Simple Cranberry Orange Scones

These easy and simple cranberry orange scones are easy to make, and are perfect for a great desert, breakfast, or make ahead snack!

These scones are great for anyone who loves a moist scone, any time of the day. They look great and bring a little Holiday atmosphere with the bursts of cranberry red, and the sparkle of sugar on top. This easy scone recipe makes putting together a beautiful desert or breakfast in a snap.

One reason I love scones so much, is they are super versatile! Once you have the base down, you can throw in anything you feel like for the season. You can have a berry scone in the summer, pumpkin in the winter, throw in chocolate chips, whatever you have or feel like, can make for a fantastic scone!

Being that we are in the Holiday Season, I wanted to incorporate tastes, smells, and colors of the season. That’s why I decided to put together these simple cranberry orange scones, drizzled with a vanilla glaze.

With just a few simple ingredients, this recipe comes together fast!

Ingredients

2 cups all purpose flour

1/4 cup sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2/3 cup almond milk

1 orange, juiced and zested

1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries

1 tablespoon almond extract

6 Tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled

Glaze:

2/3 cup confectioners sugar / powdered sugar

2 tablespoons vanilla extract

2 tablespoons water

Directions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

1. In a bowl using a whisk, mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and orange zest. Cut butter into small cubes and cut into mixture until coarse and crumbly. Stir in the almond milk, orange juice, and almond extract. Then gently fold in the cranberries. Pro tip: cranberries may be soft, so use a spatula to lightly press them into the dough without bursting them.
2. Flour a surface, gently knead the dough until it comes together, folding it over onto itself 2-3 times to create layers and evenly distribute the cranberries. Pat into a circular shape, about 3/4 inch thick. For large sones, cut into 8 wedges, or cut the wedges again to create 16 mini scones. Brush the tops of the scones to moisten the entire top surface, being sure to coat any raw flour residue. This helps ensure your scones come out beautiful and not dusty. Bake on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet until golden brown 13-17 minutes. Pro tip: generously flour your hands and the top of the dough to make it easy to work with.

Vanilla Glaze

1. Mix together confectioners sugar, and vanilla extract in a small bowl with a fork or whisk. Add just enough water to dissolve the sugar into a smooth glaze, being careful not to add too much water as your glaze will be runny.
2. Pour glaze into a small disposable zipper storage bag to create a piping bag. Once scones have cooled completely, snip the end of the now piping bag and drizzle scones generously. Then sprinkle the tops with course sugar to add a little sparkle and crunch.
3. Enjoy!