Made with fresh blackberries, lemon zest, and buttermilk, these flaky Blackberry Scones are the perfect tart and sweet scone recipe. Plus, they are a great freezer-friendly breakfast to prep ahead and bake off fresh for company!
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Key Ingredients
- Blackberries: I recommend using fresh blackberries, rather than frozen. The water content can sometimes vary after freezing, which can affect the moisture in the scones. I slice the blackberries in half lengthwise to release some of the juices and disperse the blackberries more evenly throughout.
- Unsalted butter: unsalted butter allows you to control the salt content in the scones. If you only have salted butter on hand, reduce the amount of Kosher salt by half.
- Lemon zest: the fresh lemon adds the perfect pop of freshness to the scones! If you can find meyer lemons, those are delicious with this recipe! Otherwise, regular lemons work great too!
- Egg: The egg helps bind the scones. I always use pasture-raised eggs.
- Buttermilk: I love the flavor of buttermilk in scones! You can substitute the buttermilk for heavy whipping cream if you'd like.
- Flour: I use regular all-purpose flour.
How to make Blackberry Scones
1. In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, fresh lemon zest, and salt.
2. Add in cold, cubed butter and use your hands to break it up into small pea-sized pieces (some slightly larger pieces are great too!). Make sure you are incorporating all the flour with the butter by picking up a new piece of flour each time you pick up butter.
3. Whisk together the egg and buttermilk. Add it to the flour mixture along with halved blackberries. Gently stir to combine it into a very shaggy dough.
4. Dump the dough onto a lightly floured cutting board. Form the dough into an approximately 1 ½ inch thick disc.
5. Slice the dough into 8 triangles. Evenly spread out on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Brush with buttermilk and sprinkle with a little sugar. Freeze for 15 minutes.
6. Bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 18-25 minutes, or until golden brown on the bottom and lightly golden on top.
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Prep ahead and freezer tips
To best prep scones in advance, I recommend freezing them prior to baking. To do this:
- Make the recipe all the way through the freezing step.
- Once frozen solid, transfer them to an airtight container and freeze them for up to 3 months.
- When ready to enjoy, bake them straight from frozen (note that they will take slightly longer to bake from frozen).
If you have extra cooked blackberry scones, store them in an airtight container in a cool, dry place for up to 2 days, or up to 4 days in the refrigerator. I reheat leftovers in the microwave in 15-second increments, or in a 325-degree oven until warm.
Expert tips to keep in mind when making scones
- This recipe makes 8 triangular scones. That said, you can shape and cut these scones however you'd like! You can roll the dough into a square and slice it into smaller, appetizer, sized portions.
- The dough will be slightly sticky and wet when you are forming it. You'll get a little bit of dough stuck on your hands, but it shouldn't all be stuck on you. The moisture level in the air around you will affect this. If it is too sticky, add a dusting of flour. If the dough is too dry and not forming a disk, add a tablespoon of buttermilk at a time.
- Popping the dough in the freezer for a few minutes before slicing helps to create clean cuts.
- It is important that the dough is cold when it is baked. When the cold butter hits the hot oven air, it will steam and create those flaky layers that we love.
More prep ahead breakfasts you'll love
📖 Recipe
Blackberry Scones
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour spooned and leveled
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ¼ cup granulated white sugar plus slightly more for topping
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1 lemon zested
- ½ cup unsalted butter cold, plus more for serving, if desired
- 1 egg
- ½ cup buttermilk plus slightly more for brushing
- 1 cup fresh blackberries halved lengthwise
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 °F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, and lemon zest.
- Cut the cold butter into small ½ inch cubes. Add the butter to the flour mixture. Working quickly, use your fingers to break the butter into pea-sized pieces, making sure each bit of flour comes in contact with the butter while doing so.
- Whisk the egg and buttermilk together. Pour into the flour mixture along with the halved blackberries. Use a rubber spatula to gently combine and form a shaggy dough. Dump the dough onto a lightly floured work surface. Very gently knead the dough until just beginning to combine. Gently form the dough into an approximately 1.5-inch thick disk. Slice into 8 triangles and place each triangle 2 inches apart on the baking sheet. Freeze for 15 minutes.
- Lightly brush each scone with buttermilk and top each scone with a pinch of sugar. Bake the scones for 18-25 minutes, or until golden brown on the bottom and slightly golden on top. Serve immediately with unsalted butter on the side, if desired.
Notes
- This recipe makes 8 triangular scones.
- The dough will be slightly sticky and wet when you are forming it. You'll get a little bit of dough stuck on your hands, but it shouldn't all be stuck on you. The moisture level in the air around you will affect this. If it is too sticky, add a dusting of flour. If the dough is too dry and not forming a disk, add a tablespoon of buttermilk at a time.
- To prep ahead and freeze: Make the recipe all the way through step 4. Once frozen solid, transfer them to an airtight container and freeze them for up to 3 months. When ready to enjoy, bake them straight from frozen (note that they will take slightly longer to bake from frozen).
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