Blueberry scones with lemon glaze are the perfect healthier morning pastry. Each crumbly scone is packed with ripe fruit and yogurt.
As cooking buddies, I have a secret obsession that I feel like I need to share with you. It’s no surprise that I have a sweet tooth, so I certainly do my best to balance those occasional indulgences with healthy meals and exercise. Moderation is key right? However, if you are like me, it’s hard to resist freshly baked SCONES. Those lightly sweetened fancy cousins to biscuits. It has to be those crunchy edges and crumbly centers that have got me hooked.
There is a lovely organic coffee shop walking distance from our home, on weekends, I sometimes grab a cup of chai latte and a pastry. They have the most incredible scones! I wanted to recreate my two favorite flavors together with a healthy twist. If I’m going to bake, I like to add some whole grains to the mix.
Gorgeous plump blueberries. You really can’t ask for anything more spectacular than mother nature’s edible gifts! I am hooked on anything blueberry. I like to throw a handful into my morning smoothie or to top on healthy oat pancakes.
Creating the dough for scones is crucial to the crisp exterior and tender crumb. You know, when you rip off a piece, take a bite, and it’s so flaky you end up with crumbs all over your face, fingertips, and shirt. That’s a good scone.
I make sure to start with cold butter. I freeze a few sticks and then pass it through the largest holes of a grater. This adds subtle layers to the scones. The next thing to remember is not over to mix the dough, or you’ll end up with hockey pucks. You just want to moisten the dry ingredients with the liquid, gently form into a round disc and then cut.
Check out the golden edges and blueberries exploding from the pastry, yum! I like to press a few whole berries into the top of the dough, so each scone is pretty and irresistible. The egg wash makes the scones glow.
I sprinkle some coarse sugar on top for a little crunch. You can stop here and enjoy the scones immediately with a cup of tea, of you can take it to the next level. It’s all up to you, keep reading to see what makes the scones even more SUPER.
The cherry on top is the lemon glaze. I love the brightness and zing it adds to each bite. I don’t usually skip this step. It’s just too good to miss. I used a blend of white whole wheat flour and non-fat Greek yogurt.
The flour adds a nice texture, and the yogurt helps to cut down on some of the butter and add more tenderness to the scone. With that said, don’t be afraid to add a little lemon drizzle on top.
What culinary factors make scones rise?
Scones are a quick bread that uses baking powder and baking soda to help them rise and become light and crumbly after baking. These leavening agents help to create a tender baked product quickly without waiting for yeast to ferment and rise like in other pieces of bread. The high oven temperature of 400°F also creates an “oven spring” effect, when the steam produced from the high heat release and the proteins in the dough set. All of these elements give those great thick scones, with crunchy edges and moist pastry centers.
Blueberry Scones with Lemon Glaze
Ingredients
Blueberry Scones
- 1 ½ cups white whole wheat flour
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 4 ounces unsalted butter, cold, 1-stick
- 1 large egg, beaten
- ½ cup greek yogurt, non-fat
- 6 tablespoons whole milk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, pure
- 1 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen plus extra for topping
Egg wash
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 1 teaspoon whole milk
Lemon Glaze
- ¾ cup confectioners' sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice, plus lemon zest for sprinkling
- 1 tablespoon greek yogurt, non-fat yogurt, or whole milk
Instructions
- Set rack to the center position of the oven. Preheat to 400°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a large bowl mix flours, salt, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and lemon zest.
- Grate cold butter or cut butter into small cubes then quickly work it into the flour mixture using your fingers until a coarse meal is achieved. Gently fold in the blueberries with a spatula.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the egg, Greek yogurt, milk, and vanilla, then add to flour and butter mixture. Use a fork to stir everything together until just moistened.
- Pour the shaggy dough out onto a clean floured work surface and shape the dough into an 8-inch circle. Cut the dough into 8 wedges. Lightly press in more blueberries on top of each scone of desired. Carefully transfer to the lined baking sheet.
- Whisk together egg and milk in a small bowl. Lightly brush each scone with the egg wash. Bake for 15-16 minutes, or until the tops are lightly golden brown.
- Cool for about 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack.
- For the lemon glaze, whisk together confectioners sugar, lemon juice and yogurt in a small bowl. Add more sugar or juice if needed for a thicker or thinner consistency.
- Drizzle the glaze over warm scones and sprinkle with lemon zest if desired. Best served immediately or within a few hours.
Notes
- Store in an airtight container for up to one day.
