Cranberry Orange Scones

Homemade fresh cranberry orange scones are a treat you can make easily and are perfectly shareable! Made with fresh cranberries, orange zest and orange juice, these cranberry scones will be a hit.

Cranberry Orange Scones Recipe

Making homemade scones is something that seems super intimidating, but it is honestly so easy to do. It's all about technique here.

When I tried cranberry orange scones at Starbucks, I just knew I had to figure out how to make them. I didn't want to spend $4 to buy a Starbucks scones every time I was craving it...which was often.

So I set out to make a copycat recipe from scratch in my own kitchen. And wow, was I successful. I mean, not to toot my own horn but these are so yummy!

I am a notoriously messy cook, my husband can definitely attest to that (thanks for cleaning my dirty kitchen everyday, babe!). But the best part about making scones is that you get to make a mess and it's kind of a part of the process.

You can definitely make scones without getting your hands all dirty and all up in the dough but I'm pretty sure they wouldn't taste as good. They'll always taste better when you knead the dough by hand and have your fingers covered in flour and butter. I promise!

Get your hands dirty making these incredible lemon blueberry scones or healthy orange scones too!

Why You'll Love this Recipe

• Making copycat recipes of popular restaurant items saves you so much money!
• Scones are a great treat to have for dessert or the perfect breakfast item to have with coffee. A multi-use baked good is always a great thing.
• You only need 30 minutes to make a batch of a dozen delicious cranberry orange scones.

If you love the Starbucks cranberry orange scones, then you will love this easy homemade recipe!

Ingredients

Here is what you'll need to grab at the grocery store to make this recipe:

• all purpose flour
• sugar
• baking powder
• salt
• zest from one orange
• unsalted butter
• juice from orange
• eggs
• heavy cream
• cranberries
• powdered sugar

Substitutions and Variations

You can add or omit any of the fruit. If you can't find cranberries, you can use various fresh berries. Strawberries would be great, as well as blueberries.

Add a splash of vanilla extract to these orange cranberry scones for extra flavor. You can also make these chocolatey by adding chocolate chips to the dough, or drizzling the tops of the scones with melted chocolate.

You can use a gluten-free 1:1 flour substitute, such as King Arthur Measure for Measure Flour, to make this recipe without gluten.

Feel free to swap out the refined sugar for coconut sugar. You could also experiment sweetening this cranberry orange scones recipe with maple syrup!

How to Make Cranberry Orange Scones

Now, let's make these scones! Here's what to do:

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and orange zest until thoroughly incorporated.

Place cubed butter into the flour mixture, then use a pastry cutter to cut the butter into the flour. You'll want to incorporate the butter in until there are only pea sized pieces left.

Hot Tip: If you don't have a pastry blender, use a metal fork to work the butter into the dry ingredients. You can also use a food processor and pulse the mixture a few times until the butter is incorporated into the flour.

Place the cranberries into the flour mixture and toss them gently.

In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs, orange juice, and heavy cream.

Make a well in the center of the large bowl of dry ingredients.

Pour the wet ingredients into the well and use a pastry scraper to start bring the dough together. Fold the dough over itself, repeating until it forms a consistency that will stay together enough to be kneaded outside of the bowl.

Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and begin kneading it until all ingredients are thoroughly combined and a soft dough forms.

Form the cranberry orange scones into a large circle that is about 1 inch thick. You can use a rolling pin to help you roll it out into the perfect thickness.

Then, using the pastry cutter, a pizza cutter, or a sharp knife cut the dough into 10 separate wedges.

Move each single scone onto a large baking sheet and brush the top of the scones with whole milk.

Bake in a preheated oven for 16-18 minutes, or until each scone is a perfect golden brown color.

Remove from the oven, and allow the fresh scones to cool on the baking tray for 2 minutes.

Then, move them to a wire rack and let cool before serving. Let cool completely before storing them.

Sweet Orange Glaze for Scones

While they cool, make the sweet orange glaze. Whisk together the powdered sugar, heavy cream, and fresh orange juice until smooth and thin.

Once the scones are cool, drizzle the glaze over the top of each tender scone.

Allow the glaze to set a bit, then serve! See? Aren't these better than Starbucks cranberry orange scones?

How to Store Leftover Cranberry Scones

Place completely cooled leftovers from this cranberry orange scones recipe into an airtight container and store a room temperature for 1-2 days. Alternatively, you can place them in the refrigerator and store for up to a week.

Scones also freeze really well! Place them in an airtight container with sheets of parchment paper between layers. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw one whenever you get a craving for a fresh scone!

To reheat, place your scone in the toaster oven, microwave, or oven until warmed through.

What to Eat with Scones

Scones are great sweet treat to enjoy as a snack, a dessert or even during breakfast.

Pair them with your favorite cup of coffee or warm tea. A nice spiced chai tea would be delicious with these orange cranberry scones!

You can also serve something like cheesy breakfast egg muffins alongside a scone for breakfast time. For dessert, just warm up a scone to eat after a delicious dinner of creamy chicken risotto.

Tips for Success

• Be sure you clean your work surface thoroughly before kneading the dough on a countertop. You don't want your perfect scone to be ruined by leftover crumbs on the counter!
• When grating the orange zest, be sure you only get the outer layer of the orange peel. The white part will be bitter.
• Freshly squeezed orange juice will provide the best and most fresh orange flavor in these delicious scones!

FAQ

More Baked Goods Recipes

• Vanilla Glazed Strawberry Orange Scones
• Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins
• Blueberry Chia Seed Muffins
• Chocolate Chip Scones

If you make and love this recipe, please leave a ★★★★★ review below! It means so much to me when you try my recipes, and I'd love to know how it goes. Please leave a comment below if you have any questions.