Fall in love with these tender and buttery gluten-free blueberry scones with a zesty lemon glaze! The layers of sweet biscuit are bursting with blueberry goodness and bright citrus flavor for an amazing combination of flavors.
Because the blueberries add a significant sweetness overall, the tangy lemon glaze elevates and balances the flavor for something truly special. Enjoy them for breakfast, with a cup of hot tea, or as a dessert.
This gluten-free blueberry scones recipe walks you through each step to make a scone that is buttery, flaky, and also vegan! It's a great recipe for August when blueberries are in season. But you can also make them with frozen blueberries (as I did here) anytime of the year!
For more gluten-free blueberry recipes, check out my Gluten-Free Blueberry Muffins, Blueberry Crumble, and Vegan Blueberry Lemon Muffins.
For more fun gluten-free breakfast recipes, check out my BEST Gluten-Free Scones, Gluten Free Chocolate Muffins, Gluten-Free Cinnamon Rolls, Gluten-Free Strawberry Muffins, and Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Muffins.
And if you're new to gluten-free, check out my post on starting a gluten-free diet.
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How to make it (with photos)
Ingredients + Substitutions
Only 10 ingredients are needed to make these irresistible gluten-free blueberry scones from scratch. I've also included tested alternatives to make this recipe vegan and dairy-free.
- coconut milk - You can substitute this for any plant-based milk, cow's milk, or half and half.
- egg - Make sure the egg is cold.
- butter sticks - I use vegan buttery sticks for dairy-free scones but you can use regular butter here as well.
- all-purpose gluten-free flour - I tested this recipe using Bob's Red Mill 1-to-1 gluten free flour and Pamela's Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour. Any 1-to-1 gluten-free flour blend s.
- granulated sugar - I prefer using coconut sugar, but this recipe will also work well with regular white cane sugar.
- baking powder - Clabber Girl and Rumford brands are gluten-free.
- blueberries - fresh or frozen are both great in this recipe! Frozen blueberries will dye your scone dough blue and have a softer, sweeter bite while fresh blueberries have a bright pop of juicy blueberry.
- powdered sugar - - For anyone who is sensitive to corn, Wholesome has a corn-free powdered sugar that I use and love.
You also need vanilla extract, salt, and a lemon to make this recipe.
See the recipe card for a full list of ingredients with quantities.
Step-by-Step Instructions
To make these gluten-free blueberry scones as easy as possible, check out our step-by-step photos and instructions.
If using frozen blueberries, keep them in the freezer until ready to toss in the dough. They should not be thawed beforehand.
- Prep + Wet Ingredients: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (176 C). Line a baking sheet with a silicone liner or parchment paper, or grease generously. In a small bowl or liquid measuring cup, whisk together the coconut milk, vanilla extract and egg. Set aside.
- Dry Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the gluten-free flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder.
- Add the Butter: Chop the butter into medium-sized pieces and work it into the dough with a pastry cutter or your hands. When finished, the pieces of butter should be blueberry sized or smaller and it should be well distributed into the dough.
- Add the Blueberries: Add the blueberries to the dough and mix in gently with a silicone spatula or wooden spoon.
- Combine Wet and Dry ingredients: Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and gently mix with the spatula or spoon until just mixed but uniform in texture throughout. It may seem a bit dry and crumbly but that's ok for this recipe!
- Form a Disc: Flour both sides of your hands generously and form a large ball of dough in the center of your baking sheet. Use your hands to compact the dough in a ball before pressing it into a disk about 7-8 inches in diameter. It may still be quite crumbly but as long as it is roughly sticking together, that's just perfect! Be careful not to squish the berries.
- Prep for Baking: Cut the disk into 8 equal sections with a sharp knife. Then use a brush or your fingers to lightly coat the pieces with milk.
- Bake: Bake for 22 minutes. Then remove the scones from the oven and use a greased knife or thin spatula to separate the wedges from each other just a little bit, so they can bake and get crisp. Return to the oven for another 6-8 minutes or until the scones are set and lightly golden brown on the outside.
- Glaze: Meanwhile, add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice to to the powdered sugar and whisk until smooth. Add more juice in small increments as desired to thin.
- Cool: Cool on a cooling rack before glazing and topping with fresh grated lemon zest for decoration. Or if you can't wait, allow them 10 minutes to cool and drizzle on some glaze and zest right before eating!
Hint: Making these gluten-free blueberry lemon scones is easier when you use a silicone liner on a baking sheet. Plus, it makes for much easier clean-up!
