Cranberry Orange Scones

Quick Summary

Cranberry Orange Scones-soft and tender bakery-style scones with dried cranberries and a sweet orange glaze! These scones are easy to make and a great treat for breakfast or brunch!

Cranberry and orange are a match made in heaven, especially during the holiday season. I love making cranberry orange bread, muffins, and Cranberry Orange Scones.

These bakery style Cranberry Orange Scones are such a treat! The scones are soft, tender, and dotted with juicy dried cranberries. There is a hint of orange zest in the dough that adds a nice orange flavor. I also drizzle the scones with a sweet orange glaze that brings out the BEST orange flavor.

Enjoy the scones for breakfast, brunch, tea time, or ANYTIME! They are the perfect little treat. I make them every Christmas, but they really are good year round. You can’t go wrong with this scone recipe!

Cranberry Orange Scone Ingredients

Flour– fluff, spoon the flour into the measuring cup, and level!
Baking powder– make sure it is fresh!
Salt– always add a little salt to enhance the flavors.
Granulated sugar-a little to sweeten the dough.
Orange zest-this is my favorite tool for zesting!
Butter– make sure the butter is super cold!
Heavy cream– cream makes the scones rich and tender!
Vanilla extract– I always use pure vanilla extract.
Orange juice– use fresh orange juice and just a little to bring out the orange flavor.
Dried cranberries– use fresh dried cranberries so they are nice and soft. If your cranberries are a little hard, you can soak them in hot water for 10 to 15 minutes to plump them back up. Just make sure you dry them well on a paper towel before adding them to the scone dough.
Turbinado sugar– for sprinkling on top of the scones. I love the sugary crunch!

Fresh Orange Glaze

I like to add a simple fresh orange glaze to make the scones extra special. You only need three ingredients: confectioner’s sugar, fresh orange juice, and a little orange zest! Don’t skip the glaze, it really brings out the orange flavor in the scones!

How to Make Cranberry Orange Scones

If you’ve never made scones, don’t be intimidated. They really are easy and you will get better every time you make them. It’s ok if they look a little rustic.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat baking mat.
In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients.
In a small bowl, combine the sugar and orange zest. Rub together you’re your fingers until fragrant. This will bring out the orange flavor. Add the sugar mixture to the dry ingredients and whisk until combined.
Using a pastry blender or your hands, quickly cut the cold butter into the flour mixture. Mix until mixture resembles coarse meal, with a few larger butter lumps.
In a small bowl, whisk together 1 cup heavy cream, vanilla, and orange juice. Pour the liquid ingredients over the flour mixture and stir with a spatula until dough begins to form. Don’t over mix. Gently fold in the dried cranberries.
Transfer dough to a floured countertop and gently knead dough by hand just until it forms a ball. Don’t overwork the dough. Form scones by patting the dough into a 1-inch thick circle. Use a sharp knife to cut the scones into 8 triangles.
Place the baking sheet in the freezer for 15 minutes so the butter can chill. This will prevent the scones from spreading in the oven. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Remove the scones from the freezer and use a pastry brush to lightly brush them with the remaining heavy cream
Bake scones for 15-20 minutes, or until scones are golden brown on the bottom and around the edges. Don’t over bake or they will be dry and nobody wants a dry scone.
Let the scones cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes and then transfer to a wire cooling rack.
Drizzle the fresh orange glaze over the cooled scones. ENJOY!

How to Store Scones

The scones are best the day they are made, but you can keep them in an air-tight container for up to 2 days. They might dry out just a tad, but will still be tasty.

To be honest, scones never last more than a day in our house because they are SO good! Everyone loves these scones!

How to Freeze Scones

Scones freeze well. You can freeze the scone dough, after they have been cut into triangles. Store in a freezer container or freezer bag for up to 2 months. You can also freeze baked scones. Let the scones cool completely and freeze in a freezer container or freezer bag for up to 2 months.

cranberry orange scones with orange glaze

More Scone Recipes

Scones

Soft and tender bakery-style scones with dried cranberries and a sweet orange glaze! These scones are easy to make and a great treat for breakfast or brunch!

For the scones:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon orange zest
6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, into 1/4-inch cubes
1 cup heavy cream, plus 1 tablespoon for brushing the scones
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon fresh orange juice
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1 tablespoon turbinado sugar

For the orange glaze:

1 cup confectioners’ sugar
2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
1/4 teaspoon orange zest

Line a large baking sheet with a Silpat baking mat or parchment paper. Set aside.
In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt.
In a small bowl, combine the sugar and orange zest. Rub together you’re your fingers until fragrant. Add the sugar mixture to the dry ingredients and whisk until combined.
Using a pastry blender or your hands, quickly cut the cold butter into the flour mixture. Mix until mixture resembles coarse meal, with a few larger butter lumps.
In a small bowl, whisk together 1 cup heavy cream, vanilla, and orange juice. Pour the liquid ingredients over the flour mixture and stir with a spatula until dough begins to form. Don’t over mix. Gently fold in the dried cranberries
Transfer dough to a floured countertop and gently knead dough by hand just until it forms a ball. Don’t overwork the dough. Form scones by patting the dough into a 1-inch thick circle. Use a sharp knife to cut the scones into 8 triangles.
Transfer the scones to the prepared baking sheet and put in the freezer for 15 minutes. Freezing before baking will prevent them from spreading.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Remove the scones from the freezer. Using a pastry brush, brush scones lightly with the additional heavy cream. Bake scones for 15-20 minutes, or until scones are golden brown on the bottom and around the edges. Let the scones cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes and then transfer to a wire cooling rack.
While the scones are cooling, make the orange glaze. In a small bowl, whisk the confectioners’ sugar, 2 tablespoons orange juice, and zest together until smooth. Add another tablespoon of orange juice if the glaze is too thick. Drizzle glaze over the cooled scones.

The scones are best the day they are made, but you can keep them in an air-tight container for up to 2 days. Ours never last more than a day.

Calories: 401kcal, Carbohydrates: 53g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 20g, Saturated Fat: 12g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 5g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 63mg, Sodium: 234mg, Potassium: 224mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 26g, Vitamin A: 710IU, Vitamin C: 3mg, Calcium: 94mg, Iron: 2mg