Delicious Blueberry Cream Cheese Scones are moist and tender with sweet blueberries and bits of cream cheese. The perfect homemade surprise for breakfast, brunch, or special occasions.
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With only a bit more work than biscuits, this easy and quick recipe for buttermilk blueberry scones uses frozen or fresh blueberries and chunks of cream cheese for a cheesecake feel. There is nothing healthy about these scones. If you need healthier, check out my low-fat blueberry scones.
Ready in only 30 minutes, these easy blueberry scones are a great treat for everybody. Made with partial whole wheat flour for a nutty taste and topped with a sugar crust. Along with buttermilk to ensure tender and moist scones.
The inspiration recipe is a Martha Stewart recipe that seems very popular, repeated almost word for word on many sites. It did need some adjustments and simplification.
Related Recipes
Check out other blueberry recipes like Baked Blueberry Pancakes, Blueberry Cream Cheese Bars, Easy Blueberry Cake, Blueberry Crumb Pie, and Blueberry Cobbler.
Or other breakfast recipes like Raspberry Scones with Cream Cheese, Glazed Cinnamon Biscuits, Smaller French Toast Casserole, or Healthier Sausage Gravy and Biscuits.
🫐Ingredients
- Blueberries—fresh or frozen
- Dairy—buttermilk, cream cheese, egg, butter
- Pantry ingredients—all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, vanilla extract
- Glaze—egg, and sugar
👨🍳How to Make Blueberry Cream Cheese Scones
- Chop cream cheese into small pieces and cool in the freezer.
- In a large bowl, combine AP flour, whole wheat flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix and cut in butter with a fork or pastry blender.
- Fold in blueberries and cream cheese.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together egg, vanilla, and buttermilk. Gentlh drizzle and mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Incorporate as much flour as possible by lightly mixing.
- Form into an 8-inch disk and cut into 8 pieces. Brush with egg wash and sprinkle with sugar.
- Bake on a parchment paper covered baking sheet.
- Bake until golden brown in a preheated oven—about 20 minutes. Cool on a rack.
This is a summary of the steps and ingredients. See the recipe card or the step-by-step photo instructions below for full instructions.
✔️Tips to get it right every time
- Frozen or fresh blueberries will do. There is no need to thaw the frozen berries, but do a fast rinse and pick them over.
- Little bits of cream cheese will make these scones extra special. I usually add this, but it is optional. To keep the cream cheese from blending into the dough, freeze it before adding it.
- Use 25% whole wheat flour, which adds some nutty flavor and a little density that is common with scones. You can increase the percentage, but the scones will be drier and heavier.
- If you want a lighter scone, skip the whole wheat and use AP flour.
- I'm not a gluten-free baker. I have way too much respect for their art. So, I don't recommend non-traditional flour substitutes.
- Use parchment paper or a baking mat, or the scones will stick to the pan.
Making ahead and cooking in the morning
You can make the dough ahead with the blueberries and cream cheese incorporated and refrigerate overnight. Make them out in the morning and bake.
❓What are scones?
Think of a scone as a biscuit with some sweetness and usually some fruit or additive. The texture of a scone should be denser and less of that biscuit fluffiness.
Like biscuits, scones are a "quick bread," which means they use chemical leaveners like baking powder and baking soda. Biscuits and scones are also built on the foundation of flour, fat (usually butter), and liquid.
❄️Storage of scones
Store sealed in an airtight container in a refrigerator for 3 days or at room temperature if no cream cheese for 3 days. Or frozen for 3 months.
❓FAQs
You can use milk if you don't have buttermilk, but the scones will not be as fluffy. Or you can make a substitute.
As a substitute for each cup of buttermilk, you can use 1 tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice plus enough milk to measure 1 cup. Stir, then let stand for 5 minutes.
There is a tradition about cooling the dough for scones before forming and baking. There is evidence this will relax the glutin formation and help the shape—for more information, see the American Test Kitchen discussion (subscription link.)
This recipe is listed in these categories. See them for more similar recipes.
Step-by-Step Photo Instructions
If adding cream cheese, then at least one hour before prep, cut the cream cheese into small ¼-1/2 inch cubes and freeze. Preheat over to 375°. Cover a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a baking mat.
Mix 1 ½ cups white flour, ½ cup whole wheat flour, 3 tablespoons sugar, 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder, ¼ teaspoon baking soda, and ½ teaspoon salt in a large mixing bowl. Then "cut in" 4 ounces (1 stick) of butter into the dry mixture with a large fork or pastry cutter.
