A handful of times throughout the baseball season, Grandma and I buy tickets to watch a game. I drive to her house, and then we carpool to the ballpark downtown and weave our way around the other fans until we reach our favorite seats along the third base side.
Before the game we attended in May, I brought a few slices of this cake for Grandma to enjoy during the upcoming days. Before I could hand her the package, she surprised me with a few freshly picked Meyer lemons from her tree!
For the next four hours, we watched batting practice and cheered for the Padres when they took the field to start the game. Although they lost, we still loved every minute of the well-played game—and we even appeared on the huge jumbotron in the outfield!
Once back at home, I debated what to bake with those Meyer lemons. Cupcakes? My favorite muffins? Healthy pound cake? Although each of those sounded extremely tempting…
I picked these Healthy Lemon Blueberry Scones instead! The combination of the sweet juicy berries with the bright sunshiny lemon flavor is absolutely irresistible—and so perfect for summer!
Even better? You just need 1 bowl and 30 minutes to make these scones, and they’re supremely tender, thanks to my secret ingredient… Which also means they’re just 135 calories!
Let’s go over how to make these healthy lemon blueberry scones! (And I’ll tell you what my secret ingredient is soon!)
To start, you’ll need white whole wheat flour (like this!). Yes, such a thing actually exists… And it’s not a combination of white (aka all-purpose) flour and whole wheat flour!
White whole wheat flour is made by finely grinding a special type of soft white wheat (hence the name!), whereas regular whole wheat flour comes from a heartier variety of red wheat. This gives white whole wheat flour a lighter taste and texture, closer to that of all-purpose flour, which lets the lemon flavor and tender texture really shine!
You’ll also need both freshly squeezed lemon juice and lemon zest for these healthy lemon blueberry scones. The peel actually has a much stronger citrus flavor than the juice, so it’s one of the most important ingredients in this recipe. Don’t skip it!
Next, you’ll mix in very cold cubes of butter. I highly recommend a pastry cutter (like this!) to do so. It makes the process much easier and faster than using two knives or the back of a fork!
It’s really important that the butter is cold and straight from the fridge. (Freezing isn’t necessary for this recipe!) The butter creates tender little pockets in the dough as it melts in the oven, so you don’t want the butter to soften or melt ahead of time.
Tip: This is why I recommend avoiding coconut oil, if at all possible, because it melts at room temperature… So it’s nearly impossible to keep it solid until you put your scones in the oven!
Ready to learn the secret ingredient in these healthy lemon blueberry scones? It’s… Greek yogurt! If you’ve been around my blog for a while, you probably guessed that. I love incorporating it into my healthy baking recipes! Greek yogurt adds the same moisture as extra butter to these scones, and it gives them a protein boost, too!
You’ll skip the refined granulated sugar and sweeten your scones with pure maple syrup (like this!) instead. You want the kind that comes directly from maple trees and just contains one ingredient: maple syrup. It’s generally sold in thin glass bottles or squat plastic jugs (like this!).
Time for the second fruit component! I used fresh blueberries because (a) they’re in season and constantly on sale at the grocery store and (b) they don’t dye the scone dough a funky gray color like frozen ones do. How pretty do they look?? I just love that deep purple color!
Tip: If you get a craving for these healthy lemon blueberry scones when blueberries aren’t in season, frozen will still work! Just increase the baking time slightly, and remember the dough may be a little grayish in color.
One last trick! Before slicing your healthy lemon blueberry scones into wedges and popping them in the oven, brush the tops and sides with milk. This seals moisture into the dough, which keeps their interiors soft and tender, and it also creates a hint of a crust on the outside. I love that texture contrast!
These just might be my new all-time favorite scones! ? And when you make your own, remember to snap a picture and share it on Instagram using #amyshealthybaking and tagging @amyshealthybaking IN the photo itself! (That guarantees I’ll see your picture! ?) I’d love to see your lemon blueberry scones!
| Healthy Blueberry Lemon Scones | | Print |
- 1 ½ cups (180g) white whole wheat flour or gluten-free* flour (measured like this)
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp (5g) lemon zest (about 1 medium)
- 2 tbsp (28g) unsalted butter, cold and cubed
- ½ cup (120g) plain nonfat Greek yogurt
- 3 tbsp (45mL) pure maple syrup
- 3 tbsp (45mL) freshly squeezed lemon juice (see Notes!)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ cup (70g) fresh blueberries
- 2 tsp nonfat milk
- Preheat the oven to 425°F, and line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Whisk in the lemon zest. Cut in the butter with a pastry cutter (highly recommended!) or the back of a fork until the mixture resembles fine crumbs. Make a well in the center. Add in the Greek yogurt, maple syrup, lemon juice, and vanilla. Stir until just incorporated. Gently fold in the blueberries with a spatula.
