Cranberry Orange Scones are buttery, tender, and fluffy inside, with crisp edges outside, and a sweet vanilla glaze that is so delicious! This cranberry scone recipe makes an easy fall treat or for serving at Thanksgiving breakfast.
Scones are an incredibly delicious treat, but it can be tricky to make them perfectly.
Scones should be slightly flaky, but not as flaky as biscuits. They should be crumbly, but not to the point where they fall apart. The inside of scones should be light, tender and cake-like, but not as fluffy as an olive oil cake.
Ultimately, there are two types of of scones, and the texture comes down to what type of fat is used in the recipe.
- Cream scones are made with heavy cream, for a rich flavor and light, cake-like texture.
- Butter scones have a classic buttery flavor and a fluffy and flaky, biscuit-like texture.
These cranberry orange scones are the ultimate treat, because this recipe calls for both cream and butter! Perfect with a cup of coffee or tea, the combo of sweet orange and tart cranberry is perfect for fall!
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Perfect treat for fall. Oranges and fresh cranberries are iconic fall flavors. This sweet treat tastes delicious with a hot cup of coffee, a pumpkin smoothie, or warm cider!
- Freezer friendly. Time to get a jump on your holiday baking, because scones freeze well for up to 3 months!
- An easy homemade gift to share. Just about everyone appreciates getting a batch of homemade goodies! Wrap them up in a pretty tin or on a nice platter. They make a great gift for neighbors, friends, and family.
If you like Fall treats with a fluffy texture, try my recipes for old fashioned soft pumpkin cookies and glazed pumpkin bundt cake.
Ingredients
See ingredient substitutions in the next section. ⬇️
For the cranberry scones, you'll need:
- all-purpose flour: This flour creates the perfect texture for scones, muffins, and cookies.
- granulated white sugar
- baking powder: This leavener creates tenderness in baked goods, while also helping them to rise in the oven.
- orange zest: Get yourself a large navel orange, because you can zest it, and then use the fresh orange juice in the icing for the scones.
- spices: ground cinnamon, ground cloves
- salted butter: The salt in the butter balances the sweetness from the sugar and cranberries and orange.
- heavy cream: This adds fat and moisture to the batter.
- egg: You only need one egg, and if you don't have one in your fridge, check out the substitutions section below. There are plenty of good substitutes you can use!
- flavoring: I use a combination of vanilla extract and almond extract
- fresh cranberries: If you want to make this recipe in the off-season, look for frozen cranberries.
Icing for Scones
- powdered sugar
- ground cinnamon
- fresh orange juice
📖 Time-Saving Tip - Testing Baking Soda or Baking Powder for Freshness
This simple little test can save you time and money, because if your leavener is expired, whatever you're baking wont rise in the oven! This test works for baking soda and baking powder:
- Add about ½ teaspoon of baking soda or powder to a small bowl. Stir in an equal amount of an acidic ingredient, like vinegar or citrus juice.
- If the solution doesn't start to bubble immediately, it's time to replace your leavener.
Substitutions and Recipe Variations
- all-purpose flour: If you'd like to make gluten-free scones, substitute the AP flour with a cup-for-cup variety of gluten-free all-purpose flour. Two popular brands are Bob's Red Mill and King Arthur Flour.
- baking powder: If you happen to be out of baking powder, but you have baking soda and cream of tartar on hand, you can make a baking powder replacement!
Just combine ½ teaspoon cream of tartar and ¼ teaspoon of baking soda for every 1 teaspoon of baking powder the recipe calls for. - white granulated sugar: To reduce the calories, you can substitute the sugar with any 1:1 granulated sugar substitute. Light brown sugar can be used as a substitute, but be aware that it will add a bit of molasses flavor to your orange cranberry scones.
- salted butter: If you need or want to use unsalted butter, just add ½ teaspoon of sea or kosher salt to the scone dough. Substituting the butter with a plant-based substitute is not recommended- you need the butter fat to produce perfect cranberry scones.
- egg: If you need an egg substitute, there are few options, including flax egg, unsweetened applesauce, and even plain Greek yogurt. For the correct amounts to use, check out my post, egg substitutes for baking.
- heavy cream: Feel free to substitute the cream with half and half or coconut milk, but avoid using low-fat or fat-free dairy or non-dairy milks.
- vanilla and almond extracts: If you need an alcohol-free flavoring, you can use vanilla essence. You can also use all vanilla or all almond extract, and if you omit the extracts completely, the scones will still be delicious!
- cranberries: If you can't find fresh berries, dried cranberries are a perfect substitute.
- orange zest and juice: The juice can be replaced with water, milk, or another fruit juices, but you'll have less orange flavor in your scones.
