I brought these scones to a brunch and nobody believed they were homemade. Flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and cold cubed butter cut together until the mixture looked like coarse crumbs. Crumbled goat cheese, fresh blueberries, and chopped fresh basil stirred in. Heavy cream, vanilla extract, and one egg mixed and poured into the dry ingredients. Shaped into a circle, cut into eight wedges, and baked at 400 degrees F (200 degrees C) for 18 to 20 minutes.
The goat cheese melts into the crumb during baking and creates soft, creamy pockets with a sharp edge. The blueberries burst and stain the surrounding crumb purple. The basil is subtle but present, a green, herbal note that appears after the fruit. These are not sweet breakfast scones. They are closer to savoury biscuits with fruit.
Tips for Making Basil Goat Cheese and Blueberry Scones
Keep the butter very cold
Cut the butter into small cubes and keep it in the fridge until you add it to the flour. Rub it in with your fingers until you see pea-sized pieces mixed with sandy crumbs. 
Cold butter creates steam pockets in the oven, which is what makes scones flaky. Warm butter makes them dense.
Do not over-mix the dough
Stir the wet and dry ingredients until just combined. The dough should look shaggy and rough. Turn it onto a floured surface and pat it into a circle.
Over-worked scone dough produces tough, dense results. Handle it as little as possible.
Basil Goat Cheese and Blueberry Scones
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: Makes 8 scones 1x
Description
These basil, goat cheese, and blueberry scones offer a delightful combination of sweet and savory flavors, perfect for a brunch treat.
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed
- 1/2 cup goat cheese, crumbled
- 1/2 cup fresh blueberries
- 2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
- Cut in the cold butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
- Stir in the goat cheese, blueberries, and basil.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the heavy cream, vanilla extract, and egg.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.
- Turn the dough onto a floured surface and shape into a circle about 1-inch thick.
- Cut the dough into 8 wedges and place them on the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake for 18-20 minutes or until golden brown.
- Serve warm with a dollop of Bonne Maman Wild Blueberry Preserves.
Notes
*1. If you prefer not to use French Vanilla Creamer, although I recommend it, you can use 1 cup of half & half instead.
*2. Approximately leaves.
*3. If you plan on freezing the dough before baking hold off on preheating your oven.
*4. You want the butter crumbles to be somewhat small, about the size of large peas, & dispersed throughout the dry ingredients.
*5. Make sure that you don’t over mix, simply make sure that all of the ingredients are evenly combined to make a dough.
*6. You can go ahead & shape/bake your scones if you are in a hurry, but I like to place my scone dough in the freezer for 30-45 minutes (covered in cling wrap) so that the butter gets nice & cold. That way when the scones bake there will be yummy pockets of butter in your scones!
*7. I made mini Basil Goat Cheese Wild Blueberry Scones.
*8. Just on the scone dough, not on the preserves.
*9. When left in a sealed container the scones become too moist.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Baking
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 scone
- Calories: 250
- Sugar: 8
- Sodium: 250
- Fat: 12
- Carbohydrates: 30
- Fiber: 1
- Protein: 5
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use a different cheese?
Feta or cream cheese both work. Goat cheese has the strongest tang and the softest texture inside the scone. It crumbles easily into the dough.
Can I use frozen blueberries?
Yes. Do not thaw. Toss them in a tablespoon of flour before adding to the dough so they do not sink to the bottom.
Can I freeze the dough?
Yes. Shape and cut the wedges, then freeze on a baking sheet. Transfer to a bag once solid. Bake from frozen, adding three to four minutes to the bake time.
Nailed it!! Thanks for sharing!
I tried these for the first time on a Saturday and the basil came through quietly the way you described, thanks for sharing!
This was a fantastic brunch bake, the goat cheese melting into the crumb made each bite different from the next!
I’d been mishandling cold butter on scones for years and the pea-size lesson finally clicked here. Goat-cheese-and-blueberry was a surprise as a savory-leaning bake, basil tucked in the back. Eighteen minutes at 400 was right for my oven, edges crisp.