These Cranberry Orange Scones are eggless, flaky, tender, and buttery, with each bite full of juicy cranberries. They have a bright orange flavor and the perfect finishing touch of coarse sugar and orange glaze.
Cranberry Orange Scones are golden brown, with a crunchy exterior and soft and moist interior. They’re perfect for breakfast, especially on weekends and holidays!
Eggless Cranberry Orange Scones
Scones sound fancy, but they are easy to make. And I love the scones with fresh fruits and nuts; they are super tempting and irresistible.
However, certain things must be taken care of while making scones. Maintaining a cold temperature throughout the procedure is essential for flaky scones. If the dough is not cold enough before it goes to the oven, the scones will spread too much and become flat.
So, cold butter (out of the freezer) is necessary, and the milk and cream should also be cold from the refrigerator. Not only that, but after making the wedges from the dough, I placed them in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. And this extra step yields super flaky scones.
You should try this recipe even if you do not like fresh cranberries ( I also do not prefer eating them as they are). However, fresh cranberries taste amazingly delicious in these buttery scones or, in fact, in any other baked dessert.
Why You Will Love These Scones
- Cranberry Orange Scones are eggless and vegetarian.
- They are flaky, tender, and buttery.
- The scones have crunchy tops with soft and moist centers.
- They are bright with orange flavor.
- Each bite is full of cranberries.
- This recipe can be a delightful addition to breakfast or brunch.
Ingredients and Notes
- Flour: I have used unbleached, all-purpose flour, and I recommend it. Also, measure the flour correctly; excess flour may result in dense and crumbly scones.
- Sugar: The scones are sweeter with ½ cup of sugar. But if you want them less sweet, add ⅓ cup sugar.
- Baking Powder: Baking powder helps scones rise and makes them soft and fluffy.
- Salt: It adds contrast to the buttery and sweet flavor.
- Orange Zest: Adding orange zest provides a bright, refreshing flavor to the scones. It also goes amazingly well with cranberries. However, you can skip it or add lemon zest if you want.
- Butter: Use unsalted and freezer-cold butter. Cold butter is essential for flaky scones. Cut the butter into small cubes and place them back in the freezer until you use them. You can also grate cold butter instead of cutting it into cubes.
- Heavy Cream: Use 35% or higher fat cream to make these scones.
- Milk: Use whole or 2% fat milk, but not fat-free dairy.
- Cranberries: I have used fresh cranberries, but you can also use frozen (do not thaw) or dried cranberries. Also, I have halved the cranberries as I do not prefer whole berries in the scones. But you can skip chopping the cranberries into halves and instead use them whole.
- Toppings: I brushed the tops of the scones with cream and then sprinkled some coarse sugar on top. Milk can also be used instead of cream. However, topping is optional, and you can skip this step.
- Orange Glaze: To make this glaze, we need icing sugar and fresh orange juice. It provides extra orange flavor and sweetness to the scones. You can also make the sugar glaze by adding milk or cream to the sugar instead of orange juice. Or you can skip glazing the scones if you want.
How To Make Eggless Cranberry Orange Scones
Making The Dough
- Line the baking sheet with a silicon mat or parchment paper.
- Wash, dry, and cut the cranberries into halves.
- This step is optional; you can skip it and use whole cranberries.
- Cut the frozen butter into small pieces and return it to the freezer while you prepare the other ingredients.
- Mix cream, milk, and vanilla in a measuring cup or bowl. Set it aside.
- Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and orange zest in a large bowl.
- Add the frozen butter cubes to the flour mixture and combine them with a pastry cutter, two forks, or your clean fingers until the pea-sized crumbs form.
- Then add cranberries and mix gently to combine.
- Add wet ingredients and mix with a spatula until everything appears moistened and a crumbly dough forms.
- Pour the dough onto the clean and lightly floured surface.
- With floured hands, work the dough into a ball; however, do not knead the dough.
- Pat the dough ball into an 8-inch disc, and cut it into 8 wedges with a sharp knife or a bench scraper.
