Soft Brown Sugar Blueberry Scones with fresh or frozen blueberries and a crispy brown sugar coating, topped cream cheese icing.
The best simple soft scones recipe that makes soft fluffy scones every time. The perfect recipe for Easter brunch, Mother’s day, birthdays, picnics and more!
Soft scones recipe
This blueberry scone recipe relies on several different techniques to make sure it results in super soft, tender and fluffy scones. Fluffy soft scones that are studded with juicy blueberries. Whether you make it as a fresh blueberry recipe or frozen blueberry recipe the techniques are the same – melted butter, brown sugar, a delicate touch and a short baking time.
Melted butter increases moisture in the batter and allows the dough to set quickly making a soft, thick scone with delicate, tender texture. And brown sugar adds moisture while also reacting with the baking soda to create carbon dioxide that puffs up the scones while keeping them soft and a little chewy.
Also, much like when making fluffy pancakes this fluffy soft scone recipe calls for allowing the batter to rest before forming and baking. Giving the gluten time to relax and allowing the starch grains to swell, resulting in moist, fluffy scones.
The final step to making the softest scones is to underbake the scones slightly. Like with sugar cookies and soft blueberry cookies remove these brown sugar blueberry scones from the oven just when the edges are starting to brown but the center is still light in color.
Why melted butter?
Most scone recipe call for using grated frozen butter. The same method I use for my super flaky pie crust and biscuit recipes. But because I want super soft fluffy scones instead of flaky scones we are using melted butter instead of frozen butter in this scone recipe.
Frozen butter steams in the oven for flaky layers. But melted butter creates tender, more compact baked goods. The liquid fat in melted butter hydrates the proteins in the flour to help bind the ingredients together and increase moistness and results in a nice delicate crumb.
Further when melted butter and brown sugar combine the combination speeds gluten formation and egg protein coagulation so the dough sets quickly and results in a thick, tender scone.
Ingredients
- Melted butter – cooled to room temperature.
- Brown sugar – light brown sugar contains molasses which adds moisture to baked goods and acidity which adds in its soft tender texture. It’s the main sweetener in the batter of this scone recipe. And the blueberry scones are also baked with a sprinkle of brown sugar on top that crisps up an makes a crispy crunchy sugar coating on the finished scones.
- Whole milk – or substitute another dairy or non dairy alternative like heavy cream, coconut milk, oat milk, etc.
- Orange juice and zest – fresh orange juice and zest adds a brightness and depth of flavor that can’t be skipped. The acidity also helps to make for a fluffier batter. Do not skip this ingredient. But you can substitute lemon or lime zest and juice for the orange juice.
- Blueberries – a great recipe for when you’re wondering what to do with blueberries. Use either fresh or frozen blueberries. If using frozen blueberries do not thaw them to prevent the blueberry juices from leaking into the scone batter.
- Egg
- Vanilla extract
- Cinnamon powder
- All purpose flour
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Powdered sugar – confectioners sugar, or powdered sugar, contains finely ground sugar and often a bit of cornstarch which helps thicken prevent the berry juice from spreading but also helps to soften the scones a bit too.
- Cream of tartar – optional. A pinch of cream of tartar helps the scones stay softer for longer but can be omitted if desired.
- Heavy cream – optional for brushing over the scones before baking. You could also make scones without heavy cream and simply brush with milk or butter instead.
- Cream cheese frosting – optional as an icing.
Step by step instructions
- Melt butter and allow to cool to room temperature.
- Whisk egg in a large bowl. Add milk, orange zest and juice, vanilla extract, and brown sugar. Whisk in melted butter.
- In another bowl whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
- And in another toss blueberries with confectioners’ sugar, cinnamon powder and a bit more brown sugar.
- Stir dry ingredients into wet just until it comes together into a wet dough. As with anything where you combine flour with liquid, try not to knead too much, or excess gluten will develop and make the scones tough, and also prevent them from rising as high.
- And carefully swirl in blueberry mixture being carefully not to overwork.
- Cover blueberry scone batter loosely and allow to rest 15-30 minutes. Resting the scone batter gives the gluten time to relax and time for the starches to swell. It also makes it easier to roll out allowing you to smoothly roll without adding flour.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead 1 or 2 times just until it comes together and pat into a large rectangle. Do not worry, the dough will be wet. You really want to resist the urge to add too much extra flour which makes a dense, dry dough.
- Roll the dough about an inch thick and cut into desired shapes using a sharp knife, biscuit cutter or cookie cutter shape. Brush with heavy cream and a generous sprinkle of brown sugar and place on parchment lined baking sheets.
- Finally, bake scones just until they are starting to brown on the edges for the softest, most tender blueberry scones.
- Top with a drizzle of cream cheese icing – or however you’d like!
- Serve and enjoy!
How to serve
Serve scones plain or with an icing topping.
Cream cheese frosting makes the perfect icing for scones. Simply spoon a little over the top of each scone to make a puddle of icing that drips over the edge. Or warm cream cheese icing until thin enough to drizzle over the top. You can also make a vibrantly colored blueberry icing with crushed berries and powdered sugar to drizzle over the top instead.
Serve scones warm with butter. Or serve with an assortments of spreads like clotted cream, Lemon Mascarpone Dip, Berry Whipped Cream, Seedless Blackberry or Raspberry Sauce, jams, jellies, etc.
How to store
This scones recipe makes soft scones that stay soft for up to 3 days when stored covered at room temperature.
Or leave uncovered to make more dense and dry scones that are perfect for dipping in tea and coffee.
How to make ahead
Freeze unbaked scones for up to 3 months tightly covered. When ready to bake simply bake frozen scones adding an extra 3-5 minutes to the baking time.
Or freeze after baking for up to 3 months. Simply defrost when ready to enjoy.
Ingredients
- ¼ cup butter melted and cooled to room temperature
- ½ cup whole milk
- 3 tablespoons orange juice
- 1 tablespoon orange zest
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ cup light brown sugar packed, divided into ½ cup and ¼ cup
- 1 ½ cups blueberries fresh or frozen
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon powder
- 2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
- 2 ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- Pinch cream of tartar optional
Instructions
- Melt butter and allow to cool to room temperature.
- Whisk egg in a large bowl. Add milk, orange zest and juice, vanilla extract, and brown sugar. Whisk in melted butter.
- In another bowl whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
- And in another toss blueberries with confectioners’ sugar and cinnamon powder.
- Stir dry ingredients into wet just until it comes together into a wet dough. And carefully swirl in blueberry mixture being carefully not to overwork.
- Cover loosely and allow to rest 15-30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Carefully turn out dough onto lightly floured surface and knead 1 or 2 times just until it comes together.
- Roll into a large 1 “ thick rectangle. Cut in half lengthwise and again crosswise into quarters. Then cut each of the four quarters in half on the diagonal to make 8 large triangle shapes. And in half again on the diagonal to make 16 small triangle shaped scones.
- Place evenly spaced on a parchment lined baking sheet
- Brush with heavy cream and sprinkle each of the 16 scones with ½ teaspoon brown sugar.
- Place brown sugar blueberry scones in preheated oven oven and bake just until the edges start to turn brown, 10-12 minutes.
- Remove from oven, top as desired and serve.
Nutrition
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