Cranberry Orange Sour Cream Scones
These made from scratch Cranberry Orange Sour Cream Scones recipe will make the perfect addition to your breakfast, brunch or tea time menu. Freshly grated orange zest adds a bright citrus flavor to the buttery dough, and the sweet cranberries add texture. Serve them with or without the glaze, for a sweet treat alongside a cup of coffee or hot tea.
How are Scones Different from Southern Buttermilk Biscuits?
- Our fluffy Southern buttermilk biscuits are typically served savory with butter, stuffed with ham or turkey, eggs bacon and sausage or smothered with sausage gravy.
- Scones on the other hand, are usually sweeter with mix-ins such as fruit and fresh berries and sometimes glazed as well. Again, there are always exceptions.
- These homemade cranberry orange scones are slightly sweet and drizzled with a sweet creamy glaze. If you love the cranberry scones at Starbucks you’ll love making these at home!
Easy Cranberry Orange Sour Cream Scones Recipe
Scones to me, are a cross between a Southern biscuit and a sweet bread. The first time I had a scone at tea time as a girl, I was hooked. They’re like a delicious sweet biscuit, topped with marmalade and freshly whipped cream.
I remember thinking scones were one of the most delicious treats I had ever had, and they paired perfectly with a cup of hot tea. The rest is history. Often scones are baked in the shape of a circle, scored before baking and then cut into wedges like a piece of pie. Just like our Southern biscuits, they can also be cut into rounds or made like a drop biscuit, if preferred. Whether you’re planning a special holiday event tea time or casual gathering with friends, include these homemade scones on the menu.
Key ingredients to make Cranberry Orange Scones: (Scroll down for full printable recipe card.)
- Flour – All purpose flour forms the base of the scones dough,
- Sugar – Granulated sugar for sweetness.
- Leavening – Baking powder, baking soda and salt give rise to the dough while baking.
- Butter – Cold salted butter or unsalted butter for richness.
- Sour Cream and Heavy Cream – Sour cream and heavy cream for moisture and a tender texture.
- Whole Eggs – Large eggs bind the dough.
- Flavorings – Fresh orange zest and vanilla extract amp up the flavor.
- Cranberries – Dried cranberries or Craisins give these scones their signature flavor.
- Toppings – Sliced almonds and turbinado sugar (coarse sugar in the raw) add texture.
- Glaze – Powdered sugar, orange zest and orange juice.
How to Make Cranberry Orange Sour Cream Scones Recipe
- Heat Oven Prepare Pan – Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a large baking sheet or two standard size, with parchment paper. Set aside
- Sift Dry Ingredients – Whisk together the flour, sugar baking powder, baking soda and salt.
- Add Butter – Cut the butter into the dry ingredients until it resembles cornmeal.
- Cranberries – Mix in the cranberries until evenly distributed. Make a well in the center.
- Wet Ingredients – Whisk together sour cream, heavy cream, 1 egg, zest and vanilla.
- Combine – Pour into the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Gradually mix together until fully moistened.
- Pat Dough into a Circle – Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface, shape into an 8-inch circle about 1-inch thick.
- Cut into Wedges – Use a sharp knife dipped in flour to cut into wedges.
- Egg Wash – Brush the tops with the egg wash and sprinkle with almonds and turbinado sugar.
- Oven – Bake per the baking time in the recipe until golden brown. Serve warm with fresh whipped cream and orange marmalade.
- Glaze – Mix together the powdered sugar, orange zest and fresh orange juice. Drizzle over the warm cranberry scones just before serving, if desired.
Kitchen Equipment to Make Cranberry Orange Scones
- Large bowl, medium bowl and small bowl.
- Balloon whisk.
- Pastry blender.
- Measuring cups and measuring spoons.
- Sheet pan lined with parchment paper.
- Sharp knife and pastry brush.
- Citrus zester.
Recipe Variations, Tips and Substitutions
- Sour Cream – You could substitute plain Greek yogurt for sour cream.
- Cranberries – You can use dried cherries, dried blueberries (and lemon zest!) or craisins.
- Leave Room for Spreading – These scones will naturally spread while baking. Place the wedges at least 2-3 inches apart on the baking pan to prevent them from sticking together.
- Don’t Overwork the Dough – Scones, by their very nature, have a slightly crumbly texture. That said, when working with fresh dough, It’s important not to overwork the dough. Doing so and the scones or Southern biscuits for that matter, will be dry and tough. Mix the ingredients together until just fully combined for the best result.
- Serving Options – Scones can be served with or without toppings such as lemon curd, whipped cream or jam are just a few delicious options.
