Blueberries and lemon are such a good match, and they are even better in my Butter Swim Biscuits! These Blueberry Lemon Butter Swim Biscuits are soft, buttery, and packed with juicy blueberries and fresh lemon flavor. A sweet lemon glaze adds the perfect finishing touch.
They are easy to make, too. No rolling or cutting out biscuits! Just mix, spread, score, and bake. And if you love butter swim biscuits as much as I do, be sure to check out my other Butter Swim Biscuit recipes (from sweet to savory!), too.
Ingredients & Substitutions
- All-purpose flour: Use all-purpose flour for the best texture. I don’t recommend swapping it for another type of flour.
- Baking powder, sugar, and salt: These give the biscuits their lift, sweetness, and balance. Make sure your baking powder is fresh.
- Lemon zest: Adds fresh lemon flavor throughout the biscuits. Zest the lemon before juicing it.
- Fresh blueberries: Fresh blueberries work best because they hold their shape and add less moisture than frozen berries.
- Buttermilk: Helps make the biscuits soft and tender. If needed, you can make a quick buttermilk substitute with milk and lemon juice or vinegar.
- Vanilla: Adds a little extra flavor and pairs well with the blueberries and lemon.
- Unsalted butter: The melted butter gives these biscuits their crisp, buttery edges. Unsalted butter lets you control the salt.
- Lemon glaze: Made with confectioners’ sugar, whole milk, and fresh lemon juice. Adjust the amount of milk or lemon juice as needed for a smooth, pourable glaze.
Tips for the Best Blueberry Lemon Butter Swim Biscuits
- Use cold buttermilk. It helps keep the dough cool and gives the biscuits a tender texture.
- Don’t overmix the dough. Stir just until the ingredients come together. The dough will be very sticky, and that’s okay.
- Coat the blueberries in flour. Gently tossing them with the dry ingredients helps keep them from sinking as the biscuits bake.
- Don’t skip the butter! Pour the melted butter into the pan before adding the dough. The butter works its way around the biscuits as they bake, creating those crispy, golden edges.
- Spread gently. Use a spatula or lightly floured hands to spread the sticky dough into an even layer. Try not to press it down too much.
- Score before baking. Cutting the 3×4 grid directly in the dough makes it much easier to separate the biscuits after baking.
- Watch the tops near the end. If they start browning too quickly while the centers still need time to bake, loosely cover the pan with foil.
FAQs
Can I use frozen blueberries?
I recommend using fresh blueberries for this recipe. Frozen blueberries can release extra moisture into the dough and may make the biscuits more difficult to bake through.
Can I use a different pan size?
These biscuits are best baked in a 9×13-inch baking dish. A different pan size will change the thickness of the dough and the baking time, so I recommend sticking with the 9×13-inch pan. But, I do have a blueberry butter swim biscuit recipe you can make in an 8×8-inch baking dish!
Can I make these without buttermilk?
Yes. If you don’t have buttermilk, you can make a quick substitute with milk and lemon juice or vinegar. The texture may be slightly different, but the biscuits will still be delicious.
How do I keep the blueberries from sinking?
Toss the blueberries gently in the flour mixture before adding the buttermilk. The coating helps suspend the blueberries throughout the biscuit dough instead of letting them sink to the bottom.
Can I make the lemon flavor stronger?
Absolutely! Add a little extra lemon zest to the biscuit dough or use more fresh lemon juice in the glaze. I recommend adding the lemon juice a little at a time so the glaze doesn’t become too thin.
How to Store Blueberry Lemon Butter Swim Biscuits
Room Temperature: Store the biscuits in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. They are best when enjoyed fresh.
Freezer: Once completely cooled, wrap the biscuits individually or place them in a freezer-safe container. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature.
Reheating: Warm individual biscuits in the microwave for about 10–15 seconds, or place them in a 300°F oven for a few minutes. If freezing, you can reheat them straight from frozen, adding a few extra minutes in the oven.
Blueberry Lemon Butter Swim Biscuits
Ingredients
Biscuits
- 4 cups (500 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest, from 1 large lemon
- 3 cups (444 g) fresh blueberries
- 2 cups (490 g) buttermilk, cold
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup (2 sticks / 227 g) unsalted butter, melted
Lemon Glaze
- 2 cups (250 g) confectioners' sugar
- 2 tablespoons whole milk
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Instructions
Biscuits
- Preheat the oven to 450°F.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, and lemon zest.
- Add the blueberries and gently toss to coat them in the flour mixture. This helps keep the blueberries from sinking to the bottom of the biscuits.
- Pour in the cold buttermilk and vanilla. Stir just until combined. The dough will be very sticky, and that is exactly what you want.
- Pour the melted butter into a 9×13-inch baking dish. Carefully transfer the dough to the pan. Using a spatula or lightly floured hands, gently spread the dough into an even layer.
- Using a sharp knife or bench scraper, score the dough into a 3×4 grid to make 12 biscuits.
- Bake for 24 to 30 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown and the centers are cooked through. The edges should be crisp and buttery. If the tops begin to brown too quickly, loosely tent the biscuits with foil for the last few minutes.
Lemon Glaze
- While the biscuits are baking, whisk together the confectioners’ sugar, milk, and lemon juice until smooth. Add a little more milk or lemon juice as needed to reach a pourable consistency.
- Drizzle the glaze over the warm biscuits. Serve warm.
Did you make this recipe?
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