Sourdough scones are a delicious way to make use of extra starter, and these sourdough blueberry scones might just become your new favorite. Lightly crisp on the outside and soft in the center, they’re made with simple pantry ingredients and filled with sweet bursts of dried blueberries. You’ll love how easy they are to whip up—perfect for breakfast, brunch, or a cozy afternoon snack with tea or coffee.
Unlike traditional pastries, sourdough blueberry scones made with discard offer a subtle tang that balances beautifully with the sweetness of dried fruit. These sourdough discard scones are a smart way to avoid waste while enjoying a quick, homemade treat. The dough comes together easily and bakes into golden wedges with just the right amount of crumble—no fancy techniques needed. They’re a simple option for beginner sourdough bakers or anyone craving something a little special from their starter.
If you love baking with sourdough, don’t miss our sourdough bread sandwich recipe, it’s a crowd favorite! And also check our sourdough cookie recipe for rich, chewy chocolate chip cookies that are just as irresistible!
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Why We Love These Sourdough Blueberry Scones
- Perfect for breakfast or an afternoon snack.
This tasty dessert is the perfect recipe for a morning or afternoon bite.
If you don’t have a sourdough starter, make these cranberry almond scones instead! You can also try this white soda bread. - Quick and easy.
With just a few ingredients to combine, these sourdough blueberry scones are great for whipping up a light snack. - Sweet and tart lemon icing.
Probably the best part of these scones is the lemon icing! It’s perfectly balanced between sweet and tart.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Active Sourdough starter – fed 12-24 hours before starting the recipe.
When we say active, we mean a mature starter that is at least a week old and always doubles in size within 4-6 hours of feeding. It doesn’t mean you need to use it at the peak activity after a feeding. - Flour: Unbleached all-purpose flour is used in this recipe, but you could substitute it for bread flour if you needed to.
- Salt: Kosher salt is best for baking. It provides a consistent saltiness. If you need to substitute this with sea salt or table salt, use 1/2 teaspoon.
- Baking powder: This helps the sourdough scones rise. Don’t confuse it with baking soda! There’s really no substitute for this essential ingredient.
- Sugar: Don’t skip the sugar, it not only adds a touch of sweetness, but it helps provide structure to these baked goods. I recommend using pure cane sugar.
- Butter: It’s essential to use cold butter. When the cold butter and heavy cream of the dough meet the high heat of the oven, it helps provide a tall rise for the scones.
- Dried blueberries: The liquid from the starter and cream will plump these up for the perfect bite. You can use fresh blueberries though with the thick batter, they may break during mixing. I recommend gently folding in fresh berries at the end of mixing.
- Heavy cream: This makes the scones soft and moist. Do not substitute with milk or light cream.
- Confectioners’ sugar: also called powdered sugar, it makes the perfect icing. There is no substitute for it!
- Lemon extract: A little lemon extract goes a long way in these sourdough discard scones. You can use lemon juice in place of the extract.
Recipe Variations
- Chocolate chip sourdough scones: Add ½ cup of chocolate chips to the dry ingredients for a bakery-style treat. Mix into the scone dough just before adding cream for evenly distributed sweetness.
- Citrus sourdough scones with lemon glaze: Brighten your batch with 2 teaspoons of orange zest or lemon glaze for a zippy, fresh flavor. The tangy glaze pairs beautifully with the sourdough’s depth.
- Vanilla almond sourdough scones: Stir in 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract and your favorite add-ins like slivered almonds. This enhances the texture while keeping the crumb soft and satisfying.
- Extra-flaky buttermilk scones: Use a cheese grater to grate cold frozen butter into the dough. This helps create those signature flaky layers and truly tender scones. Swap heavy cream with 1 egg and a splash of buttermilk for richness. A touch of granulated sugar boosts the flavor without being overly sweet.
Equipment Used in this Recipe
- Baking sheet
- Rubber spatula
- Parchment paper or silicone baking sheet
- Large mixing bowl or medium mixing bowl
- Hand mixer or stand mixer (optional)
- Sharp knife or bench scraper
What is sourdough discard?
Sourdough discard is what is typically taken from a sourdough starter before it’s fed. We like to use this discard in our recipes. In fact, every sourdough recipe at The Feathered Nester has been tested with starters fed 12 hours prior (not a true discard) and ones fed 24 hours (what would be a discard).
Use your discard for a variety of recipes! Check out our sourdough flatbread, sourdough granola, and sourdough english muffin bread as well as our list of sourdough discard recipes for ways to help use your discard when you’re not baking bread.
How to Make Our Sourdough Discard Scones
- Use a pastry cutter or two forks to cut the butter
The butter needs to be cut into small pea-sized pieces; the best method is using a pastry cutter or two forks
You want to avoid using your hands since it’s crucial to keep the butter as cold as possible, and the heat from your hands can warm it.
- Stir in the blueberries and the sourdough starter
Using a wooden spoon, gently stir in the dried blueberries and the sourdough starter until it’s completely mixed.
There will be lumps and that’s ok!
- Pour in the cream until you have the right consistency.
Since the liquidity of your starter can vary depending on its hydration level, you may need a little less or more cream.
Stir it into the dough until it’s easy to handle without being too sticky.
- Cut the dough into a pie shape.
Flour the counter and pat the dough into a thick circle.
Use a knife or bench scraper to cut the dough into equal pieces like a pie.
- Bake the blueberry sourdough scones.
Place the pie wedges on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper about one inch apart to allow for spreading.
Brush the tops with the remaining cream and bake until perfectly golden brown. Remember to drizzle the tops with the delicious lemon icing before serving.
