Soft and Cakey Blackberry Scones

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You'll love these soft and cakey blackberry scones flavored with fresh thyme and drizzled with a simple lemon glaze. They make a perfect summer breakfast treat for when fresh, juicy blackberries are in season.

blackberry scones on a cooling rack with icing

I typically bake scones with dried fruit, but when fresh berries are in season, I seize every opportunity to appreciate them.

Sweet yet slightly tart, blackberries take center stage in this recipe. I used to overlook them, but that's difficult to do now with a plant in the garden. So I wanted to give these berries a chance to stand out on their own, with just a little help from some fresh thyme and a touch of sweet lemon glaze.

Why you'll love these scones

If you're typically more of a muffin person, these scones are less sweet and just as easy to make. Their soft and cakey texture is actually closer to a muffin than the traditional British scone.
They're chock full of berries. You get a juicy bite of blackberries in nearly every bite, meaning these scones are moist and full of flavor.
Between the flavors of berries, thyme, and lemon and their tender texture, this baked good exudes freshness. The combination is a great way to wake your taste buds in the morning.

Jump to:

Why you'll love these scones
📋 Ingredients
🌿 Substitutions
⏲️ Instructions
🧈 Top Tips
🥄 Equipment
🥧 Storage
💭 FAQ
🥚 Pairing
📖 Recipe
Related Recipes
💬 Comments

For some other not-too-sweet breakfast recipes, try my Rhubarb Oat Breakfast Cake, Orange Parsnip Cake, and Cinnamon Overnight Oats.

📋 Ingredients

Here's everything you need to make these blackberry scones:

Key Ingredients

Blackberries - Look for blackberries that are plump, firm, deep purple to black in color, and are sweet smelling. Inspect containers carefully for signs of mold. If possible, go for smaller berries for this recipe.
Flour - All-purpose flour works great for these scones.
Butter - An essential component of scones, butter is worked into the dough to help create a tender pastry.
Sugar - A modest amount sweetens these scones. I like to use raw sugar when possible.
Milk - Hydrates the dough and adds some creaminess. I typically use whole or 2% milk, as that's what I regularly purchase.
Yogurt - Adds additional moisture to the scone dough along with some tanginess and helps achieve a soft texture.
Powdered sugar - Used to make the simple lemon glaze.
Lemon - The zest goes in the scones while the juice is used to make the glaze.
Thyme - Optional, but a little fresh thyme adds a touch of earthiness and herbiness that nicely complements the blackberries.

🌿 Substitutions

Thyme: For fun, I threw in some fresh thyme into this recipe. I like the hint of earthiness it adds with the blackberries, though feel free to leave it out if that doesn't sound appealing to you. Or maybe try rosemary.
Glaze: I also felt like indulging with a super-easy glaze of lemon juice and powdered sugar drizzled over the scones after baking. But again, that's totally optional. Skip it, if you like. Or, you could flavor the glaze with orange or lime juice instead.
Other berries: You can try any other berries in place of the blackberries in these scones. Just be careful of how soft and juicy they are. Extra-juicy berries will further soften an already soft dough.

⏲️ Instructions

How to make blackberry scones.

dry ingredients for mixing the scone dough

Step 1: Whisk together the wet ingredients in a small bowl and the dry ingredients in a large bowl.

mixing butter into the dry ingredients with hands

Step 2: Use your hands to work the butter into the dry ingredients until you have small crumbs.

pouring wet ingredients into the bowl of dry

Step 3: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry.

thyme being stirred into the scone dough

Step 4: Add the thyme, if using, and stir just enough to form a rough, wet dough.

Step 5: Dump the dough onto a floured surface and shape it into a large square.

Step 6: Spread the blackberries over the dough.

Step 7: Fold the dough into thirds and shape into a rectangle.

Step 8: Cut the rectangle into eight triangles. Place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet and brush with the melted butter. Chill in the fridge for 20 minutes, then bake at 375 degrees for 15-18 minutes.

Step 9: Meanwhile, whisk the lemon juice and powdered sugar together in a bowl to make the icing.

Step 10: When the scones have finished baking and have cooled slightly, drizzle over the icing and serve.

🧈 Top Tips

Scones are best eaten fresh from the oven. Summer heat and humidity make it challenging to keep baked goods tasting fresh, even the next day. But if you don't want to prepare the scones the day of, you could make the dough and shape them the night before, then bake them fresh in the morning.
It's important to keep everything as cold as possible as you prepare the scone batter. This creates flakier scones. If things are warm, the scones will be dense and spread during baking. Don't skip chilling the scones in the fridge before baking.

🥄 Equipment

Bench scraper: This helps you get under the dough, lift it, move it around, and scrape up any bits that stick to the counter. It's one of my favorite simple and inexpensive baking tools.

🥧 Storage

As mentioned, these blackberry scones are really best enjoyed the day they are made. If you need to store them for a day or so, do so in a sealed container at room temperature. I recommend warming them before serving.

Freezing - To freeze your baked scones, let them cool completely, individually wrap each scone, and store them in a freezer bag for up to 3 months.

💭 FAQ

How do I prevent the blackberries from making the scone dough too wet?

This scone dough is wetter than traditional British scones. But to prevent the blackberries from contributing to this, make sure they're firm and dry before using. You also want to follow the directions and fold them into the dough rather than mixing them and causing the fruit to burst and release juice.

Which flour is best for scones?

All-purpose flour works great for scones. You don't need any specialty flour.

Should you chill scone dough before baking?

Yes. Ensuring the scone dough is as cold as possible before baking will help the scones keep their shape and have a flakier texture. Warm dough may result in dense scones. Chill the scones after you shape them, but before you bake them, for at least 20 minutes in the fridge.

How do I make my scones rise better?

One common tip is to arrange the scones close together on your baking sheet before baking so that they're barely touching.