Cranberry Orange Scones

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My Cranberry Orange Scones are simple enough to whip up without trekking to the coffee shop for an overpriced, dry, and bland scone.

And yes, you can make these ahead, freeze them, and bake them off for fresh results. They’re perfect for holiday season entertaining for Christmas morning, day-after Thanksgiving breakfast, Mother’s Day, or just because!

There’s just something about ultra-fresh orange flavor and tart cranberries that makes for magic. It’s such an incredible flavor combination.

Sprinkle of Science

Ingredient Notes for Success

The full ingredient list is in the recipe card below, but these are the ingredients to pay special attention to:

1. Orange Zest: use FRESH orange zest for the best flavor. You’ll need 2-3 oranges, depending on their size. Zest before juicing.
2. Butter: use COLD butter for flaky and tender scones. This is KEY. I like to use unsalted butter to control the salt, but if you only have salted, halve the amount of salt added to the dry ingredients.
3. Buttermilk: for the best tall, tender, and slightly tangy scones, use REAL buttermilk (learn why buttermilk is so important here). You can also use plain Kefir instead.
4. Cranberries: use fresh or frozen! Don’t thaw frozen cranberries before using. You can also use dried, but the flavor and texture will obviously be quite different.
5. Sparkling sugar: this is an optional topping for extra pretty festive scones with an added crunch.

Scone Baking Tips from a Pro Baker

1. Use cold butter (I cube and freeze it while I gather my other ingredients and equipment) and cut into the flour until it’s the consistency of coarse meal. The bits of cold butter melt in the oven and create steam pockets which develop those flaky layers.
2. Keep the dough cold the entire time. If you feel your butter or dough softening, chill for 10–15 minutes in your fridge or freezer. If it’s extra hot in your kitchen, you can even cool down your work surface with bags of ice water before mixing the scone dough.
3. Measure flour properly: use a digital scale, or the spoon-and-level method. Too much flour = dry, dense, crumbly scones.
4. Avoid overmixing. Doing so will result in flatter, tougher, and less flaky scones.

Make-Ahead Instructions:

Scone dough made with fresh cranberries can be cut into wedges and chilled overnight. When ready to bake, brush with egg wash (this helps achieve a golden brown finish) and add a few minutes to the bake time.

Do not chill scone dough overnight if using frozen cranberries. They will bleed and change the scones’ color and texture.

Storage & Freezing Instructions:

Storing Baked Scones: These scones are best enjoyed the same day they’re baked, but you can store them in an airtight container at cool room temperature for up to 2 days.

Freezing Scones:

• Unbaked: Freeze cut scones for up to 1 month. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze until firm, about 1 hour, then transfer to an airtight container. Bake from frozen (don’t thaw!) at 400°F for about 15-16 minutes, brushing with egg wash first. 
• Baked: Baked scones can also be frozen unglazed, but the texture will change slightly, becoming more like a dense strawberry shortcake biscuit.

PS: If you love cranberries, check out my homemade Cranberry Sauce recipe. So much better than store-bought!

How to Make

Cranberry Orange Scones

By: Tessa Arias

5 from 10 votes

Yield: 16 scones

Prep Time: 45 minutes mins

Cook Time: 13 minutes mins

Total Time: 58 minutes mins

Review Print

My from-scratch Cranberry Orange Scones recipe yields light, flaky, buttery scones bursting with flavor in just 35 minutes! Perfect for holiday brunches and cozy weekend mornings.

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Ingredients 

For the scones:

• ▢ 1 1/2 sticks (170 grams) unsalted butter, cold
• ▢ 1/3 cup (66 grams) granulated sugar
• ▢ 1 tablespoon freshly grated orange zest*
• ▢ 3 cups (381 grams) all-purpose flour
• ▢ 1 tablespoon baking powder
• ▢ 1 teaspoon salt
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• ▢ 1 cup (240 grams) buttermilk
• ▢ 1 large egg
• ▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ▢ 1 cup (110 grams) fresh or frozen cranberries**
• ▢ Sparkling sugar, for topping, optional

For the egg wash:

• ▢ 1 large egg
• ▢ 1 teaspoon water

For the glaze:

• ▢ 1 1/2 cups (188 grams) powdered sugar
• ▢ 2 ½ tablespoons orange juice
• ▢ 2 tablespoons (28 grams) unsalted butter, melted
• ▢ 1 teaspoon freshly grated orange zest*

Instructions 

Make the scones:

• Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Cut the butter into small cubes. Keep it in the fridge or freezer while you prepare the other ingredients.
• In a large bowl, combine the sugar and zest. Rub them together with your fingers until fragrant. Whisk in the flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda.
• In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, 1 egg, and vanilla extract. Set aside.
• Add the cold butter to the dry ingredients and cut with a pastry cutter or a fork until the butter pieces are the size of large peas. Work quickly to keep the butter cold.
• Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the liquid mixture. Stir with a spatula until streaks of flour remain.
• Gently fold in the cranberries until barely combined. The dough will look crumbly and messy at this point.
• Transfer the dough onto a floured surface. Pat into a rough circle, pressing any loose cranberries back in. Fold the dough in half, then fold in half again the opposite direction. This helps create flaky, tall layers.
• Using a sharp knife, divide the dough in half. Pat each half into a 6-inch round, about ¾-inch thick. Cut each round into 8 wedges. Place the wedges on the prepared baking pans, spacing about 2 inches apart.
• MAKE AHEAD***: At this stage, you can freeze the unbaked scones for up to 1 month. Place the baking sheet in the freezer and freeze uncovered for about 30 minutes, or until firm. Then transfer to an airtight container or freezer bag. When ready to bake, brush with egg wash and add about 2 minutes to the baking time (no need to thaw).

Make the egg wash:

• In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining egg with 1 teaspoon water. Brush lightly over the scones.
• Bake for about 13 minutes, or until the tops are lightly golden. Cool on a wire rack before glazing.

Make the glaze:

• In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, orange juice, melted butter, and orange zest until smooth. It should be thick but pourable. Add more orange juice if too thick, or more powdered sugar if too thin.
• Drizzle over cooled scones. Sprinkle with coarse sugar if using. Let set before serving.
• Scones are best enjoyed the same day they’re baked.

Show us!If you make this recipe, be sure to snap a picture and share it on Instagram with #handletheheat so we can all see!

Recipe Notes

* You’ll need about 3 large oranges for the zest (dough + glaze). Zest the oranges before juicing.

**Fresh or frozen cranberries work best, but dried cranberries can also be used.

***If using fresh cranberries, you can also chill the dough overnight in the fridge. Be sure to brush with egg wash before baking straight from the fridge, adding a few minutes to the bake time. Do NOT chill overnight if using frozen — they’ll bleed and change the texture of the dough.

This recipe was originally published in 2019 and has been updated to use fresh or frozen cranberries. Photos by Jess Gaertner.