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These Easy Orange Cranberry Scones are melt-in-your-mouth delicious and can be made ahead. Pop them in the oven just before serving, for easy entertaining!
I've been anxiously waiting for oranges and cranberries to appear at the market. I had the idea a while ago for a recipe for some easy orange cranberry scones and couldn't wait to try it out. I knew they would be easy and delicious because I was basing it on my Maple Pecan Scones recipe and that's been such a winner both here at The Café as well as with you, our readers.
If you check out the comments on the Maple Scone post you'll see how everyone who's tried this recipe has been super impressed with the delicious results. The recipe involves a magical (and ridiculously easy) technique that eliminates one of the more time consuming aspects of making scones. If you're familiar with our other ridiculously easy scone and biscuit recipes, feel free to skip the explanation below. If you're new here, you won't believe how easy it is and what fabulous results it brings.
This is how it works. About 15 minutes before mixing up your scones, you'll place a cup of cream in the freezer to get really cold. You'll also melt a stick of butter (I do this in the microwave, but it can also be done on the stovetop) and let it cool a bit.
During the 15 minutes, stir together your dry ingredients in a mixing bowl and add chopped cranberries and orange zest. Then, pull the cream out of the freezer and combine it with the melted butter.
As you stir this mixture with a fork you'll see the magic occur, right before your very eyes. As the slightly warm butter meets the cold, cold cream, little globules of butter are suspended in the cream. This mixture is then combined with the dry ingredients which has the same effect as the traditional method of "cutting the butter into the flour. It forms little pockets of butter in the dough which expand when baked and forms flaky, buttery layers of deliciousness. See what I mean? Magical!
These easy orange cranberry scones are drop scones. That means there's no rolling, kneading or cutting involved. You simply mix up the dough and drop scoops of it onto a baking pan. So, so easy! Ridiculously easy!
The best way to chop cranberries
The only thing that can be a little tricky about this recipe is chopping the cranberries. Fresh cranberries are delicious but biting into a whole cranberry in a muffin or scone can be a little too much. Chopping them helps distribute the flavor throughout the scones. But chopping something that's small, round and firm can be difficult. The little round balls like to go flying everywhere but on the chopping board!
So what's the secret? There are two easy ways to chop cranberries. One is with a mini-chopper or food processor. Just throw them in, pulse a few times and you're done. I prefer to use my Vidalia Chop Wizard. I just put a handful of cranberries on the cutting grid, bring the top down in contact with the berries and give it a good firm whack. Voila! Nicely chopped cranberries.
I love my Vidalia Chopper. It's a little kitchen workhorse and timesaver for me and it's compact and easy to store between uses. I use it for chopping carrots, onions, potatoes, celery, squash, apples, pears and so much more. The bowl (base) of the chopper has measuring marks so you can measure your chopped fruits or veggies as you go.
I replace my Vidalia chopper every few years as the blades get dull or it just wears out from so much use (or you might say, abuse). But they're reasonably priced and definitely worth it. Here's a collage of the chopper in action, chopping an onion.
If you don't have a food processor and don't want to invest in a chopper, I would suggest cutting each cranberry in half and then chopping them with a sharp chef's knife. Halving them prevents the round berries from flying all over your kitchen.
These easy orange cranberry scones have a double dose of delicious orange flavor. There's bright, vibrant tasting orange zest in the scones and fresh orange juice in the simple three-ingredient glaze. You'll need one plump, juicy orange which are beginning to show up right now at the market. I like to use navel oranges as they're sweet and don't have any seeds, but any good orange will work.
Got some company coming? That's one of the best things about these scones. They can be made ahead and popped into the freezer before baking. When it's time for a nice breakfast or brunch with family or friends, they can go right from the freezer to the oven. No one will know that you weren't up at the crack of dawn, slaving over homemade scones!
Café Tips for making these Ridiculously Easy Orange Cranberry Scones
- I like to use a cookie scoop for portioning out these scones. It helps to make them consistent in shape and size. Most of the time, I use a #16 scoop, which holds 4 tablespoons of dough - a perfect size scone! You could also use a large spoon to make mounds of dough. If I want larger scones, I use a one-third cup ice cream scoop (#12).
- I spray my cookie scoop with a non-stick cooking spray, which makes scooping up the scones really easy.
- I like to refrigerate my scones for at least 10-15 minutes before baking. This helps them to keep their shape in the oven. If you want to make them further in advance, that's fine too. They can be refrigerated for several hours before baking. Any longer than that, I would pop them in the freezer.
- If fresh cranberries aren't available, you can make this recipe with dried cranberries. Use ¾ cup, though, as dried cranberries are more concentrated.
- This batter is quite thick. You'll want a sturdy spatula or wooden spoon to stir it. At first, it might seem like all the flour mixture will not be incorporated, but keep going. All of a sudden it will be all mixed in. Don't be tempted to add more liquid.
- If your cream mixture doesn't form the "clumps", your cream probably wasn't cold enough. You can stick the whole mixture in the freezer for another 5-8 minutes, then stir with a fork, and you should see the clumps.
- You don't want to overmix scone dough. That being said since these scones don't get kneaded, be sure to make sure all of the flour at the bottom of the bowl is incorporated into the dough before scooping up the scones.
- In lieu of the orange glaze, these scones would also be delicious drizzled with the Maple Glaze from this post.
- You can make these scones several hours ahead of time. Just scoop them up onto your sheet pan, cover them with plastic wrap and pop the whole tray into the refrigerator. When ready to bake, transfer to the oven and bake as directed. They may take a minute or two longer.
- You can also make these Orange Cranberry Scones and freeze them, unbaked. Pull as many as you want out of the freezer and bake as directed, adding a few extra minutes to the total baking time. You want to look for a pretty golden brown color.
Thought for the day:
So we fix our eyes not on what is seen,
but on what is unseen,
since what is seen is temporary,
but what is unseen is eternal.
2 Corinthians 4:18
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Ridiculously Easy Orange Cranberry Scones
Ingredients
For the scones:
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 8 tablespoons butter
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 6 tablespoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- zest of 1 orange
- 1 ¼ cups chopped fresh cranberries
For the glaze:
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon milk or half and half
- 3 tablespoons fresh orange juice, maybe a bit more
Instructions
- For the scones:
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper (you'll need 2 sheet pans for smaller scones). Set an oven rack on the middle level of the oven.
