Cranberry Orange Scones

These cranberry orange scones are buttery, soft, and full of bold citrus flavor with bursts of tart, juicy cranberries in every bite. A sprinkle of coarse sugar adds a delicate crunch, while a drizzle of sweet orange glaze finishes them beautifully. Make this recipe with all-purpose einkorn flour or any AP wheat.

Whether it’s a pumpkin-spiced cupcake, an apple hand-pie, adding cranberries and pecans to chocolate chip cookies, or dipping a few apple slices into the best caramel sauce – I love all the dessert flavors of fall!

These cranberry orange scones, with their tender and flaky texture, are a new family favorite!

Homemade Cranberry Orange Scones

Topped with a little sanding sugar and an orange glaze, these cranberry orange scones are packed with flavor! The cranberries are not sweetened, so you get the delicate tart flavor paired to perfection with the sweetness of the orange juice!

This recipe makes 16 large scones, or 32 small scones.

Best Tips for Homemade Cranberry Orange Scones

If you’ve never made scones before, don’t worry! The process is very simple, and can be done by hand or in a stand mixer! Here are a few of my best tips for making this recipe with ease!

• Use Cold Butter for Flaky Layers – Just like with biscuits or pie crust, cold butter is key to tender, flaky scones. Cube your butter and keep it in the fridge or freezer until right before adding it to the flour mixture. This helps create pockets of steam that make the scones rise beautifully.
• Don’t Overwork the Dough – Mix just until the dough comes together. Overmixing will make your scones dense and tough instead of light and tender. It’s okay (in fact it’s best) if the dough looks a little rough!
• Use Frozen Cranberries – If you’re using fresh cranberries, freeze them for about 20 minutes before mixing. This keeps them frozen will not only keep the color from spreading through the dough, but it will also help the dough and butter stay as cold as possible!
• Chill Before Baking for Better Rise – After shaping your scones, pop them into the fridge or freezer for 10–15 minutes. This helps the butter firm back up, which gives you a better rise and crisper edges when they bake. While this is “optional”, don’t skip it if you can!

Ingredients

Let’s take a quick look at the ingredients for this recipe, including some possible substitutions. The full measurements for each ingredient are included in the printable recipe card at the end of the post.

• Flour – All-purpose flour is called for in this recipe. We use AP einkorn flour, but you can use any AP flour you prefer without modifications.
• Sugar – Granulated sugar works best, look for pure cane sugar. We like to use panela, which is raw cane juice that has been dried and powdered.
• Baking Powder – A rising agent, do not substitute baking soda! If you don’t have any baking powder on hand, you can quickly make your own with a few simple ingredients.
• Salt – We like to use sea salt, but use what you have on hand.
• Orange Zest – I have tested this with dried orange zest, but it’s not as potent. Use fresh orange zest if possible for the best flavor.
• Butter – Salted or unsalted will work just fine, we use salted. Just make sure that it’s cold!
• Heavy Cream – You can use whipping cream, half-and-half, or even buttermilk if needed. Avoid milk as it’s too thin to create a thick and flaky scone!
• Eggs – Whole eggs are called for, but you can also use just the yolks if needed. If eggs can’t be tolerated, you can use 1/3 cup of Greek yogurt instead.
• Vanilla Extract – Any vanilla extract will work, or you can even make your own vanilla! This acts as a flavor enhancer, so don’t skip if you can avoid it!
• Cranberries – As I mentioned before, fresh, frozen cranberries are best. Don’t use dried, sweetened cranberries as this recipe is not formulated for the extra sugar!
• Egg Wash – Made with a beaten whole egg and a little milk, this helps the scones to brown perfectly during baking. Just milk or cream can be used instead.
• Orange Juice – Used for the glaze, this helps pull the flavor of the orange zest out from the scone to fully complement the cranberries.
• Powdered Sugar – Again, this is used for the glaze. You can even make and use powdered maple sugar instead!

Instructions

As I promised before, this process is actually quite simple! So, don’t worry, and let’s walk through it all step-by-step together!

1. Cut in Butter – In the bowl of an electric mixer (or a medium mixing bowl), add all the dry ingredients – flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and orange zest – and whisk to combine. Cut the cold butter into thin slices and add it to the mixing bowl. Use a paddle attachment, a pastry cutter, or two forks, to work the butter into the flour mix until it forms pea-sized clumps.
2. Make Dough – In a small bowl, whisk together the cream, eggs, and vanilla. Drizzle the wet mix over the dry mix, so that it’s not all hitting the same spot. Add the frozen cranberries and mix until you can’t see any more dry flour. Add more cream if there is too much flour left untouched, but be careful, as too much liquid will cause the dough to spread a lot during baking.
3. Form Scones – Dump the mix onto the counter and divide into two equal piles. With your hands, work each section into a flat disc, about 8-inches across and 1/2-inch thick. Use a sharp knife to cut each disc into 8 wedges, like you would a pie.
4. Chill – Place the wedges on a parchment-lined baking sheet and put them in the freezer for about 15 minutes. You can allow them to freeze fully and store them for baking later, or bake them after 15 minutes of chilling time. Pre-heat the oven to 400°F.
5. Bake – Prepare your egg wash by beating a whole egg and a splash of milk in a small bowl until smooth. Remove the scones from the freezer and arrange them on a lined baking tray, about 2-3 inches apart. Too close, and the scones will not bake properly. Set the extra scones back in the freezer, or store them in a plastic bag to bake later. Brush egg wash onto the top of each scone and sprinkle with sanding sugar, if desired. Bake for 22-25 minutes, or until golden brown.
6. Glaze and Enjoy – Remove the finished scones from the oven and allow them to cool for about 5-10 minutes while you prepare the glaze. Whisk the powdered sugar and orange juice together to form a glaze. If it’s too thin, add more sugar – if too thin, add more juice. You want a glaze that is thick enough to stay on the scones, but not so thick that it won’t drizzle properly! Use a spoon to drizzle the glaze over each scone.

If Your Scones Spread

Whoops! Did your scones end up spreading during baking? This can happen for several reasons, including that the dough wasn’t cold enough, the scones were too close together, or there was too much liquid in the dough.

No matter the reason, there is a simple and easy fix!

Grab two spatulas (the kind you use to pick up cookies) and place them on two sides of the VERY HOT triangle scone shape. Press gently into the middle with even pressure. Press gently on the final side and repeat for all scones. This is best done in the minutes immediately after the scones come out of the oven!

Allow them to cool a bit before glazing and enjoy!

Even More Fall Flavors to Try

Pumpkin, apple, caramel, or cranberry orange… everyone has their favorite! Here are a few of our top fall flavors across the board!

• Classic Apple Hand-Pies
• Easy Pumpkin Bread
• The BEST Caramel Sauce
• Pumpkin Cupcakes with Spiced Buttercream
• Homemade Apple Butter

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