The simple act of cutting cold butter into flour creates the base for some very special baked goods:
Biscuits, pies, tarts… And fluffy scones!
Inspiration abounds from the plain foundations of these tantalizing treats, all resting upon the creativity and specific taste preferences of the baker as well as the availability of fresh, seasonal ingredients.
An empty pie shell can be filled with spiced sweet apples and cream cheese in the fall, biscuits can be used to top chicken stew in the winter, and a tart with caramelized onion, gruyere cheese, and bell peppers can be served and devoured at a spring brunch gathering.
But the summertime unleashes even more flavor possibilities – like my incredible blackberry scones, bursting with fresh seasonal fruit!
When you’re not quite ready for the more fall-friendly scone options like pumpkin spice or caramel apple, this is a fitting choice for the warmer-weather months.
With some chubby blackberries in my fridge, left over from a summery meat and cheese board I assembled a few days earlier for an outdoor party, I came up with the genius idea to combine soft and buttery scones with the juicy fruit.
And here we are, together again – another delicious recipe awaits you.
It’s important that you do your best to minimize the amount of juice pressed out of the blackberries by ensuring gentle, mindful handling of both fruit and dough – which I’ll explain more thoroughly in the Cooking by the Numbers section, so keep reading!
This is the simple strategy to ensure your homemade scones stay light and fluffy without too much excess moisture seeping out from the blackberries.
But a little juice mixed throughout the dough is fine, and it’s quite pretty, actually!
If the plump pieces of dark purple fruit are not enough on their own to beautify the scones, a swirling tie-dye effect with just a touch of the deeply colored liquid mixed throughout will help them to win first prize at the pageant, capturing the hearts of even the most judgmental eaters.
But let’s face it – though these scones take the crown, we’re all winners when we bake something sweet from scratch for a special breakfast indulgence!
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Blackberry Scones
- Total Time: 1 hour, 40 minutes
- Yield: 8 scones 1x
Description
Studded with plump, juicy fruit, you can bake these delicious blackberry scones for breakfast, brunch, or a relaxing coffee break.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, frozen
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more as needed
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
- 6 ounces (1 1/4 cups) blackberries, halved if large
- 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon buttermilk, divided
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/8 cup coarse or raw sugar, for sprinkling
Instructions
- Grate the frozen butter over a small bowl using the coarse side of a box grater. Transfer to the freezer uncovered to chill for 10 minutes.
- Whisk the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl. Set aside. Whisk 1/2 cup buttermilk, the egg, and the vanilla extract together in a small bowl and set this aside as well.
- Add the grated butter to the flour mixture. Cut the butter into the flour mix with a pastry cutter or two butter knives until the butter is evenly incorporated and the dry mixture forms some very small, pea-sized crumbs.
- Using your hands or a spatula, gently mix in the blackberries until evenly distributed without crushing the fruit.
- Pour the liquid mixture over the dry ingredients. Gently mix everything together by hand or with a spatula, just until a slightly crumbly dough starts to form. The fruit will release some juice.
- Dump the contents of the bowl onto a clean countertop dusted with a little flour. With floured hands, being careful not to crush the blackberries, gently press and knead the dough into a solid mass, creating a 7-inch-wide disc. If the dough is very sticky, lightly dust the dough, counter, and your hands with more flour and continue working.
- With a sharp chef’s knife dusted with flour, cut the circle into 8 even wedges.
- Place the portioned dough on a large flat plate or platter, leaving some room between each piece, and transfer to the refrigerator uncovered. Chill for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until very cold and slightly stiff to the touch.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F and line a half-size baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
- After refrigerating, transfer the dough to the prepared baking sheet, arranged about 2 inches apart. Using a pastry brush, use the remaining tablespoon of buttermilk to brush the top of each piece with a thin layer. Lightly sprinkle the tops with the coarse sugar.
- Transfer the baking sheet to the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the scones are golden brown around the edges and lightly browned on top.
- Remove from the oven and cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring the scones to a cooling rack. Enjoy while still warm or at room temperature.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Scones
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Baked Goods
Keywords: scones, blackberry
Cooking by the Numbers…
Step 1 – Freeze, Grate, and Refreeze the Butter
For a soft and tender scone that holds its shape, incorporating cold, grated butter into the dry ingredients is a key trick.
Cold butter will melt as the scones bake, releasing steam and creating a tender, flaky crumb. And starting with frozen butter will help it stay colder longer as it is being incorporated into the dry mix.
Rather than cutting in larger cubes of butter, like what you would typically do for flaky pie crusts, grating the butter first into finer pieces has its perks.