- Measure 1 cup heavy cream and place in the freezer while proceeding with the recipe. (You want the cream to be in the freezer for about 10 minutes.) Place butter in a microwave-safe bowl, cover with a paper towel and heat on high for 1 minute. If not completely melted, return to microwave for 10-second intervals till melted. Set aside to cool a bit while prepping other ingredients.
- Whisk flour, baking powder, sugar, zest and salt in a medium-size bowl. Add the chopped cranberries (see the note above in the post on chopping cranberries) and stir to combine.
- After heavy cream has been chilled in the freezer for 10-15 minutes, combine it with the melted butter. Stir with a fork until butter forms small clumps or globules.
- Add butter/cream mixture to dry ingredients and stir with a rubber spatula until all flour is incorporated and batter pulls away from sides of the bowl. The batter will be very thick, like cookie dough. Don’t over mix it, but you do want all the little flour bits to be incorporated.
- Spray a cookie scooper (see notes above) or large spoon with non-stick cooking spray. Scoop up scones in mounds onto prepared pan. Space the scones at least 2-inches apart to allow for some spreading.
- Refrigerate scones for at least 15 minutes or up to an hour. If you don’t have room for 2 sheet pans in your refrigerator, put them all on one to chill. Then separate before baking.
- Bake for 20-22 minutes or until light golden brown. Transfer to a wire cooling rack.
- For the glaze:
- While the scones are baking, make the orange glaze. Combine the powdered sugar, milk (or half and half) and orange juice in a medium-size bowl. Whisk well until smooth to make a thick, but drizzle-able glaze. (If the glaze is too thin, add a bit more powdered sugar, if too thick add add a little more cream.)
- Drizzle glaze over scones. If you can wait, let scones sit for 15 minutes to let glaze set before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
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I love these scones. But right now I don’t have any fresh cranberries. Can I use frozen and will I have to thaw them before I put them in with the scones?
Hi Tammy, Yes - you can substitute frozen cranberries for these scones. We recommend using them frozen, as thawing them would introduce too much liquid. Just chop the frozen cranberries and add them to the flour. Hope these turn out well for you!
Great recipe! Yielded 15 for me. I added diced, dried oranges with the cranberries.
Thanks for the great review, Vicki! So glad to hear how well these scones turned out for you, and your addition of dried oranges sounds delicious! We appreciate you taking the time to let us know how much you enjoyed this recipe!
I have made the lemon poppyseed scones many many times and also the plain ones. This was my first time making the cranberry orange ones and I followed everything to a T besides doing the dried cranberry substitution and even a little less than suggested, but they came out flat like really thin cookies! 😩
I have another pan in the fridge waiting to be baked but I need these for an event and I already wasted 15 scones from the first batch. What did I do wrong or why did these not turn out compared to the lemon poppyseed and plain? (Only the looks, the taste and texture is phenomenal)
Hi Kristi, So sorry to hear about your scones not rising - that's so frustrating, and especially when they were meant for an event! The first possibility that comes to mind is whether your baking powder could be expired (to test it, mix 1 teaspoon of baking powder into 1/3 cup of very hot water. If it bubbles and fizzes immediately, it's still active. If there is little to no reaction, the baking powder is old and needs to be replaced). If your baking powder is fresh, the next possibility is that you might have inadvertently either under-measured the flour or over-measured the liquid. We hope you'll try this recipe again and have great success - please let us know if we can help with any more questions!
Would it work to exchange the orange for lemon instead? I LOVE your Cheddar biscuit recipe!!! Can't wait to try the scones.
Hi Lisa, Sure - swapping the orange for lemon will work! We also have a lemon blueberry scone recipe here. Hope this recipe turns out well for you - Enjoy!
I noticed there’s cornstarch in the cherry chocolate recipe. Should I add it to this one too? They sure do have a nice texture and love the butter hack!
Hi Lisa, you’re very observant. I’m forever trying to improve my recipes and have discovered that cornstarch does give the scones a bit more tenderness, and it also helps them hold their shape. So, although it’s not absolutely necessary, it works well to add a little cornstarch to any scone recipe!
A possible correction: the metric button gives 6 tablespoons granulated sugar as 88.72 g. Assuming the Café uses a 1 cup to 200g conversion, my math thinks those 6 tablespoons should equal 75g. Full disclosure (and caveat pistor) : I spent half of my 11th grade summer in "math camp".
Hi John, I'm wondering if you also spend a summer in "diplomat camp". You are always so kind and gracious in your comments and "possible corrections". I did rerun the calculations on that recipe and you are correct about the sugar. I think my recipe plugin may be getting more accurate! But thanks for the heads-up, I have ammended the recipe to reflect that correct calculation. 🥰
I know browsers and web sites watch you from site to site and analyze what you read to see if they can sell you something that really "fits" (as it were) what you appear to want or need, and I know I'm an old man with a recent penchant for baking, and eating too much of /what I bake. But I'm tempted to feel that all the ads I'm suddenly seeing on your scones pages for "Senior Bras" are just a bit too on the nose, and perhaps even leaning "TMI", and my grandlings would say. Or if it's someone's clever way of suggesting I spend too much time on the Café Sucre Farine recipe pages, well, then ... tough! I'm here to stay.
Oh my, I'm so sorry you had this experience, John. I will check on this!
Can I use 1/2 & 1/2 instead of cream?
Hi Karen, you can substitute 1/2 and 1/2, but the results will be different, more biscuit-like than the melt-in-your-mouth scone texture.
Outstanding! My guests were eating 2 or 3 at a time. Will be making these again and again. Thank you Chris for this recipe!
Hi Norma, So glad to hear that the recipe worked well for you and was a hit with your guests! Thanks so much for the kind words. Enjoy!
can these be formed into triangles for baking instead of using a cookie scoop?
Hi Ki, yes, that will work!
Wow! These are probably the best scones I have every had. Easy, buttering and very flavorful.
Awesome! Thanks for the review, Dawn!
