This EASY Cranberry Orange Scones recipe is perfect during the holiday season, or anytime of year! They are slightly crisp and flakey on the outside and perfectly moist in the center with delicious bursts of cranberry orange flavor.
Looking for more bakery sweets? Try my Cranberry Orange Muffins, Sticky Toffee Pudding, or Perfect Cinnamon Rolls!
Why this is the best scone recipe:
- Quick – These easy scones only take 30 minutes from start to finish.
- Flavor – The cranberry orange combination is fresh and delicious; perfect around the holidays.
- Perfect Texture – Follow my tips to ensure the perfect texture of slightly crisp and flakey on the outside and moist in the middle. These are better than any coffee shop or bakery.
How to make Cranberry Orange Scones:
Whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a bowl.
Grate frozen butter into the bowl and use a pastry blender or fork to combine the flour and butter until it resembles coarse meal. Stick bowl in the fridge while you combine the wet ingredients.
Combine sour cream, heavy cream, egg, vanilla, and orange zest in another bowl. Pour it over the flour mixture and gently stir to combine, just until everything is moistened.
Fold in cranberries. Use floured hands to gently work the dough into a ball and then press it (or use rolling pin) into a circle about 1 inch thick.
Cut the dough into 8 wedges. Place scones on baking sheet lined with parchment paper and brush the tops with a little bit of heavy cream. Bake for 15-18 minutes, until barely golden on the edges.
Make glaze by combining powdered sugar and freshly squeezed orange juice until smooth.
Cool baked scones on wire rack for at least 10 minutes before drizzling the glaze on top. Enjoy!
Tips for Perfect Scones
- Frozen Butter makes it easy to grate the butter into small pieces. We want to keep the butter cold because as the butter bakes, it creates pockets of air which yields flakiness and tender, moist center. If the dough or butter is too warm when you bake the scones, they will spread more and wont puff up like we want.
- Don't Overwork Dough: Just like when making homemade biscuits or pie crust, you don't want to handle or knead the dough more than necessary because the more you mix it, the tougher your scones will be.
Storage and Freezing Instructions:
To Store: Cranberry scones are best served fresh, the day of baking, but leftover scones can be stored at room temperature or in the fridge for up to two days.
To Freeze: Skip the glaze and let scones cool completely. Freeze in airtight container or freezer bag for up to 3 months. You can also freeze scones dough after pressing it into a circle. Cover well and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw completely in the fridge, then cut into wedges and bake as directed.
Recipe Variations:
- Cranberries: Frozen or dried cranberries may be used so you can enjoy them year round!
- Scone Flavors: For other flavors, try my Peach Scones or use my basic Homemade Scones recipe with a variety of mix-in ideas!
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Recipe
Cranberry Orange Scones
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 6 Tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter , FROZEN
- 1/3 cup sour cream , light, regular, or sub Plain Greek Yogurt
- 1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- zest of 1 orange
- 1 cup fresh cranberries* halved
For the glaze:
- 2/3 cup powdered sugar
- 1 Tablespoon freshly squeezed orange juice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a large bowl whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.
- Grate the frozen butter into the bowl and use a pastry blender or fork to combine the flour and butter until it resembles coarse meal. Stick the flour mixture in the fridge while you combine the wet ingredients.
- In a small bowl combine the sour cream, heavy cream, egg, vanilla extract and orange zest. Pour it over the flour mixture and gently stir to combine, just until everything is moistened.
- Fold in the cranberries. Flour or grease your hands and then gently work the dough together and pour it out onto a floured surface. Press the dough (or use a rolling pin to gently roll it) into a circle about 1 inch thick.
- Cut the dough into 8 wedges. Place the scones on your baking sheet and brush the tops of them with a little bit of heavy cream. Bake for 15-18 minutes, until golden.
- Remove scones from the hot baking sheet and allow them to cool for at least 10 minutes before drizzling the glaze on top.
- To make the glaze, combine the powdered sugar and freshly squeezed orange juice and stir together until smooth. Add a little more orange juice or powdered sugar until you reach your desired thickness to drizzle over the scones.
Notes
Nutrition
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Going to try these
Thank you for this recipe!!! These scones were a hit for my dad’s bday brunch. In this recipe I used dried cranberries instead of fresh (2/3 cup). A little bit more sour cream (~1 extra tablespoon). Used ~4 tablespoons of sugar instead. And I made an orange cream glaze using heavy cream, powdered sugar, squeezes of orange, and vanilla. And of course I served this with clotted cream!!
Hi! If I wanted to half this recipe and gift as a jar recipe, what recommendations do you have? And do I need to change the bake temp and time if I half the recipe?
Hi! What a sweet idea 💛 For a gift jar, you can layer the dry ingredients only (flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and maybe some dried cranberries), then attach a tag with instructions to add the wet ingredients (sour cream, cream, egg, vanilla, zest) and grated frozen butter when ready to bake. No need to change the temp!
Thank you! Shouls I slightly shorten the bake time?
If you’re making them smaller then yes! Bake time will be shorter!
Also, do you think dried orange zest powder would be a good substitute for fresh zest?
Great question! Yes, dried orange zest powder can work as a substitute for fresh zest—just keep in mind it’s usually more concentrated. I’d start with about 1/3 to 1/2 the amount (so around 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon), then adjust to taste.
Made these for a family breakfast. I did use 1/2 cup of dried cranberries and I doubled the glaze as well. They were perfect! Everyone loved them, so much that they all wanted some to take home. They left one behind and my husband ate that one, so I guess will be baking more in the morning.
THIS WAS SO GOOD! I mixed the dry ingredients and cold butter in my blender since I did not have a food proccesor nor wanted to grate butter. Very very delicious. Also used dried cranberrieres
Just made these delicious scones. They are easy to make and so yummy. Thank you for another great recipe. Highly recommend
Followed directions exactly and they were delicious. Might even add more fresh cranberries next time! I did find they took longer in my oven at closer to 25 mins but I live in a cold climate.
I made this recipe this evening and it was my 1st time making scones. First let me say that the unbaked dough has the aroma of the best scented candle you’ve ever lit. My house smelled so good while these were baking that my family’s mouths were watering. The end result was the most delicious combination of orange cranberry with a perfect texture and perfect balance of sweetness. Thank you for sharing. Happy holidays!
Made these twice since Christmas Day already, so good!