- Transfer the scones to the prepared baking sheet.
- Brush the scones with cream and sprinkle coarse sugar on the top.
- However, you can skip this step if you want.
Refrigerating or Freezing The Scones
- Place the baking sheet in the fridge or freezer for at least 30 minutes.
- If you do not have space for the baking sheet in the refrigerator or freezer, place the scones on the smaller plate and let them chill. Transfer them to the baking sheet right before baking.
Baking The Cranberry Orange Scones
- When you are ready to bake, preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
- Bake the scones for 22-26 minutes or until they are golden brown around the edges and on the top.
- Please note that the baking time may take a little more if you have frozen the wedges.
- Remove from the oven and allow them to cool down for a few minutes while you prepare the glaze.
Glazing The Scones
- Whisk the icing sugar and orange juice together in a small bowl.
- For a thicker glaze, add more icing sugar, and to keep it thinner, add more orange juice.
- When the scones are slightly warm, drizzle the glaze over the scones and serve.
Storing Suggestions
Store the scones at room temperature in an airtight container for two days.
You can also refrigerate them for up to five days. Then, reheat the scones in the microwave or oven before serving.
Baking Tips For Cranberry Orange Scones
Measuring: It is essential to measure the ingredients correctly. For the best results, use a kitchen scale if you have one. Adding too much flour will result in dry and crumbly scones. If you do not have a kitchen scale, fluff the flour with a spoon and then add it to the measuring cup with a spoon. Then, level it off with a knife.
Cranberries: I used fresh cranberries to make these scones. I also cut the cranberries into halves. That is an extra step, which you can skip and add the whole cranberries to the scones. You can also use the same amount of frozen cranberries without thawing them. If using dried cranberries, add ¾ cup of them.
Butter: For the best flaky scones, the butter should be cold, so we need frozen butter. I have cut the butter into small cubes, but you can grate the cold butter for easy mixing. After grating or cutting the butter, place it back in the refrigerator until the mixing time.
Dough: Do not overmix the dough. Once you combine the dry and wet ingredients, mix until just combined.
Chilling: It is essential to refrigerate the dough wedges to be cold before baking for at least 30 minutes. If you do not have enough time, freeze them for 15 minutes. But do not skip this step. If you do not have enough space for the baking sheet in your fridge or freezer, place the wedges on a smaller plate and transfer them to a baking tray before baking.
Freezing the Scones: You can freeze the scones in a freezer-safe bag or container. Do not glaze them; freeze them only when they are cooled to room temperature. To thaw, leave the scones in the fridge overnight or on the counter for a few hours. Then, reheat them in the microwave or oven, drizzle the glaze, and serve.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! If you use frozen cranberries, do not thaw them; use the same amount as the fresh ones. If you use dried cranberries, add ¾ cup of them. Also, if you have extra time, it is best to soak the dried cranberries in hot or warm water for 15-20 minutes. Then, drain them and allow them to dry completely before using them in the recipe. Soaking will make the dried cranberries plump, moist, and soft.
Yes, absolutely! If you do not prefer the scones with orange flavor, skip adding the zest. Also, add milk or cream to the icing sugar instead of orange juice to make a glaze. But instead of orange zest, you can also add lemon zest if you want.
To make the flaky scones, it is essential that the dough is cold before going into the oven. The butter should be frozen cold, and the milk and cream should be cold from the fridge. And while making the dough, these ingredients may start to come to room temperature. So, after cutting the dough into wedges, place them back into the fridge for at least 30 minutes. However, if your scones are still overspreading as they bake, remove them from the oven, press them back into shape using a rubber spatula, and continue baking.
You can make the dough the night before and store it tightly covered in the fridge. When ready to bake, cut the dough into wedges, brush with cream, and top with sugar. You can also make the scones in advance without glaze. They will stay in the fridge for up to five days. When serving them, reheat them in the oven or microwave. Then glaze them if you want and serve.