Hello Chris 🙂
I've make your scone recipes in past, delicious! I would like to try making them this time in the triangular shape using this method, could you please advise as to the changes required to amke them this way. Thank you very much, in advance Chris. As always, your recipes, and amazing photo shots are so inspiring!! 🙂
So glad to hear that, Patricia! You can follow the directions in this recipe- https://thecafesucrefarine.com/ridiculously-easy-sugar-top-scones/
It’s my kid’s favorite! We all loved it, and it’s definitely our go-to recipe. I’m going to swap the cranberries with blueberries and see how it tastes.
That's great, Meha! Thanks for the review. We do have a blueberry version here- https://thecafesucrefarine.com/ridiculously-easy-lemon-blueberry-scones/
I've always shied away from using fresh cranberries for baked goods because they're so tart/bitter but I'm willing to give these a try. What are your thoughts on using dried cranberries for this recipe?
Hi Beverly, I think dried cranberries would also work! I would use less though since they're more concentrated.
I didn't think anything could be better than the lemon raspberry scones, but I was wrong. The orange cranberry scones are heavenly. The recipe is so easy to follow. Looks like I will have to try all the other scone recipes, but not sure they can be any more delicious than these two.
So glad you enjoyed these, Teri!
Hey the scone recipe was fantastic! I was wondering if I could omit the cranberry and orange ingredients and addd different flavorings like berry or lemon poppy seed?
Hi Sarah, thanks so much for your kind review. Yes, there are a zillion different variation options. You can check out some of our favorites here: https://thecafesucrefarine.com/?s=scones
I don’t have ant heavy cream can half n half be substituted for heavy cream?
Hi Terry, you can use half and half although the scones won't be as tender and melt-in-your-mouth-ish.
what size cookie scoop did you use for the 13 minutes? I am going to try these for a shower and think the 4 tbsp might be too big for this event. Thank you!
Hi Robyn, I did use a 4 tablespoon scoop but you can definitely make them smaller, just check them at 10 minutes and see how they look. You'll probably need an extra minute or two.
I love these scones! I made these for my grandmas birthday and now she requests them for Christmas. I personally love the glaze,and how it just melts away on my tongue. Five stars for sure!
Thanks so much, Isla!
I made these scones last night, and froze them, to take them to my daughter's after Christmas. However, this morning I decided I had better try them - they were delicious, very light and fluffy! I did not glaze them, and thought they were perfect without the glaze.
Wonderful! Thank you for the review, Elizabeth!
Hi there, I know this recipe recommends for you to chop your cranberries, but is it okay to use whole fresh cranberries in this recipe instead of chopping them up?
Hi Nikki, you could use whole cranberries. However, they're quite tart and chopping them distributes the flavor instead of big bites of tart cranberry.
I tried almost all of the scone recipes and they all turned out wonderful. I found with this recipe that the dough must’ve been too moist because the scones spread out like crazy when I was baking them. I had refrigerated them as instructed in the recipe. I wonder should I try to squeeze water out of the cranberries? Should I maybe had added more flour! Please advise because I plan on making the cranberry orange ones again before Christmas.
Hi Carol, the moisture content of flour and butter can vary so spreading can sometimes be a problem. If the dough seems wetter when you're finished mixing, just add a little extra flour. If the cranberries are fresh and nice and firm you shouldn't have to squeeze the moisture from them.
Absolutely delicious! Shared the reci]e with my family! Thanks!
Awesome! Thanks for the review, Kay!
Once I found and tried this recipe my family and I were hooked. Every time I have some extra heavy cream, I'll make a batch I don't even have to ask if anyone wants one. SIMPLY AMAZING!!! Thanks you!!
That's great, Catherine! Thank you for the review!
These scones are so light and flakey! I love the method of chilling the cream and mixing the butter to make more cold fat layers to create the flakyness! I live at an elevation of 6100 ft. Baking requires adjustments! I reduced the sugar slightly and used 1 cup of dried cranberries. I put the scones in the freezer 10 min prior to baking. I set my oven to 400 degrees, but realized at about the 10 minute mark of baking the oven was at 350 degrees! I think because of the cold pan I put in the oven! So I increased the oven to 425 degrees for the last 10 minutes. I originally set the time for the 22 minutes baking because of the high altitude, but I took them out 2 minutes early because they looked golden brown. I did not put the glaze on them, but rather brushed with cream and sprinkled sanding sugar on them prior to putting them in the freezer. So good!
One last thing, many scone recipes use an egg to bind the dough. After trying this recipe, the egg really makes the dough dense and more cake like! These scones are the best and I believe its because of the cold cream and butter mixture.
Thank you for your review, Kathy. So glad you enjoyed these!
Thank you for this recipe. It's one of the best things I've eaten. Absolutely insanely delicious!! *****
Awesome! Thank you for the review, Bonnie!
Thanks for the suggestion. I'll make a note.
I found the promise of this recipe, "rediculously easy," to be true, and I'm a 75-year-old male, new to baking. Couldn't find fresh, so I used dried cranberries, which I had re-hydrated. Only complaint: my scones were quite crumbly. I am eager for suggestions, as I am eager to bake a new batch.
Hi Sid, so so happy you enjoyed this recipe and had good success with it. Regarding the scones being crumbly, you might want to try, stirring a little more time to make sure all the flower is incorporated into the dough.
These look absolutely amazing, I am thinking of them for a bridal brunch, however since I need quite a few can they be made in advance and frozen? If I can freeze them, how would I warm them without drying them out. Would you recommend glazing them the day of instead of before freezing? Suggestions please
Hi Cheryl, we like to make them and then freeze them unbaked. Then bake from frozen. You will just need a couple extra minutes so keep an eye on them. Then you can glaze them like normal. Enjoy!
I’ve made these several times now and they’ve been a huge success. Instead of scooping them, I poured the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, shaped it in to disc and cut into wedges. Instead of icing them, just before baking I brushed them with heavy cream and sprinkled them with course sugar (I’d call it finishing sugar but that’s probably not the right term). They’ve turned out beautifully. This is my go to recipe moving forward.
Also, I used 3/4 cup of dried cranberries instead of fresh. I soaked them in very hot water for about 10 minutes and then laid them on paper towel to get rid of some of the moisture.
