Tender and flaky scones are studded with sweet tart blackberries and topped with a rich cream cheese glaze for a winning combination.
I’ll have you know, I already wrote a post about these blackberry cream cheese scones once. But when I was done writing, I read the post and I realized that when it comes to blackberries I have a tendency to say the same thing. My husband loves them. Well you know what? The heck with that. Yes, he does love blackberries and I do love to cook for him, but to be honest I made these scones just for me! I’m the scone lover in this house. 
That’s right. Fall mornings are absolutely perfect for tender flaky scones, a steaming cup of tea and my journal on my lap. Blissful.
I love the color the blackberries add to these scones, that and they keep them perfectly moist and bursting with flavor inside. They are tart and sweet with cream cheese inside the scones and also providing that lovely tang to the glaze on top. Forget the coffee house, these are better and it can all be done in your pajamas. And on a cold morning, that my friend, just can’t be beat.
[crp]
Blackberry Cream Cheese Scones
Tender and flaky scones are studded with sweet tart blackberries and topped with a rich cream cheese glaze.
Ingredients
For the Scones
- 2 3/4 cup all purpose unbleached flour
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 2 Tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 Tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, cold and cut in small pieces
- 4 ounces cream cheese, cold and cut into small pieces
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 3/4 cup blackberries
For the Glaze
- 2 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 Tablespoon butter, softened
- 2 Tablespoon milk
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
To Make The Scones
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Prepare a baking sheet with a silicone mat or line the baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a medium sized mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugars, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the butter and cream cheese. Using a fork, a pastry blender, or your fingers, cut in the butter and cream cheese until the mixture is coarse with no lumps larger than pea-sized. Gently stir in the blackberries. Add the buttermilk and vanilla and stir until just combined.
- Turn the scone dough out onto a lightly floured surface and using floured hands, lightly knead the dough 3 or 4 times. Shape the dough into an 8 inch round with a thickness of about 1 inch.
- Place the dough onto the prepared baking sheet and cut into 8 wedges, separating them slightly.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Remove to a wire rack to cool.
To Make The Glaze
- In a small bowl, whisk together the cream cheese, butter, milk, vanilla and powdered sugar until smooth. Drizzle over the tops of the scones.
Sharon Roberts
Friday 24th of July 2020
These were so delicious! Soft and yummy. Unlike usual hard dry scones. I’m going to try them with blueberries and follow your tips for flaky scones.
Amy D
Saturday 25th of July 2020
Fantastic! Thanks for the review and feedback Sharon.
Janet
Friday 19th of June 2020
Can they be made ahead and frozen, then putting on the topping right before serving?
Amy D
Monday 22nd of June 2020
Yes Janet, that would work well!
Chelsea
Tuesday 7th of April 2020
I don't have buttermilk on hand, can I use normal milk?
Amy D
Tuesday 7th of April 2020
Chelsea, for the best results I would make a buttermilk substitute. The way to make DIY buttermilk is to mix together one scant cup (slightly less than one cup) milk with one tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar. Let it set for around 5 minutes. This will thicken and sour the milk to get it a taste and texture more consistent with buttermilk.
Hope this helps!
Amy
ChristTina
Sunday 22nd of September 2019
Do you think it'd be okay to substitute blueberries for the blackberries?
Amy D
Monday 23rd of September 2019
Yes, I think it would be absolutely delightful!
Katie
Monday 26th of August 2019
I don’t know what went wrong but they are more spongy than flaky. Any help would be appreciated! I’m new to scone making.
Amy D
Wednesday 28th of August 2019
Aw man Katie, that's a bummer! I hate it when I try a new recipe and things don't turn out how I expected they would. Of course, I'm not there so I can't say exactly where things went astray, but here are a few things to be mindful of when baking scones. 1) Always make sure your ingredients are as cold as they can be. Those flaky layers that are characteristic of scones come from having the fat be as cold as possible when they hit the oven. 2) Be careful not to overwork the dough. Scones take a light hand and only need to be mixed until the ingredients just come together. The dough will still be very lumpy and bumpy and that's okay. Scone dough that's been handled too much can take on the texture that you described.
I hope that you will give scones another try, they are one of my favorite things to bake. Amy