Fine, feathery pieces of cold butter will more evenly, easily, and quickly incorporate into the dry mix. This helps foster a tender crumb, and will prevent the scones from spreading excessively as they bake.
For this step, freeze your butter thoroughly before you grate – make sure it has been in the freezer for at least 2 hours.
Grate the frozen butter using the coarse side of a box grater.
During this process, the butter will have softened slightly, so it is important to transfer the bowl to the freezer uncovered for about 10 minutes to help reharden the fat before you proceed with the recipe.
Step 2 – Prep and Measure Out the Remaining Ingredients
While the grated butter is in the freezer, you can prepare the remaining ingredients.
Measure out the all-purpose flour, making sure you have more on hand for dusting, and then measure out the granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and kosher salt.
You can measure all of the dry ingredients directly into a large bowl, and whisk everything together until completely and evenly incorporated.
Rinse and thoroughly dry the blackberries. Six ounces is the weight of a typical small container of blackberries sold at the grocery store.
For this recipe, try to seek out smaller blackberries. If they are on the larger side, you should halve them, as larger berries will be more difficult to knead into the dough.
Keep in mind that sliced blackberries will release more juice – so be even more careful when you are mixing them into the dough. This is yet another reason to try and buy fruit in a smaller size if you can!
Measure out 1/2 cup of buttermilk into a small bowl, and set aside an additional tablespoon in a small bowl in your fridge for later use.
Crack one large egg into a separate bowl, checking and removing any shell fragments before transferring it to the bowl with the buttermilk. Measure the vanilla extract into the same bowl, and whisk to combine.
Set aside 1/8 cup of coarse or raw, unrefined sugar for later use.
Step 3 – Cut Butter into Dry Ingredients
Remove the grated butter from the freezer and add to the bowl with the dry flour mixture.
Using a pastry cutter or two butter knives, cut the butter into the dry mix until it’s evenly incorporated. Some very small, pea-sized crumbs will remain.
Step 4 – Mix in Fruit
Add the blackberries to this mixture, and gently stir until they are evenly distributed.
While you can use a spatula or pliable bench scraper for this step, I prefer to use my hands, so I can more gently mix the berries around in the mixture without crushing them or releasing more liquid.
Step 5 – Mix in Wet Ingredients
Pour the wet mixture over the dry ingredients.
Like you did in the last step, you can use a spatula or pliable bench scraper to mix everything together, but using your hands will help give you better control while carefully handling the berries.
Gently mix just until a crumbly dough starts to form, being careful not to overmix. Inevitably, some juice from the fruit will be released – and that’s completely fine!
Step 6 – Form Disc
Dump the contents of the bowl onto a clean countertop dusted with a little flour to prevent sticking.
With floured hands, gently press and knead the crumbly dough into a solid mass, trying to avoid applying any excessive forceful weight.
You don’t want to develop a tough dough, which can be caused by overkneading. And you still want to avoid releasing too much liquid from the fruit, which will create a soggy dough.
Form a disc that is roughly 7 inches in diameter. The dough will be close to 1 inch thick.
If you are having trouble with a sticky dough, lightly dust the dough, counter, and your hands with more flour and continue working, using more flour if necessary.
Step 7 – Cut into Wedges and Chill
Lightly dust a sharp chef’s knife with flour to prevent the blade from sticking to the dough. Cut the disc into 8 even wedges. You can also use a lightly dusted metal bench scraper for this.
Place the portioned dough on a large flat plate or platter, leaving some room between each, and transfer to the refrigerator uncovered.
Chill for 45 minutes to 1 hour – you want the dough to be very cold! It should be slightly stiff to the touch after chilling when you gently press down on the top.
Chilling before baking is another preventive technique to reduce spreading, as you are chilling and hardening the butter again and bringing all of the other ingredients down to a colder temperature.
Near the end of the chill time, preheat your oven to 375°F and line a half-size baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
Step 8 – Brush with Buttermilk, Sprinkle with Sugar, and Bake
Transfer the chilled dough to the prepared baking sheet, positioning the pieces about 2 inches apart from one another so they can bake evenly without touching.
Set out the remaining tablespoon of buttermilk from the refrigerator as well as the coarse sugar.
Use a pastry brush to brush the tops with a very thin layer of buttermilk, and lightly sprinkle each one with coarse sugar.
Transfer the baking sheet to the oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the scones are golden brown around the edges and lightly browned on top.
Step 9 – Cool Slightly and Serve
When the scones are baked fully, promptly remove the baking sheet from the oven. Allow the scones to cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring them to a cooling rack.
Serve them while they are still warm or at room temperature.
Scones are best enjoyed soon after baking, and they won’t keep well beyond the day they are baked. They lose the texture of their crisp tops and edges fairly quickly!