Wonderful! Thank you for the review, Sue!
Made these this morning. Great! I realized the cranberries were fresh and I only had a few dried and a few currants. Hate it when people change the recipe but I wanted to make these. They are so good I think I will used dried next time. Can’t wait to try the others. Susie
Thanks for the review, Susie!
Can you use frozen whole cranberries and same amount as called for?
Hi Richard, yes you could definitely use frozen cranberries. I would not thaw them much at all though as there would be too much liquid. Just chop them and add them to the flour.
Thanks for the quick response! I will definitely make these soon 😋
If I don't want whole frozen cranberries, as you suggested above, do you think it would work if I defrosted, then chopped them, allowing them to drain in a colander, before patting dry & adding to the dry ingredients? Thanks so much!
Yes, that will work, Terry. Enjoy!
I wish I could post a picture of what my scones looked like! Not like the picture but they were delicious. It was my fault as I was so excited to try them I didn’t fully read the recipe. Mostly I picked this recipe because of the words easy, and cranberries! I have since reread all the recipe, and the helpful hints, and I am going to try them again. Even my grandkids loved the cranberries!
Thanks for your review, Sue! So glad you enjoyed these!
These scones are delicious!!! I love these since they are moist and so flavorful! I substituted coconut cream since I don’t use heavy cream. I made two batches and have one in the freezer for next weekend. Thank you for the recipe.
Awesome! Thanks for your review, Sharda!
These were amazing! I added chopped pecans to mine. I do have a question about storage. I placed them in an airtight container in the fridge, when they came to room temperature, they began to get soft and damp feeling. How should these be stored?
Thanks, Lori! These really are best on the first day you make them. You can freeze them baked or unbaked if you need them to last longer.
This recipe was so wonderful, I felt compelled to rate it! The instructions are crystal clear. Follow them and this recipe will turn out! I loved the method of mixing melted butter with cold cream. A refreshing change from cutting butter into flour, plus I think it made a very good scone texture. I used a small cookie scoop so baked for only 13 min., and they turned out looking gorgeous! Once topped with the glaze, they are the most delicious little bites ever! They were good warm or at room temp, and were even still moist and delicious the next day. Thanks for a truly great recipe.
Wonderful! Thanks for your review, Sally!
Gonna make these for Thanksgiving morning breakfast! I can't wait!! Also I appreciated the Bible verse at the end. I absolutely love when I find biblical encouragement even in food!!
So happy to hear that, Emily! Happy Thanksgiving!
These look amazing - and easy as you said. Would love the labels. Thanks
Hi Sheila, we do not have labels for this recipe at this time.
Could these scones be make with gluten free all purpose flour?
Hi Camilla, yes all of our biscuit and scone recipes work well with AP GF flour!
sorry, Like the orange cranberry scones
Made these scones for a gift and they loved them! I was wondering if i could use the scoop method for these scones , linde the ornage cranberry scones?
Thank you and Happy Holidays
Hi Kathleen, yes the scoop method will work. Enjoy!
My daughter just came back from Michigan and brought me fresh cranberries, I used them in this recipe and they were absolutely delicious, thank you for another wonderful recipe.
Awesome! Thank you for letting us know, Monica!
These are yummy and easier to whip up than a ‘traditional’ scone recipe. That said, I found the texture to be a bit different from a traditional scone… maybe a tad more dense? But still a lovely treat!
Thanks for your review, Pris.
So delicious! I ate two right away. I used frozen cranberries and gave them a rough chop with my Pampered Chef chopper.
Haha! Been there, done that! Thanks for sharing your review, Shelly!
I would like to make these but add pistachios. How would you suggest adding pistachios to the mix in order that they will still turn out good? I am chomping at the bit to try this recipe but I really love the cranberry pistachio flavor with the orange hint! Thank you in advance!
Hi Cassie, I would just chop them and add them with the cranberries. Enjoy!
They are delicious, moist & easy to make. I used frozen cranberries, semi thawed , used my mini food chopper. I then put chopped cranberries in between several paper towels & patted moisture out of them. I have used many of your recipes with great success.
That's great, Judy! Thanks for letting us know.
These are so easy! I had made cranberry (fresh) and orange relish for Thanksgiving. I put the cranberries and 1quartered whole orange and 1/2 C sugar in food processor and ground. Had a little left over so I used a cup of that in your recipe. Best scones we ever tasted. Using the cold cream and melted butter is so much easier!!! SO-- I decided to try cheese scones! I left out the sugar and added 1 1/2 Cups shredded xtra sharp chedar and 1/2 tsp. garlic powder!! For Christmas brunch!! I should have made 3 batches. So,so good!!! Making more this weekend.
I would give these 10 stars!!
That's awesome, Carol! Thank you for letting us know!
If I wanted to make mini or smaller scones, how long would they need to bake? I am terrible at "guestimating" times 🤔
Hi Marcia, I haven't tested this recipe with mini scones but I would check them after 10-12 minutes and then every minute or so after that until they are a nice light golden brown.
This sounds like a great recipe - thank you. I scrolled through the other questions to see if you'd answered whether the scone can be patted out to a round and cut in to pie serving shapes? How would it affect the baking time? Thanks!
You can definitely do that! The baking time will be similar, just bake until golden.
I made these twice already. Both times delicious taste, just the second time they came out not as puffy as they should, rather flat. I kept them in refrigerator for more than 15 minutes before putting them in the oven. Do you have any idea what I did wrong?
Hi Ewa, honestly, it's difficult to say why they were flat without having been right there in the kitchen with you.
Just finished baking a batch of these this morning and having one. They are simply delicious! I have also made the Lemon Blueberry and the Maple Pecan flavors. My husband loves the lemon blueberry and up until now, that has been his favorite. Today he said, “Wow, these are good! I think they be best ones you’ve made yet!”. 😊 I made a batch of the Lemon Blueberry scones for an auction and they went for $36 a dozen! Thank you, Chris, for all of your ridiculously easy and delicious recipes! They make us cooks look great!! I hope you and your family have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
I love that, Glinda! Thank you for taking the time to leave such a kind and thoughtful comment 🙂
I have made these several times, with good results. Wondering if half and half can be substituted for the heavy cream, when I don’t have any heavy cream on hand.