Recipe Variations
- Include orange zest in the vanilla glaze for an even punchier orange flavor.
- Make a different flavor combo: Swap out the orange for lemon or lime. Both of those flavors pair perfectly with the tart cranberries!
How to Make Cranberry Orange Scones
Summary only. The complete recipe instructions are in the card at the bottom of this post ⬇️
- Combine the dry ingredients together.
- Grate frozen butter into the bowl.
- Incorporate the butter using a pastry blender.
- Stir in wet ingredients and cranberries.
- Shape the dough into a ball, then flatten into a disc.
- Use a sharp knife to cut the scone dough into 8 wedges.
- Arrange on a parchment lined baking sheet.
- Bake the cranberry orange scones until golden brown.
Liz's Tips for the Perfect Scones
- Use frozen butter rather than cold butter. The colder the butter, the flakier the texture. It's a tip I use in my pie crust recipe. If you use a box grater, watch your fingers! Using a micro plane grater helps prevent scrubbed knuckles.
- Line the baking sheet with parchment paper to prevent scones from sticking.
- Avoid over working the dough. Mixing it too much creates tough, and chewy scones.
- Use a lightly floured work surface to prevent the dough from sticking to your counter top.
Serving Suggestions
Cranberry orange scones are best served warm, and on the same day they're made.
- Share them with your family at breakfast time with a hot cup of coffee or tea.
- Serve with after-dinner coffee as dessert.
- Cut them in half and serve with butter or jam.
Storing and Freezing
Storing: Store your leftover scones in an airtight container on the counter or cupboard for 1-2 days. They'll last for up to a week in the fridge.
Freezing: It's recommended to freeze baked scones without a glaze. Freeze baked scones in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 3 months.
Freeze before baking: If you're preparing scones ahead of time to bake at a later date you can freeze them unbaked as well.
Prepare your recipe, then once you've cut your scone dough into triangles place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet and pop it in the freezer. let them freeze for 1-2 hours. Then you can place them in a freezer bag.
When you're ready to bake you can place them right in a preheated oven.
Scone Recipe FAQs
To make super flaky scones, it's important to use cold butter, eggs, and cream. If you feel that your scone dough is getting too warm, pop it in the fridge for a few minutes to resolidify the ingredients.
Make sure the liquid you use is thick and creamy. Heavy cream, buttermilk, or even canned coconut milk are all wonderful ingredients that will keep your scones moist. Overworking scone dough can also result in a loss of moisture.
Resting your dough overnight isn't necessary, but it can result in a cleaner overall appearance.
Hard scones are a result of overworking the dough. If you're gentle with the dough, the texture of the scone will be light and tender.
Other Fall Treats
Perfect Cranberry Orange Scones
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup granulated white sugar
- 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ tablespoon orange zest from 1 navel orange
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- ½ cup salted butter frozen
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon almond extract optional (omit or substitute with vanilla extract)
- 1 cup whole cranberries fresh or frozen
Icing for Scones
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons fresh squeezed orange juice
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl combine flour, sugar, baking powder, orange zest, cinnamon, and cloves. Whisk to combine.
- Using a cheese grater, grate frozen butter into the flour mixture.
- Using a pastry cutter or your hands, combine the butter and flour until it forms pea-sized crumbs. Place in the freezer while you mix the wet ingredients.
- In a medium bowl whisk together cream, egg, vanilla extract and almond extract. Once wet ingredients are whisked together, remove dry ingredients from the freezer.
- Drizzle wet ingredients over the dry ingredients, add cranberries, and stir together until everything is mixed.
- Using floured hands and a lightly floured surface, form dough into a ball, flatten it into an 8-inch disc
- With a sharp knife cut the disc in half lengthwise, then in half horizontally, then diagonally left to right and right to left, resulting in 8 wedges.
- Place scones on a parchment-lined baking sheet, and refrigerate for 15 minutes.
- While the scones are in the refrigerator, preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- When the oven is preheated, remove the scones from the refrigerator and bake for 18-20 minutes or until golden brown.
- Remove from the oven, and allow to cool slightly.
- To make the glaze, whisk together powdered sugar, cinnamon, and freshly squeezed orange juice.
- Drizzle over scones.
Helpful Notes and Tips From Liz
- Use frozen butter. The colder the butter, the flakier the texture. It's a tip I use in my pie crust recipe. If you use a box grater, watch your fingers! Using a micro plane grater helps prevent scrubbed knuckles.
- Line the baking sheet with parchment to prevent scones from sticking.
- Avoid over working the dough. Mixing it too much creates tough, and chewy scones.
Leave a Reply