This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
This melt-in-your-mouth best scone recipe is bursting with juicy berries, and easy to whip up for breakfast or brunch.
A Breakfast to Love
Scones may mean something different to you depending on where you live. In Utah, a sweet scone is similar to a Fry Bread. For the rest of the world, it’s similar to American Homemade Biscuits but differs in the amount of sugar and fat.
A few years ago we decided we wanted to master scone making, and this recipe was the result. We love that there are so many varieties you can make with the additions, but today’s recipe is filled with blueberries!
What’s to love:
- Flavor. They are flaky, buttery, and filled with pops of juicy fruit.
- Customize. Add mix-ins or change it up with various flavor combinations, see tips below!
- Breakfast or brunch. Serve scones any time of the day, they even make a delicious dessert!
Ingredients
PREP TIME: 20 minutes
COOK TIME: 15 minutes
- 2 cups all-purpose flour – substitute with an equal amount of BOB’s Red Mill gluten-free flour.
- ⅓ cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 8 tablespoons butter, cold – cold/frozen butter causes more steam to release in the dough which is key for light and flaky scones
- ½ cup sour cream
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ cup fresh blueberries – blueberries can be replaced with other mix-ins.
Mix In Suggestions
Add ½ cup dried fruit or ¾ cup fresh fruit of your choice such as raspberries. Add different flavorings and mix-ins like chocolate chips, raisins, or coconut.
How to Make Scones
- PREP. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment or a silicone liner and set aside.
- DOUGH. In a medium bowl, whisk 2 cups flour, ⅓ cup sugar, 1 teaspoon baking powder, ¼ teaspoon baking soda, and ½ teaspoon salt. Grate 8 tablespoons cold butter into the flour mixture, and mix gently with your hands to incorporate the butter.
- In a small bowl, whisk together ½ cup sour cream, 1 egg, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, and mix gently with a rubber spatula until the dough starts to come together.
- Gently mix in ¾ cups blueberries, being careful not to crush them.
- CUT & BAKE. Pat the scone dough out into an 8-inch circle about 1 inch thick on a lightly floured surface. Use a sharp knife to cut the dough into 8 wedges, and place the wedges on the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake 15-17 minutes, until light golden brown.
Complete the Meal
- Sides: Yogurt Parfaits, Scrambled Eggs, Fruit Salad
- Drinks: Hot Chocolate Recipe, Apple Cider Recipe, White Chocolate Peppermint Hot Cocoa
- More pastries: Cherry Danish, Homemade Donuts, Cinnamon Twists
More collections: Breakfast Pastry Recipes, Quick Bread Recipes, Easy Breakfast Ideas
Best Scone Recipe
Filled with pops of juicy blueberries, this best scone recipe is flaky, buttery, and easy to make! They're perfect for breakfast and brunch.
Equipment
- grater
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 8 tablespoons butter, cold
- ½ cup sour cream
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ cup fresh blueberries
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment or a silicone liner and set aside.
- In a small bowl, whisk together sour cream, egg, and vanilla. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, and mix gently with a rubber spatula until the dough starts to come together.
- Gently mix in blueberries, being careful not to crush them.
- Pat the scone dough out into an 8-inch circle about 1 inch thick on a lightly floured surface. Use a sharp knife to cut the dough into 8 wedges, and place the wedges on the prepared baking sheet. Bake 15-17 minutes, until light golden brown.
Video
Notes
Make ahead of time. Shape the scones, cover the pan with plastic, and store them in the fridge overnight to be baked in the morning.
To freeze, place the shaped dough on a baking sheet then put it in the freezer. Once the scones are solid, transfer them to a freezer-safe storage container for up to 4 weeks.
STORE cooled scones in an airtight container on the counter for 2-3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
Calories: 292kcal, Carbohydrates: 35g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 15g, Saturated Fat: 9g, Cholesterol: 58mg, Sodium: 300mg, Potassium: 122mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 10g, Vitamin A: 477IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 49mg, Iron: 2mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe FAQ
What is the secret to flaky scones?
- Cold ingredients. Use cold butter, eggs, and cream for flaky, tender layers. Grate cold, even frozen, butter to mix into the dough or use a pastry cutter.
- Don’t overwork the dough to prevent the ingredients from becoming too warm and to avoid over-activating the gluten.
Achieve a crispy crust?
