High Altitude Blueberry Scones
Picture this: a warm, buttery scone studded with juicy blueberries, fresh from the oven. The golden top has just the right amount of crispness, while the inside stays soft and tender. And to make them even more irresistible? A sweet, glossy drizzle of vanilla icing cascading over the top.
These High Altitude Blueberry Scones with Icing are the perfect balance of rich, flaky pastry and bright, fruity flavor—all without the dryness or sinking issues that can happen at altitude.

Looking for more HIGH ALTITUDE SCONE RECIPES? Check out these delicious Triple Chocolate Scones or Chocolate Chip Scones.
Looking for HIGH ALTITUDE BREAKFAST RECIPES? Check out Lemon Poppy Seed Bread, easy Dutch Baby Pancake, delicious Cinnamon Rolls with overnight option, Blueberry Coffee Cake with streusel, and fail-proof Flaky Biscuits.
This High Altitude Blueberry Scone recipe is baked at 8,000 ft elevation. To adjust the recipe for other elevations check out High Altitude Baking Adjustments.
For a long time, I struggled to bake delicious scones at higher altitudes. Back at sea level, I had a great recipe that worked every time, but when I moved to a higher elevation, my scones were dry, flat, or just plain disappointing.
After testing new recipes and tweaking ingredients a little bit at a time, I finally found the best way to create homemade scones with the perfect texture.
This High Altitude Blueberry Scones recipe pair perfectly with a cup of coffee or a cup of tea—a little indulgence that’s well worth the effort!
Why you’ll love this High Altitude recipe:
- BURSTING WITH BLUEBERRIES – Every bite is packed with sweet, juicy blueberries, giving these scones a fresh and fruity flavor that’s perfect for breakfast or an afternoon treat.
- USE FRESH OR FROZEN BLUEBERRIES – follow the easy directions to bake with fresh or frozen blueberries
- CUSTOMIZABLE – add your favorite fruit like raspberries or make lemon blueberry scones. See the Ingredient Substitutions / Variations for ideas
- PERFECT FOR HIGH ALTITUDE – No more dry, flat, or crumbly scones! This recipe is specially designed for high-altitude baking, ensuring light, flaky, and beautifully risen scones every time.
- SWEET ICING – The drizzle of vanilla icing adds the perfect touch of sweetness, balancing the buttery richness of the scones and making them even more irresistible. See the Ingredient Substitutions/Variations for a Lemon Icing.
- GREAT FOR ANY OCCASION – Whether you’re hosting brunch, enjoying a cozy weekend morning, or need a quick grab-and-go breakfast, these scones are always a delicious choice!

Recommended tools:
- MEDIUM MIXING BOWL – for mixing up the scone dough. The dough is easy to mix up with a fork so I never use my stand mixer or food processor.
- PASTRY CUTTER – or sometimes called a pastry blender, is used to cut the butter into the dry ingredients
- BAKING SHEET and PARCHMENT PAPER – the baking sheet should be minimum 12″ x 12″ and covered with the parchment paper to bake the scones on
- PASTRY BRUSH – brushing cream over the top of the scones creates an amazing crust on the scones
- SHARP KNIFE – the scones will be cut twice, once before baking and once during baking
- SMALL BOWL – for mixing up the vanilla icing
Ingredients:
- ALL PURPOSE FLOUR – creates the base for the scone dough
- BAKING POWDER – the leavening agent that creates a fluffy scone without causing it to collapse
- SALT – don’t skip the salt as it helps to enhance all the other flavors
- WHITE SUGAR – adds the perfect amount of sweetness
- WHOLE MILK – adds richness and moisture. NOTE: buttermilk can be exchanged, see INGREDIENT SUBSTITUTIONS below
- UNSALTED BUTTER – adds the fat for a wonderful richness. NOTE: the butter needs to be COLD, frozen butter is even better
- VANILLA EXTRACT – small amounts help to enhance the flavors (A LITTLE SECRET OF MINE…I never measure vanilla)
- BLUEBERRIES – use fresh or frozen blueberries for a burst of sweetness and flavor.
- HEAVY CREAM – a little brushed on the top creates a slight crust which pairs perfectly with the soft, fluffy crumb
TIP: for accurate measuring of flour never scoop flour up, always spoon it into the measuring cup and level it off
Vanilla Icing:
- POWDERED SUGAR – the base of all icings
- VANILLA EXTRACT – adds the perfect amount of flavor
- WHOLE MILK – slowly add the milk 1 tablespoon at a time until you achieve the desired thickness
See the recipe card for the full list of ingredients and directions.