Mix in blueberries and optional cream cheese.
In a separate bowl, whisk together 1 egg, ½ teaspoon vanilla, and ⅔ cup buttermilk. Gently drizzle the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, and incorporate as much flour as possible by lightly continually mixing. Add a bit more milk if needed. You may cover and refrigerate overnight if needed for timing.
Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface—pat into an 8-inch diameter 1-inch thick disk and cut like a pie into eight pieces.
Place on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper or mat. Whip the second egg with a bit of water for an egg wash, brush each scone, and then sprinkle with granular sugar.
Bake until golden brown—about 20 minutes. Remove and cool on a wire rack.
📖 Recipe
Blueberry Cream Cheese Scones
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cup all purpose flour
- ½ cup whole wheat flour
- 1 cup blueberries - fresh or frozen
- 4 oz cream cheese - Optional. Diced and frozen
- 3 tablespoon sugar
- 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 4 oz butter
- 1 egg - large
- ⅔ cup buttermilk
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
Coating
- 1 egg
- sugar - for topping
Instructions
- If adding cream cheese, then at least one hour before prep, cut the cream cheese into small ¼-1/2 inch cubes and freeze. Preheat over to 375°. Cover a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a baking mat.
- Mix 1 ½ cups white flour, ½ cup whole wheat flour, 3 tablespoons sugar, 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder, ¼ teaspoon baking soda, and ½ teaspoon salt in a large mixing bowl. Then "cut in" 4 ounces (1 stick) of butter into the dry mixture with a large fork or pastry cutter.
- Mix in blueberries and optional cream cheese.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together 1 egg, ½ teaspoon vanilla, and ⅔ cup buttermilk. Gently drizzle the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, and incorporate as much flour as possible by lightly continually mixing. Add a bit more milk if needed. You may cover and refrigerate overnight if needed for timing.
- Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface—pat into an 8-inch diameter 1-inch thick disk and cut like a pie into eight pieces.
- Place on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper or mat. Whip the second egg with a bit of water for an egg wash, brush each scone, and then sprinkle with granular sugar.
- Bake until golden brown—about 20 minutes. Remove and cool on a wire rack.
Your Own Private Notes
Recipe Notes
Pro Tips
- Be sure to use parchment paper or a baking mat.
- You can use entirely all purpose flour. I’m suggesting 25% whole wheat that adds a bit of nutty flavor. If you go over 50%, you will need more fluid and it will be dense.
- A substitute for each cup of buttermilk, you can use 1 tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice plus enough milk to measure 1 cup. Stir, then let stand for 5 minutes.
- Either frozen or fresh blueberries will be fine.
- The cream cheese is very nice but must be frozen or it will just mix in.
- Sealed at room temperature for 3 days if no cream cheese and refrigerated if there is cream chees. Frozen for 3 months.
To adjust the recipe size:
You may adjust the number of servings in this recipe card under servings. This does the math for the ingredients for you. BUT it does NOT adjust the text of the instructions. So you need to do that yourself.
Nutrition Estimate
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Editor's Note: Originally published May 9, 2010. Updated with expanded options, refreshed photos, and a table of contents to help navigation.
J. Raymond
This is false advertising ~ I want whole wheat scones.......your title is deceiviing as the main ingredient is white flour......which is very unhealthy.
Charlene
Why not just use regular salted butter and cut down on the added salt?
Who can afford pricy, pricy unsalted butter anyway? Salted is always and without exception or discussion exactly as good, exactly as fresh, and less than half the price.
So why tell people to spend money they don't need to?
PS 99% of baking tastes the same without vanilla. Waste of money as well.
DrDan
Salted and unsalted butter are the same cost everywhere I shop. Most baking is with unsalted butter to control the salt and hence the taste. If you only have salted then use it and cut back the salt a small amount. Salt is always to taste anyways. Salted butter does vary from brand to brand some however. If you want to use a substitute butter fine but real butter is better.
Vanilla definitely does add taste to me and many others.
So let's relax some and read my How is a Recipe Like the Pirate Code? at https://www.101cookingfortwo.com/so-how-is-recipe-like-pirate-code/
This is one of my favorite recipes and now that you bring me back to it, I think my wife deserves a special treat this weekend. Please give it a try and substitute anyway you want. This one is good.
Have a great day...
DrDan