It’s had to beat a breakfast featuring beautiful, flaky scones. These blueberry scones are prefect with a cup of coffee or on a brunch platter.
These are the blueberry scones I make on season 3 episode 7 of Zoë Bakes on Magnolia Network! In this episode, I prepare to go to my friend’s cabin and since wild blueberries are in season, I make blueberry bars with lattice and lemon thyme shortbread crust, along with these blueberry scones to snack on when we hit the road.
Scones are a special thing in our house. Back in 2013 I wrote this Lemon Scones post about Charlie having his first pop-up bakery (he was 12 at the time) after my husband, Graham, challenged him to have scones hot and ready before he went to work the next day.
These blueberry scones are smashed full of wild blueberries, so they are bursting with flavor. The bit of cornmeal in the dough adds an almost nuttiness to them, a slight toothiness to the texture, and the color is just beautiful.
For a cold-weather version of these scones, see the cranberry variation in the recipe notes.
Pro Tips for Great Scones
- After you whisk together the dry ingredients, you’ll work the cold butter in. I like to use a handheld pastry cutter because I think it’s the best tool for this. But you could also use a food processor or just your hands.
- Scones are really quite easy to make, but it does require a gentle touch, so they don’t come out too tough.
- You want some of the flour to resemble cornmeal, once it is cut with the butter, but you also want to keep some of the butter in pea sized pieces, which will create the flakiness in your scones.
- I love to use fresh, juicy blueberries, but frozen also work.
- You can also sprinkle the tops with coarse sugar for added sweetness and texture.
Video: How to Make Blueberry Scones
More Blueberry Recipes
If you love blueberries as much as I do, be sure to check out this list of blueberry recipes, and my popular blueberry muffins recipe.
Blueberry Scones Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups (325g) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup (89g) cornmeal
- 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar plus more for the tops
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tbsp plus 1 tsp baking powder
- 3/4 cup (170g) unsalted butter chilled and cut into small pieces
- Zest of one lemon
- 1/4 cup (45g) chopped candied ginger
- 2 cups (310g) wild blueberries fresh or frozen*
- 3/4 cup (175ml) half and half or buttermilk or cream
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tbsp heavy whipping cream for brushing the tops
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425℉.
- Whisk together the flour, cornmeal, sugar, salt, and baking powder.
- Add the chilled butter to the flour mixture. Use a pastry cutter to cut the butter into the flour mixture. Keep cutting the butter in until most of the butter is worked into the flour, with a few pea-sized pieces left intact. Mix in the lemon zest, candied ginger, and blueberries (only if using fresh berries – see baker's note for frozen berries).
- Whisk together the eggs with the half and half. Add the liquid to the dry mixture. Use a spoon or your hands to mix carefully. It will be shaggy with some dry patches. Dump it onto the counter. Use a bench scraper to fold the dough over itself. Give it about 8 folds total, until it just barely comes together. Pat into a disk.
- Transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment. It should be about 1-inch thick. Brush with cream. Dust generously with sugar. Use a bench scraper or knife to cut into 8 equal pieces.
- Put the scones in the oven and reduce the heat to 400℉. Bake until the scones are set in the middle, about 25 min.
- FROZEN BERRIES BAKER'S NOTE: If you are using frozen berries, make sure they stay frozen until the very last second before adding them to the scones. You will add them AFTER you have tossed the dry mixture and the wet together and very gently fold them in. Pat into a circle and bake for 30 to 35 minutes.
Rate and Review!
- If you've made this recipe, please leave a rating and review! I love to hear how you've adapted my recipes to your own tastes, so please share how it went for you. It helps other people find my recipes. Thank you!
I made a full recipe, and was glad I did
I made these and thought they were too tender of a scone. I prefer my scones a bit drier so I want to have them with my coffee. I also did not like the cornmeal in them. I do think Zoe is always spot on with her instructions and everything I make of hers does turn out and is not a flop. I will try these again and omit the cornmeal and add a touch more salt.
Hi Melanie, when you omit the cornmeal, be sure to add more flour. And you can bake them as individual scones so they dry out more. Cheers!
