Tender, buttery, and bursting with fresh blueberries, these copycat Starbucks blueberry scones are made with cold butter, cream, lemon zest, and vanilla. Sweet, flakey bliss.
Lightly crisp around the edges, soft and steamy within, and crowned with a simple vanilla glaze—that’s the kind of scone I can get behind. These little triangles of carb joy come together in one bowl (okay, plus a tiny one for the glaze) and fill your kitchen with warm, citrusy, bakery vibes that feel oddly soothing. You can absolutely bake them up for brunch, a treat-yourself Tuesday, or just because there were blueberries sitting in the fridge giving you judgmental eyes.
Table of Contents
Don’t let this one slip away — pin it now and thank yourself later!
Don’t let this one slip away — pin it now and thank yourself later!
Why You’ll Love this Copycat Starbucks Blueberry Scones
No fluff, no drama, just a darn fine scone. They’re buttery, lightly sweet, and very likely to disappear faster than you expect.
- Ridiculously simple to make: You just grate, mix, pat, cut, brush, and bake. Chill too, but that’s your reward time.
- Real bakery texture at home: They’re crisp at the tips, soft in the center, and so flaky you’ll see layers.
- Big blueberry energy: Sweet-tart bursts in every bite make the whole thing feel jammy without the mess.
- Glaze optional but highly encouraged: It adds just a little sweet snap and practically paints on.
- Make-ahead friendly: You can freeze the unbaked wedges and bake straight from frozen.
- Lemon zest twist: That fresh zing balances the richness and plays so well with blueberries.
Ingredient Notes
Nothing fussy here, but a couple ingredients deserve a curtain call.
- All-purpose flour: Gives structure while keeping things tender. Don’t substitute anything wild—this recipe appreciates some classics.
- Granulated sugar: Just enough sweetness to not need jam. These aren’t cupcakes in disguise.
- Baking powder: Helps the scones puff up a bit so they’re not hockey pucks. Make sure it’s fresh-ish.
- Lemon zest: Adds that little sparkle of flavor. It won’t blow your face off with lemon, promise.
- Cold unsalted butter: The colder, the flakier. Grating it means quicker mixing without melting it with warm hands.
- Heavy cream: Makes the dough rich and just the right kind of soft. You can swap in half-and-half, but the texture will change.
- Egg: Adds body and a little extra richness.
- Vanilla extract: A quiet background note that makes the whole thing taste just a bit more like dessert.
- Fresh blueberries: Juicy, vibrant, and they don’t turn gummy like frozen ones sometimes do.
- Powdered sugar + milk: A basic glaze combo. Swap in lemon juice for extra tang, or keep it mellow with vanilla.
How To Make This Copycat Starbucks Blueberry Scones
Making scones might feel fancy, but it’s 90% cold ingredients and 10% pretending you have a British accent. You’ve got this.
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Grate and freeze the butter: This sounds fussy, but I swear it saves time later. Just grab a box grater, shred that butter like mozzarella, and toss the pile onto a plate in the freezer. Cold fat = flaky layers.
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Prep your baking sheet: Either parchment paper or a silicone mat works great. I’m a parchment fan, not just for easy cleanup but also because I’m too lazy to scrub.
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Mix the dry stuff: In a big ol’ bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and that happy lemon zest. It’ll smell subtly citrusy. You’ll feel like a fancy pastry person for 12 seconds.
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Add the butter: If you grated it, just toss it in and gently mix. If you’re cubing instead, use your fingers or a pastry cutter until the flour looks like wet sand with pebbles.
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Stir in the wet ingredients: Whisk together the egg, cream, and vanilla in a small bowl, then add to the dry mix. Use a spoon or spatula to gently bring it together. It’ll look like a shaggy mess, but that’s perfect fat magic.
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Add blueberries carefully: Don’t go ham here—you want them mixed in without getting totally smashed. A few purple streaks are nice. Blue mush is less so.
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Shape and cut: On a floured surface, pat the dough into a thick circle. About 1 inch tall—no tape measure necessary, just roughly the thickness of a stout iPhone. Cut into 8 wedges like a pizza.
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Brush and freeze: Transfer them to your baking sheet, brush with cream, and give ‘em a little chill-out time in the freezer. They’ll bake up taller and more defined.
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Bake to golden perfection: After their nap, brush with more cream, then bake at 400°F for 18–22 minutes. You’re looking for golden brown tops and lightly crisp edges.
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Cool and glaze: Let them cool on the pan a bit (they’re fragile when hot), then move to a rack. Whisk up your glaze and drizzle. Or zig-zag. No judgment.
Storage Options
Alright, once you’ve baked up a batch of these buttery triangles, the question becomes: how do you keep them just as dreamy the next day? Or later this week? Or sometime in a post-errand, half-starved future moment?
If you’re just keeping them overnight or for a couple days, stash them in an airtight container at room temperature. They’ll stay soft and tasty for about 2 days. Longer than that, and they start getting a tiny bit crumbly (still good though, especially with tea).
Want to freeze them? You’ve got options. Unbaked is best: just shape the dough, cut the wedges, and freeze them on a tray. Once they’re solid, pop them into a zip-top freezer bag. Bake straight from frozen, just add a couple extra minutes to the bake time.
