PrintBakery-Style Cranberry Orange Scones with Sweet Glaze
Make incredibly flaky and tender cranberry orange scones at home. This easy recipe delivers big citrus flavor and a perfect sweet orange glaze, making them ideal for holiday brunch or a cozy morning treat.
- Prep Time: 15 min
- Cook Time: 18 min
- Total Time: 33 min
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
- 1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries
- Zest of 1 large orange
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup heavy cream, plus more for brushing
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- For the Glaze: 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt.
- Add the cold butter cubes to the dry ingredients. Use a pastry blender or your fingertips to cut the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized pieces of butter remaining.
- Stir in the cranberries and orange zest until they are evenly distributed throughout the flour mixture.
- In a separate small bowl, whisk together the egg, heavy cream, and vanilla extract.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Use a fork to mix until just combined. Do not overmix; the dough will be shaggy.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Gently knead it 3 or 4 times until it just comes together. Pat the dough into a 3/4-inch thick circle.
- Use a sharp knife or bench scraper to cut the circle into 8 equal wedges, like a pizza. Separate the wedges slightly and place them on the prepared baking sheet.
- Brush the tops of the scones lightly with heavy cream.
- Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown. Let the scones cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes.
- While the scones cool, prepare the glaze. Whisk together the powdered sugar and orange juice in a small bowl until smooth. Add more juice, a drop at a time, if the glaze is too thick.
- Drizzle the sweet orange glaze over the slightly warm scones. Let the glaze set before serving.
Notes
- For the flakiest scones, make sure your butter is very cold before you start mixing.
- If you use frozen cranberries, do not thaw them first; add them directly to the dry ingredients.
- You can make these ahead. Assemble the wedges, place them on the baking sheet, cover, and chill for up to 24 hours before baking. Add a few extra minutes to the bake time if baking from cold.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 scone
- Calories: 350
- Sugar: 22
- Sodium: 250
- Fat: 18
- Saturated Fat: 11
- Unsaturated Fat: 7
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 43
- Fiber: 1
- Protein: 5
- Cholesterol: 65