Gluten Free Blueberry Scones

There is no need to head to your local (gluten-free) bakery when a craving for fresh-baked gluten-free blueberry scones hits. This recipe for gluten free blueberry lemon scones is made with simple ingredients and is a delightful addition to any breakfast or brunch. Or just enjoy those gluten-free scones with your morning coffee.

Crunchy and golden on the outside with a soft middle these gluten-free lemon blueberry scones are packed with fresh blueberries and lemon flavor. Drizzle those homemade scones with a quick and easy lemon glaze or serve them as is.

If you love blueberries, make sure to check out my Gluten Free Blueberry Cheesecake recipe or my Gluten Free Blueberry Buckle. For a fun brunch addition, check out my Gluten Free Zucchini Bread.

Jump to:

• Recipe Ingredient Notes
• How to make Gluten Free Blueberry Scones
• What is the secret to great blueberry scones?
• Variations of Gluten Free Blueberry Scones
• FAQ about Gluten Free Blueberry Lemon Scones
• Baking in grams
• Note about Ovens and Oven Temperatures
• Substitutions and Modifications
• 📖 Recipe
• 💬 Comments

Recipe Ingredient Notes

Gluten Free Flour: I recommend using a “structure flour heavy” blend here like my own gluten free multipurpose flour blend, King Arthur Measure for Measure, or Bob’s Red Mill gluten-free 1-to-1 flour. A flour blend like Cup4Cup may be too heavy on cornstarch and will give you a dense, gummy batter. If you use a gluten-free flour blend without added xanthan gum, please add 2 teaspoons to the batter.

Heavy Cream: I highly recommend using heavy cream in this recipe. If you must use a substitute I recommend buttermilk, kefir, or full-fat coconut milk but stay away from milk or almond milk. Both products are too thin to provide any flavor or structure in this recipe. Heavy Cream adds fat and flavor to this gluten-free scone recipe.

Unsalted Butter: Flaky, tender scones rely on butter. I only bake with unsalted butter but if you like to use salted butter, please reduce the salt used in this recipe to ¼ teaspoon (1 gram). For non-dairy use your favorite dairy-free butter substitute (not the spreadable kind)

Blueberries: Fresh, in-season blueberries work the best in this recipe. If you can’t get fresh blueberries, frozen blueberries work just fine (do not thaw them).

How to make Gluten Free Blueberry Scones

The dough for gluten-free blueberry lemon scones can be made in less than 15 minutes and does need a quick chill in the fridge or freezer before baking. This way the layers will be buttery and flaky. Plus the scones will be easier to cut. I prefer scones to be cut in squares vs triangles but you can totally cut them in triangles (by shaping the disk into a 7″ circle).

Blueberry Scones can be made without a stand mixer or electric hand mixer. All you need is a large bowl, a whisk, a flexible spatula, a zester for the lemon zest, and a sharp knife to cut the scones before baking.

Step 1: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set it aside.

Step 2: In a small bowl sift together gluten-free flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and kosher salt and set aside.

Step 3: Combine the granulated white sugar, light brown sugar, and lemon zest in a large bowl. Using your fingers, rub the zest into the sugar. Rubbing the lemon zest into the sugar will give the blueberry scones a delightful lemon taste which pairs amazingly with blueberries.

Step 4: Add the dry ingredients to the lemon zest sugar mixture and stir to combine. Cut the COLD butter into small cubes and add to your dry ingredients. Alternatively, you can use a box grater and grate the cold, frozen butter. Using a fork, a pastry cutter, or your washed, clean hands, work the butter into the dry mixture. The butter should look very crumbly

Step 5: Whisk your heavy cream, egg, and vanilla together with a fork until frothy, and add the wet ingredients to your flour-butter mix. Add your blueberries and with a spatula stir everything together. Don’t worry if the dough looks dry and shaggy. The dough will come together.

Step 6: Transfer the gluten-free blueberry scone dough to the parchment-lined sheet tray and gently knead until the dough comes together (a brief 30 seconds). With your hands shape the dough into a 7×5″ rectangle (around 1″ tall).

Step 7: Place the sheet tray in your freezer or fridge to allow the scones to set up while you preheat your oven to 400F. This will help the scones to stay in shape and spread less during baking. Also, very cold/semi frozen scones are easier to cut.