Made today with fresh local blueberries, buttermilk in the dough (but still used cream to brush on top) and took another commenter’s suggestion to add white chocolate chips because I didn’t have candied ginger. These had a beautiful texture that was light and biscuit-y without being dense or dry. The cornmeal definitely added some dimension and chew. My dough was a little wet, maybe because of the buttermilk, and I had to add a few more tablespoons of flour as I was shaping the disk. The temp and timings in the recipe worked well for me. Will definitely make again! Thank you, Zoe!
Made a half batch this morning and left out ginger. Totally appreciate how easy it was to cut recipe in half. They baked up beautifully and tasted great. Love that they are not super sweet. Will definitely make this recipe again. Thank you.
These blueberry scones were so easy to make. Comes together in no time and if you share them with your family, neighbors or friends they will be gone faster then you make them. Blueberries in every bite. Also posted the pictures of this beautiful scone recipe on my Instagram @agneshomechef. Thank you Zoe for another great recipe to keep.
For a self-described horrible baker, this recipe was great. It was easy to follow and will be my go-to for scones.
I baked these delicious scones sans ginger with frozen berries. A real crowd-pleaser with divine aroma and flavor!
Even though I love blueberries and scones, I haven’t always been a big blueberry scone fan for some reason. I was eager to try these, however! I was worried that my cornmeal might be too coarse, but the end result wa tender and lovely. I’m glad I didn’t reduce the candied ginger amount, because it wasn’t overpowering at all (the scone was mostly lemon-forward from the zest). I made a half recipe into six scones, which were still quite large. Next time (I’ll definitely make them again!), I might cut them into eighths…
I have made these several times and they are always loved! The cornmeal is what makes them special and adds a bit of interesting texture. This time in place of the ginger, I used some chopped white chocolate. I love the combo of blueberries and white chocolate and they came out delicious!
Decided to try this recipe. I’m recovering from shoulder surgery so the process of cutting or massaging the butter was a challenge. I liked your rubbing of the flour and butter which worked for me. I couldn’t fit 2 cups of fresh blueberries but still think there were enough.
The scones baked beautifully, rose more than I expected, and were delicious! I couldn’t figure out how to post my pic.
Hi Jenn, I hope your recovery goes well! We’re so glad you enjoyed this recipe. To be entered into the giveaway, simply email your photo of the scones to [email protected] and I’ll get you entered. Cheers!
Hi. Made these and they were really good, very easy and required just a bit more baking time as I don’t think I flattened these as I should have. I would also recommend more salt. Evidently, blueberry anything requires more salt. I will bake these again as I just got blueberries at the grocery store. Thanks for all the great recipes, books and videos, Zoe…You are one of my favorites going way back to my first bread experiences! I think you and Claire would be a great breakfast anything duo…Thank you so much for the bake along!
I have found it very difficult to mix the berries along with the liquid without squishing half of them. My solution: mix most of the way without the berries, folding a few times as written. Then flatten out the dough, spread with some berries, fold, then flatten again, spread out the rest of the berries and fold a final time. I have also flattened the mixed dough out, spread berries and rolled up. Then flatten roll slightly and cut into scones–no more crushed berries and way easier to mix.
Could you substitute buttermilk for the half and half?
Hi Liz,
Yes, you can replace the half and half with buttermilk, but the resulting texture may be a little different because of the acid in the buttermilk reacting to the baking powder. It may have a slightly fluffier texture. Try both ways and see which you like better.
Enjoy! Zoë
I made (and ate) them this morning. They were so good. I did not coat the dough with the cream or sugar before placing in the oven, other than that, I followed the recipe without any changes and, again, they were so good.
The night before I did some precutting to make it easier to make in the morning. I cut up all the butter and stored it covered in the fridge. I also chopped the crystallized ginger, as it was very sticky when I cut it up, so I just broke up the little clumps and put it on a small plate and covered it. Thank you for sharing your recipe!
I made this recipe for the first time today. It was the perfect project for a cold January day. They are absolutely delicious! The only change I made was to omit the candied ginger. My one suggestion: fold in the frozen blueberries very gently, or the dough will have a blueish tinge. Thank you, Zoe, for a fabulous and easy-to-follow recipe. I’ll be making these many times.
