Bright, buttery Cranberry Orange Scones with a tender crumb, juicy bursts of cranberry, and a sweet citrus glaze. Easy, festive, and perfect for breakfast, brunch, or whenever you need something warm and homemade to make the day feel less chaotic.

Prep 15 minutes minutes
Cook 18 minutes minutes
Servings 8

Ingredients

For the Scones:

• ▢ 2 cups all-purpose flour
• ▢ ⅓ cup granulated sugar
• ▢ 1 tablespoon baking powder
• ▢ ½ teaspoon salt
• ▢ ½ cup unsalted butter (cold and cubed)
• ▢ ½ cup heavy cream (plus extra for brushing)
• ▢ 1 large egg
• ▢ Zest of 1 large orange
• ▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ▢ 1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries (if using frozen, don’t thaw)

For the Glaze:

• ▢ 1 cup powdered sugar
• ▢ 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
• ▢ ½ teaspoon orange zest

Instructions 

• Set to 400 °F (200 °C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• In a large bowl, whisk together 2 cups flour, ⅓ cup sugar, 1 tablespoon baking powder, and ½ teaspoon salt.
• Add ½ cup cold cubed butter. Use a pastry cutter or two knives to work it into the flour until pea-sized crumbs form.
• In a small bowl, whisk ½ cup cream, 1 egg, orange zest, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Pour into the dry ingredients and mix until a shaggy dough forms.
• Gently fold in 1 cup cranberries, being careful not to overmix.
• Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and gather into a disk about 1½ inches thick. Cut into 8 wedges and transfer to the baking sheet.
• Brush tops with a little heavy cream. Bake 16 to 18 minutes, until lightly golden and cooked through. Cool slightly.
• Whisk together 1 cup powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons orange juice, and ½ teaspoon zest. Drizzle over warm scones.

Equipment

• Pastry Cutter

Notes

1. Use cold butter. The colder the butter, the flakier the scones. If it starts to soften, pop the bowl in the fridge for a few minutes.
2. Don’t thaw frozen cranberries. Thawed berries bleed everywhere and turn your dough into a crime scene.
3. Shaggy dough is correct. Scone dough should look messy. If it’s smooth like cookie dough, you mixed too much.
4. Cut straight down, no sawing. This keeps the edges clean so the scones rise tall instead of slumping.
5. Bake until lightly golden. They should look set but not dark. Overbaking dries them out faster than you can say “where’s the cream.”
6. Glaze while warm. It melts into all the little nooks and makes every bite citrusy and perfect.

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1servingCalories: 376kcal (19%)Carbohydrates: 50g (17%)Protein: 5g (10%)Fat: 18g (28%)Saturated Fat: 11g (69%)Polyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0.5gCholesterol: 71mg (24%)Sodium: 162mg (7%)Potassium: 231mg (7%)Fiber: 1g (4%)Sugar: 24g (27%)Vitamin A: 623IU (12%)Vitamin C: 4mg (5%)Calcium: 88mg (9%)Iron: 2mg (11%)

Notice: Nutrition is auto-calculated for your convenience. Where relevant, we recommend using your own nutrition calculations.