How to make High Altitude Blueberry Scones:
- CUT BUTTER UP into small pieces and place in the freezer for a few minutes
- PREHEAT OVEN TO 375° F and place an oven rack in the center
- PREPARE BAKING SHEET with parchment paper
- COMBINE FLOUR, BAKING POWDER, SALT, & SUGAR in the mixing bowl
- ADD PIECES OF COLD BUTTER INTO FLOUR MIXTURE with the pastry blender. Cut the butter until the pieces of butter are the size of peas and coated in flour
- ADD WET INGREDIENTS (except the heavy cream) and mix until a dough forms
- ADD BLUEBERRIES and gently mix into the scone dough
- DUMP THE SCONE DOUGH ONTO PREPARED BAKING SHEET and use your clean hands to form an 8-inch circle that is around 3/4 inch thick. For extra sticky dough sprinkle a small amount of flour on top to help form the circle
- CUT THE DOUGH into 8 equal wedges. DO NOT separate the wedges
- BRUSH HEAVY CREAM ON TOP of the dough
- BAKE FOR 30 MINUTES then re-cut the wedges but again DO NOT separate the wedges
- BAKE FOR for 15-20 minutes for FROZEN BLUEBERRIES and 10 minutes for FRESH BLUEBERRIES until the tops of the scones are a light golden brown
- COOL BAKED SCONES ON WIRE RACK for a few minutes.
- MIX THE ICING while the scones are cooling. Slowly add the milk to the powdered sugar and vanilla extract until the right consistency is achieved for drizzling over the scones.
- SERVE WARM and enjoy!
TIP: if the scones are spreading too much then gently push the edges in after 20 minutes of baking.

Ingredient Substitutions / Variations:
Blueberry Scones with Lemon Glaze
Enjoy these delicious blueberry scones with lemon glaze by simply swapping the vanilla icing for lemon icing.
- 3/4 cup Powdered Sugar
- 2-3 tbsp Lemon Juice
In a small bowl add the powdered sugar and lemon juice. Add the lemon juice 1 tablespoon at a time until the right consistency is achieved for drizzling over the scones.
Blueberry Scones with buttermilk
For a fluffier, lighter crumb inside the scone swap out the whole milk for butter milk.
Buttermilk is incredibly easy to make at home. All you need is milk and white vinegar or freshly squeezed lemon juice. This recipe calls for 1 cup of milk or buttermilk.
- Grab a measuring cup.
- Pour 1 tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice into the measuring cup.
- Pour the milk into the measuring cup until it measures 1 cup.
- Stir the milk and lemon juice or vinegar then let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. This will allow the milk to become acidic and can be used in place of buttermilk.
Blueberry Scones with frozen blueberries
Make this recipe with frozen blueberries to enjoy these delicious scones any time of the year. When using frozen blueberries the scones will need to be cooked an additional 5-10 minutes.
Another option is thawing and draining the frozen blueberries but note this will make the scone dough turn purple when the blueberries are mixed in.
Blueberry Scones with sugar on top
Skip the icing on top and sprinkle Coarse Sugar or Turbinado Sugar on top of the scones prior to baking for a slight crunch and extra sweetness.
Brown Sugar Scones
For a slightly richer flavor, swap out the white sugar for brown sugar.

