to finish
- ½ cup cold, unsalted butter, cut into ¼"-½" pieces
- ¾ cup dried wild blueberries
- ½ cup whole-fat buttermilk (do not substitute with a homemade version)
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 2 tablespoons milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a large bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and 3 tablespoons of the sugar.
- With a rigid pastry blender, cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse meal, with the largest butter pieces being the size of a large pea. Stir in dried blueberries. Make a well in the center; add buttermilk and egg, and stir just until combined, taking care to not overmix. The dough will be shaggy – rough and lumpy with visible clumps, but still well-combined.
- Handle the dough as little as possible to keep the butter cold, which will give you flakier scones. Quickly gather up the dough in the bowl with your hands, somewhat squeezing it to bind it altogether into a single round of dough. Place dough on a lightly floured work surface and knead 5 to 6 times, which will make everything come together into a smoother dough. Quick shape dough into a ball, place it on your lightly floured surface, and pat into an 8″ diameter disk. Then cut the disk into 8 wedges, using a stiff bench scraper or large non-serrated knife. When cutting, press straight down with the bench scraper, then pull it straight back up; do not saw or cut back and forth horizontally, as this will hinder the rise and overall flaky texture. Transfer wedges to prepared baking sheet, leaving at least 1" of space between each scone.
- Lightly brush the top of each scone with milk, then sprinkle remaining 2 teaspoons of the granulated sugar over the top of the scones.
- Bake 12-15 minutes, or until scones are golden. Let scones cool 5 minutes on the pan before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- These are best eaten on the day they are baked. The unbaked dough freezes really well, enabling you to store them in your freezer and bake them up fresh when desired. Just cut the dough into triangles and freeze them on a parchment paper lined baking sheet for 1 hour. Then store them in a freezer-safe container or baggie and place in the freezer for up to 3 months. On the day you want to bake them, take them directly from the freezer to the baking sheet lined with parchment paper (do not thaw first), brush with milk, and sprinkle with sugar. You will need to bake the frozen dough a bit longer, adding 3-5 minutes to the regular baking time.
- To revive outer crispness the following day, rewarm briefly in a toaster oven or air fryer.
- To use fresh blueberries, substitute dried blueberries with ¾ cup small fresh blueberries. Just know that kneading the dough will cause some of the berries to burst and it will be a bit “messier”. I prefer dried blueberries for this recipe, but I know I’ll get asked if fresh blueberries work. They do, it’s just not as easy to work with the dough. :)
Nutrition Information:
This post was originally published in 2010, then updated in 2025.
I’ve made these a few times and love them each time!
Thank you for sharing this recipe! It’s delicious and so easy to make. I think the options for variations are endless!
Just going to freeze them and then bake them up later. So much fun to bake!! Thanks for the great recipe. :)
Awesome! Enjoy! :)
I’ve never seen someone put fruit into a scone! In Britain they come with clotted cream (really think sweet butter) and jam…but this looks lovely as well.
I just found your site and made these lovely scones….OMG..they were wonderful! I will totally make them again. thank you for sharing your lovely recipes…they are yummy!
How lovely – this is one of my favorite recipes!!! Thank you so much for coming back to let me know, Helen! :)
These look super yummy! I’ve got 10 litres of wild blueberries in my fridge that I’ve got to either freeze or use up, and this recipe looks like a good bet.
Have you ever tried scones with clotted cream, like they do in England? Extremely fattening, but delicious.
Yes, please do try this recipe! And, yes, I have had Devonshire Cream with scones before…heavenly!!
Thanks! Wish I could rush home and make them now!
So, do you take requests? Unlock the recipe for lavender ginger shortbread cookies from Bramblewood Cottage…
Lavender ginger sounds like a very lovely combination. I see the site lists different places to find their goodies. Where have you found these cookies?
Kowalski’s have them! I’ve found a basic shortbread and added a 1 T lavender… and good. But not as good as the ginger & lavender. I LOVE a good shortbread cookie.
These are looking scrumptious! I am just getting ready for breakfast at 10 am on this summer day and wish I had a few frozen scone rounds in MY freezer! This may be a goal for this week! YUM!