Glazed Cranberry Orange Scones
These Glazed Cranberry Orange Scones are crisp and golden on the outside, buttery and tender on the inside and topped with delicious, sweet orange glaze. They’re completely irresistible, and so much better than you’d get at the bakery.
When fresh cranberries are in season, I just can’t get enough of them. I also make cranberry salsa to eat with chips, tacos, or drizzle over chicken. So good!
As soon as those bags begin to arrive at the grocery store, I make sure to grab a few extras and freeze them so I will have some on hand after the holiday season is over.
Which brings me to this – who has leftover frozen cranberries from the holidays? (Hand raised!)
Here’s the perfect treat to make with those delicious berries. And if you don’t have the fresh version, you can absolutely use dried cranberries instead.
One of my favorite things to make with cranberries is soft and buttery scones. We’ve made apple scones and Irish soda bread scones, too.
This recipe for orange cranberry scones is loaded with tart and tangy cranberries with freshly grated orange zest that’s mixed into the dough, giving you bright fresh pops of flavor in every scrumptious bite.
These delicious scones make the perfect breakfast served with your morning cup of coffee or as an afternoon treat with a cup of hot tea.
Once you see how easy making scones from scratch can be, you may also want to try these Apple Spice Scones, Mixed Berry Scones, and Irish Soda Bread Scones.
Why We Love This Cranberry Orange Scone Recipe
Making scones from scratch sounds overly complicated, but trust me, with a few simple ingredients and step-by step easy instructions your scones will bake up golden and delicious every time.
These homemade scones are slightly crumbly and crispy around the edges but soft and buttery on the inside. But it’s not just the texture that’s perfectly on point. They taste incredible too!
Tart cranberries with the sweet orange glaze drizzled over the top give the scones a wonderful sweet and tangy combination of flavors.
Tools
- Large mixing bowl
- Cooling rack
- Measuring cups
- Large sheet pan
- Citrus zester
Ingredients
- All purpose flour, baking powder, salt-basic baking ingredients, and pantry staples you probably already have on hand.
- Butter– key to making tender scone dough is frozen and grated unsalted butter.
- Cranberries-fresh cranberries work best for this recipe, but you can use frozen.
- Orange-you’ll use the zest and the juice to give the scones a bright and fresh orange flavor.
How to Make Orange Cranberry Scones
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or use a non-stick baking sheet.
Step 1. Using a box grater or a food processor, grate the cold butter and set it aside. Wash and dry cranberries. Remove any that are soft to the touch.
Step 2. To combine the dry ingredients, whisk flour, baking powder, brown sugar, and salt in a large bowl.
Step 3. Work grated cold butter into flour mixture with fingertips until thoroughly distributed and broken into small pieces.
Step 4. For the wet ingredients, whisk together the eggs, cream, and fresh orange zest in a separate small bowl.
Stir well until fully combined.
Step 5. Pour egg mixture into the flour mix. Stir gently to incorporate until dough forms coarse crumbs about the size of peas.
Step 6. Incorporate cranberries into the mixture.
Step 7: Bring the scone dough together into the shape of a ball using your hands. Work with it just enough until it holds together.
Step 8. Place on a lightly floured surface then pat the dough into a circle that’s about an inch thick. Use a rolling pin if that makes it easier to make it even.
Step 9. Using a sharp knife or pastry cutter, cut into 6 equal portions.
Step 10. Place them on lined sheet pan and bake for 30-35 minutes until lightly golden brown.
Allow to cool on the baking sheet before moving to wire rack.
Step 11. Stir the orange juice into the confectioners’ sugar until it’s a smooth and thick glaze.
While still warm, pour the glaze over the top of the scones. Allow to harden.
You can serve your fresh scones slightly warm or at room temperature, but they are the best the same day they are made.
If there are any leftover homemade cranberry orange scones, store them in an airtight container or a freezer bag in the fridge for up to a couple of days.
Cranberry fans will want to try this filled cranberry cookie recipe, too.
Variations
- Substitute the cream: Instead of heavy cream, use sour cream, buttermilk, unflavored Greek yogurt or crème fraiche thinned with milk to match the consistency of heavy cream. Keep in mind the texture may change some due to the fat content in what you use.
- Glaze: If you prefer the scones to be a little less sweet you can just omit the glaze. You can also use vanilla instead, by mixing together the powdered sugar, heavy cream and some vanilla extract.
- Nuts: Chopped walnuts or pecans add wonderful little bits of crunch to the scones.
- Extracts: The cranberries and orange zest give the scones lots of flavor, but you can add a little vanilla, orange, lemon or almond extract to bump up the flavor even more.
- Rustic Style: Instead of cutting them into neat little triangles, you can roll them out into small biscuit sized rounds. Just make sure you make 6 portions so they will bake the same way.
Frequently Asked Questions
Fresh cranberries are preferred because they tend to not stain the dough like frozen ones will. If frozen is all you can find, you can use them, but you’ll want to make sure to dry off as much moisture as you can before adding them to the dough. Cranberries you have frozen from fresh are a better option.
If you can’t find fresh or frozen cranberries, you can use dried cranberries. Because they are much sweeter than fresh, you’ll want to cut back on the sugar by about a tablespoon.
You can freeze scones after baking. After they have cooled, place them in a resealable freezer bag or an airtight container. Defrost them at room temperature before serving.
Top Tips
- Extra bags: Remember to always pick up extra bags of cranberries!
- Always preheat your oven: You always want to start your scone out in a fully preheated oven. If not, the dough will spread out and the scones come out flat.
- Add cream a little at a time: Only add enough heavy cream so that the dough forms a ball. You’ll still see little bits of flour, and that’s okay. Too much cream and the scones will spread and become too dense.
- Cold ingredients: Unlike other baked recipes, to ensure you get a soft and flaky texture, you must use cold ingredients when baking scones, especially the butter and heavy cream. Keep the dough cold until ready to bake them.
- Don’t overwork it: Avoid over-working the dough because the heat of your hands will begin to warm up the butter.
More Scone Recipes
Glazed Cranberry Orange Scones
Ingredients
Scones
- 1 ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ c butter frozen and grated
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ cup heavy cream cold
- 2 large eggs cold
- Zest of 1 orange
- 1 cup fresh cranberries washed and dried
Icing
- ¾ cup powdered sugar
- 2 tbsp fresh orange juice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or use a non-stick baking sheet.
- Using a box grater or a food processor, grate the cold butter and set it aside. Wash and dry cranberries. Remove any that are soft to the touch.
- To combine the dry ingredients, whisk flour, baking powder, brown sugar, and salt in a large bowl.
- Work grated cold butter into flour mixture with fingertips until thoroughly distributed and broken into small pieces.
- For the wet ingredients, whisk together the eggs, cream, and fresh orange zest in a separate small bowl.
- Pour egg mixture into the flour mix. Stir gently to incorporate until dough forms coarse crumbs about the size of peas. Add cranberries.
- Bring the scone dough together into the shape of a ball using your hands. Work with it just enough until it holds together.
- Place on a lightly floured surface then pat the dough into a circle that’s about an inch thick. Use a rolling pin if that makes it easier to make it even.
- Using a sharp knife or pastry cutter, cut into 6 equal portions.
- Place them on lined sheet pan and bake for 30-35 minutes until lightly golden brown. Allow to cool on the baking sheet before moving to wire rack.
- Stir the orange juice into the confectioners’ sugar until it’s a smooth and thick glaze. While still warm, pour the glaze over the top of the scones. Allow to harden.