FAQs:
How to shape scones:
To shape scones:
- Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper
- Dump the scone dough onto the center of the parchment paper
- Gently pat the dough and form it into an 8-inch circle that is 3/4 inch thick.
- If the dough is too sticky then lightly sprinkle flour on top to prevent the dough from sticky to your hands
- Slice the circle into 8 equal wedges
How to store scones:
To store scones: allow the scones to cool completely, place them in an airtight container or wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and store at room temperature for a few days. For longer storage place them in the freezer for up to 3 months.

How to reheat scones:
The best way to reheat scones to their fresh-baked texture is with an oven. Avoid using microwaves which can make scones soggy. Reheat scones by placing them in a preheated oven at 350° F for 5-10 minutes.
Can you make scones ahead of time?
Yes, there are 2 options for making scones ahead of time – freeze the dough OR store scones and room temperature and reheat prebaked scones.
Freeze Scone DOugh:
- Prepare the dough as directed and form into a circle
- Cut the dough into wedges
- Freeze the wedges unbaked on a baking sheet
- Transfer the frozen dough to an airtight container or freezer bag
- Thaw overnight and bake as directed OR bake them straight from the freezer and add a few extra minutes to the baking time
Reheat Scones:
- Store prebaked scones at room temperature in an airtight container
- Preheat the oven to 350°
- Bake for 5-10 minutes or until the scone is reheated

Other High Altitude recipes:
- Lemon Poppy Seed Bread
- Dutch Baby Pancake
- Blueberry Coffee Cake with Streusel
- Blueberry Muffins with Streusel Topping
- Cinnamon Rolls – with overnight option
- Coffee Cake with Cinnamon Sugar Topping
- Moist Banana Bread


High Altitude Blueberry Scones
Equipment
- Medium and small mixing bowl
- Pastry blender
- Baking sheet minimum size 12" x 12"
- Pastry brush
Ingredients
Scones
- 2 ¼ cups All Purpose Flour
- 2 tsp Baking Powder
- ⅓ cup White Sugar
- 1 tsp Salt
- ½ cup Unsalted Butter COLD
- 1 cup Whole Milk
- 2 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 1 cup Blueberries fresh or frozen
- 1 tbsp Heavy Cream
Vanilla Icing
- ¾ cup Powdered Sugar
- ½ tsp Vanilla Extract
- 1 ½ – 2 tbsp Whole Milk
Instructions
- Cut cold butter up into small pieces and place in the freezer for a few minutes.
- Preheat oven to 375° F and place the oven rack in the center of the oven
- Prepare baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, & salt in a mixing bowl.
- Cut the cold butter into the flour mixture with the pastry blender until the pieces of butter are pea size and coated in flour.
- Add in the milk and vanilla extract. Mix until a dough forms.
- Add blueberries and gently fold into the scone dough.
- Dump the scone dough onto the parchment paper. Use your clean hands to form an 8-inch circle that is 3/4 inch thick. NOTE: if the dough it too sticky, sprinkle a small amount of flour on top to help form the circle.
- Cut the dough into 8 equal wedges. DO NOT separate the wedges.
- Brush the heavy cream on top of the dough.
- Bake for 30 minutes then re-cut the wedges but again DO NOT separate the wedges. NOTE: if the scones are spreading too much, gently push the edges in after 20 minutes of baking.
- For FROZEN BLUEBERRIES bake for an additional 15-20 minutes and for FRESH BLUEBERRIES bake for an additional 10 minutes. Bake until the crust is a light golden brown.
- Cool the baked scones on a wire rack for a few minutes.
- While the scones are cooling, mix the vanilla icing by slowly adding the milk to the powdered sugar and vanilla extract until the right consistency is achieved for drizzling over the scones.
- Serve warm and enjoy!
Notes
- Brown sugar instead of white sugar
- Buttermilk instead of whole milk
- Lemon Icing – 3/4 c powdered sugar & 2-3 tbsp lemon juice
Nutrition
If you make this delicious High Altitude Blueberry Scone recipe leave a comment below and let me know how it turned out. If you have any questions, post them below and I would love to help you out.