Cranberry Orange Scones (Printable)
Buttery scones bursting with cranberries and orange zest, finished with a sweet citrus glaze.
# What You Need:
→ Dry Ingredients
01 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1/3 cup granulated sugar
03 - 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
04 - 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
05 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
→ Wet Ingredients
06 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed
07 - 2/3 cup heavy cream, plus extra for brushing
08 - 1 large egg
09 - 1 tablespoon orange zest (from 1–2 oranges)
10 - 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
→ Add-ins
11 - 1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries, halved if large (do not thaw if frozen)
→ Orange Glaze
12 - 1 cup powdered sugar
13 - 2–3 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
14 - 1/2 teaspoon orange zest
# Directions:
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, baking soda, and salt.
03 - Add the cold, cubed butter to the dry ingredients and cut it 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 wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and gently mix until almost combined.
06 - Fold in cranberries just until the dough comes together, taking care not to overmix.
07 - Turn dough onto a floured surface, pat into an 8-inch circle about 3/4 inch thick.
08 - Cut the circle into 8 wedges and transfer them to the prepared baking sheet.
09 - Brush the tops of the scones with extra cream for a golden finish after baking.
10 - Bake for 16 to 18 minutes until golden brown. Remove and cool on a wire rack.
11 - Whisk powdered sugar, orange juice, and orange zest until smooth and slightly runny.
12 - Drizzle the orange glaze over the cooled scones before serving.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- They're tender enough to fall apart with the lightest touch, but hold their shape just enough to feel like you actually know what you're doing.
- The bright citrus cuts through the richness in a way that makes you want a second one, even though you told yourself you'd only have one.
- Homemade scones taste so much better than store-bought that you'll wonder why you ever bothered with those sad little boxes.
- They come together in less than an hour, so you can pull off the "I made these this morning" move without staying up at midnight.
02 -
- Cold butter is non-negotiable; if your kitchen is warm, cut your butter into smaller pieces and even stick them back in the freezer for a few minutes while you mix the dry ingredients.
- Don't thaw frozen cranberries before adding them; they'll bleed color and moisture into the dough, which sounds bad but actually creates a subtle marbling effect that's beautiful and delicious.
- Overmixing is the enemy; your dough should look almost shaggy when you fold in the cranberries, not smooth like cookie dough.
03 -
- Use a microplane zester to get only the colored part of the peel, skipping the bitter white pith underneath; it makes a real difference in the final flavor.
- If your dough feels too sticky once you've added the wet ingredients, you can dust the work surface with a little flour, but resist the urge to add flour to the dough itself—your cream might have been a tiny bit more than the recipe called for, and that's okay.