For already baked scones, cool completely and freeze them in a single layer, then bag ’em up. Thaw at room temp or give them a couple minutes in the oven to perk them right back up. Microwave is okay too, but only for desperate snack situations.
Variations and Substitutions
Feel like mixing things up? These scones are forgiving, flexible little guys. Here’s how you could riff on them without causing a pastry crisis.
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Frozen blueberries: You can use them in a pinch, but don’t thaw first. Toss them with flour to reduce bleeding, though you’ll still get a slightly purply dough.
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Lemon glaze twist: Swap milk for lemon juice in the glaze and boom, you’ve got extra zing to match the zest in the dough.
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Add streusel on top: Feeling bold? Crumble a bit of brown sugar, flour, and butter on top before baking for crunchy-sweet vibes.
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Use orange zest instead: It’s mellower than lemon and plays surprisingly nice with blueberries.
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Swap the fruit entirely: Think raspberries, blackberries, or even dried cranberries if you’re feeling seasonal. Speaking of cranberries, my cranberry ginger relish pairs weirdly well with sweet pastries. Just sayin’.
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Skip the glaze: They’re still delightfully good plain, or serve with clotted cream if you want to cosplay as a tearoom regular.
What to Serve with Copycat Starbucks Blueberry Scones
You could absolutely eat these straight from the cooling rack in your pajamas. But if you’d like to dress them up a bit…
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Coffee, obviously: A scone without coffee feels a bit… underdressed. Hot brewed or iced cold brew, anything works. They also play well with tea if you’re fancy like that.
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Greek yogurt with honey: The tangy creaminess goes beautifully with the sweetness of the scone. Add a few nuts on top and boom, it’s basically brunch.
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Soft scrambled eggs on the side: Slightly savory eggs make a cozy meal when paired with a sweet, tender scone. Sounds weird? Try it.
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Cut fruit or berries: Keep that fresh vibe going. A fruity side really brings out the blueberry flavor, especially in peak season.
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Something savory for contrast: Try these bacon basil cornbread muffins too. Sweet and savory side-by-side = absolute brunch magic.
Don’t let this one slip away — pin it now and thank yourself later!
Don’t let this one slip away — pin it now and thank yourself later!
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use frozen blueberries instead of fresh?
Yes, you totally can, but there’s a little trick to keep your dough from turning into Smurf town. Use them straight from the freezer (don’t thaw), and toss them in a tablespoon of flour right before folding them into the dough. That helps reduce the color bleeding and keeps things from getting soggy. A few purple streaks might still join the party, but hey, it’s rustic charm.
Why freeze the scones before baking?
Freezing the scones right before baking helps them hold their shape in the oven and bake up extra flaky. It chills the butter again so it doesn’t melt too early, which means you get that nice airy texture rather than a flat, sad triangle. A 15 to 20 minute chill is all you need while the oven heats.
Can I make the dough ahead of time?
Absolutely. You can make the dough, cut it into wedges, and freeze them raw. Then bake straight from frozen (no need to thaw!)—just add a couple minutes to the baking time. They’re great for prepping ahead when you want fresh-baked scones with zero effort at caffeine-o’clock.
How do I know when the scones are done?
The tops should be golden, the edges lightly browned, and the scones should no longer look wet or doughy. If you’re unsure, gently lift the bottom of one—it should be golden too. Usually 18 to 22 minutes does it, but every oven has its quirks. If they smell amazing and look puffed up, you’re probably safe to pull them.
Copycat Starbucks Blueberry Scones
Ingredients
Scones
- 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour spooned & leveled
- 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- 2 1/2 tsp (12 g) baking powder
- 1/2 tsp (2.5 g) fine salt
- 1 lemon zested
- 1/2 cup (113 g) cold unsalted butter grated or cubed
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) heavy cream plus more for brushing
- 1 1/2 tsp (7 ml) vanilla extract
- 1 cup (150 g) fresh blueberries
Vanilla Glaze
- 3/4 cup (90 g) powdered sugar sifted
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) milk plus more as needed
- 1/2 tsp (2.5 ml) vanilla extract
Equipment
- Box grater
- Large mixing bowl
- Small mixing bowl
- Baking sheet
- Parchment Paper or Silicone Mat
- Whisk
- Pastry brush
Instructions
- Grate the cold butter using a box grater and place it in the freezer while you prep everything else.
- Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, salt, and lemon zest.
- Add the grated (or cubed) butter to the dry ingredients and gently toss. Work the butter in using a pastry cutter or your fingers until the mixture resembles coarse, pebbly sand.
- In a small bowl, whisk together egg, heavy cream, and vanilla extract.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and gently stir together with a spatula until a shaggy dough forms. Add the blueberries and gently fold in to avoid smashing them.
- Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Pat into a circle about 1 inch thick. Cut into 8 wedges.
- Transfer wedges to prepared baking sheet. Brush tops with a bit of cream. Freeze scones for 15–20 minutes while oven finishes preheating.
- Bake for 18–22 minutes, or until tops are golden and edges are lightly crisp. Remove and cool on pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
- Make the glaze: Whisk together powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla until smooth and pourable. Drizzle over slightly cooled scones. Enjoy!