Hi Eileen, the results will be different with half and half, more biscuit-like than the melt-in-your-mouth scone texture.
Hi Eileen, they will be delicious but more like biscuits than scones.
I want to make these for a bake sale. Can I make them the day before? How long will they keep?
Hi Gail, these are really best the day they're made but you could make the dough, freeze it in scoops then bake on the morning of the sale. They keep for a few days but, as I said, they're best on the first day.
Gail I make them, cool them and freeze them(minus the glaze). Before cooking I sprinkle a wee bit of sugar on top because I won’t be using a glaze. When I want a scone I simply remove it from the freezer and either put it in a 250 degree oven for a few minutes till thawed, or use my microwave thawing feature. Watch them tho in either case so they just defrost and don’t cook. I call them”scones on demand.”
Thanks, Nancy!
I have made these countless times for residence where I work in the bistro and they fly off the shelf. I don’t use the glaze at all. Honestly, don’t think you need it just sprinkle some raw sugar on top before baking. These scones are as good two or three days later as they are the day they are baked in my opinion! One of my favorite and easiest recipes and well loved by everyone. I have made a few different variations using different fruits and they’re all delicious.
Thank you, Diane!
I agree, mine are now on day 4 (in a sealed container) and still soft and yummy!
Thanks, Cheryl!
I made these this morning and they are delicious! Will be making again. Used frozen cranberries and chopped by hand, probably the most time consuming part of the recipe for me. Butter hack was the best!
Wonderful! Thanks, Cheryl!
I LOVE your scone recipes, have made several of them but prefer the cranberry orange. Was hoping you'd have one for pumpkin scones as I had some leftover pumpkin from a dog biscuit recipe and not wanting to use one that grates butter. Not finding one, I used the cranberry orange recipe, reduced the cream by 1/8 cup, stirred in 1/3 cup pumpkin puree after the butter was mixed in and added 3 T flour, 1 T cornstarch, and 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice to the dry mix along with the orange zest . Reduced the chopped cranberries and added some dried currants. Used a 2 T scoop instead of 4 T and got 22 scones. They turned out delicious! Next time, I'll leave out the orange zest and juice from the glaze as it is a bit overpowering but still good. Thank you for your easy butter into cold cream idea.
That's great, Deb! Thanks for letting us know!
There are ads that won’t close in multiple places of your instructions. I hope they clear up, from the ingredients it looks great
Hi Aimee, I have reported this, you should be able to close any ad. Let me know if you continue to have any problems with this.
Just made black currant scones using this recipe! Omitted the orange zest and substituted 3/4 C. dried and reconstituted (soaked in hot water a few minutes, then drained) black currants for the cranberries. They were fantastic!
I froze the unbaked scones. To bake, popped them, frozen, into a 400 degree oven for 20 minutes. (I think my oven runs hot). They were delicious!
I love this method of combining the cold cream and lukewarm butter. Thank you for another winner, Chris!
Thank you for taking the time to leave such a nice review, Victoria! So glad you enjoyed these 🙂
I'm going to try these as soon as I get oranges.
I tried the Lemon Raspberry scones from your site and they were great.
Thanks for the get recipes.
I'm so glad, Mary!
Do you use salted or unsalted nutter for the scones?
Would like to make these today. Thank you.
I use salted, Judy but just use what you have.
Wow...don't know what nutter is but you understand.
Thank you for reply.
🙂
I would love to try your recipe but add some white chocolate chips to the mix. How much by weight would I add.
I would start with about 3 ounces, Diselle.
I love scones, both the making and the eating, but have only used the tedious method of cutting the butter into the flour mix. Have used your recipe and method three times and it is a real break-through in the art of scone making. The fresh cranberries were wonderful and I'm wondering if I can use frozen berries. Will they cut while still frozen? I made and froze the last batch and can take a few out at a time to bake. You are a genius!!
I'm so glad you are enjoying these, Ginger! Frozen berries will work as well. I love this method too!
Dear Chris, I having a Ladies Tea for my residents in an assisted living facility and would love to make some mini scones from your ridiculously easy scone recipes. Because of my schedule, I was wondering if these could be baked, then frozen until a couple of hours before the tea? Thank you, I love your site, recipes, and scriptures!
Hi Margaret, thanks for your kind words.
Yes, you can freeze these after you bake them but you can also make them and freeze them, unbaked. Then just pop them in the oven, right from the freezer. Give them a few extra minutes in the oven and they turn out fantastic!
More delicious than local bakery & so easy! Have made for residents at a very wealthy independent retirement home I work at & several have asked me to “sub” work out so they can keep these in their freezer all the time! Thank you!
That's awesome, Diane! Thanks for letting us know!
LOVE!!!! I will never go back to cutting in the flour. This method was so easy and perfect.
Yay! Thanks, Karen!
Love this recipe so much! Easy enough for those who might be intimidated by baking, too.
Today, I subbed blueberries for the cranberries and lemon for the orange and it still worked well. This will be one of my go to recipes, for sure!
Thanks!
Awesome, Holly! Thanks for sharing your results!
Made these following the exact directions.... including a bit more orange zest.....except tried cranberries. They were perfectly moist and delivered a great combination flavor of sweet and tart. Everyone loved them...... Y'all are the best...wish I could post a picture.......thank you.
Awesome! Thanks so much for letting us know, Paul!
This was the best orange cranberry scone recipe that I have ever made. I love that it did not need an egg. I used a fresh orange from my tree and dried cranberries, chopped roughly, they were like candy sweet and chewy. Thank you for your recipe! It will be in my favorite Christmas recipe file.
Yay! Thanks so much, Rosemary!
I made these after making the lemon blueberry scones. They've all turned out really nice having never made scones before. The trick with the melted butter poured into the super cold heavy cream has worked every time. I used mandarin type tangelo oranges. For the glaze instead of orange juice I used squeezed tangelo juice. I made the dough and freezed them over night. I placed the unbaked pre-made scones between wax paper in a Ziploc bag to freeze. How do you guys place your scones in the freezer? I am enjoying a number of your recipes!
