Air Fryer Lemon Blueberry British Scones
Air Fryer Lemon Blueberry British Scones - step-by-step tutorial for scones that rise well, & how to bake in the air fryer! Let me show you how:
Equipment
- Scales or measuring cups
- Measuring Spoons
- Mixing spoon
- Jug
- Large mixing bowl
- Pastry Cutter/Pastry Blender (optional - or 2 butter knives, or use fingers)
- Whisk or fork
- Baking/parchment paper (make sure good for hot temperatures)
- Round Cookie Cutter (5½-6cm or 1⅙-2⅓″, mine is 5¾cm or 2¼")
- Small bowl/dish (for egg-wash)
- Pastry brush or clean artist brush
- Air Fryer (or regular oven)
- Cooling rack
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 450 grams Plain Flour (15¾ oz , 3⅔ cups Plain/All Purpose PLUS
- 7½ tsp Baking Powder ( level tsp, Yes, correct amount - only use 2 tsp for UK Self-raising flour*)
Wet Ingredients
- 50 grams Caster Sugar (1¾ oz, level ¼ cup Extra/Super Fine Sugar*)
- 75 grams Butter (unsalted, cubed & a little softened, 2½ oz or level 2/3 stick or ⅓ cup)
- 2 Med-Large Eggs (US – Large or Extra Large)
- 240 ml Milk (1 cup, 8 fl oz – approx., or Buttermilk*)
- 1 tsp Lemon Extract (or orange, try homemade extract)
- Lemon Zest (zest of ½ lemon)
- 78 grams Blueberries (2¾ oz, ¾ cup approx., fresh or frozen*)
- 1½ tsp Sugar (to coat blueberries)
* Denotes -see notes
Instructions
Prepare Air Fryer
- Cube the 75 grams Butter (roughly about 1cm (⅓" ) in size, & leave to soften a little. We DO NOT NEED COLD BUTTER, rather soft enough to work with,
- Fresh blueberries should be washed in warm water, then pat dried, before coating in 1½ tsp sugar, follwoed by ½-1 tsp flour. If using frozen, no need to defrost & only add when dough is prepared.
- If using a small air fryer, plan out how many scones you can bake at one time, by trying out the cookie cutter. This is going to range from 4 - 5.
- Cut a small piece of high temperature-safe baking/parchment paper, just big enough to go under the 4 or 5 scones. Please make sure there is no excess that can cause a fire hazard in air fryers.
Prepare The Dough
- In a mixing bowl, combine the 450 grams Plain Flour & the 7½ tsp Baking Powder (yes this is the correct amount - for UK Self-raising flour, only add 2 tsp baking powder). 'Cut in the butter' till rough large breadcrumb consistency. DO NOT USE A FOOD PROCESSOR- use 2 butter knives, a Pastry Cutter/Pastry Blender or your fingertips. ***Please see the step-by-step instructions & photos before this recipe card for more information or watch the video,
- Add the 50 grams Caster Sugar (US Extra/Super fine sugar) Lemon Zest, mix to combine then leave to the side. Crack the 2 Med-Large Eggs into a jug & top up with approximately 240 ml Milk, until you get to the 300ml (10 fl oz, 1¼ cup level). Add the 1 tsp Lemon Extract & whisk together, before reserving 2 tbsp in a small dish for egg-wash.
- Make a well in the flour mixture before adding ½ the egg mixture & mixing with a spoon, pushing down to make the flour take on as much liquid as possible. Add ⅓ of the blueberries, (if using frozen, remove from the freezer now and coat in the sugar & flour). Gently fold the blueberries in, then repeat with the remaining blueberries. Very gradually add in more liquid until the mixture comes together and is only slightly sticky. You might not need all the liquid or a little more milk. (See video for reference).
- Flour a work area or some baking/parchment paper, form the dough into a ball & pat out on the paper, using your hands. DO NOT USE A ROLLING PIN. Pat it out with your hands, to a thickness of at least 1" (2½cm).
- Dip the straight edge of the cookie cutter in flour before cutting out your scones. DO NOT TWIST THE CUTTER. You will get about 5 - 6 scones from the first round. Scones that lift up, shake onto the prepared paper. Those scones that stick, just leave to the end. Pull back the excess dough, then carefully transfer with a palette knife (try not to touch the sides).
- When all 4 or 5 scones are in the air fryer basket (on top of the paper), very carefully brush the reserved egg-wash on the top of the scones. DO NOT LET IT DRIP DOWN THE SIDES. Tap the brush of excess egg-wash & start to brush from the centre outwards.
Bake The Scones
- Preheat your air fryer if it needs it, to 200°c/400°f & bake the scones for 8-10 minutes. The scones will have risen well and be a deep golden colour. However, as it's a basket air fryer, we need to turn them over, apply more egg-wash & bake for about 4 minutes till golden. If you have a new or powerful air fryer, try baking at 180°c/360°f to not burn the tops.
- While the scones are baking, gently bring the excess scone dough together as best you can with as little handling as possible. Then pat out to at least 1"/2½cm & cut out more scones. You will get at least 10 scones in total.
- Once the first batch of scones are baked, leave to cool on a rack, while you bake the rest.
- For regular oven baking, cut out & egg-wash all the scones & bake all at once on one tray/sheet for about 12 minutes with no need to turn the scones over during baking.
