A good scone is a treat, and if it's bursting with blueberries, it's even better. This recipe uses basic ingredients and makes tender, buttery, flaky ones. They are juicy enough but not overly wet, which can be an issue, something I learned after years of making different ones. This can be your master scone recipe for different berries or add-ins.
If you start now, you can have them ready in an hour! The scones can be cut and kept unbaked in the freezer for whenever the craving comes.
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Juicy, flaky scones
Scones are one of my favorite things to eat and bake. They are not hard to make and use simple ingredients, mostly pantry staples.
But it's all in the details: cold butter and wet ingredients, working the dough as little as possible, correct oven temperature and other similar minutiae.
Scones with added fruit are a great way to start the day, beautiful for a brunch table or an afternoon snack with your favorite cup of whatever you drink.
In other posts, I discussed my great-grandmother's recipe that, according to my family, I could never recreate. It might be the reason I started testing so many types of scones. In time, I found my favorite buttermilk scone recipe and decided to wing the family debate.
Testing notes
Paula's baking tips that can make a difference.
Baking powder: It's essential to help the scones rise, so make sure it's not expired. And that you don't forget to add it; not that it happened to me (wink!). Otherwise, you'll get flat, hard, pretty inedible rounds like hockey pucks.
Very cold ingredients: I put the cut butter pieces in the freezer for 5 minutes before using them. And don't take the liquid ingredients out before you start mixing the scones. They belong in the fridge until you need them.
Don't work the dough much. It should come together, but might still have floury patches. You don't need to work it until it's smooth, like pie dough. It is uneven, with dry spots sometimes, and that's good for flakiness later.
A rather high oven is necessary: they need that extra heat (and baking powder) to rise. If you happen to forget to turn the oven on before you start mixing, please don't leave the baking sheet with the cut scones waiting on the counter. Put them in the fridge or freezer for the ten or fifteen minutes it takes for the oven to reach its temperature.
I strongly advocate eating the scones the day they're made. But if you have leftovers, they keep well for a day or two in an airtight container at room temperature. After that, I recommend freezing them more than storing them in the fridge; always well wrapped or covered to prevent dryness. Warm them before eating.
Scones freeze like a dream and can be baked directly, without thawing. Freeze the already cut scones (I do it on the baking sheet) until they are rock solid, and then transfer them to a bag, so they take up less space in your freezer and free up the pan. When you crave warm, fluffy scones, place them on the baking sheet directly from the freezer and bake in a 375°F (190°C) oven. They might take a few more minutes to fully bake.
Ingredients
Quantities are listed on the recipe card towards the end of this post. The Ingredients page has more details and lists the brands we use.
- Fresh blueberries are my choice when available, but frozen ones (without thawing) can be used with great results.
- Baking powder: make sure it's not expired.
- Milk: Whole milk will give richer results. But reduced-fat milk can be used.
- Cream: heavy cream, whipping, or heavy whipping cream can be used.
How to make blueberry scones
It's all in the details. So follow them closely. I'm showing the process by hand, as I feel it's the way to learn better and get a feel of the dough.
But you can use a food processor for step 1. It's faster and less messy (no hands involved), but watch carefully so you don't process the butter too much. Stop when the butter is about the size of peas or chickpeas. It will be uneven. Transfer the flour and butter mixture to a large bowl before continuing with step 2.
Mix dry ingredients with butter
Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl, and add the cold butter pieces. Integrate with your hands or with a pastry cutter (or pastry blender). This can take a few minutes as the butter needs to be the size of peas and small beans because it will be irregular.
Wet ingredients
Lightly whisk the eggs and add them to the flour mixture with the milk and cream. Mix with a fork or spoon a little. You just want to moisten the dry ingredients.
Shaggy dough
The scone dough will look very dry, but if you squeeze some of the mixture in your palm, it will come together. Add the blueberries and barely mix to incorporate. You don't want to crush them. Dump the mixture onto a clean surface. Some blueberries will be loose.
If needed, use a lightly floured surface.
Handle lightly
Gather the shaggy mass with your hands or a dough scraper, folding it onto itself several times until you can form a disk. Be as careful as possible so the juicy blueberries don't burst.