- Transfer the dough to the prepared baking sheet. Using a spatula, shape the dough into a ¾” tall circle, and brush with the milk. Slice the dough into 8 triangular segments with a sharp knife. (No need to separate them!) Bake at 425°F for 19-22 minutes, or until the tops and sides are lightly golden. Cool on the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
For a gluten-free version, use the following blend: 1 cup (120g) millet flour, ¼ cup (30g) tapioca flour, ¼ cup (30g) brown rice flour, and 1 teaspoon xanthan gum. Most store-bought gluten-free flour blends (like this one!) will work as well, if they’re measured like this.
I highly recommend using Meyer lemons! They’re sweeter than regular lemons and have a fuller flavor. They’re the only kind of lemons I use in my baking and always produce the best results!
It’s very important that your butter is cold, straight from the fridge. (Freezing it isn’t necessary for this recipe!) With very cold butter, it won’t heat up until you put the scones in the extremely hot oven, and it will create little air pockets and a very tender crumb when it melts.
Honey or agave may be substituted in place of the pure maple syrup.
In a pinch, frozen blueberries may be substituted for the fresh, and the baking time may increase slightly. (Keep in mind that frozen blueberries dye the dough a grayish color!)
Any milk may be substituted for the nonfat milk.
As written, these scones aren’t overly sweet. If you prefer sweeter scones, substitute an additional 1-2 tablespoons of pure maple syrup for an equal amount of lemon juice. (They won’t have as strong of a lemon flavor though!)
In a pinch, coconut oil may be substituted for the butter, but the texture of the scones will be affected. Very cold butter is required to achieve their tender texture, and since coconut oil melts at a much lower temperature, the results will not be the same.
For a vegan version, I recommend Earth Balance sticks in place of the butter, your preferred non-dairy yogurt in place of the Greek yogurt, and non-dairy milk in place of the nonfat milk.
Watch my video here (located directly above the recipe!) to see how these scones are made!
{gluten-free, clean eating, low fat, vegan option}
View Nutrition Information + Weight Watchers Points
You may also like Amy’s other recipes…
♡ The Ultimate Healthy Blueberry Scones
♡ Healthy Lemon Scones
♡ Healthy Raspberry Almond Scones
♡ Healthy Strawberry Chocolate Chip Scones
♡ Healthy Apple Pie Scones
♡ Healthy Copycat Petite Vanilla Bean Scones
Perfect use of the fresh lemons – I adore the blueberry lemon flavor combination. On a selfish note, I miss your YouTube episodes!
You’re so sweet — thanks Liz!! I’m really hoping to restart AHB TV in the future! 🙂
Amy, these scones look absolutely divine! I need to make them this weekend for brunch!
You’re such a sweetheart! Thank you Anna! 🙂 I’d love to hear what you think of these scones if you decide to try them!
Hi, Amy, 🙂 I made two of your recipes in one day! First I made your delicious apple crumble with apples from my tree frozen last Fall in just the amount needed for this recipe. The crumble went with me to visit family to have for lunch dessert. They loved it. After the crumble was out of the over I mixed up these Blueberry Lemon scones. Just for me!! Very good. Thank you, Amy. ps I had already made your chocolate peanut butter granola to bring along for family to enjoy later. It’s one of my favorites and addicting!
Oh my goodness, Susan! I’m truly honored that you baked two of my recipes in one day — and that you’d share it with for family! What a huge compliment that everyone loved the crumble and granola! Thank you for sharing that with me! 🙂 It means the world to me that you’ve enjoying my recipes, and I’m so excited to hear what you decide to try next!
Hey Amy!
As a food blogger myself, I am so impressed with your website and all your recipes. I’m constantly coming here for my baking needs! I also know how much fun (usually) it is to get feedback from your readers! I really admire your end product. I know how much time and effort it takes to really execute all the little details like you do so well!
These were great! For my first attempt, the flavor was a little too flour tasting for my preference but I made a couple of adjustments I want to share. First, the second attempt I REALLY made sure my butter was really cut into the flour well, Second, I added a little more syrup, and doubled the lemon zest. I LOVE lemon so I am cool with more. The second batch came out PERFECT! Thanks for this recipe!
Thanks so much for your kind words and thoughtful comment, Katie! That truly means a lot to me that you’re enjoying my blog and recipes. I’m really honored! 🙂 I’m so glad you loved the scones too — and I can never say no to extra lemon either! 😉
Hi Amy, I love all your recipes and am hoping to make them. I only have oat flour and was wondering how to sub it for the white whole wheat flour for this recipe. Thanks.
I truly appreciate your interest in all of my recipes Janet! Yes, you can substitute oat flour for the white whole wheat flour in this particular recipe. Your scones may turn out slightly denser and might not rise quite as much, but their flavor should remain about the same. Also, remember oat flour is slightly more absorbent, so be really careful when measuring it! If the scone dough seems dry, then add a little extra lemon juice, 1 teaspoon at a time, until all of the flour is incorporated and the dough is slightly sticky. 🙂 I can’t wait to hear how your scones turn out!