Expert Tips
Make amazing gluten-free blueberry scones on the first try with these expert tips!
Use cold ingredients.
Using cold butter, eggs, and blueberries (if frozen) is what gives this scone recipe its tender, flaky texture. The cold butter will melt slowly in the dough while baking and create little steam bubbles that soak into the sweet biscuit.
Don't skip the milk before baking.
Brushing on the coconut milk, or whichever milk you choose to use, is an important step to give you that classic scone crust.
Recipe FAQs
Here I answered some frequently asked questions about this Gluten-Free Blueberry Scones recipe. Don't see your question? Leave it in the comments at the end of this post and I'll answer within two business days.
Store leftover gluten-free blueberry scones in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. You can also leave them out at room temperature for the first 12 hours.
Freeze scones for up to 4 months in a freezer-safe airtight container.
Coconut oil is an excellent substitute for butter in scones. Measure and chill coconut oil in the refrigerator before using so it has a similar texture to butter or vegan butter when mixing it into the dough.
For a good rise, preheat the oven before baking your scones and start the baking process with the scones very close to each other (touching or almost touching). Then for crisp edges, you will nudge them apart near the end of the baking process.
Using plenty of cold butter, starting the baking process with the scones touching, and the right ratio of ingredients are the secrets to making good scones!
Milk or plant-based milk can be used in place of heavy cream or coconut milk in scones. The end result will have a similar texture but with less richness.
Scones that are too hard are usually the result of overworking the dough. Before shaping the dough, it should seem a bit dry and crumbly with blueberry and pea-sized pieces of butter.
Related gluten-free blueberry recipes to consider...
Looking for more gluten-free blueberry recipes like these gluten-free blueberry scones? Check these out:
Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-star ๐๐๐๐๐ rating in the recipe card or comment field below. Thank you!
๐ Recipe
Gluten-Free Blueberry Scones
Ingredients
Wet Ingredients
- ยฝ cup coconut milk , other plant-based milk, cow's milk, or half and half (120 ml)
- ยฝ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
Dry Ingredients
- 2 cups + 2 tablespoons all purpose gluten-free flour with xanthan gum (285 grams)
- ยฝ cup granulated sugar (I used coconut sugar) (70 grams)
- ยผ teaspoon salt
- 2 ยฝ teaspoons baking powder
Mix-Ins
- ยฝ cup + 1 tablespoon cold butter , I used vegan buttery sticks (9 tablespoons or 125 grams)
- 1 ยผ cup blueberries , fresh or frozen, (180 grams)
Glaze
- ยพ cup powdered sugar (90 grams)
- 1 large lemon , zested and juiced
Instructions
- Prep + Wet Ingredients: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (176 C). Line a baking sheet with a silicone liner or parchment paper, or grease generously. In a small bowl or liquid measuring cup, whisk together the coconut milk, vanilla extract and egg. Set aside.
- Dry Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the gluten-free flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder.ย
- Add the Butter: Chop the butter into medium-sized pieces and work it into the dough with a pastry cutter or your hands. When finished, the pieces of butter should be blueberry sized or smaller and it should be well distributed into the dough.
- Add the Blueberries: Add the blueberries to the dough and mix in gently with a silicone spatula or wooden spoon.
- Combine Wet and Dry ingredients: Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and gently mix with the spatula or spoon until just mixed but uniform in texture throughout. It may seem a bit dry and crumbly but that's ok for this recipe!
- Form a Disc: Flour both sides of your hands generously and form a large ball of dough in the center of your baking sheet. Use your hands to compact the dough in a ball before pressing it into a disk about 7-8 inches in diameter. It may still be quite crumbly but as long as it is roughly sticking together, that's just perfect! Be careful not to squish the berries.
- Prep for Baking: Cut the disk into 8 equal sections with a sharp knife. Then use a brush or your fingers to lightly coat the pieces with milk.ย
- Bake: Bake for 22 minutes. Then remove the scones from the oven and use a greased knife or thin spatula to separate the wedges from each other just a little bit, so they can bake and get crisp. Return to the oven for another 6-8 minutes or until the scones are set and lightly golden brown on the outside.
- Glaze: Meanwhile, add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice to to the powdered sugar and whisk until smooth. Add more juice in small increments as desired to thin.
- Cool: Cool on a cooling rack before glazing and topping with fresh grated lemon zest for decoration. Or if you can't wait, allow them 10 minutes to cool and drizzle on some glaze and zest right before eating!
Alma says
I love the sweet and tangy lemon blueberry combination! Weโll be making these again.
Jamie says
Thank you for the review Alma!