Serving, Storing & Freezing
- Serve the blueberry lemon scones at room temperature or a little warm. They can be enjoyed next day too. Serve halved with things like homemade butter , cream (whipped or clotted), jam, curd etc. Try my blueberry orange curd for a nice treat.
- British scones are best stored in a metal cake or cookie tin at room temperature, and can last at least 1 week.
- Scones freeze really well too. Just wrap each scone in paper then cling film/plastic wrap or foil, and place in a labelled food bag or air-tight container. Freeze for up to 3 months1. Defrost the scone(s) at room temperature or in the fridge overnight. Cut in half & microwave for no more than 15 seconds for a just-baked feel.
Notes
Flour – UK Plain (All Purpose) Flour is used, as well as baking powder. If using UK Self-raising flour, only add 2 tsp baking powder. Gluten free flour Self-raising or Plain/A.P. flour with Xanthan gum also works well.
Sugar – Caster Sugar (Extra/super fine sugar) is used & in a small amount, for structure, texture & preserving the scones. Blitz your own fine sugar from granulated sugar.
Butter - unsalted butter is always recommended in sweet or savoury baking, for best & consistent results.
Milk –any kind of milk can be used, including lactose-free & goat's milk. The scones will jsut be a little paler on top with the last 2 kind sof milk. Buttermilk works great too. Read my Homemade Buttermilk & Butter recipe.
Eggs - UK medium to large sized eggs are used, & that is large to extra large in US sizing.
Blueberries - use fresh or frozen. For frozen, no need to defrost, just add from the freezer, when the dough is prepared.
Cookie Cutter – straight edged cookie cutter should be used, and with a diameter of 5 to 6cm or 2 to 2⅓″. My cutter is 5¾cm or 2¼”.
Air Fryer –small basket air fryers can take 4 scones at one time. Read more before the step-by-step instructions. **Read my Cello double air fryer review.
Yield – using the same cutter & thickness, you should get about 10-11 scones from the recipe.
Important tips for British scones included in the directions, but more are listed at the beginning of the post. With scones it is WHAT NOT TO DO! If you stick to the tips your scones will rise well.
More scone & air fryer scone recipes to try. My Original British Scones recipe, the Double chocolate orange Scones version, Mango cranberry scones or Air fryer Cheese Scones.
Try my beginner's recipe - Tear-&-Share Cheese Scones for an easier recipe.
**Total Time to make – based on making 3 batches of 4 scones, for 12 minutes each in a basket-style air fryer. For larger air fryers, and can bake more than 4 scones at one time, (or use a regular oven), total time would be reduced.
Browse Recipe Index
New for 2026, Gluten-free AIr Fryer Scones.
Reference – 1 Freezing information from website Freeze It.co.uk @ https://freezeit.co.uk/can-you-freeze-scones/
Butter - unsalted butter is always recommended in sweet or savoury baking, for best & consistent results.
Milk –any kind of milk can be used, including lactose-free & goat's milk. The scones will jsut be a little paler on top with the last 2 kind sof milk. Buttermilk works great too. Read my Homemade Buttermilk & Butter recipe.
Eggs - UK medium to large sized eggs are used, & that is large to extra large in US sizing.
Blueberries - use fresh or frozen. For frozen, no need to defrost, just add from the freezer, when the dough is prepared.
Cookie Cutter – straight edged cookie cutter should be used, and with a diameter of 5 to 6cm or 2 to 2⅓″. My cutter is 5¾cm or 2¼”.
Air Fryer –small basket air fryers can take 4 scones at one time. Read more before the step-by-step instructions. **Read my Cello double air fryer review.
Yield – using the same cutter & thickness, you should get about 10-11 scones from the recipe.
Important tips for British scones included in the directions, but more are listed at the beginning of the post. With scones it is WHAT NOT TO DO! If you stick to the tips your scones will rise well.
More scone & air fryer scone recipes to try. My Original British Scones recipe, the Double chocolate orange Scones version, Mango cranberry scones or Air fryer Cheese Scones.
Try my beginner's recipe - Tear-&-Share Cheese Scones for an easier recipe.
**Total Time to make – based on making 3 batches of 4 scones, for 12 minutes each in a basket-style air fryer. For larger air fryers, and can bake more than 4 scones at one time, (or use a regular oven), total time would be reduced.
Browse Recipe Index
New for 2026, Gluten-free AIr Fryer Scones.
Reference – 1 Freezing information from website Freeze It.co.uk @ https://freezeit.co.uk/can-you-freeze-scones/
***I am not a qualified nutritionist, & all nutritional values are based on a serving of 1 lemon blueberry scone (from a batch of 11 as per recipe above), using skimmed milk, & with no fillings/toppings. Bigger or smaller scones & the nutritional values will change. All values from MyFitnessPal.com
Nutrition Facts
Air Fryer Lemon Blueberry British Scones
Serving Size
1 Scone
Amount per Serving
Calories
241
% Daily Value*
Fat
7
g
11
%
Saturated Fat
4
g
25
%
Monounsaturated Fat
2
g
Cholesterol
45
mg
15
%
Sodium
344
mg
15
%
Potassium
19
mg
1
%
Carbohydrates
38
g
13
%
Fiber
2
g
8
%
Sugar
6
g
7
%
Protein
6
g
12
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.