Buttery and full of flavor, these scones combine sweet orange and tart cranberries for a delightful bite. They bake up with a tender crumb and a crisp crust, and you can have them warm and ready in about an hour. As a devoted scone lover, I can honestly say these are fast becoming my favorite sweet scones.
Scone baking is in my family, and while it’s hard to match my Irish great-grandmother’s old recipe, experimenting led me to several modern favorites. This cranberry-orange version is a festive twist on the plain orange scones I often make, and both are excellent.
The tart cranberries contrast beautifully with the sweet orange and rich scone base—especially when you finish them with a glaze. It’s an irresistible combination.
See the texture in the photo below? That shows a well-made sweet scone: tender inside, crisp on the outside, with a moist, flaky crumb.
Step-by-step VIDEO
Tips for scones and biscuits
- Baking powder: Make sure it’s fresh—this is what helps the scones rise and stay light.
- Very cold ingredients: Keep butter and liquids cold. I cut the butter and chill the pieces for a few minutes before using them, and keep milk or sour cream in the fridge until needed.
- Don’t overwork the dough: The dough should come together but may still have some dry patches. Light handling preserves pockets of butter that yield flakiness.
- High oven temperature: A hot oven helps the scones rise quickly. If your oven isn’t preheated when you finish shaping, chill the cut scones in the fridge or freezer while the oven reaches temperature.
Ingredient Notes
Quantities are listed in the recipe card below. A few key points about ingredients:
- Cranberries: Use plump, moist dried cranberries for the best texture and flavor.
- Orange: Both zest and juice are used—zest for bright citrus aroma and juice for the glaze.
- Brown sugar: Light or dark brown sugar both work; dark will add a deeper caramel note.
- Sour cream: If you use it, choose full-fat for richness and tenderness.
Steps to make scones
There are two common ways to combine the dry ingredients and butter:
- By hand: Use your fingers or a pastry cutter to cut cold butter into the flour until pieces are pea-sized. Work quickly in a large bowl so the mixture stays cold.
- Food processor: Pulse the dry ingredients with the cold butter a few times. This is faster but be careful not to over-process; you still want small butter pieces for flakiness.
Whisk the wet ingredients in a separate bowl before adding them to the butter-flour mixture. Stir gently with a fork until a shaggy mass forms.
Fold in the dried cranberries and check the dough’s moisture. Add a splash more liquid if needed, but don’t make the dough overly wet.
Forming and cutting scones
Dump the dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently pat it into a round about 1–2 inches high. A few dry spots are fine—this dough should look rustic, not smooth.
Cut the round into wedges and transfer them to a prepared baking sheet. For smaller scones, cut into more wedges as desired.
Baking cranberry scones
Cold dough: Chill the cut scones—10 minutes in the freezer or 20 minutes in the fridge—before baking so the butter stays cold and helps them rise.
Preheated oven: Bake in a hot, preheated oven so the scones puff and brown properly.
The orange glaze
A simple powdered sugar glaze flavored with orange juice brightens the scones and is quick to prepare. Adjust the consistency by adding more juice for a thinner glaze or more powdered sugar for a thicker one.
- Orange juice: Adds fresh citrus flavor to the glaze.
- Cranberry juice: Can be used for a pink-hued glaze and complementary flavor.
- Other liquids: Milk, cream, or even a splash of orange liqueur work as alternatives.
Finish the scones with a sprinkling of fresh orange zest while the glaze is still wet so the zest sticks. The citrus aroma really lifts the flavor.
Freezing scones
Scones freeze very well raw and already shaped. Arrange the cut scones on a tray, freeze until solid, then transfer to a bag or container. Bake directly from frozen—just add a few extra minutes to the bake time—and enjoy freshly baked scones anytime.
Related recipes you might like:
-
White Chocolate Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies
-
Cinnamon Scones
-
Pumpkin Cranberry Muffins
-
Buttermilk Scones (with best tips)
If you try this recipe and enjoy it, please leave a comment and a rating. If you have any issues, tell me in the comments and I’ll help troubleshoot. You can also subscribe to the free email series or the regular newsletter to receive more baking tips and recipes.
As an Amazon Associate, the author may earn from qualifying purchases.
Orange Cranberry Scones
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- dash of ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon orange zest
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch cubes and frozen for 10 minutes
- ½ cup whole milk, very cold (or use ¼ cup milk and ¼ cup sour cream)
- ⅔ cup dried cranberries
For the glaze:
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons orange juice
- orange zest, to finish
Instructions
-
Preheat oven to 375ºF (190ºC). Grease or line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
-
In a food processor, pulse flour, brown sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt to combine. Scatter the cold butter and orange zest over the mixture and pulse until butter pieces are the size of peas. Transfer to a large bowl.
-
Or, by hand: mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl, then cut in the cold butter with your fingers or a pastry cutter until pea-sized pieces remain.
-
Drizzle the cold milk (and sour cream if using) over the mixture and stir lightly with a fork until the dough is mostly moistened and forms a shaggy mass.
-
Fold in the dried cranberries. The dough should hold together when pressed but remain lumpy.
-
Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently pat into a 1–2 inch round. Cut into 6 (or 8 for smaller scones) wedges and place on the prepared baking sheet. You can freeze unbaked wedges now if desired.
-
Chill the cut scones briefly (10 minutes in the freezer or 20 in the fridge) and then bake for about 20 minutes, until golden and risen.
-
Cool slightly or completely, then drizzle with orange glaze and sprinkle with fresh orange zest.
For the orange glaze:
-
Whisk powdered sugar and orange juice together until smooth. Add a little more juice for a thinner glaze or extra powdered sugar for a thicker finish.
-
Drizzle over the cooled scones and top with orange zest while the glaze is still wet.
Notes
Very cold ingredients: Keep butter and liquids refrigerated until the last moment to ensure a flaky texture.
Handle the dough lightly: Overworking warms the butter and yields tougher scones; touch the dough as little as possible.
Chill before baking: A short chill after shaping helps the scones rise well in the oven.
If not glazing: Brush the tops with milk or cream and sprinkle sugar before baking for a shiny, sweet finish.