Glazed Lemon Blueberry Scones

Name: Glazed Lemon Blueberry Scones
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 50 min
Ingredients: 2 cups all-purpose flour; ½ cup sugar; 2½ teaspoons baking powder; ½ Tablespoon lemon zest; ½ teaspoon cinnamon; ½ teaspoon nutmeg; ½ cup salted butter (frozen); ½ cup heavy cream; 1 large egg; 2 teaspoons vanilla extract; 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries; 1 cup powdered sugar; 2 Tablespoons milk or heavy cream; 1 teaspoon vanilla

5 from 1 vote

Made with fresh or frozen blueberries and lemon zest and topped with a vanilla glaze, these light and flaky scones are perfect for a tea party or your next Sunday brunch.

Jump to Recipe

Are you looking for a delicious pastry for a Tea Party or your next Sunday Brunch? Look no further than these delightful glazed lemon blueberry scones! Made with fresh or frozen blueberries, a hint of citrus and topped with glaze, these tasty treats are the perfect way to add some zing to your morning

Not only are these lemon blueberry scones a staple for a traditional tea, they are also one of my favorite recipes to serve for brunch.

They’re a nice alternative to muffins or sweet breads, if you’re looking for a little variety,

They’re easy to make and can be made ahead of time. Which is always a bonus if you’re having people over.

I like to freeze them before baking them. Then you can cook them just before serving and they’re fresh out of the oven when you serve them.

Adding the glaze is the perfect finishing touch. While it is optional (and they’re still good without it), I think most baking tastes a little better with frosting!

Ingredients

This recipe makes about 8 scones.

Here is your shopping list:

Baking supplies: 2 cups all-purpose flour, 2½ teaspoons baking powder
Sugar: ½ cup granulated sugar, 1 cup powdered sugar
Spices: ½ teaspoon cinnamon, ½ teaspoon nutmeg
Flavoring: 3 teaspoons vanilla
Fresh produce: 1 lemon
Fruit: 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries. If you are using frozen blueberries, do not thaw them before putting them in the batter.
Dairy: ½ cup salted butter, ½ cup plus 2 Tablespoons heavy cream.
Eggs: 1 large egg

Substitutions

If you don’t want to make the glaze, omit the powdered sugar, reduce the vanilla to 2 teaspoons and reduce the heavy cream to ½ cup.
Substitute ½ cup buttermilk for ½ cup heavy cream in the scones if you prefer. I don’t recommend using regular milk since the fat in the cream gives the scones a better texture.
For the glaze, you can replace the 2 Tablespoons heavy cream with 2 Tablespoons of milk.
To give the glaze some extra lemon flavor, stir in 1 teaspoon of lemon zest.

How to make lemon blueberry scones With Lemon Glaze

glazed lemon blueberry scones on a counter with slices of lemon and fresh blueberries

Prep work

Put ½ cup butter in the freezer a couple of hours ahead of time to give it time to chill.

Using frozen butter will keep the scones from spreading too much in the oven and result in a lighter, fluffier pastry.

Putting the mixing bowl in the freezer ahead of time will also help to keep everything chilled.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat. Or spray it with non-stick cooking spray.

Grate the skin of the lemon so you have enough for ½ Tablespoon of lemon zest.

Mix the dry ingredients

flour and other dry baking ingredients in a bowl

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together 2 cups flour, ½ cup sugar, 2½ teaspoons baking powder, ½ Tablespoon lemon zest, ½ teaspoon cinnamon, and ½ teaspoon nutmeg.

Since mixing the dough too much will result in tough scones, you’ll want to do this by hand, rather than using a mixer.

grated frozen butter in a bowl with the flour mixture

Using a grater, grate the frozen butter into the flour mixture.

pastry cutter being used to combine flour and butter

Use a pastry cutter to combine the butter and flour until the butter is cut up into small pieces that look like fine crumbs.

If you don’t have a pastry cutter, you can use two knives by crossing them and cutting through the flour and butter in an X-pattern. Repeat until the butter is chopped into small pieces.

Place the bowl back in the freezer while you mix the wet ingredients.

Combine the wet ingredients

In a medium bowl, whisk together ½ cup heavy cream, 1 large egg, and 2 teaspoons vanilla extract.

Once wet ingredients are whisked together, remove the bowl with the dry ingredients from the freezer.

scone wet and dry ingredients in a bowl with frozen blueberries

Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients.

Then add the frozen blueberries (not thawed) and stir with a spoon just until everything is mixed. Again you don’t want to over-mix or you’ll end up with tough scones.

Make the scones

lemon blueberry scone dough pressed into a circle and cut into 8 pieces

Spread a little flour on your countertop or a bread board, and on your hands.

Form the dough into a ball.

Then flatten it into an 8-inch disc on the floured countertop.

With a sharp knife, cut the disc in half lengthwise, then in half horizontally, then diagonally left to right and right to left, resulting in 8 wedges.

lemon blueberry scones on a parchment-lined baking sheet before baking

Place scones on the parchment-lined baking sheet, and refrigerate for 15 minutes.

Bake

lemon blueberry scones on a wire cooling rack after baking

While the scones are chilling, pre-heat the oven to 400℉.

When the oven is preheated, remove the scones from the refrigerator and bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Remove from the oven, and allow to cool on a wire cooling rack.

Make the glaze

glaze being drizzled onto the top of a lemon blueberry scone with a spoon

While the glaze is optional, it’s not hard to make. And it makes your scones look and taste a little special.

To make the glaze, whisk together 1 cup powdered sugar, 2 Tablespoons heavy cream, and 1 teaspoon vanilla

Drizzle over scones.

How to serve

glazed lemon blueberry scones on a plate with a cup of coffee behind them

As I mentioned above, scones are a must if you’re hosting a traditional tea party.

But I also love to serve them for brunch with either tea or coffee. Or even a mimosa. (Our lemon blueberry mimosas are perfect!)

And they go well with breakfast foods like bacon and eggs.

Storage

Scones can be stored at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the refrigerator for 5 days.

To reheat, microwave for 20 to 30 seconds on 50% power. This will prevent the dough from getting soggy.

They can also be frozen either before or after baking:

Before baking: Make the scones and cut them. Then freeze the wedges for 1 hour on a baking sheet. Finally place them in a freezer-safe container. When you are ready to bake, thaw overnight and bake as stated in the recipe.
After baking: Allow the scones to cool completely, and store in freezer safe container. Do not put the glaze on before freezing. When you are ready to serve them, thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Heat in the microwave for 30 seconds, and follow the instructions for icing.

glazed lemon blueberry scones on a wire cooling rack beside a bowl of glaze

Frequently asked questions

Why do you use frozen butter in scones?

Room temperature butter melts while you are mixing it which closes in the air pockets and makes the scones denser. Frozen butter prevents this so you end up with lighter, fluffier scones.

How to reheat scones?

The easiest way to reheat scones is in the microwave on 50% power for about 30 seconds. This prevents them from getting soggy in the process.

Can you freeze scones?

Yes, you can freeze scones either before or after you bake them. To freeze before baking, make them all the way up to cutting them. Freeze the wedges on a baking sheet for an hour, then transfer to an air tight container. To freeze after baking, cool them completely on a cooling rack before transferring to an air tight container (do not glaze them before freezing). In both cases, thaw them in the refrigerator overnight before reheating.

Other recipes you might like