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Cranberry Orange Scones
4.3 from 51 votes

Cranberry Orange Scones

Cranberry Orange Scones blend tart cranberries with bright orange zest in a tender, buttery dough enriched by sour cream. The grated frozen butter creates a flaky texture, while the glaze of melted butter, confectioners' sugar, vanilla, and fresh orange juice adds a sweet, citrus finish. This scone recipe provides a balance of sweet and tangy flavors making it suitable for breakfast, brunch, or an afternoon treat. Baking them as triangles ensures even cooking and a classic scone shape.

Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
20 mins
Total Time
35 mins
Servings: 8 scones
Course: Bread

Ingredients

For the Scones
  • ⅓ cup sugar
  • orange zest of two medium
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 8 tablespoons butter frozen, unsalted
  • ½ cup sour cream
  • 1 large egg
  • 3 tablespoons milk
  • 1 cup cranberries fresh/frozen or 1/2 cup dried cranberries
For the Glaze
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
  • 1 cup confectioners’ sugar sifted
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract pure
  • 2 tablespoons orange juice freshly squeezed

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. In a medium bowl, combine sugar and orange zest; mix with your fingertips until the sugar is moistened and fragrant. Add in the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt and mix until combined.
  3. Grate butter into flour mixture on the large holes of a box grater; use your fingers to work in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse meal.
  4. In a small bowl, whisk the sour cream, egg and milk until smooth.
  5. Toss the cranberries into the flour mixture. Using a fork, stir sour cream mixture into flour mixture until large dough clumps form. Use your hands to press the dough against the bowl into a ball. The dough will be sticky first, but as you press, the dough will come together.
  6. Place on a lightly floured surface and pat into a 7-inch circle about 3/4-inch thick. Use a sharp knife to cut into 8 triangles; place on prepared baking sheet, about 1 inch apart. Bake until golden, about 17 to 20 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes and prepare the glaze.
  7. In a medium bowl, prepare the glaze by mixing together the melted butter, confectioners’ sugar, vanilla and orange juice. Whisk until smooth. Dip the top of the scones into the glaze and allow the glaze to harden. At this point, you can leave them as is or go for the double dip.

Notes

  • Store scones in an airtight container to keep them fresh for up to two days.