More Eggless Recipes
Recipe Card
Cranberry Orange Scones (Eggless)
Ingredients
For Cranberry Orange Scones
- 2 cups (240g) all-purpose flour
- ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 2½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoon orange zest
- ½ cup (113g) cup unsalted butter, frozen
- ½ cup (120ml) heavy cream, cold
- ¼ cup (60ml) milk, cold
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 cup (110g) fresh or frozen cranberries
Toppings (Optional)
- 1 tablespoon heavy cream
- Coarse sugar to sprinkle
For The Orange Glaze
- ½ cup (55g) icing sugar
- 1½ tablespoon orange juice (or as required)
Instructions
Making The Dough
- Line the baking sheet with a silicon mat or parchment paper.
- Wash, dry, and cut the cranberries into halves. However, you can skip the extra step of cutting the cranberries into halves and use whole.
- Cut the frozen butter into small pieces and place them back in the freezer while you prepare the other ingredients.
- Mix cream, milk, and vanilla in a measuring cup or bowl. Set it aside.
- Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and orange zest in a large bowl.
- Add the frozen butter cubes to the flour mixture and combine them into the flour mixture with a pastry cutter, two forks, or your clean fingers until the pea-sized crumbs form.
- Then add cranberries and mix gently to combine.
- Add wet ingredients to the dry and mix with a spatula until everything appears moistened and a crumbly dough forms.
- Pour the dough on the clean and lightly floured surface. With floured hands, work the dough into a ball; however, do not knead the dough.
- Pat the dough ball into an 8-inch disc, and with a sharp knife or a bench scraper, cut it into 8 wedges.
- Transfer the scones to the prepared baking sheet. Brush the scones with cream and sprinkle coarse sugar on the top.
Refrigerating or Freezing The Scones
- Place the baking sheet in the fridge for at least 30 minutes or in the freezer for 15 minutes. If you do not have space for the baking sheet in the refrigerator or freezer, place the scones on the smaller plate and let them chill.
- Then transfer them onto the baking sheet before baking.
Baking The Scones
- When you are ready to bake, preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
- Bake the scones for 20-25 minutes or until they are golden brown around the edges and on the top.
- Remove from the oven and allow them to cool down for a few minutes while you prepare the glaze.
Glazing The Scones
- Whisk the icing sugar and orange juice together in a small bowl. For a thicker glaze, add more icing sugar, and to keep it thinner, add more orange juice.
- When the scones are slightly warm, drizzle the glaze over the scones and serve.
Storing Suggestions
- Store the scones at room temperature in an airtight container for two days.
- Or refrigerate them for up to five days. Then, reheat the scones in the microwave or oven before serving.
Notes
- Measuring: It is essential to measure the ingredients correctly. For the best results, use the kitchen scale if you have one. For example, adding too much flour will result in dry and crumbly scones. If you do not have a kitchen scale, fluff the flour with a spoon and then add it to the measuring cup with a spoon. Then level it off with a knife.
- Cranberries: I have used fresh cranberries for making these scones. But you can use the same amount of frozen cranberries without thawing them. If using dried cranberries, add ¾ cup of them. Also, I have cut the cranberries into halves, but you can use whole cranberries.
- Butter: It should be cold for the best flaky scones, so we need frozen butter. I have cut the butter into small cubes, but instead, you can grate the cold butter for easy mixing. However, after grating or cutting the butter, place it back in the refrigerator until the mixing time.
- Dough: Do not overmix the dough. Once you combine the dry and wet ingredients, mix until just combined.
- Chilling: It is essential to refrigerate the dough wedges to be cold before baking for at least 30 minutes. Or freeze them for 15 minutes. If you do not have enough space in your fridge or freezer for the baking sheet, place the wedges on a smaller plate and then transfer them to a baking tray before baking.
- Freezing The Scones: You can freeze the scones in a freezer-safe bag or container. Do not glaze the scones; freeze them only when they are cooled to room temperature. To thaw, leave the scones in the fridge overnight or on the counter for a few hours. Then, reheat them in the microwave or oven, drizzle the glaze and serve.
Nutrition (Approximate Values)
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