It does not have to come together like a pie crust, so touch it as little as possible to create a disk that you can cut.
Cut the scones
Cut the dough round with a kitchen knife or a dough cutter into 6 or 8 triangles.
Triangle scones are much larger than we imagine when they bake, so I recommend eight scones if you want regular ones.
Separate the wedges
Place them on the baking sheet and freeze for 15 minutes before baking. You can line it with parchment paper if you want to.
For a crunchier top, brush with milk or water and sprinkle with granulated or coarse sugar.
Baking
Scones are ready when they puff and turn golden brown with a dry top. If unsure, you can gently lift the top of one with a fork and make sure there are no wet pockets of dough.
Powdered sugar glaze:
If you like a sweeter scone and some extra lemon flavor, drizzle lemon glaze on the cold scones and let them dry before eating.
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Flaky Blueberry Scones (with best tips)
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold
- 1 egg
- 2 tablespoons milk, cold
- 2 tablespoons heavy or heavy whipping cream, cold
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups blueberries, fresh or frozen, straight from the freezer
Instructions
- Make sure the butter cubes, cream, and milk are as cold as possible. I like to put them in the freezer for 10 minutes before starting.
- Have ready a baking sheet, lined with parchment paper if necessary. See Notes below.
By hand:
- In a large bowl, stir together 2 cups all-purpose flour, ½ cup sugar, 1 tablespoon baking powder, ¼ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Add 6 tablespoons unsalted butter and integrate with your hands or a pastry cutter until it's the size of peas and beans. Don't overwork it. The butter should remain cold. If it's starting to soften, put the bowl in the refrigerator or freezer for 10-20 minutes, or until the butter hardens again.
Food processor:
- Put 2 cups all-purpose flour, ½ cup sugar, 1 tablespoon baking powder, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon in the bowl of the food processor. Pulse a few times to integrate.
- Scatter 6 tablespoons unsalted butter on top, and pulse on/off until the butter is the size of peas and beans. Don't get carried away and process the butter too much.
- Transfer the mixture to a large bowl.
For both methods:
- In a medium bowl, beat 1 egg slightly with a fork, just to make it more fluid, and add 2 tablespoons milk, 2 tablespoons heavy or heavy whipping cream and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Stir to blend.
- Mix lightly with a fork or spoon. It will be floury but, if you squeeze a piece of dough in your hand, it will come together.
- Toss in 1 ½ cups blueberries and stir lightly, trying not to crush them.
- Transfer this whole shaggy mass to a clean surface.
- With your hands (I use a cornet to aid me) start bringing the dough together, folding it onto itself as best as you can. Don't knead it as you would a pie dough. It only needs to be patted into a rough circle. (I recommend you watch the video in the blog post for guidance). There will be floury patches.
- Transfer the dough circle to the prepared baking sheet. Cut the round in half, and then each half into 3 wedges with a kitchen knife or a dough scraper.
- Pop into the freezer for 10 minutes or the refrigerator for 20 minutes while preheating the oven.
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
- Bake for 10 minutes, turn the oven down to 350°F (180°C), and continue baking for about 20 minutes until the top is golden and dry.
- After 30 minutes, take out the sheet and check that the scones are done by carefully lifting the top of one and checking that the inside is done and not still raw. Bake for 5-10 more minutes if needed.
- Let cool on a wire rack.
- Store at room temperature for 1-2 days and warm slightly in the oven before eating.
MrsB says
Ok, I have to modify my previous comment. While these were the worst ones I’ve ever made technically, now that I’ve tasted them, I think they are the best I’ve had in terms of texture and flavor. The outside was crispy/crunchy and the inside was tender and flavorful. Maybe in the future, I will reduce the amount of blueberries and flour.
Paula Montenegro says
Hi MrsB! Thanks for the feedback, it really helps. I will add extra comments about the technique, as I find it does create great scones texture-wise, but can feel like a hassle or that it's not working. And will re-test them with less flour and see if they can be improved. Have a great week!
angiesrecipes says
They are our favourite too, esp. the one with berries! Yours look so amazing!