How Should I Serve Them?
The crunchy coating of coarse sugar might be all some diners need for a satisfactory pastry experience, but you have more toys to try in the vast playroom of serving suggestions here.
So let’s have some fun with the following additional edible baubles!
After they have cooled completely, drizzle them with a powdered sugar glaze. The assorted warming spices like ground nutmeg, allspice, and ginger in our spiced glaze recipe will provide a delectable contrast to the sweet, slightly tart berries.
If a scrumptious spread is what you’re craving, you can always – always! – rely upon a smear of softened unsalted butter.
Maximize your berry power and serve these fluffy wedges with our spiced blueberry jam, or rip and dip chunks in our strawberry syrup.
And as a last suggestion, homemade lemon curd will provide a lip-puckering layer of flavor.
Whatever accompaniment you decide to use, make sure you have some freshly brewed hot coffee or tea ready to go once the scones are out of the oven!
Will you serve your warm scones with a sweet spread or softened butter, or do you prefer them plain and simple? Let’s chat in the comment section below!
If you adore blackberries, we’re excited to share more recipes celebrating this juicy fruit that you can make for your next warm-weather gathering:
Photos by Nikki Cervone, © Ask the Experts, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. See our TOS for more details. Originally published on June 11, 2014. Last updated on July 17, 2023.
Nutritional information derived from a database of known generic and branded foods and ingredients and was not compiled by a registered dietitian or submitted for lab testing. It should be viewed as an approximation.
About Nikki Cervone
Nikki Cervone is an ACS Certified Cheese Professional and cheesemonger living in Pittsburgh. Nikki holds an AAS in baking/pastry from Westmoreland County Community College, a BA in Communications from Duquesne University, and an MLA in Gastronomy from Boston University. When she's not nibbling on her favorite cheeses or testing a batch of cupcakes, Nikki enjoys a healthy dose of yoga, wine, hiking, singing in the shower, and chocolate. Lots of chocolate.
I dropped by looking for a scone recipe and here it is. My parents are due round later for a cup of tea and I needed an easy cake or scone to go with it. Blackberries carry the flavor so well, the only down side can be the little seeds!
I’m hoping this works as well with strawberries seeing as it’s all I have handy, but seeing the pictures makes me hungry so I don’t plan on waiting too long to make this 🙂
These sound so yummy! I started cooking a couple years ago and didn’t realize before then how much I loved it. Lately I’ve been trying my hand at baking. I love scones but have been a little scared to try to make them. I always just assumed they would be difficult to make, but this doesn’t sound too tough for me. I’m so excited to try this recipe! And with my little ones starting school in a couple of days, this may be the perfect time!
What a fantastic idea! I too am a little lazy when it comes to breakfast, usually I just pop some cereal into a bowl and add milk. This post has inspired me to want to try and become a little more create in the mornings! It will hopefully encourage my family to sit together eating the same meal in the morning, instead of rushing around, bowl in hand! Hehe .
These look delicious! I will definitely have to take the kids blackberry picking and make some of these. My son isn’t very good about eating in the morning, but he loves berries, so I may be able to entice him with these. Glad you found a good recipe, but I hate when “the best” recipes disappoint. I’ve had a few of those myself. I may have to try this with mixed berries as well. Now to bake and make a cup of tea to compliment!
These are a great idea and can be kept for emergency snacks too. I will probably try them with some wholemeal flour, but the oats are a great idea as they make them low GI foods.
Blackberries are a rich source of vitamin c as well, so these are a healthy treat.
I love breakfast foods, so look forward to some other ideas.
Oh, I like the idea of wholemeal flour! I’m glad you mentioned freezing them in your post. I wonder how it would work to put them frozen in a lunch box and thaw. My kids just love fruit and carbs, so I think these would be a lovely treat since their lunches have become rather boring.
My partner was just asking me what scones were the other day and I frankly couldn’t even give him an answer other than “it’s a type of pastry”. (We were in a pastry shop) LOL I’m going to try this though this weekend. I’m sure my king is not only going to love eating them, but helping me make them as well. Although, I admit, I’ll probably skip the scoop. I love when he gets himself and everything around him messy. 😉
My Grandmother always made scones for me for breakfast when we visited her. Once she made a blueberry version and now that she is gone, I regret not asking for her special recipe. Your recipe looks so awesome and I am sure to remember her when I try out your version.
Your pictures look so good! I love scones, but I never tried the with anything mixed in. My parents usually picks up a few baskets of blackberries every summer, so I can’t wait for them to bring me some. I’m saving this recipe for later for sure!
