These cranberry orange scones are bursting with juicy cranberries and loaded with bright orange flavor thanks to plenty of zest and a splash of fresh orange juice in the dough. They bake up light, tender and flaky, before being drizzled with a sweet orange glaze. They’re the ultimate holiday scone made with fresh or frozen cranberries!
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The Scones I Bake All December Long
When it comes to holiday flavors, nothing beats the combo of cranberry and orange in my book. A little tart, a little sweet, a little citrusy… and if there’s one baked good I come back to every December (right alongside my cranberry orange bread), it’s these glazed cranberry orange scones.
This recipe starts with my go-to scone base, the same one I use for my white chocolate raspberry scones, chocolate chunk scones and lemon blueberry scones. But this time, we’re loading up the dough with fresh cranberries and a generous amount of orange zest. Fold everything together and you’re instantly transported to a citrusy winter wonderland.
After a solid dousing of heavy cream, these beauties are popped into the oven, and once cooled, met by a simple orange glaze that sets up perfectly atop each wedge-o-glory.
Whether you’re hosting a holiday brunch, gifting homemade treats or just need a little seasonal baking joy, these cranberry orange scones deliver every. single. time.
- All-purpose flour: Spoon and level it (don’t scoop!) so your scones stay tender, not dense. You’ll also want a little extra for flouring your work surface when shaping the dough.
- Granulated sugar: Just enough sweetness to balance the tart cranberries.
- Baking powder: Gives the pastries their lift and keeps them from baking up flat.
- Cold unsalted butter: The #1 key to great cranberry scones. Cold butter = flaky layers, crisp golden edges and the best rise.
- Orange zest: This is where all the citrus flavor lives. Zest the whole orange; you’ll use some in the dough and save the rest for the glaze. I also like to add 2 tablespoons of freshly squeezed juice from that same orange for extra moisture and flavor.
- Cranberries: The star of the show! Fresh or frozen cranberries both work well for this recipe. If using frozen, don’t thaw them or they’ll bleed into the dough. Dried cranberries technically work, but they won’t give you that juicy pop (I recommend saving them for my Cranberry Bliss Bars instead!).
- Heavy cream: This thick, high-fat liquid is another key to tender, rich, moist scones. You can swap in buttermilk for a slightly tangier flavor and the same great texture.
- Eggs: Add richness and structure.
- Vanilla extract: Adds warmth and rounds out all the citrus notes.
- Coarse sugar (optional): For sprinkling on top before baking. Adds sparkle, crunch and that bakery-style finish.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Why Cold Butter Makes the Best Scones
If there’s one non-negotiable rule for great scones, it’s this: the butter has to be cold. Just like with pie crust or homemade biscuits, cold butter is what gives scones their tender, flaky interior with crisp, golden edges.
Here’s the quick science behind it: When you work cold butter into flour, the flour coats those little butter pieces. As the scones bake, the butter melts and releases steam, which creates tiny pockets of air. Those pockets are what help your scones rise tall and stay tender instead of turning dense and flat.
I’ve made these cranberry orange scones with frozen, grated butter and with cold, cubed butter, and honestly? Both work beautifully. If I go the cubed butter route, I just like to pop it in the freezer while I zest my orange so it’s extra cold.
And here’s my not-so-secret tip: You don’t need a pastry cutter. Just use your fingers to quickly pinch and cut the butter into the flour until it looks like wet sand with pea-sized pieces throughout.
How to Make Cranberry Orange Scones
Now that we’ve covered the butter science, let’s put it into action. The good news? Scones are way easier to make than people think. It’s really just mix, shape, slice and bake.
You’ll start by whisking together the dry ingredients: flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Cut the cold butter into the dry ingredients using your fingers. You can use a pastry cutter or two forks, too, but I would avoid using a food processor as it’ll overwork the dough. Don’t overthink it, this part takes less than a minute.
Next, stir in the cranberries. Then, in a separate bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients. Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with the cranberries and dry ingredients. Use a spatula to gently fold everything together until a wet, shaggy dough forms.
Turn the dough out onto a well-floured surface and shape it into an 8-inch circle about 3/4-inch thick. Use a sharp knife to cut it into 8 wedges, then transfer them to your baking sheet, spacing them a couple inches apart.
Brush the tops with a little heavy cream (this helps them turn golden), then bake for about 20 minutes, until golden brown. Let them cool for a few minutes on the pan before moving them to a rack to cool completely.
Orange Glaze
These cranberry scones are practically begging for a drizzle of orange glaze. It adds a sweet, citrusy finish that pairs perfectly with the tart cranberries. But feel free to skip the glaze and sprinkle coarse sugar on top before baking instead. It gives the scones a lightly crunchy, sparkly crust that’s just as irresistible.
Make-Ahead Options
Want fresh-baked scones in the morning without lifting a finger? Shape the dough into a disc, slice it into wedges, then cover and refrigerate overnight. Brush with heavy cream just before baking. They’ll taste like you woke up at dawn to make them from scratch.