🎯 TFN Pro Tip
Don’t overmix the scone dough; just stir until it comes together to avoid tough or dense results.
Serving Suggestions
These sourdough blueberry scones are delicious served warm, fresh out of the oven, or cooled to room temperature. Pair them with a pat of butter, a drizzle of honey, or a dollop of clotted cream for extra indulgence. They also go wonderfully with a steaming mug of coffee, hot tea, or even iced chai on warmer mornings. For a brunch spread, serve alongside scrambled eggs, yogurt parfaits, or fresh fruit for a beautiful, balanced plate. And if you’re offering them as an afternoon snack, try adding a smear of lemon curd or cream cheese for a bright, tangy touch.
Can’t get enough of this? Try more of our sourdough discard breakfast recipes!
Recipe FAQs
This recipe needs the discard for that classic sourdough flavor. However, if you don’t have anyone, you can make our cranberry almond scones instead.
Yes, you can use any dried fruit! We recommend cherries, cranberries, or golden raisins.
The liquid in the sourdough starter determines how much cream you need to add to get the right consistency. The dough should be moist and tacky.
Store leftover sourdough blueberry scones in an airtight container on the counter for up to three days.
You can also freeze scones for a delicious make-ahead snack. After baking, let them cool. Then, store the sourdough scones in an air-tight, freezer-safe container with the date. Use within three months.
To thaw, let them sit on the counter for a few hours or reheat them in the microwave for 30 seconds to warm them.
More Breakfast Recipes To Love…
If you tried this blueberry sourdough scones recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Blueberry Sourdough Scones
Equipment
- 1 rimmed baking sheet
- parchment paper or silicone baking sheet
- medium mixing bowl
- hand mixer or stand mixer (optional)
- 1 knife or bench scraper
Ingredients
- 1 cup sourdough starter discard or fed 12-24 hours prior *see notes below
- 1 ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 4 tablespoons cold butter
- ½ cup dried blueberries or substitute dried cranberries, cherries, or raisins
- ⅓ cup heavy or whipping cream (do not substitute with milk)
Icing glaze (optional)
- 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
- 2 tablespoons cream (can substitute with melted butter)
- 2 teaspoons lemon extract (can substitute with lemon juice)
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking sheet and sprinkle with flour.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, and sugar. Use clean hands or a pastry cutter to cut the butter into the flour mixture until it looks crumbly with some pea-sized bits of butter.
- Mix in the dried blueberries until evenly mixed throughout. Add the sourdough starter, stirring to combine.
- Set mixer to low and drizzle in the cream, starting with 1/4 cup and increasing a tablespoon at a time. Add just enough for the dough to come together. The amount needed depends on the liquidity and hydration of your starter. Once the dough comes together in a ball and holds its shape it has enough cream.
- Place the dough on the prepared baking sheet. Use clean hands to pat it into a disc shape, roughly 5 inches wide by 1 inch thick. Use a knife or bench scraper to cut the dough into 6 wedges. Add 1 inch of space between the wedges to allow for expansion during baking. Brush the tops of the scones with remaining cream.
- Bake the scones for 18 to 20 minutes, until they’re a light golden brown. Remove the scones from the oven, and let cool on the pan for a few minutes. Serve warm, or at room temperature.
Icing Glaze (optional)
- Whisk together confectioners' sugar, 2 tablespoons heavy cream, and extract until the glaze is smooth.Drizzle over the top of the scones with a large tablespoon, letting it run over the sides slightly.
Notes
- Chocolate chip sourdough scones: Add ½ cup of chocolate chips to the dry ingredients for a bakery-style treat. Mix into the scone dough just before adding cream for evenly distributed sweetness.
- Citrus sourdough scones with lemon glaze: Brighten your batch with 2 teaspoons of orange zest or lemon glaze for a zippy, fresh flavor. The tangy glaze pairs beautifully with the sourdough’s depth.
- Vanilla almond sourdough scones: Stir in 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract and your favorite add-ins like slivered almonds. This enhances the texture while keeping the crumb soft and satisfying.
- Extra-flaky buttermilk scones: Use a cheese grater to grate cold frozen butter into the dough. This helps create those signature flaky layers and truly tender scones. Swap heavy cream with 1 egg and a splash of buttermilk for richness. A touch of granulated sugar boosts the flavor without being overly sweet.
- Freeze scones for a delicious make-ahead snack. After baking, let them cool. Then, store the sourdough scones in an air-tight, freezer-safe container with the date. Use within three months.
- Store leftover sourdough blueberry scones in an airtight container on the counter for up to three days.
- You can also freeze scones for a delicious make-ahead snack. After baking, let them cool. Then, store the sourdough scones in an air-tight, freezer-safe container with the date. Use within three months.
- To thaw, let them sit on the counter for a few hours or reheat them in the microwave for 30 seconds to warm them.
Nutrition
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Kechi says
These blueberry scones came out so good! And my husband loved it with his coffee! I want to make it again but with cranberries!
Alison Corey says
What a delightful twist on the classic! The idea of incorporating sourdough into scones sounds like a game-changer for achieving that perfect light and fluffy texture. And the addition of dried blueberries brings a burst of sweetness and flavor that I can’t resist.
Tara says
Oooh, these scones look so light and fluffy! I love all the tips to help make them perfect. Such a wonderful start to the day.
Lauren Harris says
I really loved the extra flavor the sourdough gave to these scones. They were perfectly delicious for breakfast this weekend!
Anjali says
I’ve never gotten homemade scones to turn out as well as my favorite bakery’s scones until I tried your recipe! These were amazing! Had great texture, were perfectly crumbly, slightly crispy on the outside too. Totally delicious!