Cranberry Orange Scones

These Cranberry Orange Scones are tender and flaky, with fresh tart cranberries, orange zest throughout, and a sweet silky citrus glaze. Perfect for Christmas morning!

See below the recipe card for step-by-step images.

Prep Time15

Cook Time18

Cool20

Total Time53

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: American

Keyword: cranberry orange scones, homemade scones recipe

Servings: scones

Ingredients

FOR THE SCONES

1 large egg
3/4 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour spooned and leveled
1/2 tablespoon baking powder
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
2 tablespoons orange zest divided
6 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter cut into tiny cubes
1 cup fresh cranberries

FOR THE GLAZE

1 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons heavy cream or more as needed
2 teaspoons orange juice
orange zest

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg, heavy cream, and vanilla.
In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, and 1 tablespoon of orange zest.
Add chilled and cubed butter and cut in with a pastry blender (or your hands!) until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
Toss in cranberries and coat lightly with the flour mixture.
Make a well in the center and pour in the wet mixture. Gently stir until just combined and no white patches of flour remain - don't over mix. (Dough will be very wet and sticky.)
Turn dough out onto a floured surface and sprinkle a bit of flour on top. Very gently fold/knead just a few times until it comes together.
Gently pat into a 1-inch thick circle.
Using a sharp knife or bench scraper, cut into 8 equal triangles.
Place scones on prepared baking sheet and bake 14-18 minutes or until no longer wet, golden on the bottom, and cooked through. (See note.)
Allow scones to cool for at least 15 minutes before applying the glaze.
Make the glaze by whisking together the powdered sugar, heavy cream, orange juice, and the remaining 1 tablespoon orange zest until smooth. (If glaze is too thick, add a bit more cream. If it’s too thin, add more powdered sugar. Glaze can be finicky sometimes!)
Dunk the tops of the scones in the glaze until covered.
Place back on the parchment. Allow glaze to fully set and enjoy!

Notes

*If your oven runs hot, start checking at 14 minutes. Keep an eye on them - if they’re golden on top and bottom, they’re done. They’re very tender (and wonderful!), so you want to make sure they cool down almost completely before submerging in the glaze or they could crack.

**Information on making the dough ahead of time and storing leftovers is included in the article below the step by step photos.

Nutrition