Or, to truly get ahead of the holiday chaos, freeze the scones before baking (my favorite make-ahead trick!). Shape and slice the dough, then freeze the wedges on a baking sheet until solid. Transfer to a freezer bag and freeze for up to 1 month. Bake straight from frozen, adding a few extra minutes to the bake time.
Storage and Freezing Instructions
These orange cranberry scones are at their absolute best the day they’re baked, but they’ll stay delicious for up to 2 days in an airtight container at room temperature. For longer storage, pop them in the fridge for up to 5 days.
To freeze baked scones: Skip the glaze, freeze the fully cooled scones on a baking sheet until solid, then transfer to a freezer bag for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temp, then drizzle with orange glaze before serving.
Drooling yet? Preheat your oven and raid your pantry for these impossibly light and flavor-packed glazed orange cranberry scones!
Ingredients
For the scones:
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 6 Tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cubed
- 1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries
- 3/4 cup heavy cream, plus more for topping
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 Tablespoons orange juice
- 1 Tablespoon orange zest
- Coarse sugar, optional
For the glaze:
- 1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
- 2 1/2 teaspoons orange juice
- 1 Tablespoon whole milk
- 1 1/2 teaspoons melted butter
- 1 1/2 teaspoons orange zest
Instructions
Make the scones:
- Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.
- Add the cubed butter to the bowl and using your fingers, work the butter into the flour until the mixture is the consistency of wet sand. Stir in the cranberries.
- In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the heavy cream, eggs, vanilla extract, orange juice and orange zest. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, gently folding the mixture together until a wet dough forms.
- Transfer the dough onto a generously floured work surface then shape it into an 8-inch circle that’s about 3/4-inch thick. Using a sharp knife, cut the dough into 8 wedges then arrange the wedges on the prepared baking sheet, spacing the scones at least 2 inches apart.
- Brush the tops of the scones with heavy cream, sprinkle with coarse sugar, then bake them for about 20 minutes or until they’re pale golden. Remove the scones from the oven and allow them to cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring them to a rack to cool completely.
- While the scones cool, make the glaze.
Make the glaze:
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the sifted confectioners’ sugar, orange juice, milk, melted butter and orange zest. (If the glaze is too thick, thin it with additional orange juice as needed.)
- Once the scones have cooled completely, drizzle them with the glaze and serve.
Kelly’s Notes
- Frozen cranberries: No need to thaw them—using frozen keeps the color from bleeding into the dough.
- If your kitchen is warm or the dough starts feeling sticky, pop the shaped scones into the fridge for 10–15 minutes before baking. Cold dough yields a better rise, a flaky center, and prevents spreading.
- Sprinkle coarse sugar on top before baking for a sparkly, crunchy finish.
- Make-ahead: Shape the dough, refrigerate overnight, and brush with cream right before baking.
- Freeze unbaked scones: Shape and slice the dough, then freeze the wedges on a baking sheet until solid. Transfer to a freezer bag and freeze for up to 1 month. Bake straight from frozen, adding a few extra minutes to the bake time.
- To store: These orange cranberry scones are at their absolute best the day they’re baked, but they’ll stay delicious for up to 2 days in an airtight container at room temperature. For longer storage, store them in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- To freeze baked scones: Skip the glaze, freeze the fully cooled scones on a baking sheet until solid, then transfer to a freezer bag for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temp, then drizzle with orange glaze before serving.
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Recipe adapted from King Arthur Flour.
love these!!the taste fantastic..
I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe, Dianne!
I made the following changes and it came out perfectly
1) used extra large eggs so I upped the flour to 2 3/4 c.
2) use 1c. Fresh chopped Cranberries or 3/4 cups dried cranberries but soaked them first in 1c. of boiling water for 15 minutes then drained & dried them with a paper towel before I added them to the recipe (this makes them more moist)
3) one third cup sugar
4) chill the dough for 30 minutes before cutting into triangles. This made it not necessary to use extra flour.
PS you can also use one teaspoon of frozen orange juice.
Thanks so much for your notes, Beth! I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe :)
Have you ever made these into mini scones? (Think Starbucks vanilla size) if so any adjustments to cook time?
Hi Renee! I haven’t made mini scones with this particular recipe, but it’d totally work. I’d follow the recipe exactly but shape them smaller and bake them for about 8 minutes (or start checking them around the 8-minute mark and continue baking as needed). Hope that helps!
I’m going to try making the mini scones as well. I love, love, love anything with orange and cranberries. One question…can I omit brushing them with the heavy cream?
Hi Cecelia – Brushing the tops of the scones with heavy cream results in a richer, darker crust, but feel free to omit that step!
There are very few things that I love more than a good, fresh scone and a cup of coffee in the morning. MUST try!
Same here, Karly! Enjoy :)