Hi Bob, so glad to hear you are enjoying the recipes! We like to freeze the scones on a baking sheet with parchment. Once they are frozen then we transfer them to a ziplock bag.
Made these this morning and they were absolutely amazing!!!! Even more delicious and tender than the apple ones I tried a few weeks ago!! Hubby was in sugar heaven! And, fresh cranberries (chopped in food processor) worked just fine and gave a lovely tart counterpoint.
Awesome! Thanks for letting us know, Vicki!
This recipe has epically failed both times when using fresh cranberries. By epic fail I mean they totally spread out flat, almost like a cookie. The first time I assumed they didn't chill long enough so the second time they chilled in the fridge over night. Still flat. I was determined to make this work because the idea is so clever. I was out of cranberries, so I used craisins instead. Then I got an absolutely perfect scone! I don't know if there's just not enough flour for the moisture in fresh cranberries? But other people had success. Adding more flour kept them from flattening, but then they didn't taste so good. So, craisins all the way for me from now on.
Hi Karen, so sorry you had trouble with this recipe. It’s difficult to say what went wrong without having been right there in the kitchen with you. I have only made this recipe with fresh cranberries and have had good results.
My first time making scones and these were VERY good! A little crispy on the outside with just the right amount of sweetness. I used dried cranberries since I had them on hand. I did not make the full amount of glaze. I used 1/2 cup powdered sugar, some fresh orange juice and a little cream & it was plenty for us. I drizzled the glaze right after putting on the cooling rack and let them sit 15 minutes. Great!!
I'd like to try the maple, too and wondering if the drop method can be used for those as well...even though the blog says to form a circle and cut??
Hi Cindy, so happy you enjoyed this recipe.
Regarding your question, yes, you can definitely make the maple pecan scones as drop scones!
Awesome! I’ll be trying that one soon! Loved the frozen unbaked scone I baked a day or two later. Just as delicious. Taking some to a brunch tomorrow! Yum!
Enjoy, Cindy!
I made these today. So so good. I love the simplicity and how delicious they are. Any of your recipes that I have made are always fantastic. Thank you for sharing all these delicious recipes. My hubby thanks you too! 😉
Thanks so much, Norma!
I made these beauties today. It was my first attempt and I am glad that they turned out to be great. Crispy on outside and moist on inside. Will definitely try again. Thanks for the recipe. Made these with dried cranberries and blueberries.
Awesome! Thanks for letting us know, Tahseen!
Chris
I am lactose intolerant. Can’t use cream. Any suggestion? If I just use lactose free milk will it ruin the whole thing?
Thanks
Barbara
Hi Barbara, I would try it with lactose-free milk that is high in fat for best results.
These Cranberry Orange Scones are wonderful! I’m making them for a second time this week because I’ve been craving them! Thanks for the great and easy recipe.
I'm so glad, Jennifer! Thanks for letting us know!
Hi, Chris. I discovered your site while searching for scone recipes. I was hosting a formal ladies’ tea fundraiser for our church, and since attendance was to be close to 100 ladies, the ‘ridiculously easy’ description caught my attention. I LOVE scones, but I rarely make them because they seem to take too much effort cutting in the cold butter, often with less than stellar results. These orange cranberry scones were my trial run, and I was surprised and delighted to discover that they really lived up to their description of ridiculously easy! And they were delicious to boot. Win-win! They made the cut for the tea, as did the maple pecan ones. Now I’m your biggest fan! I have to tell everyone about your easy technique for the butter (and how to get the seeds out of the pomegranate 😉). Many of your recipes are family favorites now...the cheddar chive biscuits, the 8 minute caramels, and more.
Thanks for sharing with us all the delicious recipes, great tips and lovely presentations. You’re a blessing to others!
I love that, Missy! Thank you so much for sharing! 💕
Sounds great. Can’t wait to make Cranberry Orange and Maple Pecan Scones! Look so yummy, but have to get a couple items that I am missing before I can start.
Hope you enjoy them, Pam!
So delicious, exactly what I was looking for. I used half one-for-one flour and half all-purpose flour because I bake for someone with gluten sensitivity. Next time I'll try all one-for-one and it should be fine. Thank you for the great recipe!
Yay! Thanks for sharing your results, Maryse.
Will this recipe work using half & half in place of the heavy cream?
Hi Linda, you could sub half and half although the scones won't be as moist and tender.
As always simply easy and delicious. I doubled the recipe substituted with 1 cup whole wheat. Sprinkled and mixed 1/2 the sugar directly to the diced Cranberries.
D E L I C I O U S!
Thanks for your review, Sal! So glad you enjoyed them 🙂
This recipe is wonderful!!!! I have never made or even eaten scopes before but my husband loves them so I thought I would make some for him. I love these cranberry orange scones and plan to make the Maple Pecan Scones tomorrow. So easy and so yummy.
These are delicious! I just started making these and the Maple Pecan Scones. Thank you. I have a question. Do these also do well if you make them in one large circle and cut them similar to the Maple Pecan Scones? I was wondering why the are scooped instead of cut. Thanks for your assistance!
Hi Nancy, so happy you've enjoyed these scones. You can definitely make these in a circle. Sometimes, I'm just a little lazy so I scoop them instead of cutting them. 😂
Absolutely fabulous
Thanks, Vicki!
Love this recipe! Can I use regular milk instead of heavy cream if I don’t have it?
Hi Diana, milk will not work well in scones. You need the fat to create a moist texture. You might want to go with another recipe if you don't have any cream.
I had to use up some leftover cranberries and found this recipe so I thought I'd give it a whirl. What a great find. These were delicious. Thanks for sharing!
You're welcome! Thanks for sharing your results, Deb. 💕
These are delicious. To quote my fiancé, , “You can make these all the time. This is a great recipe.” Thank you for sharing. It was easy to follow and I am very happy with the results.
Haha! I love it! Thanks so much for sharing your results, Tracey!
I have to say that these scones are the best scones I have ever had. They are so moist and delicious. My family loved them as well. Thank you so much for sharing this delicious recipe.
You're welcome, Isabel! So happy you enjoyed them!
