Lemon Blueberry Scones with Yogurt – Freeze Ahead
These lemon blueberry scones are one of my favourite breakfast foods to serve friends and family. They’re the perfect combination of tangy lemon, sweet blueberries, crispy crust and tender insides. I’m happy to show you how to make these delicious scones and share how to freeze them ahead of time so you can easily bake them first thing in the morning.
Also Read: The Flakiest Savoury Biscuits , Pumpkin Scones with Pepita Topping, Cranberry Lemon Ricotta Scones
What are Scones?
Scones are a type of pastry that originated in Scotland. They are typically made with flour, sugar, butter, and liquid (such as milk, cream, or yogurt), and they are usually leavened with baking powder and/or baking soda.
Scones can be sweet or savory and can be flavored with fruits, nuts, or spices (like my pumpkin scones). They are typically denser and drier than muffins and cupcakes, with a crumbly texture and a slightly crispy crust.
Scones are often served for breakfast, brunch or afternoon tea and go beautifully with jam, butter, clotted cream or lemon curd.
What You Need for Lemon Blueberry Scones
The key ingredients for scones include flour, sugar, butter, and liquid (usually milk or cream). Of course, I can’t help but add fruit!
- Flour: Flour is the base of any scone recipe. It provides structure and texture to the scone. All-purpose flour is the most commonly used type of flour in scone recipes, but you can also use whole wheat flour or a combination of flours like I did in the Pumpkin Scones.
- Sugar: Sugar adds sweetness to the scone and also helps to tenderize the dough. But I don’t use a lot compared to muffins, cupcakes or other breakfast foods.
- Butter: Butter is one of the most important ingredients in scones as it provides richness, flavor, and texture to the finished product. It’s CRITICAL to use COLD BUTTER for tender, flaky scones. I do not recommend substitutes.
- Liquid: Liquid is needed to bring the dough together and make it cohesive. Most common are milk, cream, yogurt or buttermilk. My lemon cranberry scones use ricotta which is an incredible alternative you must try one day.
- Egg: I add eggs for added richness and tenderness. I have successfully used a flax seed egg replacer as I describe in the lemon cranberry scone post.
- Baking Powder: Baking powder is the key leavening agent to help the scones rise.
Commonly Asked Questions About Making Scones
Can I use frozen blueberries instead of fresh ones?
Yes, you can use frozen blueberries. I use frozen blueberries ALL the time, all the photos in this post were with frozen blueberries. Consider these tips.
- Do not thaw the berries, use them frozen.
- They will stain the dough – not a deal breaker, it just happens.
- They’re more tricky to incorporate without squishing, just do your best, you’ll get it.
- You may need to bake your scones an extra 5 minutes.
Can I use a different type of yogurt?
Yes, you can use any type of yogurt you have – you can even use lemon flavoured yogurt! Oh yeah! BUT, Greek yogurt is thicker and creamier so if you use regular yogurt, your dough may be stickier – no problem, just add a little more flour as your shaping it into a disc.
Can I make the dough ahead of time?
Yes, you can! Make the dough up to 24 hours ahead of baking. Just make sure to wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and store in the fridge til ready to use.
Can I freeze scones?
YES! Here’s the cool thing – you can freeze them BEFORE OR AFTER you bake them.
AFTER BAKING – Cool completely, don’t glaze and put in an airtight container. Use within 3 months.
BEFORE BAKING – Make and shape scones as usual. Place them on a baking sheet and freeze solid. Transfer to an airtight container and place in freezer. Use within 1 month. To use, bake from frozen as described in recipe adding an extra 5-8 minutes to the baking time.
What’s the Best Way to Store Scones
Scones and biscuits are best eaten fresh – that’s why it’s great that you can freeze before or after baking to accommodate small batches. If you don’t finish them in one sitting, store scones in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
For Top Tips on Tender Scones, read more in my lemon cranberry scone article.
How to Make Vegan Scones
I love making scones for guests, they’re such a nice treat for morning coffee. I try to accommodate our guests food preferences whenever possible. Last winter, I made a gluten free, egg free version of these scones, this summer I made a vegan version. Here’s how I did that:
- Replace cold butter with vegan margarine. Measure and freeze the margarine so it forms little clumps when mixing with flour.
- Omit egg. No replacement needed.
- Replace milk with oat milk.
- Follow recipes as shown with substitutions and frozen margarine.
How to Make Gluten Free, Egg Free Scones
In 2023, I made my first batch of gluten free, egg free scones. Here’s what I did and the results were awesome! My GF & EF friend thought they were great and my other friends had no idea they were modified – they just enjoyed the scones!
Here’s what I did:
- Replace 2 cups all purpose flour with 2 cups Bob’s Red Mill 1to1 Gluten free flour.
- Replace 1 egg with 1 flax egg replacement.
- Follow recipe as shown, simply make the substitution
Flax egg – mix 1 Tbsp flax meal with 21/2 Tbsp warm water, stir, let rest 15 minutes.
I chose the flax egg replacement because I felt this recipe needed more binding vs more leavening since there’s already lots of baking powder and baking soda. I’m happy with the results and would do this again.
Recipe for Lemon Blueberry Scones
Lemon Blueberry Scones with Yogurt
Ingredients
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 Tbsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 2 Tbsp lemon zest
- 1/2 cup cold butter diced
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup Greek yogurt
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp almond extract
- 1/2 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
Glaze
- 1 cup icing sugar
- 2-3 Tbsp lemon juice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F (204°C). Lightly grease baking sheet or line with parchment paper or Silpat.
- In large bowl, mix dry ingredients – all purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, sugar, and lemon zest.
- Using two knives or pastry cutter, cut in butter until well distributed to form small crumbs. (Or, use your clean fingers – it's what I do!)
- In small bowl, whisk together wet ingredients – egg, yogurt, lemon juice and extract. Pour into dry ingredients and stir until liquid is mixed in.
- Stir in blueberries and gently continue to stir until dough starts to come together. There will be some loose crumbs remaining at the bottom.
- Turn dough and crumbs onto a lightly floured surface and use hands to gently knead and work dough to form a ball. If dough is too dry, add an extra splash of milk. If it is too wet, a little flour to counter and top of dough.
- Use your hands to shape the dough into a large circle about 1.5" high and 9" in diameter. Cut into 8Â or 12 wedges. Â
- Place on baking sheet leaving space between each scone. Bake for 14-16 minutes until turning golden. A couple minutes longer if using frozen berries.
- Remove from oven and place on wire rack to cool.
Glaze
- In small bowl, mix together icing sugar and 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice. Stir well and gradually add more lemon juice as needed for icing to be smooth and drizzle off the spoon.
- Drizzle or brush over scones. If you want the glaze to melt into the scones, add glaze while scones are hot. If you want an opaque glaze on top of the scones, add the glaze when scones are cool.
Video
Notes
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
Lemon blueberry scones are a delicious and easy-to-make treat that’s perfect for breakfast, brunch, or a snack. With just a few simple ingredients and some basic kitchen tools, you can create these light, fluffy, and flavorful scones that everyone will love. Whether you’re a seasoned baker or a beginner, this recipe is sure to become one of your favorites. So go ahead and give it a try.
When do you put butter?
In step 3 where it says to cut in the butter. This means cut butter into small pieces and work it into the flour with a pastry blender, two knives or your fingers.
Tried these for the first time and they came out perfect. Thanks Getty!
Oh, so glad to hear. Thanks for your feedback, Heather.