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Learn how to make the best lemon blueberry scones from scratch! Every bite is bursting with juicy berries and bright citrus flavor. Soft and moist inside with a bakery-style texture (even with no heavy cream!), these breakfast scones are quick and easy to make any day of the week. You only need one bowl and 30 minutes!
A handful of times throughout the baseball season, Grandma and I buy tickets to see a game. I drive to her house, and then we carpool downtown to the ballpark, pass through our usual left field entrance, and weave our way around the other fans until we reach our favorite seats along the third base side.
Before one particular game we attended, I brought a few slices of this lemon cake as a little gift for Grandma to enjoy during the upcoming week. Yet while I stood on her front porch, sneakily hiding the package behind my back as I rang the bell, she surprised me with a few freshly picked Meyer lemons from her tree!
We both laughed about our unexpected lemon theme. Great minds think alike!
For the next four hours, we watched batting practice and cheered for the Padres when they took the field to start the game. Although they lost, we still loved every minute of the well-played game — and we even appeared on the huge jumbotron in the outfield!
Once back at home, I debated what to bake with those Meyer lemons. Cupcakes? My favorite muffins? Healthy pound cake? Although each of those sounded extremely tempting…
I picked these Healthy Lemon Blueberry Scones instead! The combination of the sweet juicy berries with the bright sunshiny lemon flavor is absolutely irresistible — and so perfect for summer!
Even better? These breakfast scones are supremely tender with a bakery-style texture, thanks to my secret ingredient… And you just need 1 bowl and 30 minutes to make them!
HOW TO MAKE THE BEST LEMON BLUEBERRY SCONES
Let’s go over how to make these healthy lemon blueberry scones! (And I’ll tell you what my secret ingredient is soon!)
To start, you’ll need white whole wheat flour (like this!). Yes, such a thing actually exists… And it’s not a combination of white (aka all-purpose) flour and whole wheat flour!
White whole wheat flour is made by finely grinding a special type of soft white wheat (hence the name!), whereas regular whole wheat flour comes from a heartier variety of red wheat. This gives white whole wheat flour a lighter taste and texture, closer to that of all-purpose flour, which lets the lemon flavor and tender texture of these scones really shine!
You’ll also need both freshly squeezed lemon juice and lemon zest for these healthy lemon blueberry scones. The peel actually has a much stronger citrus flavor than the juice, so it’s one of the most important ingredients in this recipe. Don’t skip it!
Next, you’ll mix in very cold cubes of butter. I highly recommend a pastry cutter (like this!) to do so. It makes the process much easier and faster than using two knives or the back of a fork!
It’s really important that the butter is cold and straight from the fridge. (Freezing isn’t necessary for this recipe!) The butter creates tender little pockets in the dough as it melts in the oven, so you don’t want the butter to soften or melt ahead of time. If it did, you’d lose some of that beautifully soft and tender texture!
Tip: This is why I recommend avoiding coconut oil, if at all possible, because it melts at room temperature… So it’s almost impossible to keep it as a solid while preparing the dough. It often turns into a liquid before you can even get your scones in the oven!
Ready to learn the secret ingredient in these healthy lemon blueberry scones? It’s… Greek yogurt! If you’ve been around my blog for a while, you probably guessed that. I love incorporating it into my healthy baking recipes! Greek yogurt adds the same moisture as extra butter to these scones, and it gives them a protein boost too!
Instead of refined granulated sugar, you’ll sweeten your scones with pure maple syrup (like this!). You want the kind that comes directly from maple trees and just contains one ingredient: maple syrup. It’s generally sold in thin glass bottles or squat plastic jugs (like this!).
Tip: Don’t substitute sugar-free maple syrup! It’s generally water-based, and that makes your scones collapse while cooling and turn out overly dense.
Time for the second fruit component! I used fresh blueberries because (a) they’re in season and constantly on sale at the grocery store and (b) they don’t dye the scone dough a funky gray color like frozen ones do. How pretty do they look?? I just love that deep purple color!
Tip: If you get a craving for these healthy lemon blueberry scones when blueberries aren’t in season, frozen will still work! Just increase the baking time slightly, and remember the dough may be a little grayish in color.
One last trick! Before slicing your healthy lemon blueberry scones into wedges and popping them in the oven, brush the tops and sides with milk. This seals moisture into the dough, which keeps their interiors soft and tender, and it also creates a hint of a crust on the outside. I love that texture contrast!
These just might be my new all-time favorite scones! ♡ And when you make your own, remember to snap a picture and share it on Instagram using #amyshealthybaking and tagging @amyshealthybaking IN the photo itself! (That guarantees I’ll see your picture! 🙂 ) I’d love to see your healthy lemon blueberry scones!
Healthy Lemon Blueberry Scones
© Amy's Healthy Baking
Yields: 8 scones
My brother loves anything lemon-flavored, and we were both obsessed with these scones! They’re full of bright sunshiny citrus flavor, and the sweet juicy blueberries are the perfect flavor combination. Leftover scones will keep for at least four days if stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
5 from 8 votes
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Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups (180g) white whole wheat flour or gluten-free* flour (measured like this)
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp (5g) lemon zest (about 1 medium)
- 2 tbsp (28g) unsalted butter, cold and cubed
- ½ cup (120g) plain nonfat Greek yogurt
- 3 tbsp (45mL) pure maple syrup
- 3 tbsp (45mL) freshly squeezed Meyer lemon juice (see Notes!)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ cup (70g) fresh blueberries
- 2 tsp nonfat milk
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 425°F, and line a baking sheet with asilicone baking matorparchment paper.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Whisk in the lemon zest. Cut in the butter with apastry cutter(highly recommended!) or the back of a fork until the mixture resembles fine crumbs. Make a well in the center. Add in the Greek yogurt, maple syrup, lemon juice, and vanilla. Stir until just incorporated. Gently fold in the blueberries with a spatula.
