Cranberry Orange Scones

Name: Cranberry Orange Scones
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 12 min
Total time: 32 min
Ingredients: 1/4 cup sugar; orange zest (from 1 orange); 2 cups all-purpose flour; 1 tablespoon baking powder; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 5 tablespoons unsalted butter (chilled, cut into 1/4-inch cubes); 1 cup heavy cream; 1/2 cup dried cranberries; 2 tablespoons milk or cream for glazing; 1 cup powdered sugar; 2 tablespoons orange juice (from the orange you zested)

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Cranberry Orange Scones are tender and lightly sweetened, with an orange glaze drizzled on top. You’ll love how easy this scones recipe is to make!

I love starting the day with something sweet. If you do too, you’re going to want to make these golden brown, tender, lightly sweetened Cranberry Orange Scones asap.

Cranberry Orange Scones

Scones are a type of quick bread, similar to biscuits. They don’t have yeast in them, so scone recipes don’t take as long to make. Instead of yeast, scones are made with either baking soda or baking powder.

Scones are really easy to make, the key is to not over work the dough so they’re tender. You can cut the scones with a biscuit cutter, but the easiest way to make them is to shape the dough into a circle and cut the dough into wedges.

The glaze on these scones totally makes them! It adds a little extra sweetness and a brighter orange flavor to the cranberry orange scones. And I think it just makes them look more fun.

Ingredients

Sugar
Orange zest
Flour
Baking powder
Butter
Heavy cream
Dried cranberries
Milk
Powdered sugar
Orange Juice

Recipe Instructions

In a large mixing bowl, stir together sugar and orange zest until well blended. Add flour, baking powder, and salt; whisk to combine. Use a pastry blender or your fingertips and quickly cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir in heavy cream with a rubber spatula or fork until dough begins to form, about 30 seconds. Add cranberries.
Dump dough on a work surface and knead dough just until it comes together. Pat the dough into an 8-inch circle. Use a pizza cutter or sharp knife to cut dough into 8 wedges.
Place wedges on an ungreased or parchment lined baking sheet. Brush the top of the scones lightly with milk or cream. Bake 10 to 12 minutes, until scones are firm to the touch and the tops are light brown.
Prepare Icing: Whisk together powdered sugar and orange juice to create a thin glaze. Drizzle icing over warm scones.
Serve warm or at room temperature.

close up of glaze on orange cranberry scones on a cooling rack

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the secret to making good scones?

Something that will elevate your scones to the next level is using cold ingredients. Using cold butter will create the flakiest texture since the butter won’t begin to melt until it is in the oven.

Why do my scones get hard?

If you are noticing that your scones are tougher or harder than you prefer, you may be overworking the dough. Mix the ingredients until they just start to combine.

How long do scones last?

Scones will last a couple of days when stored at room temperature or about a week in the refrigerator.

How do you cut scones without a cutter?

You can use a sharp knife or even a pizza cutter to cut the scone dough.

orange cranberry scones on a baking sheet prior to baking

More Recipes

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4.50 from 4 votes

Cranberry Orange Scones

Cranberry Orange Scones are tender and lightly sweetened, with an orange glaze drizzled on top. You'll love how easy this scones recipe is to make!

Prep Time20 mins

Cook Time12 mins

Total Time32 mins

Course: Breakfast

Keyword: baking, Breakfast

Servings: servings

Calories: 390kcal

Author: Melissa Griffiths

Ingredients

¼ cup sugar
orange zest from 1 orange
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons unsalted butter chilled, cut into ¼-inch cubes
1 cup heavy cream
½ cup dried cranberries
2 tablespoons milk or cream for glazing

Icing:

1 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons orange juice from the orange you zested

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425° F.
In a large mixing bowl, stir together sugar and orange zest until well blended.
Add flour, baking powder, and salt; whisk to combine. Use a pastry blender or your fingertips and quickly cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse meal.
Stir in heavy cream with a rubber spatula or fork until dough begins to form, about 30 seconds.
Add cranberries and stir until just combined.
Dump dough on a work surface and knead dough just until it comes together. Pat the dough into an 8-inch circle. Use a pizza cutter or sharp knife to cut dough into 8 wedges.
Place wedges on an ungreased or parchment lined baking sheet. Brush the top of the scones lightly with milk or cream.
Bake 10 to 12 minutes, until scones are firm to the touch and the tops are light brown.

Prepare Icing:

Whisk together powdered sugar and orange juice to create a thin glaze. Drizzle icing over warm scones.
Serve warm or at room temperature.

Nutrition

cranberry orange scone on a plate with orange slices

Bring a little sunshine to your cold winter mornings by baking this Cranberry Orange Scones recipe. They are flaky,

Cranberry Orange Scones

Cranberry Orange Scones

Ingredients

Recipe Instructions