Step 8: When your oven reaches 400F, remove the scone dough from the fridge and use a sharp knife to cut it into six equally sized scones. Arrange the gluten-free blueberry scones on the prepared sheet tray, using a pastry brush lightly brush them with some additional heavy cream and sprinkle the tops of the scones with some raw sugar. Bake at 400F for 22-26 minutes until golden brown. Remove them from the oven and allow them to cool completely for 10 minutes before glazing.

Step 9: While the blueberry scones are cooling, prepare the lemon glaze by combining the ingredients in a small bowl. If your glaze is too thick, add some additional lemon juice. Please be aware that a little goes a long way. When the scones are cool, use a spoon and drizzle them with the lemon glaze.

Scones are the best enjoyed the day they were baked (preferably with a cup of coffee). Store any leftovers at room temperature for up to 5 days in an airtight container or freeze for up to 3 months. I recommend wrapping them individually in plastic wrap if you plan on freezing them. Thaw at room temperature when ready to enjoy.

What is the secret to great blueberry scones?

Cold ingredients are the key to flaky, tender scones. No need to bring the butter, egg, or heavy cream to room temperature.

Don’t overmix the dough. Overworking the dough will result in tough and chewy scones instead of light and fluffy scones. Your dough may look shaggy and dry but should come together once you give it a quick knead with your hands. Just try not to squish all the blueberries.

Chilling the dough. Your hands will warm up the butter and the ingredients while mixing and shaping the blueberry scone dough. Chilling or freezing the scones before baking will make sure the butter will not melt first thing once the scones are being placed in the oven. This will ensure the flakiest scone.

Fresh Fruit. If possible use fresh, plumb blueberries when making blueberry scones.

Variations of Gluten Free Blueberry Scones

This gluten-free cream scone recipe is a fabulous base recipe. Here are a few flavor ideas to change them up. Please be aware that the baking time may change so please keep an eye on your scones.

• Gluten Free Cream Scones: Just follow the instructions as written and omit the add-ins to make plain gluten-free scones.
• Gluten Free Orange Cranberry Scones: Instead of lemon zest, use the zest of one orange. Fold in 75-100 grams of dried cranberries (or fresh). If you like, add a handful of toasted pecans.
• Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Scones: skip the lemon zest and use 150 grams of chocolate chips instead of blueberries in this recipe.
• Gluten Free Lemon Poppyseed Scones: Omit the blueberries and add 1-2 tablespoons of poppyseeds. Finish the baked and cooled scones with a quick lemon glaze.

FAQ about Gluten Free Blueberry Lemon Scones

How do I make gluten-free vegan scones?
I recommend checking out my Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Scone recipe. That recipe is already egg-free, to begin with and can easily be adapted to a vegan diet.

Can I freeze scones?
I recommend freezing scones before baking. Cut your scone dough into squares (or triangles), place it on a sheet tray, and freeze until solid. Transfer to a ziplock bag and freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to bake, bake the scones straight from frozen but please be aware frozen scones will need additional 4-6 minutes to bake (depending on your oven)

Can I make those scones with regular flour?
To make those scones with “wheat-containing all-purpose flour” please use 240 grams of regular flour and 20 grams of cornstarch.

Baking in grams

My recipes are posted in grams since baking by weight is the most accurate way to bake. Digital Scales are very affordable and can be found on Amazon for less than a set of measuring cups. Measuring cups are very inaccurate and can cause significant errors when it comes to baking. Especially since I bake with gluten-free flours which weigh differently than “regular” flours. I do provide some ingredients like spices and leavening agents in measuring spoons.

Note about Ovens and Oven Temperatures

All my recipes are tested and developed with a conventional oven. I always bake my baked goods on the rack placed in the MIDDLE of my oven. This way the heat coming from the bottom will not burn my baked goods.

If you are baking with convection (fan-forced), please adjust the recipes accordingly. Be also prepared that the convection oven can cause your baked goods to dry out quickly and still be raw inside. Be aware that it takes at least 15-20 minutes for a standard American Oven to be fully preheated. I highly recommend investing in an Oven Thermometer.

Substitutions and Modifications

Any dietary or ingredient modifications/substitutions to this recipe may alter the end result in appearance and taste. My recipes have been tested several times as published in this post and The Gluten Free Austrian Blog is not responsible for the outcome of any recipe found on our website.

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