- Leave space between the individual pieces on the baking sheet. If the pieces are close together, you will have softer-sided scones. Cool uncovered to avoid moisture forming, creating a softer crust.
Top Scones with a Glaze?
- Make a simple sweet glaze by mixing 1 cup of powdered sugar and 2 tablespoons of milk. To make it thicker use less milk, or more milk to thin it out. Flavor the glaze with almond extract, vanilla extract, orange zest, or lemon zest.
Can I make Best Scone Recipe ahead of time?
- Shape the blueberry scones, cover the pan with plastic, and store them in the refrigerator overnight to be baked in the morning.
- To freeze, place the shaped dough on a baking sheet then put it in the freezer. Once the scones are solid, transfer them to a freezer-safe storage container for up to 4 weeks.
How to store leftover scones?
- Store cooled scones in an airtight container on the counter for 2-3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Hi
Can you freeze dough before baking and only bake half the recipe?
You bet. Just place the shaped dough on a baking sheet then put it in the freezer. Once the scones are solid transfer them to a freezer safe storage container. I recommend only freezing them for 3-4 weeks otherwise the effectiveness of the leavening agents start to decrease and the scones will not be as light and airy as you want.
I made this today, I didn’t have blueberries so I used chocolate chips instead. So delicious and moist. This is my new go-scone recipe.
Hooray! I’m so happy you enjoyed the scones. I bet they were fabulous with chocolate chips too!
I don’t usually write on sights, but, this recipe requires it. I love this recipe. I have made it several times and now that I seem to have it down, the first two time I don’t think I worked the dough enough( trying not to over work it). Today seemed perfect. Maybe because my almost 3 yr old granddaughter helped me. Everyone in my family loves them especially my husband (he’s hard to please on stuff like this. I add blueberries. Will try fresh peaches this summer!
Thank you SO much for writing in and giving your review. I’m so happy you love the scone recipe! I’m sure your granddaughter had the magic touch in helping too. 😉 Those fruits with it sounds delicious too!
First time making Scones for my Husband and got a Thumbs up!! They are very delicious and so easy to make. I had the same problem as another person in your comments with dough coming together since I did not want to over Knead it. I did use Greek yogurt (Fage) instead of Sour cream. Also put in a little lemon zest. All in All they were So Yummy thank you for sharing your recipe.
I freeze my blueberries as I harvest so many from my bushes. I didn’t bother to thaw them and this made it much easier to fold in without crushing them and the scones came out perfect! I also used fresh lemon juice from 1/2 of the lemon I used to zest instead of lemon extract and that also worked perfect. Nice recipe!
Oh I’m so jealous you have fresh blueberries from your bush! That sounds amazing. Glad to hear the scones turned out well with the tweaks you made. They sound tasty! Thanks for trying the recipe.
These came out perfect. I added some lemon zest and actually baked them from frozen-came out perfect. So light and not too sweet. Made a glaze with powdered sugar and lemon extract to punch up the lemon flavor and used buttermilk in place of the sour cream.
Thanks for sharing! I’m glad you enjoyed the scones!
Can I substitute half and half for sour cream?
I have never tried that substitution before but you could try it by adding 1 teaspoon of lemon juice to the half and half and using that as your sour cream substitution. A better substitution for the sour cream would be Greek yogurt if you have any on hand. Hope this helps!
I’ve tried many many scone recipes and was never fully satisfied with the end result. This one is now my go to recipe. Love the sour cream vs whipping cream aspect. Going to try replacing sour cream with Honey Greek yogurt!
Honey Greek yogurt sounds like a delicious substitution! Let me know how it turns out!
First time making scones. Seems very similar to a sweetened biscuit!
I handled the dough very gently, trying to avoid getting tough, overly dense scones.
I was unsure of how the dough is supposed to look, since it was a bit of a challenge to get the dough to coalesce into a ball and since I was afraid of overworking it.
I came close to cutting them into the pie-shaped, even pieces, but failed. With a bit more practice, I believe I can get them to be more “professional” looking, or at least the same size!
The proof is the way they taste and they came out soft, buttery, a little flaky and delicious!!
Thanks for the recipe.
I’m glad they tasted so delicious! The dough does take a little time to get used to when handling and shaping it. Thanks so much for trying it out!
Could you use a 1 for 1 Gluten Free Flour in place of the regular Flour??
I haven’t tried, but I would think that would work just fine 🙂