Lemon Blueberry Scones

Name: Lemon Blueberry Scones
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 65 min
Ingredients: 2¼ cups flour; ½ cup sugar; 1 tbsp baking powder; ½ tsp cinnamon; 1 tbsp lemon zest; ½ cup buttermilk ((or heavy cream)); 1 tbsp limoncello ((or lemon juice)); 1 tsp lemon juice; 1 large egg ((beaten)); ½ cup salted butter ((frozen)); 1 cup frozen blueberries; 2 ounces cream cheese ((optional)); 2 ounces cream cheese ((softened)); ½ cup confectioner's sugar; 1½ tsp half and half; 1½ tsp limoncello ((optional, may substitute lemon juice))

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Moist on the inside, crunchy and crumbly on the outside, and absolutely delicious! Even if you're not a scone person, you'll love these tender Lemon Blueberry Scones with a lemony cream cheese glaze. Serve these delicious scones with a hot cup of tea, butter, or Clotted Cream and jam.

The Story Behind This Lemon Blueberry Scones Recipe

Last night I went out with some of my dear Montana friends, which is our usual Monday night plan. We start the night off at a local pub for dinner and end the night at Anita and Bob's beautiful log home, where we have coffee and dessert.

Anita and Bob were preparing to head back to California for the winter. In an attempt to empty her fridge, Anita began pulling food from her fridge and asking if any of us wanted the food items.

Anita divvied up the items, and I ended up with a small jug of buttermilk, a block of cream cheese, and some lemons.

milk, butter and lemons on a marbled counter

The ladies and I sat around Anita's kitchen table and discussed ideas for what to make with my ingredients. After considering some of the suggestions, I decided on lemon scones and later decided to add blueberries.

Early this morning, while we enjoyed a magical winter snowstorm, I developed this Lemon Blueberry Scones recipe.

I have to say, they were perfect the first time around. However, I made a few minor adjustments with the second batch which made them even better!

What Goes into This Recipe

lemon blueberry dry ingredients — Lemon Blueberry Scones Dry Ingredients

Wet Ingredients

Cream Cheese Glaze Ingredients

cream cheese icing ingredients — Cream Cheese Glaze Ingredients

How to Make This Recipe

Before you start, place butter in the freezer for at least one hour, or until frozen solid.

Step 1

Add your dry ingredients into a bowl and mix to combine.

Step 2

Using a cheese grater, grate frozen butter into the dry ingredients. Use a pastry cutter or a fork to work the butter into the dry ingredients until crumbly.

Step 3

Stir frozen blueberries or huckleberries into the dry ingredients.

Step 4

Make a well into the center of the dry ingredients. Whisk the wet ingredients together and pour into the center of the bowl.

Step 5

Using a fork, gently work the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients just until the dough comes together. The dough will be pretty crumbly. Do not overmix. If necessary, add a few more tablespoons of buttermilk to bind the dough.

Step 6

Cover workspace with flour, then transfer the dough onto the floured surface. Press and push the dough into an 8" circle. Be gentle with the dough and handle only as necessary to shape the dough into a disc.

Step 7

Using a pastry cutter, divide the dough into 8 equal portions. The easiest way to do this is to slice the dough in half, then quarters, then eights.

Step 8

Gently transfer the blueberry scones onto a parchment-covered cookie sheet. Chill in the refrigerator for 15 minutes. This helps the scones to keep their shape. While the scones are chilling, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

uncooked scones on a cookie sheet — **No, those aren't just blueberries. Yes, I snuck in some huckleberries.**

Cream Cheese Glaze

While the oven is heating, prepare the cream cheese glaze.

Step 1

Using a hand-held mixer or a food processor, mix the softened cream cheese with the wet ingredients. Add the confectioner's sugar last. Mix thoroughly to make a smooth glaze.

Step 2

Cook scones for 18 to 20 minutes, or until golden in color. Place scones on a rack until completely cool.

Step 3

Transfer the glaze into a small Ziploc bag and poke a tiny hole into one of the corners of the bag. Squeeze the glaze down into the corner of the bag. Drizzle the glaze over the slightly cooled scones and eat while warm.

Recipe FAQs

What Do Scones Taste Like?

Scones are slightly sweet since they usually contain a small amount of sugar. The texture is supposed to be crumbly on the outside and moist on the inside, especially when they contain fruit. American Scones are usually sweeter than the scones in the UK.

Scones come in many flavors, some with vanilla, others with lemon juice. The fruit and spices used also affect the flavor.

Here's what Kathy thinks about these scones:

"If you don’t like scones because they taste like sawdust, you haven’t tried Hilda’s Lemon Blueberry Scones. I had no idea scones could be this yummy. I love the lemon and blueberry combination. You won’t need to doctor these scones up with additional toppings. The cream cheese drizzle is just right. I think the most pleasant part of biting into one of these scones is the crunch on the bottom. Thanks for changing my mind about scones Hilda. But then, nothing else will measure up."
—Kathy

What Can You Add to Scones?

You have all kinds of options when it comes to making scones. Here are some of them:

• Fresh or dried fruit: berries, figs, dried apricots, craisins, raisins, or currants.
• Nuts: almonds, walnuts, and pecans are great options.
• Flavoring: Vanilla extract, lemon juice, or orange juice.
• Chocolate chips or chunks.

Should You Rest Scone Dough?

Resting the dough in the fridge while the oven is heating up is highly recommended. This keeps the butter from melting prior to baking the scones.

Expert Tips

To make huckleberry scones, follow the same recipe, replacing the blueberries with huckleberries.
Treat the scone dough very gently. Overworking the dough will cause the scones to be tough.
Keep all your ingredients cold until needed. The colder the better. This prevents the butter from melting before baking. When the butter melts in the oven, it creates flaky, delicious scones.
Chill the shaped scones in the fridge for 15 minutes, while the oven is heating up.
Serve the scones as soon as they're ready. Fresh scones taste the best.
Most scone recipes call for brushing the tops of the scones with half and half or cream before baking. I tried the recipe by brushing the tops and without and got the same results.
This dough can be slightly dry and crumbly. If needed, add a few tablespoons on additional buttermilk to help bind the dough.

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This recipe was originally published on 11/13/2019. It was updated on 2/18/21 by increasing the sugar from ⅓ cup to ½ cup.

Lemon Blueberry Scones

The Story Behind This Lemon Blueberry Scones Recipe