- Appetizer Scones – For a savory mini scones appetizer: Cut the homemade scones dough using a 1-inch round cutter. Bake them per the recipe, decreasing the time to adjust for the smaller size. Serve them as an appetizer stuffed with ham. To add a condiment, mix one tablespoon of Dijon mustard per 1/2 cup of orange marmalade, to spread onto the ham.
Storage and Leftovers
- Make-Ahead Tip – If you’d like to freeze the scones before baking, place them separately onto a sheet pan and allow them time to freeze solid. Once frozen, place wedges into a freezer bag and keep for up to 1 month. Brush the scones with the egg wash just before baking.
- Can I Bake Frozen Scones? Yes, you can. Bake from frozen brushed with egg wash just before baking. They will take longer to bake so allow an extra 5-10 minutes and adjust the time accordingly.
- Leftovers – Store Cranberry Orange Scones in an airtight container at room temperature or chilled in the fridge for up to 2-3 days.
More Scones Recipes to Make
- These Brown Sugar Pecan Scones are a bonafide treat.
- Savory Bacon and Cheddar Scones are delicious slathered with pineapple butter or stuffed with eggs.
- Caramel Apple Scones are filled with fall flavors that you can enjoy year-round.
- Blueberry Sour Cream Scones are simply delightful.
- Chocolate Chip Scones are studded with a generous amount of chocolate chips.
- Homemade Peach Scones are a must-make during peach season.
- For those moments that you only need a small batch of scones, this recipe for Small Batch Lemon Scones from Dessert for Two, just may fit the bill.
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Helpful Kitchen Items:
Cranberry Orange Sour Cream Scones
Servings: 8 large scones
Calories: 405kcal
Ingredients
- 2 1/4 cup all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 3 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup cold butter cubed
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 2 large eggs divided, use 1 for egg wash
- 1 1/2 Tbsp grated fresh orange zest
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 2/3 cup sweetened dried cranberries or Craisins
- 3 Tbsp sliced almonds roughly broken
- 2 Tbsp turbinado sugar (sugar in the raw)
- Orange Glaze: (Optional)
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tsp freshly grated orange zest
- 2 Tbsp juice from orange
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a large baking sheet or two standard size, with parchment paper. Set aside
- In a medium-size mixing bowl use a whisk to sift together the flour, sugar baking powder, baking soda and salt.
- Using a pastry cutter or 2 forks cut the butter into dry ingredients until it resembles cornmeal. Mix in cranberries until evenly distributed. Make a well in the center.
- In a separate bowl whisk together sour cream, heavy cream, 1 egg, zest and vanilla. Pour the wet into the dry ingredients. Gradually mix into dry ingredients until fully moistened.
- Turn the dough out onto a nonstick lightly floured surface. Turn it a few times to coat with flour to help with the stickiness. Do not overwork the dough.
- Pat the dough into an 8-inch circle that is about 1-inch thick. Use a sharp knife dipped in flour to cut into wedges. Place wedges on pan with at least 3 inches between.
- Egg Wash: Beat together remaining egg with 1 Tbsp water. Brush the top of each scone and sprinkle with almonds and turbinado sugar.
- Bake for 20-22 minutes or until golden. Serve warm with fresh whipped cream and orange marmalade.
- Optional Glaze: In a small bowl mix together the powdered sugar, orange zest and fresh orange juice. Add juice 1 Tbsp at a time until you reach the desired consistency. Drizzle over the warm scones just before serving, if desired.
Notes
- Sour Cream – You could substitute plain Greek yogurt for sour cream.
- Cranberries – You can use dried cherries, dried blueberries (and lemon zest!) or craisins.
- Leave Room for Spreading – These scones will naturally spread while baking. Place the wedges at least 2-3 inches apart on the baking pan to prevent them from sticking together.
- Don’t Overwork the Dough – Scones, by their very nature, have a slightly crumbly texture. That said, when working with fresh dough, It’s important not to overwork the dough. Doing so and the scones or Southern biscuits for that matter, will be dry and tough. Mix the ingredients together until just fully combined for the best result.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 405kcal | Carbohydrates: 71g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 62mg | Sodium: 450mg | Potassium: 322mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 39g | Vitamin A: 751IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 126mg | Iron: 2mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @melissassk or tag #melissassk!
These are delicious! So yummy! I did 2 TBSP of coconut sugar, 1/4 c brown sugar, 1/2 c Roasted Pecans, 1/2 c white chocolate chips, 3/4 c fresh cranberries, 1/4 dried cranberries, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp nutmeg. I added 1 TBSP of fresh orange juice with the heavy whipping cream. My first batch burned. The oven temperature at 375° was too high. I then turned it down to 350° and cooked them for 12 min. I made my scones smaller and round shape. It made about 20 scones. The second batch came out perfectly! I brushed the scones with fresh orange juice when they came out of the oven. I did not put glaze on top. My family is already inhaling them! I will definitely make these again. I highly recommend this recipe. It did help to shred the butter and keep it really cold before mixing it in with the dry ingredients. That was a great tip! Very helpful! Thank you for sharing your recipe with us.