- If the scone dough feels dry and does not come together right away when shaped, add more milk to the dough, 1 teaspoon at a time until it forms a circle when pressed together.
Nutrition Facts
Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000-calorie diet. All nutritional information is based on estimated third-party calculations. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands you use, measuring methods, and portion sizes per household.
Leafy says
Can I substitute Almond flour for the whole wheat flour in this recipe?
Jessica Gavin says
Yes, you can substitute almond flour for whole wheat flour. Make sure to keep the all-purpose flour. If you find that the mixture isn’t binding, you may need to add another egg. Let me know how it turns out!
Shirley says
First let me say that I love your recipes. However, when you ask me to use 1/2 cup plain yogurt I rebel as I never use plain yogurt. Fruit flavored yogurt, sure. Plain yogurt, NOT. I eat healthy but not with plain yogurt. You can only buy it in huge containers so I make the recipe once and throw away the rest of the 16 ounce container of yogurt. My cat won’t eat it. My neighbor’s dog won’t eat it. What else can I use?
KellieZ says
My stores have plain yogurt in the same small sizes as flavored, but you could use vanilla flavor for baking. Or you could substitute with sour cream.
Jessica Gavin says
Hi Shirley- You can use a flavored fruit yogurt that you think would complement the blueberry and lemon flavor. The scone may be a bit sweeter, but at least you can buy individual portioned cups and not waste a larger container.
Dave says
I’m a lemon zest junkie. I put zest of one whole lemon into the glaze and another into the batter. I prefer a more sweet-tart flavor.
Jessica Gavin says
Extra lemon zest sounds yummy for the scones!
Carol says
These scones were amazing! I’ll definitely make them again. Because they were huge, in the future I will divide the dough into two circles, then cut into eighths. These will be a regular feature on our family’s Sunday brunch menu!
Olive says
My scones turned out more like muffins.. they aren’t nearly dense and flakey enough! Any suggestions?
Jessica Gavin says
Hi Olive- I reduced the butter and replaced with greek yogurt to reduce the fat a bit. However, you could try just using an extra 1/2 cup butter and remove the yogurt to get more flakiness. Let me know how it goes!
Beth M Negrey says
Sorry, but I didn’t have a good experience making these. The liquid didn’t seem enough for all the dry ingredients (mainly the 2-1/2 cups of flour). The dough just didn’t want to come together to where it wasn’t crumbling apart. They do smell good and will hopefully taste OK, but it probably won’t be a repeater. 🙁
Jessica Gavin says
Hi Beth- I appreciate your feedback! Since the wheat flour has more fibers, it sometimes requires more liquid to help hydrate and encourage gluten bonding as you mix. Depending on how the flours were measured, sometimes a more gets in the recipe. You can always add a little more milk, 1 teaspoon at a time until it starts to form a more cohesive dough. I will add those notes to the recipe. Thank you for taking the time to make the scones!
Rhea says
Can I just use whole wheat flour without all purpose flour (run out)?
Jessica Gavin says
Yes, you can definitely use all whole wheat flour!
Paula says
Made these last week and they are WONDERFUL! We travel a lot, so we froze them and then refrigerated until ready to eat and they were fine thawed out. Have tried 3 of your recipes so far and they are all WINNERS. Having been the cook at our B&B, I know how difficult it is to come up with new recipes. Thank you for all your hard work… you can tell u truly LOVE what you’re doing because you are so very good at it.
Jessica Gavin says
Aww you made my day Paula! That’s a great idea to freeze and defrost the scones for eating later. That’s so awesome that you have a B&B, I nee to come visit someday! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave me such a kind note, you keep me motivated to cook and share 🙂
Paula says
Love your recipes Jessica … thinking of making these today for my husband’s birthday. Can I interchange whole wheat flour for white WW flour? Thank you.
Jessica Gavin says
Thank you Paula! You can absolutely substitute white whole wheat flour for whole wheat flour. I think it will be even more tender and yummy! Happy birthday to your husband!
Nikki @ tastythin says
I need a good scone recipe and these look super yummy! Beautiful pics too!
Jessica Gavin says
Thank you Nikki! I hope you get a chance to try the scones 🙂
Eileen says
These look beautiful and soooo tasty!
Jessica Gavin says
Thank you Eileen! It was hard to not to eat a couple fresh out of the oven 🙂
Keith @ How's it Lookin? says
They look great. The lemon glaze sounds awesome, thanks a lot
Jessica Gavin says
Thank you Keith! Let me know if you get a chance to try the recipe 🙂