Please note: I am in the process of redoing this mini blueberry scone recipe, after multiple comments about the recipe not turning out well. I value this feedback, and am taking it seriously, as Bowl of Delicious should be a place where you can find foolproof, easy recipes that aren’t frustrating! Make it if you like, but also please check back in a few weeks for an updated recipe that will be guaranteed to be more successful :-)
If a blueberry muffin, a southern-style biscuit, and a bakery scone were able to somehow combine forces and create one scone of awesomeness, this would be it. Here is its story.
I went to Trader Joe’s yesterday and, like most trips there, was enamored by the shiny displays of inexpensive, very ripe, bulk produce. 1.5 lbs of blueberries for $4.99? I’ll take it!
Whenever this happens, I inevitably face reality and realize that I actually have to USE the very ripe bulk produce. And quickly, before it goes bad. And so, these blueberry scones were born. And it was good. (really good.)
I was inspired to make blueberry scones after perusing one of my favorite blogs, pinch of yum. This is adapted from her recipe, as well as from Tyler Florence.
Before you ask: no, these do not follow my normal real food rules- they contain white flour and sugar. I’m more of a 95% real food girl, not 100% (I’d go crazy if I did anything 100% of the time!)
Most scone recipes call for heavy cream and unsalted butter. I didn’t have either, so I used whole milk and salted butter. Confession: I use salted butter very frequently for baking.
(GASP!!! SHOCK!!! THE HORROR!!!!)
It hasn’t stopped me from eating 3 of these scones since they came out of the oven.
Wait…. 4. Yum.
The result was a very fluffy scone that was salty-sweet and very moist. And, it was fairly easy to make!
Mix together two cups of all-purpose flour with 1 tablespoon of baking powder, 2 tablespoons of sugar, and 1 teaspoon salt.
Did you know that unlike many other pantry items, baking powder has a very short shelf life? If yours is over 6 months old, you should replace it. If you use old baking power for this recipe, the scones will not rise properly.
Cut in 5 tablespoons cold butter (you pick- salted or unsalted), cut up into small chunks, using a pastry cutter
. If you are impatient, you can do this process in your food processor.
When I did this, I moved the bowl around in a circle with one hand while using the pastry cutter with the other to mix along the edges as the bowl moved, until the mixture resembled coarse crumbs. It does take a little while, but it’s easy to do (and great exercise, if you ask me!).
Add the blueberries and stir gently in. Be careful not to mash them- you will stain the dough purple (but if you do, it will still taste delicious).
Make a well in the center and add 1 cup of whole milk (or heavy cream, if you have it); fold to just incorporate. You don’t want to over-mix here, or the scones will be tough and dry.
The dough will be very sticky. That is OK. This is where it gets messy, so get your messy boots on and let’s get started. It’s worth it- I promise.
Flour your working surface liberally and scoop the dough out. Flatten it out using well-floured hands until it is about 1/2 an inch thick. Careful not to pop any blueberries!
Now, you can cut the scones into whatever shape you want. I chose triangles. Sort of. These scones came out “rustic,” meaning misshapen.
But I did get some very pretty triangular scones out of it by cutting strips in the dough and triangles from cutting diagonally across the strips. I made mini scones by making each triangle only about 1 inch wide.
Place on a parchment covered baking sheet. Brush each scone with some more milk (or heavy cream) and sprinkle the tops with turbinado sugar (this will make them like yummy sugary blueberry muffin tops!).
Bake at a 400 degree oven for approximately 15 minutes, or until they turn golden-brown.
You’re supposed to eat scones at room temperature, but that didn’t stop me from trying one (OK, two) right away.
Freezer directions: If my grandmother were still alive, she would have put some of these straight into a freezer bag and frozen some for when guests popped by. If you want to freeze them, they will be good for up to 6 months. Microwave them to thaw for only 20-30 seconds.
You may also like these Irish Soda Bread Scones.
Mini Blueberry Scones
Equipment
- Baking Sheet
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour plus more for dusting surface
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 6 tablespoons salted butter frozen (see notes)
- 1.5 cups frozen wild blueberries (see notes)
- 1/2 cup whole milk plus more for brushing (or heavy cream, or buttermilk)
- turbinado sugar for sprinkling on top, optional
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour (2 cups), sugar (1/4 cup), kosher salt (1/4 teaspoon), and baking powder (1 tablespoon).
- Use a box grater to grate the frozen butter (6 tablespoons) into the flour mixture. Combine with your hands (which is what I prefer), a pastry cutter, or a fork so the mixture resembles pea-sized crumbs (alternatively, you can use cold cubed butter if you are in a rush and haven't prepared frozen butter, but I find it easier to incorporate frozen grated butter).
- Add the blueberries (1.5 cups); fold together carefully.
- Make a well in the center of the mixture and add the milk (1/2 cup). Stir just to incorporate everything together (be careful not to over-stir).
- Turn dough out onto well-floured surface and flatten carefully into a rectangle shape, using well-floured hands, until about 1/2 inch thick.
