These cranberry orange scones are crisp on the outside, yet perfectly tender and flakey on the inside. Made with dried cranberries and orange zest, they come together quickly and then bake until golden.
Why You’ll Love These Cranberry Orange Scones
- Easy. This scone recipe is simple to follow, yet produces bakery quality scones. Since we are using dry cranberries instead of fresh ones, it’s easy to find the ingredients too.
- Perfect texture & flavor. Scones should be crisp on the outside, yet tender and flakey on the inside. These scones check all those boxes. The pops of sweet cranberries and citrusy orange zest are a total delight.
- Can be frozen for later. This recipe makes 10 cranberry orange scones. You can eat a few now, then freeze the rest for later. They’ll last for 3 months! (Instructions on how to freeze at the end of this post in the storage section.)
Tips for Success
Follow these simple tips and bake up the best scones ever:
- Make sure your butter is cold. Cold butter, when mixed into the scone dough, creates pockets of fat. During baking, these pockets melt, creating steam that lifts and separates the layers of the scone. This results in a flaky and tender texture, a hallmark of a good scone.
- Don’t over-work the dough. Over-mixing scone dough can lead to a tougher texture. Make sure you don’t knead the dough as if you were making bread.
- Can I use fresh cranberries? I have not used fresh cranberries since the dry ones are easier to come by, but you could probably use fresh cranberries in this recipe.
- Can I add a glaze? Absolutely! I linked 3 of my other scone recipes below, each of which has a simple glaze on top. Feel free to use any of those glazes on these scones.
How to Store
Let your orange cranberry scones cool to room temperature, then store them as follows:
- Counter. If you intend to enjoy your scones within 1-2 days, you can store them at room temperature in an airtight container or a resealable bag. Make sure they are completely cool before placing them in the container. Otherwise steam will build up and impact the texture of the scones.
- Fridge. Place them in an airtight container and store them in the fridge for 4-5 days. Before serving, you can reheat them in the oven at 300F for about 5-8 minutes to refresh their texture.
- Freezer. To store scones for an extended period of time, freezing is the best option. First, ensure the scones have cooled completely. Then, wrap each scone individually in plastic wrap or aluminum foil to prevent freezer burn. Place the wrapped scones in an airtight, freezer-safe container. Properly stored, scones can be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge or on the counter for a few hours when you are ready to eat a scone.
More Scone Recipes to Try
Cranberry Orange Scones
These cranberry orange scones are crisp on the outside, yet tender on the inside. An easy recipe with dried cranberries and orange zest
Ingredients
- 2 sticks unsalted butter, COLD
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ cup fresh orange zest
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 cup dried cranberries
Instructions
- Prep. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and line a baking pan with parchment paper.
- Dice the butter. Cut your butter into cubes, making sure to handle it as little as possible. Return it to the refrigerator.
- Combine the dry ingredients. Add the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and orange zest to the bowl of a stand mixer and whisk to combine.
- Add the butter. Add chilled butter to the dry ingredients and mix just until the butter is spread evenly throughout the flour and has reduced to pea-sized pieces.
- Add the cranberries. Mix in the cranberries.
- Add the buttermilk. Slowly drizzle in the buttermilk, mixing on low speed as you go. Mix until just combined.
- Roll out the dough. Turn the dough out onto a well-floured surface and flatten using a rolling pin. Fold the dough over itself and roll with a rolling pin. Do this twice. On your final fold, roll the dough out to 1.5-2 inches thick. *
- Cut. Cut the dough into 10 triangles.
- Prepare to bake. Lay the scones out on the prepared baking pan, making sure to leave 2 inches of space between the scones. Sprinkle the tops of the scones with raw cane sugar, pressing it gently into the scones.
- Bake. Bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown.
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Nutrition
Serving: 1scone | Calories: 379kcal | Carbohydrates: 47g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 51mg | Sodium: 444mg | Potassium: 89mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 17g | Vitamin A: 614IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 114mg | Iron: 2mg
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as a courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
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