Cranberry Orange Scones

These Cranberry Orange Scones are a delightful addition to any breakfast or brunch menu – especially during the holidays! Cranberries and lots of orange zest add an irresistible freshness to these easy to make scones. Love cranberries? Make sure to try my easy to make Cranberry Sauce and these yummy Turkey Cranberry Pinwheels!

Cranberry Orange Scones

Every year I look forward to the holiday season. The lights, the fun, the decorations and the baking – oh the baking! As soon as I see cranberries hit the store, I grab a few bags and get to testing recipes. I LOVE cranberry recipes and finding new and delicious ways to use them in my cooking and baking.

These Cranberry Orange Scones are based off of my Lemon Blueberry Scones and are equally delicious. Wonderfully moist due to the egg and cream, these scones are the opposite of dry and tasteless.

Cranberry and orange is one of my favorite flavor combinations and it’s works perfectly in this easy scone recipe.

The BEST Scones

Scones are delightful when made properly. They are perfect for breakfast, brunch, of afternoon tea if you’re feeling fancy.

You can shape them however you prefer:

1. cut them into circles using a biscuit cutter
2. turn them into drop scones by simply scooping some of the scone dough out and dropping onto a baking sheet
3. shape the dough into a disc and using a bench scraper to cut into wedges

My cranberry orange scones are fantastically moist due to the heavy cream and egg. Thanks to the baking powder, they are lighter and not so dense as you might expect from a scone.

Difference Between Biscuits and Scones

When I think of scones, I think of English tea (although scones originated in Scotland). When I think of biscuits, I think of a Saturday morning breakfast. Scones are typically served room temperature or slightly warm whereas biscuits are served hot – and best when covered in sausage gravy 🙂 (Love biscuits too? Make sure to give this biscuit recipe a try – HEAVENLY!)

The differences that I have noticed are in preparation, flavor, and texture.

Scones, like this cranberry orange scone recipe, are most often prepared with cream instead of the milk or buttermilk that biscuit recipes generally call for. Scones are also sweeter than biscuits and like mine, sometimes have sanding sugar sprinkled on top to enhance both flavor and presentation.

Scone Ingredients

This easy scone recipe uses ingredients you most likely already have on hand with the exception of the cranberries. Let’s take a look and see what you’ll need:

• all purpose flour
• granulated sugar
• baking powder
• salt
• unsalted butter
• cranberries – fresh or frozen
• orange zest
• heavy cream very cold
• egg
• vanilla extract
• sanding sugar

How To Make Cranberry Orange Scones

1. Preheat oven to 400F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat and set aside.
2. Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl.
3. Using a pastry cutter, cut the butter into the flour mixture until only a handful of small, pea-sized pieces of butter remain.
4. Add cranberries and orange zest and stir to combine, just until cranberries are coated with flour mixture.
   
5. In a separate bowl, whisk together the cream, egg, and vanilla extract.
6. Pour cream mixture into flour mixture and stir with a fork until just combined.
7. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and pat into a disc about 6 inches across.
8. Use a large knife or bench scraper to cut into 6 wedges. Transfer to prepared baking sheet.
9. Brush the tops of the scones with heavy cream. Sprinkle with sanding sugar if desired.
   
10. Bake for 16 to 19 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through, rotating baking sheet halfway through.
11. Serve warm or room temperature. Store leftovers in an airtight container. Best enjoyed the day they are baked.

Optional Orange Glaze

The tartness of the cranberries required a small increase in the sugar for this recipe and even then, I found I needed a little something more. This orange glaze adds not only a touch of sweetness but gives these scones a professional, fancy appearance that makes them perfect for the holidays.

It’s also incredibly easy to make!

Here’s what you’ll need:

• powdered sugar
• orange juice
• orange zest

To make it:

1. Whisk all the ingredients together in a small bowl until smooth.
2. If it’s too thin, add additional powdered sugar one tablespoon at a time to thicken it. If it’s too thick, add additional orange juice one teaspoon at a time to thin it.

Tools You’ll Need

You most likely have all of these on hand but here is a quick look at what you’ll need to make these scones:

• A large baking sheet – I use a half sheet.
• Parchment paper or a silicone baking mat will make transferring the scones easy and ensures they come off in one piece.
• A pastry cutter makes quick work of cutting the butter into the flour. Two knives or forks will also work.
• A pastry brush to brush on the heavy cream.
• Sanding sugar to sprinkle on top of the scones. While completely optional, I love the look it gives to these scones.
• A bench scraper or large knife to cut the disc into wedges. You can also use a large knife.

FAQs

Can these scones be frozen? Yes! Let the scones cool completely and then transfer to a freezer ziploc bag. Reheat scones in the microwave for about 20 seconds on medium heat or let thaw at room temperature.

Can scones be made in advance? Scones are great to make in advance. After baking, they are good for about a week. You can also freeze (see above).

How do I store scones? Scones can be stored at room temperature or in the fridge. Cover loosely at room temperature or store in an airtight container in the fridge.

More Cranberry Recipes

1. The BEST Cranberry Sauce
2. Cranberry Pecan Mini Goat Cheese Balls
3. Easy Cranberry Fluff
4. Cranberry Orange Shortbread Cookies
5. Cranberry Pecan Pumpkin Bread

How To Make Cranberry Orange Scones