Thank you for the easy and delicious recipe! We ate them so fast that I didn’t take a picture! I’m making more this weekend.
Haha! I totally get it! Thanks for sharing your results!
The best scones I have ever made - melt-in-your mouth delicious! I used (thawed) frozen cranberries, but only half the glaze. I’m sure they would be great even without icing them. I liked them so well, that three days later I made them using whole fresh blueberries and lemon zest and juice - equally good! Can’t wait to try the maple pecan recipe. I’ve recommended your site to friends and will be trying many more of your recipes. Thanks!
Thanks so much, Karen! 💕 I appreciate you taking the time to share your results and sharing our website with friends!
Holy Mackerel! Best scones I’ve EVER had....even compared to the ones I’ve tasted in England and The Empress Hotel in Vancouver!
Alright! That's an awesome review, thanks Jan!
Thank you for this recipe. Just wondering...will this recipe work using full fat Greek yogurt and do you think the unbaked form would freeze and bake well?
Hi JB, you could make these scones with yogurt but the texture will be quite different, more like biscuits than melt-in-your-mouth scone texture.
Can frozen cranberries be used?
Yes!
Loved these scones! Getting ready to make them a second time. How long do you cook them if going straight from the freezer? Also, to the person that made 30 mini scones, how long should those cook?
If you're going to bake them from the freezer you'll need to give them 3-5 extra minutes. Watch them towards the end and pull them when they're a pretty golden brown.
Hi,
Can we use dried cranberries!? Its April and I’m in mood for a fall treat!!
Yes, dried cranberries would be delicious
Chris, I’ve made these scones a number of times and love them but they don’t look like yours. I use an ice cream scoop and when baked they aren’t rounded, they are more flat, what am I doing wrong? Should I be putting another scoop of dough over the first one?
Hi Elsa, I think that your butter/cream mixture probably gets too warm. You would try refrigerating the mounds for a bit before baking.
I take them out of the freezer at bake them immediately.
Hi Chris,
Just wondering if I drizzle the glaze while they are still warm or wait till they have completely cooled? Doing a trial run before a spring luncheon and just about ready to pop in the oven.
Hi Carol, sorry, I was out of town and didn't get to this till now. I usually let them cool just a bit before glazing.
I made these cranberry/orange scones this morning. I like to freeze the chopped cranberries in individual bags, the fact that I can pop them in the oven right out of the freezer. I did not ice them this morning, instead served them with the cranberry/orange Christmas marmalade, perfect combination. Thanks again for all your wonderful recipes.
Elsa
Thanks so much, Elsa! What a great tip!
Wonderful scones! Meltingly tender and so tasty. I can't wait to try some variations...apricot, dried cherry? I had to make and bake the same morning so the extra chilling step took a bit more time, but well worth it for the pretty rounded shape. I made 30 mini scones with a smaller cookie scoop, perfect for a brunch buffet.
Chris, I recommend your site to many of my cooking friends because your recipes are so well tested, have lots of helpful tips, and nail-it short cuts, not to mention the beautiful photos (thanks Scott!) I have been cooking for a long time, and now that I'm retired I enjoy trying new things. I have already learned some great tricks from you. (Most of our Christmas menu came from your site. 🙂 Thank you!
Thank you, Rebekah, for this kind and thoughtful review! I'm so happy you enjoyed the scones and other recipes from The Café. We really appreciate you taking the time to leave a comment and also for your referrals! I love cooking so much and the way it draws people together and I love passing that on to others.
Just made these scones. They were absolutely delicious, did not even ice them.
Again thank you for another winner and Happy New Year
Thanks so much, Claire! Happy New Year!
Your orange cranberry scones are absolutely amazing. I had never made scones before, but tried a double batch of these for a large family gathering out of town over the holidays. I used dried cranberries and left off the icing because we didn’t have any powdered sugar. I also prepared them ahead and put them in the freezer unbaked. We were able to pull out and bake as many as we needed at a time. They were delicious without the icing and we all agreed that they didn’t need to be iced. This recipe is a keeper!!
Thanks so much, Donna! I'm so happy you enjoyed them!
These were fantastic. Suzie mentioned that she wanted me to learn how to make scones so off to the internet I went. I came across another recipe and yours. I really liked how the butter was incorporated into your recipe and decided to use it as a trial run. I threw the other recipe away after I got two thumbs up from Suzie. I did add a sprinkle of sugar to the top of each scone before baking them and I divided the dough into just 6 portions instead of 12. The glaze was a great addition.
Thanks so much for sharing your results. I'm so happy you gave our recipe a try and enjoyed it!
I’ve never made scones before because the only ones I’ve had seemed a bit lackluster. But, I had some fresh cranberries left after the holidays and decided I’d give this recipe a try, especially since all the recipes I’ve tried from your blog have been delicious. These scones truly are ridiculously easy and ridiculously good! I baked a few and froze a few to have on hand later. I can’t wait to try the maple/pecan scones now.
Yay! I'm so happy to have convinced you to become a scone-lover, Kathy! I agree with you, many scones are just so-so. Thanks for sharing your results 🙂
I can't wait to try for our church breakfast. Can you make a day ahead or will they dry out? Any helpful hints after baked? Thank you.
Hi Kim, the best way to make them ahead, is to prepare them the day or evening before you want to serve them, up to the baking point. Refrigerate them on a sheet pan, covered with plastic wrap. In the morning, bake as directed. You might need an extra minute or two since they will be cold to start with. Enjoy!
Chris, I am looking forward to trying these scones. I love all of your recipes. I have been using the ridiculously easy brioche rolls which has impressed my family this Christmas. Another favorite was the ridiculously easy cinnamon rolls which saved me the day after Christmas. I always make yeast cinnamon rolls when the grandkids are here. However, I was so exhausted from the cooking and baking I went over board doing but so enjoyed seeing them enjoy. I immediately went to my saved recipes and there it was your ridiculously easy cinnamon rolls. Can I tell you I had to make a second batch. So easy!!! I look forward to your posts. Thanks Chris!!!
Thanks, Mary! I love that the cinnamon rolls saved the day! I think you'll enjoy these scones too!
