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“So good! Did not make the lemon butter but they were perfect. Top got crispy, rest of the biscuit was tender.” ~Carlin
hybrid blueberry lemon biscuits
Is it a blueberry muffin? Is it a buttermilk biscuit? Blueberry lemon biscuits are the best of both, with a dash of lemon and lots of Southern charm!
Not too sweet, but with plenty of juicy blueberries and a hint of lemon these big puffy squares are great for breakfast or brunch.
related: Blueberry Cobbler
ingredients for blueberry lemon biscuits
The recipe is a basic biscuit with the addition of fruit and a touch of sugar, which helps bring out the berry/lemon flavors.
- cold butter
- all purpose flour
- sugar
- buttermilk
- lemon juice
- blueberries
- baking powder and baking soda
- salt
optional lemon butter
- soft butter
- lemon zest
how to make blueberry lemon biscuits, step by step
This unusual method comes from America’s Test Kitchen. It definitely cuts down on a few steps, and a lot of mess. Plus you end up with mile high biscuits!
step 1. Cut butter into dry ingredients
Toss your dry ingredients together and cut in the cold butter. I do this in a food processor for ease.
step 2. Add buttermilk and blueberries
I add the buttermilk first, and halfway through mixing I add the blueberries and gently fold until there are no pockets of flour left. Don’t overmix, biscuits need a gentle touch.
step 3. Turn dough into prepared pan
The dough will be loose and shaggy, no worries.
step 4. Even out the dough for a flat surface
I use floured fingers to pat out the dough and then an offset spatula to smooth the surface. Be sure to get those corners!
step 5. Slice the biscuits
I use a greased bench scraper. Cut the biscuits into 9 squares, right in the pan.
step 6. Bake
40 minutes in a 400F oven does the job. They’ll come out golden brown and smelling amazing.
what to expect from blueberry lemon biscuits
These fruity biscuits tread the line between sweet and savory. They’re closer to a muffin than a cake, and definitely not dessert. If you’re looking for something on the sweeter side, check out my Blueberry Buckle.
how to serve blueberry lemon biscuits
Blueberry biscuits are a Southern tradition for breakfast and brunch. I serve mine withe lemon butter, but honey and butter is also common and give the biscuits added sweetness.
delicious variations on blueberry lemon biscuits
- Lemon Glaze: After baking the blueberry biscuits, you can drizzle them with a tangy lemon glaze. Mix powdered sugar with freshly squeezed lemon juice until you achieve a smooth consistency. Drizzle the glaze over the cooled biscuits for an extra burst of citrus flavor.
- Use other fruits like rhubarb, strawberry, blackberry, or peach.
- Herbs: Surprisingly, herbs can complement fruits in biscuits. Fresh herbs like rosemary or thyme can be finely chopped and added to the biscuit dough to infuse subtle savory notes that pair well with certain fruits like berries or stone fruits.
more blueberry lemon!
- Blueberry Lemon Cake
- Blueberry Lemon Breakfast Cake
- Blueberry Lemonade
- Blueberry Lemon Shortcake
- Blueberry Lemon Pound Cake
- Lemon Blueberry Bundt Cake
- Blueberry Zucchini Cake with Lemon Buttercream
Blueberry Lemon Biscuits
Equipment
- 9×9 square baking pan
Ingredients
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 ยผ tsp salt
- 10 Tbsp cold butter, cut in pieces
- 1 ยฝ cups buttermilk
- 3 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1 ยฝ cups blueberries
lemon butter, optional
- 1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
- zest of 1 lemon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400F. Lightly grease your pan and line with parchment paper so you can lift the biscuits out later for cutting.
- Toss the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together to combine. Cut in the cold butter. I do this in a food processor for ease. Just pulse until the mixture is evenly crumbly and all the chunks of butter have been incorporated. Then transfer to a bowl.
- Stir the buttermilk and lemon juice into the bowl, and halfway through mixing add the blueberries and gently fold until there is no dry flour left. Donโt overmix, biscuits need a gentle touch. The dough will be shaggy.
- Turn the dough into the prepared pan and use floured fingers to pat it out as evenly as you can. Then an offset spatula to smooth the surface. Be sure to get those corners!
- Use a greased bench scraper to divide the biscuits into 9 squares. Leave them in the pan.
- Bake for 40-45 minutes until golden. Let the biscuits cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then lift out using the parchment paper slings.
- Slice along your cut marks and serve warm with lemon butter.
for lemon butter
- Blend the soft butter and lemon zest until completely combined. Pack the butter into a small glass or jar.
They were delish! My dough was not shaggy a bit more moist, so next time I will add the wet ingredients slowly. Even with my error we loved them.
Hi Sue! I love the idea of the “pat-into-the-pan” method. Could this technique be used for all other biscuit recipes having the same volume of ingredients?
Thanks, as always! First snow yesterday, here in my area, in Alberta, Canada. Our HIGH today was 35ยฐF – and we’re only 3/4 of the way through October. Grrr! AND brrr!
Yes, you sure could use this method for other biscuits, Don’t forget the layering technique can be used, too. I hope your baking helps keep you warm!!
Can I use frozen blueberries? And if so should they be defrosted?
Yes, frozen will work, no need to thaw.
Made these this morning. They’re delicious. 2 questions:
How should leftovers be stored? (Sealed Container, loosely covered? room temp? Fridge?)
And, What is the “layer method?”
Thanks!
Glad you enjoyed them Mary, I would cover them with foil and store on the counter. The layering technique for biscuits involves patting out the dough into a rectangle and folding up each end and then patting or rolling again and repeating the fold. It creates nice layers in the baked biscuits. I use this method in my sour cream and onion biscuits recipe, here.
So good! Did not make the lemon butter but they were perfect. Top got crispy, rest of the biscuit was tender.
Fast work Carlin, thanks so much!
Hi Sue, just curious, what is the purpose of cutting the biscuits before baking?? I have all the ingredients for these, so will be making asap! Thank you!
This was per the original recipe and I was interested to try it out. The pre cutting/scoring helps them cut a bit more cleanly, which made a neater biscuit, overall.
Would this recipe work with fresh cranberries?
I think that would be great. Not sure you’ll need the lemon in that case, but that’s up to you.
Try using orange juice instead. I would add orange zest as well.