These scones are amazing! I always thought of blueberry as a summer fruit but when paired with the warmth of the ginger, they are just perfect for fall. I also love the added texture of the cornmeal. A keeper!
These scones are very good! They are not super sweet, in fact, I added a lemon drizzle to mine, but they are delicious without as well. The recipe does make 8 HUGE scones so next time, instead of making one disk of dough, I think I’ll make two discs for 16 smaller scones or just cut the recipe in half if I don’t need as many. The dough is very, very wet and I did end up adding just a small amount of flour to help with the handling of it (maybe my eggs were bigger, creating extra liquid?). I enjoyed the extra texture from the corn meal, too – it seemed to give it a nice added bit of chew. This was a fun challenge recipe.
Thanks, Zoe!
I have made this recipe so many times now. It is so easy, quick and delicious. Thank you Zoë for sharing this with us
After watching the blueberry episode, I had to make the scones! I loved them, the neighbors ( my taste testers) loved them and it was simple and easy. I really loved the hint of the candied ginger and zest from my fresh lemons! Next time I will add more ginger, just because I loved it. But just a hint more. Thank you!! It goes into my recipe box for keeps.
Everywhere I go or travel to I search out local bakeries and the number 1 baked yummy I’m looking for is a GREAT scone. I’ve found a few really good scones, and tried multiple recipes myself, but when I made Zoë’s recipe & tasted it – I finally found the GREAT scone I’ve waiting for.
It’s everything I personally want in a scone – crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, looaadded with berries, with the perfect touch of sweetness, without tasting like a sweet roll, it was a joy to eat! I’ve now tried the recipe using cranberries & orange (my #1 flavor combo followed closely by blueberry lemon!), fresh peach and dried cherry & citrus zest & the recipe worked beautifully on each one!
THANK YOU Zoë for sharing your beautiful, approachable recipes anyone can bake!
I loved this recipe! I made it just as it was written. Thank you for commenting on the texture of the dough. I probably would have added liquid if you hadn’t.
Karen
If I don’t have access to candied ginger, could I use ground ginger? If so, how much?
Hi. You can add about 1/2 tsp of dried ground ginger to the recipe. Any more than that and it gets a little over powering. You could also grate about the same amount of fresh ginger if you want a more potent flavor.
Enjoy! Zoë
Can I substitute gluten free flour or other gf combination of flours?
Hi Evadne, Zoe thinks it should work fine, but suggests you start by making a half batch to make sure they turn out how you like them. Please let us know how it goes!
Since I’m not fond of blueberries, can I use fresh strawberries?
Hi Mj, it should work as long as you chop up the strawberries to be about the size of blueberries. Please let us know how it goes!
Hi, MJ. I’ve made lots of scones. I do love the way fresh strawberries taste, but they have a tendency to make the dough around them a little “squishy.” I don’t know the solution. Stephani?
Hi Marjorie, you’re right. Because strawberries have so much water content, it’s particularly difficult to avoid that “squishiness” around them in a dough. The only thing Zoë can think of is perhaps to roast them to remove a bit of the water, then freeze and chop before adding to the dough. If you give it a try, please let us know how it went!
Amazing!!!!! Busy mom but they were so easy and DELICIOUS
Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review. We’re thrilled you enjoyed them!
The blueberry scones were delicious!!!
The blueberry scones are delicious
All my family really enjoyed
brilliant recipe. Didn’t need to change a thing. Tx Zoe.
I have made this recipe on several occasions. It has always turned out well and everyone loved it. I am planning to make 3 batches for my church book club on Monday morning. Can I make them on Sunday afternoon, wrap them up well and warm them in the church over at a low Temperature on Monday morning ? We meet too early for me to bake in the morning.
I love all your recipes and have tried many. My son and I attended your baking class with Brian Hart Hoffman in Birmingham last Spring. We had a wonderful time!
Hi Caroline, we’re so glad you enjoy this recipe! You could make the dough ahead, form the dough into scones and refrigerate, then bake them at the church since you have access to an oven. They will be best this way. No need to let them come to room temp before baking, they’ll only need slightly more time. If you do decide to bake them the day before, be sure to wrap them when they’re completely cool. If they’re even a little bit warm when you wrap them they’ll steam and have a less than desirable texture when you serve. I hope this helps! Happy baking.