Hi Chris. This may be a silly question, but how do you freeze these? Put them on a baking sheet in the freezer, then put into a freezer bag? I would like to freeze these for Christmas morning. Thanks.
Hi Debbie, that's actually a great question. And you have the right idea. Just scoop them up on to a cookie sheet and freeze, uncovered for 1-2 hours, until they're nice and firmly frozen. Then store in a freezer bag or airtight container. Christmas morning, you can just pull them out of the freezer and put that on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake them right from the freezer, you don't need to thaw. You will need to give them a few extra minutes of baking time though. Enjoy and Merry Christmas!
Thank you Chris. Merry Christmas to you and your family.
So I made these and froze them for Christmas morning. So easy and so good. Got rave reviews. Can’t wait to try the maple pecan scones.
Yay! That's awesome!
I have made these twice and will make another batch tomorrow to freeze. I love these scones..ate 2 the first time I made them 😋 I love that I can bake them right from the freezer. I think I will glaze them with honey butter.
Thanks again for the great recipes.
I'm so happy you've enjoyed these, Elsa! I understand about eating two! Thanks for sharing your results.
Can I make this recipe as a round, scored into triangles and baked? How would the bake time need to be adjusted?
Love the melted butter/cream technique and can't wait to try it!
Yes, you can definitely make them that way. The baking time would be pretty similar. Just watch them towards the end and bake until they're a light golden brown.
Have made these twice so far. They are wonderful. Do you see any problem with doubling the recipe?
Love so many of your recipes. Thanks.
Hi Francie, thanks for sharing your results. I don't see any problem with doubling this recipe.Enjoy!
I am getting hooked on your site! Everything looks amazing and a butternut squash soup as well as these are now tested and truly lived up to and exceeded expectations. I am testing the rest of the batch from frozen as you suggest this morning. These were such a huge hit. Normally a white chocolate raspberry scone kind of girl, but these are giving them a run for their money.
Aww... thanks so much, Stephanie! Have a great Thanksgiving!
Didn’t have anything orange so I used lemon with cranberries....Delicious! Thank Chriss
Awesome! That sounds wonderful too! Thanks for sharing!
Wow! I This is the third of your recipes that I have tried, and ALL have been outstanding. You rock!
Hi Chris! I do love your recipes and especially this shortcut that saves the cutting in of the butter. Always such a laborious task but now, made easy. I am planning to try this recipe for a Christmas/Birthday Tea. Just wondering though, what do you like to serve with these? Devonshire Cream? Lemon Curd? A flavored butter? I am looking forward to this great fall flavor combination!
Hi Julia, they're wonderful with just a bit of butter and I really love Irish butter. Devonshire Cream or clotted cream would be fantastic. And honey butter would be amazing!
ENJOY!
One of my favourite flavour combinations and I love your ridiculously easy recipes! Can't wait to try these 🙂
so Easy and tasty! Trial run today. Will make and freeze for Christmas morning. Simplify, simplify, simplify!
Thanks Margie! So happy you enjoyed them!
I am a thecafesucrefaine beginner. Your pot de creme recipe won me over 100%. Can’t wait to try the scones tomorrow morning when my neighbors will be coming for coffee!
Hi Margie, welcome to The Café!
Hi Chris,
These look great - I urgently need to plant a cranberry bush!
I am interested that you call these scones, but other similar recipes you call biscuits. (This was a great confusion to me for years, as American books often refer to biscuits and gravy or baked beans and biscuits, which in our part of the world conjures up visions of chocolate chip biscuits - which you would call cookies - dipped in gravy or beans!!!) What , for you is the difference between a scone and a biscuit? I would consider all of your 'biscuits' to be scones, and love the melted butter technique when I'm in a hurry, rather than the traditional 'rubbing in ' of butter.
Hi Lorna, it is confusing. Especially if you live in England where (what we call) cookies are called biscuits. Here in America, biscuits and scones are similar. Scones are generally made with cream where many biscuits are made with buttermilk. Biscuits are often eaten as a breakfast "sandwich" and layered with eggs, sausage, bacon, etc. Scones here are generally sweeter and are also eaten for breakfast or as a snack. Scones here are also often cut into triangular shaped wedges. I took the easy route here and made what is called "drop scones".
I hope this has cleared things up a bit.
My daughter lived in London for 7 years so I understand the confusion.
This looks perfect for a New Year's Day brunch! If I were freezing the unbaked scones, would I need to thaw them before baking? How will this affect the baking time/temp? Thanks!
Hi Barbara, nope, they can go right from the freezer to the oven. Just add a few extra minutes to the baking time.
We love cranberry scones and these look fantastic! So easy and no doubt delicious. Pinned 😉
Thanks, Tricia! 💕
I love these flavors in quick bread, so your beautiful scones will also be a hit on Thanksgiving morning! xo
Hi Chris,
Do you think it would work using almond milk instead of the heavy cream. Thanks so much, Linda
Hi Linda, I haven't tried that so I don't want to say for sure. My guess would be that you just wouldn't get the same flaky, tender texture.
Can frozen cranberries be used instead? If so would any modifications be necessary?
Hi Sandra, yes you could definitely use frozen cranberries. I would not add thaw them much at all though as there would be too much liquid.. Just chop them and add them to the flour. The only problem I can see is that the dough might be a little harder to stir with the frozen berries.
The “cold cream-melted butter” technique is genius. I made my first scones a couple months ago that called for cutting in the cold butter with a pastry knife. After that escapade I decided I won’t be doing that again anytime soon. With your technique I’ll look like the Pillsbury Doughboy in no time from having scones frequently.
Haha! Be careful though, if you eat too many of these wonderful scones, you will literally look like the Pillsbury Doughboy!
Too funny. Made orange cranberry scones from another site. Then made the maple pecan (3rd time) and thought I am going to try making an orange cranberry using your maple pecan as the base, and you did it for me !! Can’t wait to try since I didn’t care for the other ones.
Haha! See? Your wish is my command! 🙂
This recipe sounds amazing. I look forward to making it in the morning. Thank you for sharing it with us!
You're welcome, Katherine! I love these super easy recipes and love sharing them with all of you! 💕 Chris
I love your ridiculously easy series!! Can't wait to make these!
💕 Thanks, Jenn!