BREAKFAST RECIPES

Blueberry Streusel Scones with Sweet Lemon Butter

Updated

Tender lemon-scented blueberry scones under a cinnamon crumb topping, served warm with a whipped butter sweetened with powdered sugar and fresh lemon.

Prep
25 min
Cook
22 min
Total
1 hr
Yield
8 scones and about 1/2 cup lemon butter
Illustration of Blueberry Streusel Scones with Sweet Lemon Butter
AI-generated illustration, not a photo of this recipe.

These scones bring together three easy parts: a lightly sweet dough flecked with lemon zest and blueberries, a brown sugar and cinnamon streusel that bakes into a crunchy cap, and a soft lemon butter for spreading. The dough is shaped as a single round and cut into wedges, so there is no rolling or cutter needed. It is a classic from the KitchenSimplicity archive.

Make them for a weekend brunch, a spring or holiday breakfast, or any morning when you want something homemade with coffee. Scones taste best within a few hours of baking, but the unbaked wedges freeze well, so you can bake a fresh batch straight from the freezer whenever guests arrive.

Tips

  • Make ahead: freeze the cut, streusel-topped wedges on the baking sheet until firm, then bag them. Bake from frozen at 400°F, adding 3 to 5 minutes.
  • If using frozen blueberries, add them straight from the freezer and work quickly so the juice does not tint the dough.
  • The lemon butter keeps in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week; let it sit at room temperature for about an hour before serving so it spreads easily.
  • Store leftover scones airtight at room temperature for up to 2 days and rewarm them at 300°F for 5 minutes.

Blueberry Streusel Scones with Sweet Lemon Butter

Prep
25 min
Cook
22 min
Total
1 hr
Yield
8 scones and about 1/2 cup lemon butter

Ingredients

  • For the streusel:
  • 1/4 cup (50 g) packed brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup (30 g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • Pinch of salt
  • 2 tablespoons (28 g) unsalted butter, softened
  • For the scones:
  • 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour, plus more for shaping
  • 1/3 cup (67 g) granulated sugar
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
  • 6 tablespoons (85 g) cold unsalted butter
  • 1 cup (150 g) fresh or frozen blueberries (do not thaw frozen berries)
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/2 cup (120 ml) milk, plus a little for brushing
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • For the sweet lemon butter:
  • 1/2 cup (113 g) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup (60 g) powdered sugar
  • Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lemon

Steps

  1. Heat the oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. Make the streusel: in a small bowl, mash the brown sugar, 1/4 cup flour, cinnamon, pinch of salt and softened butter together with a fork until it forms moist, even crumbs. Refrigerate it while you make the dough.
  3. In a large bowl, whisk together the 2 cups flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, salt and lemon zest.
  4. Grate the cold butter on the large holes of a box grater directly into the flour, tossing with your fingers every few strokes so the shreds stay separate and coated. Gently fold in the blueberries.
  5. In a measuring cup, beat the egg with the milk and vanilla. Pour it over the flour mixture and stir with a fork only until no dry patches remain; the dough will look shaggy.
  6. Turn the dough onto a well-floured counter and knead it 5 or 6 times, just enough to bring it together. Pat it into a round about 7 inches across and 1 inch thick, keeping flour underneath so it does not stick.
  7. Brush the top lightly with milk and press the streusel evenly over the surface. Cut the round into 8 wedges with a sharp knife and set them about 2 inches apart on the prepared sheet. If the dough has softened, chill the sheet for 10 minutes.
  8. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the scones are golden brown and a wedge feels set when pressed at the center. Move them to a wire rack and let them cool for about 10 minutes.
  9. While the scones bake, make the lemon butter: beat the softened butter, powdered sugar, lemon zest and lemon juice with a mixer or a sturdy spoon until light and evenly blended. Serve it with the warm scones.

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