Candied ginger… can one use crystallized ginger? Any recommendations on a brand ?
Hi Nadia, we looked into the two terms and they are often used interchangeably. Based on the description we found, crystallized ginger is exactly what Zoe used, though she has always referred to it as candied ginger. Thank you for helping us realize the need for clarification. Zoe doesn’t recommend a specific brand. She has used many different brands, purchase from Asian stores to Trader Joe’s to Whole Foods. It all seems to work! Enjoy!
Thank you ! ❤️
Oh. My. Wow. These blueberry scones are absolutely amazing. Loved the hints of zesty and bright lemon & ginger, and the subtle “crunch” from the cornmeal. So delicious! And beautiful when pulled out of the oven– looked **just like** the recipe photos. I’ll definitely be making these again. Thank you for sharing Zoe!!!
For the blueberry scones since there were two different amounts of baking powder on the show or the website, which one is correct? The show or site?
Hi Shelly, the amount in the recipe above is correct. Thank you for asking!
Could you use diced fresh peaches or would that be too much moisture?
Hi Patty, Zoe suggests you try her peach scone recipe instead. Cheers!
Can the corn meal be replaced with flour?
Hi Shirley, yes it can!
Can chocolate chips be substituted for blueberries?
Hi Ronn, Zoe has not tested it, but she thinks the scones may come out pretty dry because the blueberries add a bit of moisture. You could test it and add a tablespoon or two of additional half and half to account for the loss in moisture. Please let us know how it goes if you do give it a try!
I love this recipe!! Baked them today and they are the best scones I have ever had! Thank you, Zoe!
Love this recipe, Thank You Zoe, they are so easy and yummy, the friends I shared these with loved them and for years I have tried making scones many times and failed, I am a Midwest (Iowa) farm girl and can cook and make bread and biscuits but, I could not make Scones, I love your recipes and love watching Zoe Bakes, Thank you for making it so fun and sharing, I look forward to next season
I made this recipe twice – once with the ingredients and amounts from the site and once from the show. There is a small variance in the baking powder amounts. The recipe is great, I just wish there was more consistency in the ingredients and measurements between the show and the site. Also, it would be great to have all ingredients in grams versus a combination of cups and grams – ie the cornmeal is in cups where I would prefer to have it in grams.
Hi! Is half and half a kind of milk?
Sorry if this is a silly question, I’m not from Australia
Hi Dani, half-and-half is a product consisting of equal parts whole milk and heavy cream. It’s thicker than milk but lighter than heavy cream. I hope this helps!
I have a question, I used frozen mixed berries and the dough was very moist. I think I left the fruit dethaw too much. Would this add moisture to the dough? My scones actually came out just like the picture and taste perfect. I like that they are not too sweet. I did cook them longer and place foil over initially to prevent the outside from cooking too much, however I think all this did was trap steam, so I removed the foil and placed the oven on convection and they came out cooked perfectly. It was like a mystery trying to correct my mistakes. I also did not have any candied ginger so I grated frozen ginger and it did give them a nice, subtle zing. Next time I will not add all the wet ingredients at once.
Could you please help me find the recipe for the lattice topped blueberry bars??
Here you go, Lori! https://zoebakescom.bigscoots-staging.com/2018/08/11/blueberry-bars/
On your show I took photo of ingredients bc I couldn’t find the recipe at first, it says 4 tablespoons baking powder! That’s what I did even though I kept looking to be sure bc I knew it seemed like at lot! PROOFREAD. A lot of time and expense.
So sorry that happened! We made the network aware of the error.
I used McArthur flour. So delicious!! Mine aren’t as firm as I thought. Is it bc of the gluten free flour? Love them though!
Wondering if I can leave out the candied ginger?
Hi Ellen, you can, however you may want to add some cinnamon or another spice as the flavor may be a bit flat. Cheers!
Hi! What product is a “half and half”?
Hi Pauli! Half-and-half is a product consisting of equal parts whole milk and heavy cream. It’s thicker than milk but lighter than heavy cream. I hope this helps!
I’ve made this recipe several times. It’s super easy and always delicious!
My question can I use half wheat flour and use Splenda brown sugar for the sugar in this recipe