Recipe

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These cranberry orange scones are buttery, flaky, and perfectly sweet with just the right hint of orange zest. They're your coffee’s new best friend.

Grab your mixing bowl. We're making these from scratch together. With a crumbly texture that melts in your mouth, these orange cranberry scones are so good.

Orange Cranberry Scones

Years ago, Starbucks had cranberry orange scones (they've since discontinued them in favor of bliss bars). Every Thursday afternoon, I'd take my kids there to do homework, and we'd always share one.

Since they disappeared from the case, I knew I had to recreate them. Like my cranberry orange muffins, this recipe nails the iconic flavor combo, even flakier. I’m a huge scone fan and make them often, so make sure to check out the other must-make recipes below.

Ingredients

These cranberry orange scones come together with simple baking staples: all-purpose flour, sugar, salt, and a mix of baking powder and baking soda to help them rise. Cold butter creates that signature flaky texture, while milk (preferably whole) brings the dough together. Dried cranberries add sweet, tangy bites, and the zest of an orange brightens the flavor and ties everything together.

Orange Glaze for Scones

This quick glaze is made with powdered sugar, orange zest, and a splash of milk. It adds a bright, sweet finish that takes these scones from great to next-level. You can skip it, but honestly… why would you?

How to Make Cranberry Orange Scones

This recipe is made in one bowl; it’s that easy. You’ll find a short video in the recipe card, but here is an overview with some tips:

Preheat the oven and line a baking sheet with parchment or grease a scone pan.
Mix the dry ingredients and cut in the butter. This means mixing them in the bowl first, then adding the cold pieces of butter to the bowl and mixing them in with your hands until they resemble coarse crumbs. Cold butter is essential for a flaky texture instead of dense.
Add the milk, cranberries, and orange zest and mix until the dough comes together. It should be moist but not sticky.
Shape the dough into scones by pressing it into a large circle. Place it on top of the parchment to shape it, then use a knife to cut it into 6 triangles. Brushing them with a little milk will make them shiny. Or divide the dough into a scone pan for evenly shaped wedges.
Bake until golden. They're ready when the edges are set, a toothpick comes out clean, and the tops are lightly browned.
Glaze once cooled. Let them cool completely so the glaze sets instead of melting into the scone. Store extras in an airtight container for up to

top view of seven cranberry orange scones

How to Freeze Scones

Freeze baked or unbaked scones on a baking sheet until solid, then transfer to a freezer bag for up to 2 months. To bake from frozen, place them straight in the oven and add 3-5 extra minutes. If already baked, warm one in the microwave for about a minute and enjoy.

More Scone Recipes

Try these and make sure to bookmark and come back for my raspberry white chocolate scones, the classic pumpkin scones, my kids’ favorite peanut butter and jelly scones, or the traditional cream scones.

Cranberry Orange Scones (Easy Recipe + Video)

Servings: 6

Prep Time: 20

Cook Time: 15

Total Time: 35

These cranberry orange scones are buttery, flaky, and perfectly sweet with just the right hint of orange zest. They're your coffee's new best friend.

5 from 33 votes

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Watch how it’s made:

Ingredients

1 ½ cups all purpose flour
⅓ cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons cold butter, cubed
½ cup whole milk, more for brushing
¼ cup dried cranberries
1 large orange zested, reserve a pinch for the glaze

Glaze:

½ cup powdered sugar
¼ teaspoon orange zest
1 Tablespoon milk

Instructions

Prep:

Preheat the oven to 425ºF and line a baking sheet with parchment paper, or grease a scone pan.

Make the scones:

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the cold, cubed butter and mix with your hands until the texture resembles coarse crumbs. Cold butter is key to flaky scones, not dense ones. Stir in the milk, cranberries, and orange zest and mix until the dough comes together. It should be moist but not sticky.
Lightly flour your counter and press the dough into a ball. Place it on top of the parchment-lined pan (or move the parchment onto the counter) and then shape it into an 8-inch round circle about 1½ inches thick. Similar in size and height to a small round cake pan.
Cut the dough into 6 triangles and lift the parchment paper to transfer the cones to the baking sheet. Separate the sliced scones, leaving about 1 inch between each wedge. Brush them with a little milk for shiny tops. If using a scone pan, divide the dough into the wells.
Bake them for 12-15 minutes until the tops are lightly browned and a toothpick inserted through the middle comes out clean. Let them cool down to room temperature before glazing.
To glaze the scones, combine the powdered sugar, orange zest, and a splash of milk until smooth. Drizzle over the cooled scones and let the glaze set before eating.

Storage:

Store baked scones in an airtight container for up to 4 days or freeze them already baked. To serve from frozen, microwave gently or heat in a 300F oven for about 5 minutes, until warmed through.

Notes

To freeze unbaked scones, place shaped dough triangles on a lined sheet pan and freeze until solid, then transfer them to a freezer bag and store frozen for up to 2 months. Bake straight from frozen, taking them out after the oven is preheated; which will add about 3-5 minutes to the bake time.

This recipe was updated and improved in 2025. If you’re looking for the OG cranberry filled scones, click here.