Quick Answer
The number of calories in a scone with blueberries can vary depending on the size and recipe, but on average a blueberry scone contains around 300-400 calories. A small 2-inch diameter scone may have around 200 calories, while a large 3-4 inch diameter bakery style scone with blueberries could have 500 calories or more. The calories come mainly from refined flour, butter, sugar, and blueberries.
Calories in Different Types of Blueberry Scones
Bakery or Cafe Style Blueberry Scone
A large bakery or cafe style blueberry scone, around 3-4 inches wide, can contain between 400-550 calories. For example:
- Starbucks blueberry scone (3.7 oz) – 510 calories
- Panera Bread blueberry scone (3.5 oz) – 460 calories
- Cafe blueberry scone (4 oz) – 500 calories
These large scones are made with ingredients like all-purpose flour, butter, heavy cream or milk, sugar, eggs, and a generous amount of blueberries, which all contribute to the high calorie count. The biggest offenders are the refined flour and butter.
Homemade Blueberry Scone
A homemade blueberry scone can range from 200-400 calories depending on the recipe. A lighter homemade scone made with low-fat ingredients will be lower in calories. For example:
- 2-inch scone – 200 calories
- 3-inch scone – 300 calories
The calorie count will increase if the recipe contains more butter, heavy cream, sugar or large amounts of blueberries. Making them smaller in diameter reduces the calorie density.
Packaged or Frozen Grocery Store Blueberry Scone
Packaged or frozen grocery store blueberry scones can range from 300-450 calories for an average sized scone:
- Frozen grocery scone (2.2 oz) – 310 calories
- Thomas English muffin scone (3.5 oz) – 360 calories
- Packaged bakery scone (3 oz) – 330 calories
These scones may have additional ingredients like chocolate chips, icing or glazes that add more calories. Check the nutrition label for calorie information.
Calories from Macronutrients in Blueberry Scones
The calories in blueberry scones come from the macronutrient content:
Carbohydrates
Most of the calories come from carbohydrates, primarily from refined flour. A 3-4 inch bakery scone can contain around 45-60g carbs. The carbohydrates in a blueberry scone provide around 180-240 calories.
Fat
The second biggest source of calories is fat from butter or oil. An average blueberry scone with 3-5g saturated fat from butter provides around 90-135 calories from fat.
Protein
There is minimal protein in scones from eggs or milk. A typical scone has 3-5g protein accounting for 12-20 calories.
Sugar
Added sugar can provide around 60-100 calories in an average sized 3-4 inch diameter scone.
Factors Affecting Calories in Blueberry Scones
Several factors influence the calorie content in different blueberry scone recipes and portions:
Serving Size
The serving size greatly affects calories. A typical bakery scone is 3-4 inches wide and provides 400-550 calories. Homemade scones are often smaller, containing 200-300 calories.
Ingredients
Higher fat ingredients like butter, heavy cream, oil or shortening increase calories over lower fat milk or yogurt. Refined flour is higher in calories than whole wheat flour. Added sugars also boost calories versus no sugar added.
Blueberry Amount
More blueberries mean more calories, as a cup of blueberries has about 85 calories. Some scones have a couple tablespoons while others are stuffed with a half cup or more of blueberries.
Add-ins
Mix-ins like chocolate chips, icing or glazes add extra calories on top of the base scone. Plain scones have fewer calories than more decadent options.
Cooking Method
Frying scones adds more calories from absorbed oil versus baking. Deep frying especially increases the calorie density.
Shop Location
bakery, cafe and restaurant scones tend to be larger and have more calorie-dense ingredients than grocery store versions.
Nutrition Facts Comparison
Here is a nutrition facts label comparison between two popular blueberry scones showing the differences in calories and macronutrients:
| Nutrition Facts | Starbucks Blueberry Scone | Grocery Store Frozen Scone |
|---|---|---|
| Serving Size | 3.7 oz (105g) | 2.2 oz (62g) |
| Calories | 510 | 310 |
| Fat | 24g | 12g |
| Carbs | 63g | 45g |
| Protein | 5g | 3g |
The Starbucks scone has about 200 more calories and double the fat content compared to the smaller grocery store scone. The big drivers are the larger serving size and higher fat ingredients like butter in the Starbucks version.
Tips for Lightening Up Blueberry Scones
You can reduce the calories in homemade blueberry scones several ways:
- Use reduced fat butter or oil instead of regular butter
- Substitute some of the all-purpose flour with whole wheat or almond flour
- Use plain Greek yogurt instead of heavy cream or milk
- Cut back slightly on sugar or use zero calorie sweetener
- Make scones smaller in diameter like 2 inches
- Reduce amount of blueberries
- Bake instead of frying
- Avoid adding chocolate chips, icing or glazes
With simple substitutions and smaller sizes, you can enjoy a tasty blueberry scone for around 200 calories rather than 400-500 calories.
Healthiest Ways to Eat Blueberry Scones
While scones are a treat, there are ways to make them healthier:
– Split with a friend to reduce portion size and calories
– Enjoy as an occasional breakfast item rather than daily
– Pair with protein like Greek yogurt or eggs
– Drink with green tea or black coffee instead of juice
– Use almond or whole wheat flour instead of all-purpose
– Top with fresh blueberries rather than icing or glaze
– Share one scone between 2-3 people to keep portions controlled
– Have open-faced with one scone split into halves or quarters
Conclusion
Blueberry scones can range from 200 calories for a small 2-inch homemade version to over 500 calories for a large bakery scone. The average blueberry scone with a 3-4 inch diameter contains around 400 calories, with the majority coming from refined flour and butter. To lighten them up, use reduced fat ingredients, decrease sugar, make them smaller, and fill them with less blueberries. Enjoy scones in moderation as part of a balanced diet, splitting with friends or family to keep portions and calories controlled.