Cranberry Orange Scones (Printable)

Buttery scones with tart cranberries and fresh orange zest, perfect for any cozy moment.

# What You Need:

01 - 2 cups all-purpose flour

02 - 1/3 cup granulated sugar

03 - 1 tablespoon baking powder

04 - 1/2 teaspoon salt

05 - 1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, cubed

06 - 2/3 cup heavy cream, plus extra for brushing

07 - 1 large egg

08 - Zest of 1 large orange

09 - 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

10 - 1 cup fresh or dried cranberries

11 - 1/2 cup powdered sugar

12 - 1 to 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice

01 - Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

02 - In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.

03 - Add the cold, cubed butter to the dry ingredients and cut in using a pastry cutter or fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

04 - In a separate bowl, whisk together heavy cream, egg, orange zest, and vanilla extract.

05 - Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients, add cranberries, and gently stir just until combined without overmixing.

06 - Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface and gently shape into an 8-inch round about 1 inch thick.

07 - Cut the dough into 8 wedges and place them on the prepared baking sheet, spacing evenly.

08 - Brush the tops with a little extra heavy cream for a golden finish.

09 - Bake for 16 to 18 minutes until golden brown and cooked through. Cool on a wire rack.

10 - For the glaze, mix powdered sugar and orange juice to desired consistency and drizzle over cooled scones.

01 -

They're ready in under an hour from craving to plate, which means you can actually pull these off on a weekday morning.
The tartness of cranberries balanced with sweet orange zest tastes fancy enough for guests but humble enough for just yourself with coffee.
Once you master the gentle technique, you'll make them over and over because the texture is so reliably tender and flaky.

02 -

Cold butter is everything—if your kitchen is warm or your butter is soft, you'll end up with a tender cake instead of a flaky scone, so I always chill my butter cubes in the freezer while I gather everything else.
Overmixing is the most common mistake, and once the dough is overdeveloped, there's no coming back—you're looking for just-combined dough that still has a slightly rough, rustic appearance.
If you're using fresh cranberries and they seem very tart, you can macerate them in a tablespoon of the sugar for a few minutes to take the edge off without making them sweet.

03 -

If your cranberries are frozen, use them straight from the freezer—they're less likely to bleed color into the dough and will thaw during baking.
A microplane zester gives you delicate, even orange zest that disperses beautifully throughout the dough, which makes a real difference in every bite.
Make the dough up to two hours ahead and keep it covered in the fridge; this actually gives the baking powder a chance to settle and makes for even more tender scones when you bake.