Please note, the temperature in the recipe is for the recipe written as is. When you make many changes, you’ll need to adjust based on the changes you made. I’m glad, in the end, it worked out for you.
I want to bake these today but don’t have heavy cream. Would buttermilk work?
Whole buttermilk could be used, sure.
Can these be made as drop scones?
If you prefer.
These are fabulous!
I’m so happy to hear it, thank you!
Can I use 2% milk in place of the heavy cream?
The heavy cream is an important ingredient in these scones. I wouldn’t recommend using 2% milk in its place.
What is the flour measurement in grams. This recipe sounds so delicious I’m looking forward to making some.
Thank you!
You can download a Conversion Chart here.
Thanks so much Melissa
I want to share a trick that makes the recipe way easier to do!
I shred the butter just like cheese, and I leave it in the refrigerator until it’s time to add it. Hop it’s done very quickly!
Please share!
My first language is French, so if you see anything miswritten, feel free to make the correction!
Thanks a million for all the wonderfull Recipes and tricks you provide us with!
I think this scones are very good; I have one it is very old an so easy and the same ingredients ; is orange juice w/ milk that’s the only difference ; but they are so good.thank you for all the recipes.
First time trying to make scones. They were excellent!
Loved the taste but they melted into cookies instead of holding their shape. What did I do wrong?
That’s very odd. Was the amount of flour correct and was the butter cold? I’m not certain I have an exact answer as I haven’t experienced this. I do know, if those two things were off, it could effect the outcome.
When I get my scones on the cookie sheet, I set it in the refrigerator for 30 minutes, then pop it in the oven. My scones seem to hold their shape better if they’re chilled first.
These taste fabulous! The orange zest explodes with flavor! These are worthy of a pastry shop in England for tea time! Perfect for a Christmas treat!
I’ve made a lot of scones myself, and these are far better than any scone I ever made. They could be sold in bakeries all around the world. So moist and tender and airy, but not too airy, just enough little holes inside to make them a special treat.
Thank you so much!
Best scones yet,and I made lots of them
Thanks so much!
I have shied away from making scones because face it who wants to put in all that effort for a crumbly cookie? WRONG and boy have I missed the boat! I dove in head first and these were AWESOME DELICIOUS and best of all so easy to make!
Great recipe excellent tips and everyone GO MAKE YOU SOME 😜
Absolutely delicious! Do you think I could substitute blueberries and lemon zest for the cranberries and orange? I don’t want to experiment with another recipe because this one is perfect!
Thanks Maureen, you could but have you seen my recipe for Blueberry Scones? You can see that recipe here.
These are delicious. Family loved them.
Thank you!
I made these for my Mother’s Day meal today and they were wonderful. Since there is just two of us I halved the recipe. The only tricky part was the half an egg 😉 I usually don’t like to make scones because I hate to cut in the butter. I read a tip that said to grate the cold butter then freeze it for a bit. Then you just need to toss it with the dry ingredients. It worked like a charm. These were tender and flavorful. I will be making them again.
I’m glad you enjoyed these, thank you!
I added a Tbls of fresh orange juice to the batter as well! Then added a little over a Tbls of whipping cream to the glaze. Yum!! Thank you for sharing your recipes with us!
Made these this evening, very easy and so delicious
Thanks so much!
I’ve made this recipe several times and the scones always turn our perfect. Served them to my knitting club yesterday and once again they were a hit with many asking for the recipe. Having trouble printing it out though.i May have to go retro and write it on a recipe card (gasp!)
So happy you’re enjoying these! It shouldn’t be difficult to print using the print button in the recipe card.
I would like to make these scones substituting cranberry-orange relish for the dried cranberries. Since the relish has more liquid, I need to either increase the flour or reduce the total liquid content. What are your thoughts on the best way to make this change?
Great question, since I haven’t tested that, it’s difficult for me to tell you with certainty. When baking with fresh cranberries, they’re tossed with a Tbsp or so of flour to help contain some of the moisture. This may also work with your relish. Let us know how it goes.
Do you have to use turbinado sugar? Can regular sugar be used instead? Thank you!
You’ll get the best result with raw sugar. Regular sugar will work, just not as well.
Can you use fresh or frozen cranberries in the place of dried?
You can, sure.