Transfer the dough to the prepared baking sheet. Using a spatula, shape the dough into a ¾” tall circle, and brush with the milk. Slice the dough into 8 triangular segments with a sharp knife. (No need to separate them!) Bake at 425°F for 19-22 minutes, or until the tops and sides are lightly golden. Cool on the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
Notes
IMPORTANT MEASURING NOTE – READ BEFORE BEGINNING: It's very important to measure the flour correctly, using this method or a kitchen scale. (← That’s the one I own and love!) Too much will dry out your scones and make the dough crumbly. It'll also make them taste bland.
IMPORTANT BAKING NOTE – READ BEFORE BEGINNING: Do not separate the 8 dough wedges before baking in Step 3. Instead, leave them touching on the baking sheet! This helps make the insides really moist, soft, and tender.
IMPORTANT TASTE NOTE – READ BEFORE BEGINNING: As written, these scones aren’t overly sweet. If you prefer sweeter scones, substitute an additional 1-2 tablespoons of pure maple syrup for an equal amount of lemon juice in the dough. (For example, use 4 tablespoons of pure maple syrup, and reduce the lemon juice in the dough to 2 tablespoons.)
IMPORTANT LEMON JUICE NOTES – READ BEFORE BEGINNING: I highly recommend using Meyer lemons!When made with Meyer lemons, these scones have a much better texture than when made with regular lemons. This is because Meyer lemons are sweeter, less acidic, and have a higher pH compared to regular lemons. When the dough is too acidic (aka if you use 3 tablespoons of regular lemon juice instead of Meyer lemon juice!), then your scones will fail to rise properly, turn out denser, and can sometimes almost look "raw" on the inside (even when they're 100% fully baked all the way through!).
So if you only have regular lemons, then use ½ tablespoon of regular lemon juice + 2 ½ tablespoons of milk (any type!) in place of the Meyer lemon juice. That ratio prevents the dough from being too acidic, so your scones will turn out with approximately the same texture as when made with Meyer lemons. (Because the zest provides the majority of the lemon flavor, rather than the juice, they'll taste almost exactly the same too!)
For the best results, use lemons that are pure yellow, without any green spots. Lemon zest that's pure yellow provides the brightest citrus flavor.
FLOUR ALTERNATIVES: Whole wheat pastry flouror all-purpose flour may be substituted for the white whole wheat flour. Regular whole wheat flour may also be substituted, but you may detect a subtle "wheat-y" flavor.
BUTTER NOTES + ALTERNATIVE: It’s very important that your butter is cold, straight from the fridge. (Freezing it isn’t necessary for this recipe!) With very cold butter, it won’t heat up until you put the scones in the extremely hot oven, and it will create little air pockets and a very tender crumb when it melts.
For this reason, I don’t recommend substituting coconut oil. It melts at a lower temperature, which affects the texture of your scones and means they won't turn out as tender. If you do decide to substitute coconut oil, just keep that in mind!
For a dairy-free or vegan version, use stick-style vegan butter (I like this one and this one) in place of the unsalted butter for the best results.
SWEETENER ALTERNATIVES: Honey or agave may be substituted in place of the pure maple syrup. I don’t recommend substituting sugar free maple syrup. It's often water-based, which affects the scones’ texture. They usually turn out denser and collapse some while cooling.
FRESH BLUEBERRIES ALTERNATIVE: In a pinch, frozen blueberries may be substituted for the fresh, and the baking time may increase slightly. (Keep in mind that frozen blueberries dye the dough a grayish color!)
MILK ALTERNATIVES: Any milk may be substituted for the nonfat milk.
EGG-FREE OPTION: No modifications necessary!
GLUTEN-FREE OPTION: For a gluten-free version, use the following blend: 1 cup (120g) millet flour, ¼ cup (30g) tapioca flour, ¼ cup (30g) brown rice flour, and 1 teaspoon xanthan gum. Many store-bought gluten-free flour blends (I like this onefrom Bob's Red Mill) will work as well, if they’re measured like this.
EGG-FREE, DAIRY-FREE + VEGAN OPTION: Use stick-style vegan butter (I like this one and this one) in place of the butter, your preferred non-dairy yogurt in place of the Greek yogurt (ie soy- or almond-based), and non-dairy milk in place of the nonfat milk.
VIDEO: Watch my video here (located directly above the recipe!) to see how these scones are made. (It's for a similar scone recipe, just without the lemon!)
HOW TO STORE: Store your scones in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They’ll keep for at least four days, if not longer!
I highly recommend reheating leftover scones in the microwave before eating them! It really improves their texture and makes them soft and fluffy again. I heat them on 30% power until they’re warmed all the way through.
These scones also freeze really well!
{gluten-free, egg-free, clean eating, low fat, dairy-free option, vegan option}
DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?I'd love to hear what you think of it in a comment below! If you take a picture, tag @amys.healthy.baking on Instagram or use the hashtag #amyshealthybaking.
View Nutrition Information + Weight Watchers Points
You may also like Amy’s other recipes…
♡The Ultimate Healthy Blueberry Scones
♡Healthy Lemon Scones
♡Healthy Raspberry Almond Scones
♡Healthy Copycat Petite Vanilla Bean Scones
♡Healthy Lemon Blueberry Muffins
♡Healthy Blueberry Banana Bread
♡Healthy Lemon Blueberry Protein Muffins
♡…and the rest of Amy’s healthy scone recipes!
