Brunch & Breakfast Pastry

Blueberry & Lemon Scones

Name: Blueberry & Lemon Scones
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 8 scones
Cuisine: British
Ingredients: 350 g self-raising flour; 1 tsp baking powder; 75 g caster sugar; 100 g cold unsalted butter, diced; 150 ml whole milk; 1 large egg; 1 tsp vanilla extract; 1 unwaxed lemon, zested; 150 g fresh blueberries; For the glaze: 100 g icing sugar, 2 tbsp lemon juice

The butter must be cold when it hits the flour so it stays in small flakes.

By Dana Reyes

Tested at least twice · Updated September 2026

Blueberry & Lemon Scones — Craggy-topped scones with fresh blueberries and a sharp lemon glaze.

10 min

Prep time

25 min

Cook time

Serves

4.8

1,152 RATINGS

Why cold butter is non-negotiable

The butter must be cold when it hits the flour so it stays in small flakes. In the oven, those flakes melt and create the layers that make a scone light rather than dense.

Fresh blueberries can burst and turn the dough grey if over-mixed. Fold them in at the very end with as few stirs as possible.

Instructions

About 35 min from start to finish

Preheat the oven to 200°C and line a baking tray.

Rub the butter into the flour, baking powder, sugar and lemon zest until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs.

Whisk the milk, egg and vanilla together. Pour into the dry ingredients and mix briefly until a shaggy dough forms.

Gently fold in the blueberries, then tip onto a floured surface and press into a 2 cm thick round. Cut into 8 wedges.

Transfer to the tray and bake for 15-18 minutes until golden. Cool slightly, then drizzle with the lemon glaze.

Testing notes & substitutions

Three rounds of testing turned up three things worth knowing before you start cooking.

Do not over-work

The less you handle the dough, the lighter the scones. It should look rough and slightly crumbly before baking.

Frozen blueberries

Use straight from frozen and do not thaw — they will still bleed a little but hold their shape better.

Serve warm

Scones are best within an hour of baking. Split and top with clotted cream or butter.

Questions we get a lot

Why are my scones tough?

Over-mixing or over-working the dough develops gluten and makes them chewy.

Can I make them round?

Yes — use a 6 cm cutter and press straight down without twisting.

Can I freeze them?

Yes — freeze after baking and reheat in a warm oven. Glaze after reheating.

Dana Reyes

Dana has cooked professionally for eleven years and has been testing recipes for Hearth & Thyme since 2019. She writes about weeknight cooking, slow breads, and the small techniques that quietly change a dish. Every recipe she publishes is cooked at least twice, in an ordinary home oven.