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!

Making homemade scones is something that seems super intimidating, but it is honestly so easy to do. It's all about technique here.
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!
How do you make cranberry orange scones from scratch?
- Gather ingredients.
- Whisk together dry ingredients, reserving cranberries.
- Place cold cubed butter in flour mixture. Use a pastry blender to cut butter into the flour until pea sized pieces of the butter are left.
- Gently toss cranberries into flour mixture.
- Create a space in the middle of the flour and set bowl aside. Whisk together liquid ingredients.
- Pour in liquid ingredients and use a flexible pastry scraper to start bringing the dough together, folding it over itself and repeating. Once the dough isn't fully liquid, you can start kneading the dough outside of the bowl on a clean surface with your hands.
- Fold the dough over and knead it until it's come together.
- Form dough into a large circle, about an inch thick.
- Use the pastry blender or a pizza cuter to divide the scones dough into 10 pieces.
- Move scones to a baking sheet and use a basting brush to brush tops with milk.
- Bake at 400 for 16-18 minutes or until tops are golden brown.
Can you use fresh cranberries in scones?
Fresh cranberries are perfect for scones because once they are baked they soften and are bursting with flavor.
What ingredients do you need to make Fresh Cranberry Orange Scones?
You'll need:
- All purpose flour
- Sugar
- Baking Powder
- Salt
- Zest from one orange
- Unsalted butter
- Juice from orange
- Eggs
- Heavy Cream
- Cranberries
Cranberries are out of season, what can I used instead?
You can use dried cranberries instead of fresh cranberries.You'll want to use Β½ what the recipe calls for in dried cranberries. You could also use blueberries or strawberries.
What tools do you need to make Cranberry Orange Scones?
Mixing Bowls
All Purpose Flour
Baking Powder
Whisk
Zester
Sharp Pairing Knife
Pastry Blender
Flexible Pastry Scraper
Baking Sheet
Basting Brush
I'm excited to be sharing this recipe as part of Cranberry Week - now in it's third year! See all the tasty cranberry recipes being shared today below and follow #cranberryweek on social media for more ideas all week long.
- Bourbon Cranberry Sauce from Cookaholic Wife
- Cranberry Apple Pie from The Redhead Baker
- Cranberry Almond Shortbread Tart from Karen's Kitchen Stories
- Cranberry Cheese Ball from A Kitchen Hoor's Adventures
- Cranberry Chipotle Glazed Baked Salmon from Palatable Pastime
- Cranberry Cream Cheese Spread from Our Good Life
- Cranberry Ice Cream from Kate's Recipe Box
- Cranberry Orange Bread from The Saucy Fig
- Cranberry-Orange Glazed Ham from Cooking For My Soul
- Cranberry Orange Scones from A Joyfully Mad Kitchen
- Fall Pizza with Sausage and Squash from Caroline's Cooking
- Glazed Cranberry Almond Squares from Family Around the Kitchen
- Hot Spiced Cranberry Orange Cocktail from The Gingered Whisk
- Lamb Lollipops with Cranberry-Apple Mostarda from Culinary Adventures with Camilla
- Maple Honey Cranberry Sauce from Jolene's Recipe Journal
- Quinoa with Turkey, Brussels Sprouts & Cranberries from Books n' Cooks
- Real Cranberry Gummy Bears from Daily Dish Recipes
Fresh Cranberry Orange Scones
Homemade Fresh Cranberry Orange Scones are a treat you can make easily and these little treats are perfect shareable! Made with fresh cranberries, orange zest and orange juice, these cranberry scones will be a hit!
Ingredients
- 2 Β½ cups all-purpose flour
- 4 tablespoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ΒΌ teaspoon salt
- Zest from one medium orange
- Β½ cup unsalted butter COLD, cut into chunks
- Juice from half an orange
- 2 eggs
- ΒΎ cup fresh cranberries
- Β½ cup heavy cream
For the glaze
- Juice from half an orange
- Β½ cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
Instructions
- Gather ingredients.
- Whisk together dry ingredients, reserving cranberries.
- Place cold cubed butter in flour mixture. Use a pastry blender to cut butter into the flour until pea sized pieces of the butter are left.
- Gently toss cranberries into flour mixture.
- Create a space in the middle of the flour and set bowl aside. Whisk together liquid ingredients.
- Pour in liquid ingredients and use a flexible pastry scraper to start bringing the dough together, folding it over itself and repeating. Once the dough isn't fully liquid, you can start kneading the dough outside of the bowl on a clean surface with your hands.
- Fold the dough over and knead it until it's come together.
- Form dough into a large circle, about an inch thick.
- Use the pastry blender or a pizza cuter to divide the scones dough into 10 pieces.
- Move scones to a baking sheet and brush tops with milk.
- Bake at 400 for 16-18 minutes or until tops are golden brown.
- When scones are fully cooked, let cool on baking pan for 2 minutes, then move to a wire cooling rack and make your glaze.
For the glaze
- Whisk together ingredients. Consistency should be like thin pancake batter.
- Drizzle over cooled scones.
Notes
Your butter should be COLD. I always cut mine up first, then put it back in the fridge (or even the freezer) for a few minutes before I start working with it.
There may be leftover glaze depending on how much you want on the scones. You can also skip this step and use spread butter on the scone before eating, too.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 292Total Fat: 14gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 67mgSodium: 237mgCarbohydrates: 38gFiber: 2gSugar: 16gProtein: 5g
Lucy says
I must be missing something or I don't understand the recipe (although I bake all the time). The recipe says to reserve the cranberries but doesn't tell you when to add them in.
Madison | A Joyfully Mad Kitchen says
Thank you SO much for pointing that out - that was my mistake on the recipe! I just updated it. You want to add the cranberries into your flour mixture after you've cut in the butter. Probably want to just gently toss them into the flour with a spatula or whisk (not the pastry cutter).
I hope you give these a try and love them!
Sue says
These look perfect to make ahead for that busy Thanksgiving morning breakfast.
Madison | A Joyfully Mad Kitchen says
Yes that would be so delicious!
Chelsey says
These look absolutely delicious! Love the classic cranberry orange pairing, and that glaze looks heavenly!
Madison | A Joyfully Mad Kitchen says
Thanks Chelsey!
Christie says
Dad calls scones breakfast cookies. I call them delicious! I love the cranberry and orange combination in these.
Madison | A Joyfully Mad Kitchen says
I can agree with both of those titles π
Caroline says
These look tasty. Cranberry and orange go so well and I can definitely see them being tasty in a scone.
Madison | A Joyfully Mad Kitchen says
I'm a bit obsessed with cranberry and orange together these days! Thanks for stopping by π
Erin @ The Speckled Palate says
I'm a messy cook, too, so I know how it goes. π And I agree: I don't think scones would be as delicious if you don't get your hands dirty!
I cannot wait to try these beauties at my home. I have a feeling they won't last long...
Madison | A Joyfully Mad Kitchen says
They definitely won't π Ours lasted two days! I brought some to my neighbor who just had a baby, so that's part of the reason why. But they would've been eaten (by me) quickly anyway.
Denise Wells says
Fabulous! I made these today as I had bought some fresh cranberries and hadn't used them over the holidays. These are fabulous! I omitted the glaze as I enjoy them a bit more plain, I sprinkled some baking sugar on them after I brushed on the milk. Thanks so much for sharing these delicious scones!!!!
Denise