Cranberry Orange Scones (Printable Version)

Buttery scones bursting with cranberries and a citrus glaze, perfect for breakfast or tea.

# What You Need:

→ Dry Ingredients

01 - 2 cups all-purpose flour (250 g)
02 - 1/3 cup granulated sugar (65 g)
03 - 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
04 - 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
05 - 1/2 teaspoon salt

→ Wet Ingredients

06 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed (115 g)
07 - 2/3 cup heavy cream (160 ml), plus extra for brushing
08 - 1 large egg
09 - 1 tablespoon orange zest (from 1–2 oranges)
10 - 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

→ Add-ins

11 - 1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries, halved if large (120 g, do not thaw if frozen)

→ Orange Glaze

12 - 1 cup powdered sugar (120 g)
13 - 2 to 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
14 - 1/2 teaspoon orange zest

# How to Make It:

01 - Set the oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
02 - In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
03 - Add cold, cubed butter to the dry mixture and cut it in using a pastry cutter or fingertips until coarse crumbs form.
04 - In a separate bowl, whisk heavy cream, egg, orange zest, and vanilla extract until blended.
05 - Gently pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and mix until nearly combined.
06 - Fold in cranberries carefully until the dough just comes together, avoiding overmixing.
07 - Turn dough onto a floured surface and pat into an 8-inch diameter circle about 3/4 inch thick.
08 - Slice dough into 8 wedges and transfer to the prepared baking sheet.
09 - Brush the scones lightly with extra heavy cream for a golden crust.
10 - Bake for 16 to 18 minutes or until scones turn golden brown. Allow to cool on a wire rack.
11 - Whisk powdered sugar, orange juice, and zest together until smooth and slightly runny.
12 - Drizzle the glaze evenly over cooled scones before serving.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • They come together in under an hour, which means you can actually make them on a weekday morning without losing your mind.
  • The tart cranberries and bright orange balance each other perfectly, so every bite feels both comforting and a little bit fancy.
  • That glaze brings a casual elegance that makes people think you spent way more time than you actually did.
02 -
  • The butter has to be cold or your scones will spread thin and taste greasy instead of flaky—seriously, chill it for at least 15 minutes before you start.
  • Don't thaw frozen cranberries; they'll bleed into the dough and turn it an unappealing color, plus the flavor gets diluted.
  • If you overmix this dough even a little, you'll taste it in the texture—your scones will be dense and tough instead of tender and cloud-like.
  • Orange juice varies in acidity and sweetness, so add it slowly to the glaze; you want it to pour, not drip.
03 -
  • Use a microplane zester for orange zest; a box grater often pulls too much white pith, which tastes bitter.
  • If your pastry cutter is dull, use your fingertips instead—just work quickly so the butter stays cold.
  • Keep everything as cold as possible right up until they hit the oven; a cold dough makes flakier scones every single time.

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