I brought home a container of discounted blackberries from the produce rack and came here to see if you had anything that would put them to good use. Of course you do! 😉 I only have powdered nutmeg, but I think it’ll do in a pinch. I’ve never made scones that weren’t made in a big dough circle, so I’m looking forward to trying out this ice cream scoop thing. What a great idea!
This should be a great addition to a sack lunch tomorrow as well. A bit of dessert tonight, a quick breakfast bite tomorrow, and a lunchtime treat all in one. Yay!
Thanks for the recipe!
Your recipe looks amazing and I’m saving it for when I have a craving for scones. I live the idea of keeping the kids busy with ice cream scoopers as well. Fun for the whole family!
One of my favorite cafes (I sadly no longer live near it) had the most amazing apricot scones every morning that smelled heavenly. Whenever I eat scones now I’m reminded of that place. Thanks for this recipe, I’m going to make them this week. I like the tip about using a little scooper for portions. I never end up eating the whole scone when I make the regular sized ones. Hopefully mine turn out as beautifully as yours!
I am new in baking. I am trying to look for recipes that I can try and my family will enjoy too. I am not a big fan of berries, so I am thinking what other fruits can I incorporate on this recipe. I do not like strawberries too. Is it possible that I make the scones without the fruit or is it necessary for this recipe?
Can you just come to my home and make me all these delicious looking treats? Please? Everything always looks so good, and your pictures make my stomach growl.
These scones look amazing. I’m looking forward to using blackberries in place of blueberries or raspberries, it’s always good to spice it up. These would be great for mornings with a cup or tea or coffee.
I’m glad I found this site, I’m always finding good stuff to make for my family and friends.
I made these for my normally very picky boyfriend to bring to work for breakfast and he loved them. I mixed in some blueberries to make them even fruitier and he seemed to like that because it sweetened them up a bit. I like that the recipe has oats in it because I feel like that will give them some staying power. I served these with a little bit of jam and some turkey sausage and they were a fast and very easy substantial breakfast.
What a delicious treat for in the mourning or afternoon. I have never been a really big raspberry fan, but I traveled to a little town called Sherborne in Dorset England where I had tried this treat for the first time when I was only six and it has been one of my favorites ever since. I wonder is this a home recipe or family tradition? My grandmother sends me a fresh batch all the way over seas every Fall and now I might try your recipe.
I love berry scones. I’ve never tried blackberry scones. But I have tried blueberry and cranberry. And they are both always delicious. I can’t wait to give this recipe a try. I’m not much of a morning cook either. So these will probably be made for evening snacks.
These scones look rugged and architectural, must be the oatmeal in them that gives them so much texture (and the blackberries of course). I love blackberries, so these scones are right up my alley. I can’t wait to make these, they look delicious.
Does anyone have any idea of whether or not this recipe would be too wet if using 1 cup of frozen blueberries? Would it be ideal to thaw first before using them or just mix it in while frozen? My biggest worry is that it’ll turn the dough too goopy and wind up with a batter of sorts rather than the formed dough in the pictures…
When I went to England, I had the best scones ever. Afterwards, I tried scones in the U.S. in attempt to find ones that tasted similar to the ones I ate in England, but they didn’t compare in the slightest. I’m going to put my faith in this recipe because it looks extremely promising, especially with the blackberries. I’ve never tried making scones before, but it would be interesting for me to try!
Oh, I’ve never made scones with oats in them! I bet that really keeps them moist. Plus, it looks like you could add extra fruit and hold together. I’d also add some lemon zest or juice to bring out the flavor. The next time I make scones, I’m going to have to use the cookie scoop idea because that’s genius!
Yum these sound so good. I’m not sure I’d have the time (or energy!) to make them from scratch in the morning so thanks for the tip about freezing them the night before. What a great idea. Will have to give these a go, I’ve never had scones with oats in them, sounds delicious.
You cannot beat a nice fruit scone, its just unfortunate for me that I have never been a baker! Every time I try baking it goes horribly wrong!
There is a silver lining though, my partner is a fair baker so I may have to drop this recipe in the kitchen when I know she is in there!
Blackberries and scones are two of my loves. I gave up scones when I upgraded my diet. I just reunited with blackberries after thirty years, because they grow scarcely here, and I just recently located frozen ones. I grew up eating blackberries from my next door neighbors tree. So, this recipe is heavenly. Do you think I can substitute the margarine with coconut oil, since it too is solid at room tempature? I can always switch out the flour and eggs, but it is the margarine that is a key ingredient.
Ummm, these look and sound tastes. I got on here this morning specifically looking for something to spice up breakfast for my family. I am definitely not leaving empty handed!! Also, I e never made scones before so this should be interesting… I loo e learning new things.