- Cut the dough into strips about two inches wide. Then, cut cross-wise in the other direction to make into two-inch squares. Finally, cut on the diagonal to cut each of those squares into two triangles.
- Place scones on a parchment covered baking sheet at least 1 inch apart.
- Brush the tops of each scone with milk. Optional: at this point, you can also sprinkle with turbinado or white sugar for a crunchy top.
- Bake at 400 degrees F for approximately 15 minutes, until golden brown. Allow to cool for 10 minutes on a wire rack before serving.
Notes
- Freezer directions: These mini scones can be frozen in an airtight container or plastic bag for up to 6 months. To thaw, microwave for 20-30 seconds.
- I used wild blueberries because they are very small, which makes them perfect for mini scones with a lot in every bite. Fresh wild blueberries, regular fresh blueberries, or regular frozen (not wild) blueberries may be used if you like, or another kind of berry.
- Unsalted butter may be used; in this case, use 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt.
- You can make other shapes besides triangles if you like. Make 1" squares instead of triangles. Another option is to use a simple cookie cutter, like a heart, or a circular biscuit cutter, to make circle shapes. I prefer triangles because you don't have any "extra" dough that you have to either rework, which affects the texture, or discard.
- You can also make this recipe into larger scones. Just cut the shapes larger and cook for about 20 minutes, spaced 2-3 inches apart.
- The provided nutrition information does not include any added sodium from seasoning to taste, any optional ingredients, and it does not take brands into account. Feel free to calculate it yourself using this calculator or by adding the recipe to Yummly.
- The original instructions had 1 teaspoon of kosher salt. After feedback from readers that the scones were too salty, I cut it back to 1/2 teaspoon. I will also be going back and recooking these mini scones soon so I can come back and report on any other changes :-)
Rems
Simple recipe, easy to make but way to much salt. Followed the recommended proportions but should have followed my intuition. This batch is simply a loss.
Elizabeth Lindemann
Oh no! So sorry this frustrating experience happened to you. I’m going to add this recipe to my list of things to re-make, to make sure I added the correct ingredient amounts and can troubleshoot any problems. Also, it’s important to note that this recipe uses kosher salt, and regular table salt substituted should be a lesser amount (not sure if that was the issue or not!). Sorry again, and hope I can get to the bottom of this problem soon!
Anna
These turned out horrible. You need more sugar when making. Would never follow this recipe ever again
Elizabeth Lindemann
Oh no! Sorry you had a frustrating experience. These scones are definitely not very sweet, which I like personally, and I recommend that anyone who wants a sweeter scone add a little more sugar. Next time I make these, I’m going to try that myself so I can speak more accurately to the suggested amount. Thanks for the feedback :-)
Zaza
Can i make the dough the day before, put in refrigerator and then bake them up fresh the day i am going to serve them?
Elizabeth
I’ve never tried it, but I wouldn’t do this. I think the dough may become tough and the scones wouldn’t be as fluffy. Instead, I’d bake the scones and take them out a few minutes early, just underdone, before they get golden brown. Then, put them back in the oven for a few minutes to warm them up and finish baking just before serving. Hope that helps!
Leah
This recipe did not work for me AT ALL. I have a sticky gooey purple lump of mush in front of me. :(
Elizabeth
Oh no! I’m sorry to hear it didn’t work! As with any dough, if it’s too sticky, I’d recommend adding a little more flour. As for the purple color- I’m wondering, did you use frozen blueberries? If that’s the case, it would definitely be purple. And fresh are hard to work with- you have to be very careful so they don’t burst. I’ll look at the recipe write-up and add some notes about preventing these things based on your comment. Sorry again, and better luck next time!
Susan
How many mini scones did get in a batch? I need 40 for a party this weekend and need know if that’s a single double batch.
Elizabeth
Oh gosh- to be honest, I made these such a long time ago, that I forget. But I think it made more like 20, not 40. I’d double it- you can always freeze any extra you have! Hope you (and the party guests) like them :-)
Annie
Can you add the blueberries after the heavy cream?
Elizabeth
I don’t see why not! In fact, looking back on these directions… I think that makes way more sense so you don’t mush up the blueberries :-)
Mike
Thoughts on using frozen blueberries? I know they bleed, but do you think they’d still get the job done?
Elizabeth
I’d say go for it! I just actually read something from another recipe on Taste of Home that said if you use frozen blueberries, use them without thawing so they don’t bleed, so that might work! Even if they do bleed, purple scones will probably be just as tasty as non-purple scones :-) Let me know how it comes out if you try it!
Lisa Lindemann
I LOVE scones….with a cup of hot Earl Grey tea, no less. Very “Downton Abbey.” :) And this recipe sounds, and looks, delicious! I figure any side effects from the refined flour and sugar will be off-set from the vitamin-packed fresh blueberries. I’m going with that. Yum! Lisa Lindemann
Elizabeth
Yum! I need to go buy some Earl Grey tea, it’s one of my favorites :-) When I wrote this post I thought a lot about the mini pumpkin scones you always have whenever we come and visit. So delicious! Maybe I will have to try to make a pumpkin version next…