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Cranberry Orange Scones are some of the best scones ever! A dense batter with dried cranberries and flavored with orange zest that bakes up moist and tender.
The Best Scone Recipe!
For a long time, I had a sort of love-hate thing about scones. In theory, I loved the idea of an airy, lightly sweetened pastry made with lots of butter. But most of the time, the scones I had eaten were too dry and too heavy – a total disappointment.
THEN…this recipe for Cranberry Orange Scones came into my life. My sister-in-law Pam baked these scones one time when our family was visiting. One bite in – I knew that we had struck gold!
These scones are tender and almost flaky, moist, perfectly sweetened, and when served warm out of the oven…the scones of my dreams!
A Scone Recipe for any Mix-Ins
We made these delicious scones with dried cranberries and a little orange zest mixed into the dough, but you can change things up based on what you have in your pantry. Try mixing in raisins, currants, chocolate chips, or even some fresh blueberries.
Also, Pam’s original scones did not include the orange glaze that we added to today’s version. The glaze is totally optional, and these scones are delicious with or without it.
Why You’ll Love Cranberry Orange Scones
- This delicious scone recipe is super easy and versatile. Serve them plain or mix in dried fruits, nuts, chocolate chips, or berries.
- You can make the scone dough ahead of time, then bake just before serving so your guests can enjoy them right out of the oven.
- These scones will stay moist and fresh for a few days – if they last that long!
Reader Review
“Wow, the absolute best scones I ever made!!! You beat my granny’s recipe from Ireland. The test for me is the next day, scones are typically dry and hard the next day, but these scones were moist for three days kept in sealed plastic bag. And the orange glaze, I poked holes with a toothpick and let the glaze settle into the scone.” -Kathleen
Key Ingredients & Substitutions
- All-Purpose Flour
- Baking Powder
- Unsalted Butter
- Granulated Sugar
- Orange Zest
- Eggs
- Plain Yogurt – Use full-fat yogurt or sour cream for the richest results.
- Dried Cranberries – Or raisins, chocolate chips, currants, berries, etc.
- Optional Glaze – Orange juice and confectioner’s sugar.
Special Tools You’ll Need
- Various Measuring Cups & Spoons
- Medium Bowl
- Whisk
- Citrus Zester or Microplane
- Stand Mixer with Paddle Attachment
- Sharp Knife
- Baking Sheet
- Parchment Paper
- Cooling Rack
- Small Bowl
How do I make Cranberry Orange Scones?
- Whisk together flour and baking powder in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- Beat butter in the bowl of a stand mixer until creamy.
- Add sugar and beat three minutes on high until pale and fluffy.
- Add orange zest and mix until well blended.
- Mix in eggs one at a time until well blended.
- Slowly add the flour and baking powder mixture, mixing well.
- Add yogurt and mix well until combined in the dough.
- Add cranberries and mix again.
- Chill for at least 45 minutes. (You can even chill the dough overnight if you prefer.)
- Divide the scone dough into 12 portions. (See Baking Tips below.)
- Place portions onto an ungreased baking sheet.
- Bake for 15 minutes at 350 degrees F.
- Turn down oven to 325 degrees F. and bake for 10-13 minutes more until golden.
- If adding the glaze, whisk together powdered sugar and orange juice until smooth. Use the whisk to drizzle the glaze over each scone.
Baking Tips & Tricks
- This dough is quite dense and sticky, so a powerful stand mixer with a paddle attachment works best when mixing the dough.
- If using a hand mixer, as you get toward the final steps of mixing the ingredients, you might need to finish mixing by hand to avoid burning out the motor of your mixer.
- Pam always measured out each scone portion using a 1/3rd cup measuring cup. This method will give you round scones of a uniform size.
- We wanted triangular shaped scones, so we formed the dough into a flat disk and cut it into 12 wedges.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Can I make these Cranberry Orange Scones ahead of time? You can, but they are absolutely the best when served warm out of the oven. If you’d like, you can mix the dough the night before and chill overnight, then bake them fresh for breakfast or brunch the following morning.
- How do I store any leftovers? Place them in a zipper seal bag with as much air squeezed out as possible, or in an air tight container and store at room temperature for up to three days.
- Can I freeze these scones? Yes. Wrap them individually and freeze for up to three months. Thaw before serving.
This Cranberry Orange Scones recipe originally appeared on A Family Feast in October 2012. We’ve updated the post and photos, but the delicious recipe remains the same.
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Cranberry Orange Scones
Cranberry Orange Scones are some of the best scones ever! A dense batter with dried cranberries and flavored with orange zest that bakes up moist and tender.
Ingredients
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 pound unsalted butter (2 sticks), softened
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon orange zest (about 1 large orange)
3 large eggs
1/3 cup plain yogurt (do not use fat-free yogurt if possible)
1/2 cup dried cranberries (or raisins, currants, chocolate chips, berries, etc)
Optional Glaze
1 1/2 cups confectioner’s sugar
2–3 tablespoons orange juice
Instructions
- Whisk together flour and baking powder in a medium sized bowl.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter until creamy. Add sugar and beat 3 minutes on high until pale and fluffy.
- Add orange zest and mix until blended. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
- Slowly add the flour and baking powder mixture into the egg mixture and mix until blended.
- Then add yogurt, again mixing until blended. Add cranberries and mix until blended throughout the dough.
- Refrigerate for at least 45 minutes. (This recipe may be made in advance and refrigerated overnight.)
- When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Portion out the dough using a 1/3 cup measuring cup and forming it into 12 round balls OR form the dough into a large flat disk and cut into 12 triangles.
- Place each scone portion on ungreased cookie sheet about two inches apart.
- Bake at 350 degrees F for 15 minutes. Then turn the oven down to 325 degrees F and bake for 10-13 minutes more until lightly golden.
- Cool the scones on a rack.
- Whisk together powdered sugar and orange juice to make a glaze. Use the whisk and drizzle glaze over each scone before serving.
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Wow , the absolute best scones I ever made!!! You beat my granny’s recipe from Ireland/ the test for me is the next day, scones are typically dry and hard the next day, but these scones were moist for three days kept in sealed plastic bag. And the orange glaze, I poked holes with a toothpick and let the glaze settle into the scone.
Thanks so much Kathleen!