Fresh nutmeg is actually quite a significant addition in anything you’re making. It should be against the food law to use anything else. For myself, it’s super tough to find in my area but I will go out of my way for some fresh nutmeg. It honestly does affect the end result of the recipe.
I love homemade scones and my daughter loves blackberries. I have not made them in a while but I do not put fruit in them because they always come out funny. Well the strawberry ones do. I am going to try this one just so my daughter can get to eat blackberries and she loves to knead the dough. I usually just make them plain because to me they taste better than biscuits. They are messy to make so I like the Idea of using an ice cream scoop.
I’m obsessed with blackberries, and I’m trying to get my daughter to a larger variety of fruit (I’m sick of watching bananas die a slow death on my countertop) so these scones look like the perfect thing for our family right now. I imagine this for breakfast with a nice cup of tea would be heaven on earth. I had a recipe for pumpkin scones I was going to try as my next baking adventure, but I think I’m going to replace them with this 🙂
Just in time for blackberry season, I’ve found a yummy recipe. I love scones, but have never actually made them from scratch. I’d like to say I’ll head out to the local trails and pick my own, but they’re not quite ripe enough here yet, so I will have to make do with what’s in the stores. I look forward to trying out your recipe, and your pictures look delicious.
Here where I live in Georgia Blackberries is a big thing. I can remember as a little girl picking them. My mama would make the best cobbler with them. Well what was left of them my brothers, and I would have a purple face, and tongue. I miss those days it seems that no one does this anymore. I have noticed blackberries aren’t as plentiful as they use to be. Now the market is the best place to get them for cooking.
The scones. Some people are so in love with these things. I’ve only had them a couple of times. These look like they are better than the ones I’ve had. Desserts and breakfast deserts are so satisfying. It always amazes me when someone doesn’t care for sweets. These would be a great gift or something to bring when you visit family.
My entire neighborhood harvests berries every summer, we get pounds on pounds of them and typically we make homemade jam. Its delicious but after so many years, it gets kind of old. I can’t wait to introduce this recipe and see how it goes.
These look great! Do the seeds cause any problems?
I have children, and getting breakfast ready for all of us in the morning can be a little overwhelming as I work from home. Something I can make ahead of time like this that will please my entire family is so hard to come by.
And my husband loves blackberries, so I’m sure he’ll be happy.
I am super excited to try these. I love scones and I love blackberries so this seems like the perfect recipe for me! I think it is a great idea to make these the night before a busy morning. I love the idea that I can wake up, throw something in the oven, and have a delicious, fresh treat.
These sound delicious! I used to go to a bakery in my hometown that had every flavor of scone you could imagine and they were wonderful. I have never known how to make scones, so I am going to try out this recipe. I have celiac disease, so I am going to try to alter it, so it is gluten free. I will keep everyone posted on how they turn out!
I have never had scones before let alone make some. In our house, blackberries are rarely bought. So if we ever do buy some, that alone is a real treat. Could you experiment with other types of berries as well? I think a strawberry version would be very tasty.
Dear Lynn, these look like real winners! We live on Vancouver Island where there are blackberries pretty much steady all summer, both the cultivated “thornless” variety of bushes in our backyard and the dense tangle of wild berries on every vacant lot. Blackberries are a wonder for people who come from places where they don’t grow wild. Visiting friends are always in awe of the excess I have in my freezer. So, this delicious-looking recipe is a real bonus! Thank you!
Oh, I want to try this one. What would you suggest to replace buttermilk?
This might sound weird, but where I live buttermilk is…not a thing. It’s just not a thing. I actually asked my Professor of Food Technology about it and had to explain what it was – and when I was finished he was annoyed at this show off student…when I was honestly confused about why it’s not found in our country, when it is a normal commodity most anywhere else.
When I was a little girl, me and my grandma would make scones every weekend, so they are very close to my heart. I’ve never tried blackberry scones before, though, and they look lovely. I may have to try these out, but I can’t keep scones for long – I would have the entire batch eaten in two or three days! Good for the soul but bad for the waistline!
This is a great alternative for the classical an sometimes, boring waffles or pancakes in the morning. I haven’t able to try scones yet and what a better way to start than with this recipe? I’m not a big fan of blackberries, though, they are a little bit too bitter for me, I’m going to try doing this recipe with raspberries, let’s see how that turns out to me.
Thanks for sharing!
I am pretty sure that the season to get good blackberries is coming to an end here pretty soon, if it has not already came. That said, I need to go get some before I forget, and this seems like a nice way to work them in. I love a good scone in the morning, and this sounds like a good kick.
so wow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
★★★★★