Cranberry Scones

Winter-inspired cranberry scones filled with dried cranberries, rosemary, and orange zest. An easy cranberry scone recipe for afternoon tea!

 

Why Make These Cranberry Scones?

I first started making traditional, British style scones (not to be confused with their sweet, oversized American cousins!) when I moved to London for pastry school back in 2019.

British-style scones are round in shape and usually served at tea time, alongside jam and clotted cream. They’re often plain, but you’ll find scone recipes with mix-ins like fruit, nuts, herbs, cheese, chocolate, and citrus peels, too.

I based this cranberry scone recipe around my love of cranberry and orange, an ingredient combination I think works especially well for the festive season.  (See also: My cranberry and orange parfait, cranberry compote, cranberry punch, and cranberry curd tart recipes…) I’ve also added rosemary, which I also love for holiday recipes because it reminds me of other woody, wintery scents, like pine needles and juniper berries.

The result? A flaky, buttery scone with plenty of tart cranberries and just the right amount of orange peel. Best served warm, accompanied by a pot of black tea…or a mug of mulled wine!

Cranberry Scone Recipe Ingredients

To make this cranberry scone recipe, you’ll need the following ingredients:

• Rosemary – You’ll need about 3/4 teaspoon (one 6-inch sprig) of finely chopped fresh rosemary. Don’t use dried rosemary for this recipe. If you have fresh rosemary left over, use it to make sugared rosemary or rosemary shortbread.
• Orange Zest – Zested on a Microplane rather than a box grater. For other citrus suggestions, see my notes below.
• Dried Cranberries – Use dried cranberries for this recipe, rather than fresh or frozen which contain too much moisture. And save the extras! They’re great for making florentines.
• Self-Rising Flour – This recipe uses self-rising flour, which already contains baking powder and salt.

• Baking Powder – Paired with self-rising flour, baking powder produces the tallest, fluffiest scones.
• Unsalted Butter – Starting with cold, cubed butter gives the scones their flaky texture. Rather than a mixer, my recipe employs the “rubbing in” method to work the butter into the dry ingredients. See my classic scone recipe for more detailed instructions on how to incorporate the butter.
• Granulated Sugar – Granulated sugar adds sweetness and moisture. You can substitute caster sugar or superfine sugar, but you’ll want to use a kitchen scale to measure by weight, rather than volume.
• Whole Milk – Milk moistens and adds flavor to the dough. You can substitute skimmed milk, or plant milk.
• Egg – Egg washing turns the tops of the scones a pretty shade of golden brown.

Tools and Equipment for Making Homemade Scones

To make and cut the dough, you’ll need a Microplane for zesting the orange peels (I don’t recommend using a box grater, or the pieces of zest will be too big); a plastic bench scraper to bring the ingredients together; a 2-inch round metal cutter for cutting the scones; and a pastry brush for egg-washing.

For baking, I recommend a half sheet rimmed baking tray (a standard half sheet measures 13 x 18 inches, so you can bake them all at one time) and a silicone baking mat to prevent the dough from sticking to the tray.

Recipe Adaptations

Enjoy this recipe as written, or adapt it to suit your personal taste. You can add:

• Nuts – Try adding finely chopped walnuts, pecans, or pistachios.
• Citrus – Vary the citrus flavor by including lemon or lime zest, either instead of or in addition to the orange.
• Chocolate – Mix in chopped white or dark chocolate, or chocolate-covered cranberries.
• Spices – For seasonal spice, add 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon or mixed spice to the dry ingredients.

How to Enjoy Cranberry and Orange Scones

These scones are best enjoyed while still slightly warm, ideally along with a cup of black tea; as part of a traditional cream tea; or included in a full afternoon tea party spread. (In the UK scones are traditionally served at tea time, but feel free to save a few for breakfast too!)

To serve, you can’t go wrong with the staples: Clotted cream, jam (cranberry, blackberry, or fig would be nice!) or orange marmalade. Or pair your cranberry orange scones with homemade orange curd, cranberry compote, or even brandy butter.

Make-Ahead and Storage Suggestions

Store leftover cranberry orange scones in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

To freeze: Layer baked and cooled scones between sheets of parchment and freeze in an airtight container for up to 1 month. Thaw at room temperature.

Other scone recipes you might enjoy:

Classic British Scones
American-Style Funfetti Scones

And if you do make these, or any of my recipes, don’t forget to tag me @bastecutfold or use the hashtag #bastecutfold on Instagram. I always love to see what you’re making!

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