Cranberry Orange Cream Scones
Flavored with orange zest and dotted with dried cranberries, these cranberry orange cream scones are an absolute dream for the holidays. Bright and buttery, with a soft tender crumb and sweet orange glaze, there’s no better breakfast for Christmas morning than a batch of warm scones. Recipe makes 14 scones.
Pile these scones on a platter and watch them disappear, or share them with friends and neighbors as you spread some holiday cheer. No matter how you enjoy these cranberry orange cream scones, you’ll find them scrumptious down to the last crumb.
How to Make Cranberry Orange Scones
Citrus – Sweet orange zest infuses the granulated sugar (orange sugar is so delicious!), and fresh orange zest and juice add brightness to the glaze.
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Make Scones – Combine sugar and orange zest in a food processor and pulse for 1 minute. Whisk together orange-sugar, flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon in a medium bowl; stir in dried cranberries. Drizzle 1 1/3 cups heavy cream over flour mixture and fold in just until flour is incorporated and a shaggy dough forms.
Shape and Chill Scones – Divide dough in half and turn out on a lightly floured board. Use lightly floured hands to pat each half into a 6-inch circle. Place the two circles of dough on prepared baking sheets and chill in the freezer for 20 minutes.
Divide into Wedges – Cut each circle into 7 wedges and pull the wedges slightly apart, leaving an inch between them. Brush wedges lightly with heavy cream and sprinkle with sugar.
Bake Scones – Bake for 16 to 17 minutes at 425°F, rotating baking sheets halfway through, until tops are set and edges are golden. Cool scones for 5 minutes on baking sheets, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
Orange Glaze – To make the glaze, whisk together melted butter, salt, fresh orange zest, fresh orange juice, and powdered sugar in a small bowl until smooth. Drizzle the glaze over scones and let set before serving.
Prefer muffins? Try my cranberry orange muffins!
Make Ahead Scones
To make the scones in advance, cut each circle of dough into wedges and cover and freeze overnight. The next day, brush scones with cream, sprinkle with sugar, and bake directly from the freezer, adding 1-2 minutes to baking time.
For longer storage, wrap frozen scones tightly with plastic wrap and transfer to a freezer bag until ready to use. Freeze unbaked scones up to 1 month for best texture.
More cranberry orange recipes you’ll love:
Did you try this Cranberry Orange Scone Recipe? Let me know by leaving a comment and rating below!
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Cranberry Orange Cream Scones
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 18 minutes
- Total Time: 38 minutes
- Yield: 14 scones
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
Description
Flavored with orange zest and dotted with dried cranberries, you’ll love these soft and tender cranberry orange cream scones drizzled with orange glaze! Recipe makes 14 scones.
Ingredients
Scones
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 2 Tbsp orange zest
- 3 cups flour
- 1 Tbsp aluminum free baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1 cup dried cranberries
- 1 1/3 to 1 1/2 cups cold heavy cream
Topping
- 1 Tbsp cold heavy cream
- 1 Tbsp sugar
Glaze
- 1 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 2 tsp fresh orange zest
- 2 Tbsp fresh orange juice
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar
Instructions
- Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Make scones: Combine sugar and orange zest in a food processor and pulse for 1 minute. Whisk together orange-sugar, flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon in a medium bowl; stir in dried cranberries. Drizzle 1 1/3 cups heavy cream over flour mixture and fold in just until flour is incorporated and a shaggy dough forms – if needed, add 2 more tablespoons cream.
- Divide dough in half and turn out on a lightly floured board. Use lightly floured hands to pat each half into a 6-inch circle. Place the two circles of dough on prepared baking sheets and chill baking sheets in the freezer for 20 minutes while preheating oven to 425°F.
- Cut each circle into 7 wedges and pull the wedges slightly apart, leaving an inch between them, and brush lightly with heavy cream and sprinkle with sugar.
- Bake scones for 16 to 17 minutes, rotating baking sheets halfway through, until tops are set, edges are beginning to turn golden, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool scones for 5 minutes on baking sheets before removing to a wire rack to cool.
- Make glaze: Whisk together melted butter, salt, orange zest and juice, and powdered sugar in a small bowl. Drizzle glaze over scones and and let set before serving.
- Store scones in an airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days; rewarm in a low oven or for 15 seconds in the microwave before serving.
Notes
Make ahead: Cut each circle of dough into wedges on baking sheet; cover and freeze overnight. Brush with cream, sprinkle with sugar, and bake directly from the freezer, adding 1-2 minutes to baking time.
Freeze unbaked scones: For longer storage, wrap frozen scones tightly with plastic wrap and transfer to a freezer bag until ready to use. Freeze unbaked scones up to 1 month for best texture.
Keywords: Cranberry, Orange, Cranberry Scones, Cream Scones
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These scones are divine! Soft, tender, and perfectly pillowy with a nice citrus flavor. I’ve made them ahead and they always bake up perfectly straight from the freezer too. Highly recommend this recipe!
★★★★★
Thank you for the great recipe, Laura! I made these scones yesterday and they were absolutely delicious! My kids loved this dessert very much and they say thank you!
Merry Christmas, Laura! I wish you and your family all the best!
★★★★★
Thank you so much, Annette! Merry Christmas! 🙂
These look delicious! Do you think you could use fresh cranberries instead of dried?
Thanks Katie! Fresh cranberries should work fine, your baking time will just be a bit longer and you also may want to bump up the sugar a bit. Hope that helps! 🙂
These look divine! I love the bright flavors of cranberry and orange, the perfect way to lighten up a delicious classic pastry!
Oh my word!! This is incredible Laura. I haven’t made scone in ages. I pinned it and I might make it this break.
Lovely!!
What a grand holiday brunch recipe! The classic pairing of cranberry and orange never looked better!
As a passionate lover of scones, I will have to try this recipe. I’ve never prepared them at home but your recipe is truly intriguing and a must try, Laura. What kind of flour do you use?
Thanks Agness! 🙂 I use all purpose flour.
These are the flavors of the holidays! Love them!
I won’t confess how many bags of cranberries I have in my freezer, but let’s just say, it’s more than 5 😉 So yes, I’ll be making these lovely scones for sure! Happy holidays, Laura!
I’m totally out of fresh cranberries, but my pantry is stocked and ready with a fresh bag of Craisins! I may treat myself to a batch this weekend! Merry Christmas, Laura, in case I’m not back before the holidays! xo
Cranberry orange is one of my favorite combos for muffins or scones! These have holiday brunch written all over them Laura! Hope you have a wonderful Christmas!