These Cranberry Orange Scones are perfect for the holidays. They’re soft, fluffy, crispy on the outside, bursting with orange flavor, and packed with fresh cranberries. Gluten Free & Refined Sugar Free!
Gluten-Free Cranberry Scones with Orange Zest
In my opinion, cranberry and orange are one of the most underrated flavor combinations. Sweet and sour pairing of sweet citrus and cranberry? They are a match made in heaven!
These Cranberry Orange Scones are one of my favorite holiday breakfasts. They’re packed with seasonal flavors like orange, cranberry, cinnamon, and maple syrup (unless you’re using honey), and they’re so easy to make! They’re also gluten and refined sugar free, making them great for everyone.
If you love scones as much as I do, check out my Gluten-Free Apple Scones or Chocolate Chunk Pumpkin Scones.
materials needed:
- Almond powder: The perfect base to keep these scones gluten-free.
- Himalayan Sea Salt: A pinch of salt enhances the flavor and slightly offsets the sweetness.
- baking powder: Baking powder is the key to lighter, fluffier scones. Without it, they will be dry and dense.
- Cinnamon: The warm sweetness of cinnamon completes the citrus and cranberry flavors.
- Egg: Glue everything together so the scones will hold their shape.
- Applesauce: Unsweetened applesauce adds a lot of moisture and provides a little extra natural sweetness.
- Sweetener: Pure maple syrup or raw honey will both work. Use whatever you have on hand!
- Vanilla extract: Adds depth and warmth to flavor.
- Add-ons: Our blend includes a hint of orange zest and fresh cranberries for tangy sweetness in every bite.
How to Make Orange Cranberry Scones
This Cranberry Orange Scones recipe is really easy to make. Here is a brief summary of the recipe:
- Make the dough: In a bowl, combine all dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk together wet ingredients. Mix the dry and wet ingredients together until a dough forms, then add the cranberries and orange zest.
- Roll and cut the dough: Roll out the dough into a ball, place on a lined baking sheet, and flatten into a circle. Use a pizza cutter or knife to slice it into pizza-like slices. Separate the slices slightly, but leave a circle.
- bake: Bake at 350ºF for 20 minutes, separating the scones further, then bake for an additional 5-7 minutes until cooked through.
How can I make my scones more moist?
These scones have a moist texture and two ingredients, but the key is the applesauce! It’s the perfect way to add extra fruitiness and more moisture at the same time.
How do I get my fruit scones puffy and fluffy?
There are a few things you can do to make sure your orange cranberry scones don’t get too thick:
- To use fresh baking powder: Double check that the baking powder you are using is fresh. If it’s past its expiration date, it won’t serve its intended purpose of expanding the dough.
- Do not over mix: Mix everything until the dough comes together, but not past. Over-blending can result in a hard, dry texture.
Variety
- to make them sweeter: If you like extra sweetness, add an extra tablespoon of sweetener to the dough and/or sprinkle the top with sugar crystals before baking. This also adds a delicious crunch to the top of the scones!
- Add nuts: Add a handful of chopped walnuts or pecans for a nutty crunch.
- the most important is: Drizzle over baked scones maple glaze or your favorite frosting.
service suggestion
These scones are delicious on their own with morning coffee or as an after-dinner dessert, but they’re also a great addition to brunch.
serve them together Egg Cups, load breakfast hash, Apple and Sage Breakfast Sausageor one Fall Hash Brown Breakfast Skillet Start your day in a well-rounded way!
how to store
I like to warm these scones out of the oven, but leftovers will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for a few days, in the fridge for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
When you’re ready to eat, simply thaw at room temperature and serve or reheat slightly in the microwave.
More Cranberry Recipes You’ll Love
Watch the video:
Cranberry Orange Scones
These Cranberry Orange Scones are perfect for the holidays. They’re soft, fluffy, crispy on the outside, bursting with orange flavor, and packed with fresh cranberries. Gluten Free & Refined Sugar Free!
- Preparation time: 10 minutes
- Cooking time: 30 minutes
- total time: 40 minutes
- yield: 8 1x
Dry ingredients:
- 2 1/2 cups Almond powder
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 tsp Cinnamon
wet ingredients:
- 1 Egg
- 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup or honey
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Add-ons:
- 3 tablespoons orange peel
- 1 cup fresh cranberries
instruct
- Preheat oven to 350°F and place parchment paper on a baking sheet.
- Combine dry ingredients in a bowl.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together wet ingredients.
- Combine wet and dry ingredients and mix well until dough-like consistency.
- Stir in cranberries and orange zest.
- Roll out the dough into a ball and place on a lined baking sheet.
- Gently flatten into a flat circle.
- *Optional: Sprinkle with organic sugar crystals.
- Using a pizza cutter or knife, cut into pizza-like slices, separating slightly but leaving circles.
- Bake for 20 minutes, then separate the scones with about 1 to 2 inches of space between them.
- Bake for another 5-7 minutes or until the scones are cooked through.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 scone
- Calories: 95
- sugar: 7.5 grams
- sodium: 13mg
- fat: 4.7 grams
- Saturated fat: 0.5 grams
- carbohydrate: 10.7 grams
- fiber: 1.2 grams
- protein: 2.6 grams
- cholesterol: 20 mg
