Bright, fresh, and just the right amount of sweet, these Orange Cranberry Scones are everything you want in a bakery-style treat. They’re buttery and tender inside with a golden, crisp edge and bursting with tart cranberries and vibrant citrus flavor. A simple sprinkle of sugar on top adds the perfect finishing touch. Whether you’re serving them for breakfast, brunch, or an afternoon snack, these scones come together easily and feel extra special every time.
By the way, if you’re looking at those and thinking, “That’s not a scone!”, I’ve been there. You can read about it here. You can also find a recipe for Utah scones here.
Ingredients Needed
- all-purpose flour
- sugar
- baking powder
- baking soda
- salt
- zest of 1 orange – I love my Microplane for this job!
- dried cranberries – like Craisins
- butter
- full-fat sour cream
- egg
- Silpat – (optional)
How to Make Orange Cranberry Scones
- Preheat oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet.
- Mix flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, orange zest, and cranberries.
- Grate frozen butter and mix into dry ingredients until crumbly.
- Whisk sour cream and egg, then mix into flour mixture until dough forms.
- Gently shape dough into an 8″ disc on a floured surface.
- Cut into wedges, separate, and place on the baking sheet.
- Sprinkle tops with sugar and bake 15–17 minutes, until golden.
- Cool before serving.
Storage & Other Tips
- Cool completely first: Allow scones to cool fully before storing to prevent sogginess.
- Room Temperature: Store in an airtight container for 1–2 days on the countertop.
- Refrigeration: Keep in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 1 week, which helps preserve texture and flavor .
- Freezing (up to 3 months): After cooling, wrap individually in plastic or parchment-lined layers, then freeze in bags or containers.
- Oven Reheat (best for crispness): Warm at 350°F for 5–10 minutes, tented with foil if needed to avoid over-browning.
- Microwave Quick Warm-Up: Heat in 15–20 second bursts to soften interior, though the exterior won’t crisp.
- Prep or freeze raw dough: Shape into discs, then chill or freeze before slicing and baking. Frozen dough can be baked straight from the freezer with a few extra minutes added.
- Flash-freeze baked scones: Freeze on a sheet until solid, then transfer to storage for best shape and texture retention.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! Just chop them roughly and consider adding a touch more sugar, since fresh cranberries are more tart than dried. Note, we have never tried it this way so we cannot guarantee results.
Frozen butter helps create that flaky, tender texture in scones. If you’re short on time, very cold butter from the fridge will still work—just handle it quickly!
Chill the cut scone wedges in the fridge or freezer for 15–30 minutes before baking. This helps them keep their shape.
Yes! You can prep and freeze the unbaked wedges, then bake straight from frozen—just add a few minutes to the bake time.
Orange Cranberry Scones
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour lightly spooned into measuring cups and leveled with a knife
- ⅓ cup sugar plus more for sprinkling on top
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt decrease to ¼ teaspoon if using salted butter
- zest of 1 orange I love my Microplane for this job!
- ½ cup cranberries dried, like Craisins
- 8 tablespoons butter
- ½ cup sour cream full-fat
- 1 egg large
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400. Place baking rack in the middle-low position. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the orange zest and cranberries and whisk together again. Grate the frozen butter (a food processor makes that job super easy, but you can also just do it on a regular box grater). Toss the grated butter into the flour mixture and combine it with your fingers until it resembles coarse meal. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the sour cream and egg. Drizzle it over the flour mixture and then toss the mixture together with a fork until everything appears moistened. Gently press the dough into a ball–it will take some time and some parts of the dough will be more moist than other parts, but continue pressing together until it forms a ball. Be careful not to overwork the dough or it will become tough.
- Lightly flour a surface (you can use the lined baking sheet if you want) and place the dough on top of the floured surface. Press into an 8″ disc and cut into equal wedges with a butter knife. Separate the wedges and place them evenly on the baking sheet.
- Lightly sprinkle the tops with reserved sugar. Bake in the preheated oven for 15-17 minutes or until lightly golden. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
Questions & Reviews
I love this receipe! It’s spring time so I exchanged the christmassy orange and cranberry for a lighter lemon and poppy seed. Yum! I also made a little bit of lemon glaze to drizzle on top. I can’t wait to experiment with more flavors.
Yum! Cranberry and orange is my favorite! Would I be able to use fresh cranberries? Or would that change the consistency? Thanks!
I haven’t tried them using fresh cranberries—you’d need to chop them and then toss them in a couple tablespoons of flour (and maybe a bit of sugar) to soak up the extra moisture. Definitely something to experiment with (but not on Christmas morning, just in case! ?)
That is an awesome recipe! I haven`t tried it just yet, buy I`m sure that it will be a yummy!!!! Could you please tell me if I can change orange zest for tangerines zest?
Sure! You might need to use 2-3 tangerines depending on how big they are.
Yaaassss! I am feeling it this week too. It’s been crazy! My oldest had not one, but two sports team Christmas parties last night and of course he got bags of candy and treats at both of them. I am trying hard to keep some normalcy and routine this week even though it is busier than normal. Yesterday I made this simple slow cooker chicken dinner (https://www.homeecathome.com/the-home-economist/easy-one-pot-slow-cooker-chicken-dinner?fbclid=IwAR1Zzntyw_Pl6QBatiaTUeJ1R7Kr_P2eSn_bB1-_6UAndcRzadDiKG0dNWA) only I used sweet potatoes instead of russet potatoes. All I did was put chicken, peeled, chunked sweet potatoes, and carrots in the slow cooker on low with fresh ground salt and pepper. It was delicious and we had a nice dinner on a crazy busy day. We only had about 30 minutes between activities to sit down as a family, but we still had family dinner.
Cancel your non urgent medical appointments. Reschedule in January or February when you will be bored anyway (comparatively). You can do this. Good luck!
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