Blueberry-Lemon Scones Recipe

Light, lemony scones with pops of juicy blueberries, and nothing to get in the way of the fruit's bright flavor.

By
Stella Parks
Stella Parks
Stella Parks
Editor Emeritus
Stella Parks is a CIA-trained baking nerd and pastry wizard, dubbed one of America's Best New Pastry Chefs by Food & Wine. She was the pastry editor at Serious Eats from 2016 to 2019.
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Updated May. 07, 2020
20170303-blueberry-lemon-vegan-scones-vicky-wasik-7.jpg
Photograph: Vicky Wasik

Why It Works

  • A blend of coconut oil and full-fat coconut milk provides just the right sense of richness in the scones, along with enough water to help them rise nice and light.
  • Lemon zest rounds out the aroma of the scones, highlighting the fresh blueberries.
  • Look for small blueberries with tight skins, which offer a more concentrated flavor.
  • Refrigeration ensures that these scones won't spread too thin.
  • A sprinkling of toasted or turbinado sugar, while optional, adds a layer of crunchy sweetness and complexity.

Despite containing both coconut oil and coconut milk, these scones don't end up with a coconutty flavor at all. Rather, these ingredients provide the same richness and tender but fluffy crumb you'd find in traditional scones made with butter and cream. Their flavor is light and lemony, with bursts of juicy blueberry under a crunchy crust of toasted sugar. Do be sure to refrigerate the dough, which mixes up a little warmer and softer than a typical scone dough made with chilled dairy ingredients. But don't worry—that step takes only 15 minutes, which is about how long it takes to preheat an oven.

Recipe Facts

4.6

(16)

Active: 5 mins
Total: 45 mins
Serves: 6 scones

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Ingredients

  • 9 ounces all-purpose flour (about 2 cups, spooned; 255g), plus more for dusting

  • 1 tablespoon baking powder

  • 2 teaspoons sugar

  • 1 teaspoon (4g) Diamond Crystal kosher salt; for table salt, use half as much by volume or use the same weight

  • 2 ounces refined coconut oil (about 1/4 cup; 55g), solid but creamy (see notes)

  • 6 ounces fresh blueberries (1 cup; 170g)

  • 1/4 ounce lemon zest (about 1 tablespoon; 7g)

  • 8 ounces unsweetened, full-fat coconut milk (1 cup; 225g), shaken or stirred until homogeneous before measuring (see notes)

  • Toasted or turbinado sugar, to taste (optional)

Directions

  1. For the Dough: Combine flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, and coconut oil in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until oil disappears into a powdery meal. Transfer to a medium bowl, then toss with blueberries and lemon zest. Stir in coconut milk with a flexible spatula to form a soft dough. Turn onto a lightly floured sheet of parchment paper, pat into a 7-inch round, and refrigerate 15 minutes. Meanwhile, adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and preheat oven to 400°F (204°C).

  2. To Bake: Using a chef’s knife, cut chilled wheel of dough into 6 wedges. Sprinkle generously with toasted or turbinado sugar, if using, and arrange on a parchment-lined half sheet pan. Bake until puffed and golden, about 25 minutes, and serve warm.

Special equipment

Food processor, parchment paper, half sheet pan

Notes

To keep the flavor of the scones neutral, reach for refined coconut oil; if you'd prefer a slightly tropical aroma, try virgin coconut oil instead. In either case, it's important to use cans of unsweetened, full-fat coconut milk, not the stuff that's watered down and sold in refrigerated cartons.

This Recipe Appears In

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
334 Calories
18g Fat
40g Carbs
5g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6
Amount per serving
Calories 334
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 18g 23%
Saturated Fat 15g 74%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 508mg 22%
Total Carbohydrate 40g 14%
Dietary Fiber 2g 7%
Total Sugars 4g
Protein 5g
Vitamin C 5mg 23%
Calcium 152mg 12%
Iron 4mg 20%
Potassium 152mg 3%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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