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Light, zesty, and just sweet enough, these whole grain cranberry orange scones are sure to brighten your holiday season.
Made with fresh milled flour and bursting with tart, seasonal flavors, these scones are great for Christmas morning breakfast, an afternoon tea, or your next holiday party!
It’s finally time to dive into my Christmas baking! I love baking any time of year, but there is something so special and exciting about breaking out the Christmas recipes.
This year, I’m incorporating a lot of whole grains into my treasured holiday baked goods. We’ve already enjoyed plenty of whole grain ginger bread and whole grain cranberry bread, so now it’s time to make some scones!
Cranberry orange scones are a favorite holiday breakfast for me, so I knew I needed to make them with whole grain flour this season.
These scones turned out absolutely amazing; the cranberries and fresh orange flavor complement each other wonderfully, and the scones are deliciously light and tender.
Whole grain cranberry orange scones are a must-make this holiday season! They are a tasty addition to Christmas morning brunch, but easy enough to enjoy for a weekday breakfast, too.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love Them
- Seasonal flavors: Cranberries and oranges are a match made in heaven around autumn and Christmastime! Enjoy these seasonal fruits to the fullest with this simple scone recipe.
- Whole grains: You probably know by now that I love making classic baked goods with fresh milled flour. These scones have the perfect light and fluffy texture as if they were made with all purpose flour. You’d never know you’re getting a serving of fresh milled whole grains!
- Customizable: Now that you have a delicious whole grain scone recipe, feel free to let your creativity take over! You can try different add-ins to make a truly original scone that you’ll love.
- Versatile: Scones are great to have on hand for breakfast, brunch, or afternoon tea! They can even make a fun and unique dessert — they’re just that good. Make a batch for your next holiday party, or for a Christmas morning treat worth sharing.
Ingredients
- Whole grain flour: Fresh milled hard white wheat berries give these scones an ideal texture — a little crispy on the outside while light and tender inside.
- Sugar: Regular white sugar will go into the scone dough, but you’ll also need coarse sugar for the top.
- Baking powder: For the perfect rise that creates a nice, fluffy scone.
- Salt and vanilla extract: The keys to flavorful, well-balanced scones.
- Orange zest: We’ll use zest instead of juice to add just the right amount of orange flavor without adding too much liquid to the dough. Save the juice for the orange glaze!
- Butter, egg, and heavy cream: Together, they make a perfectly moist scone that isn’t too crumbly. Be sure that they are nice and cold, and freeze your butter well in advance.
- Frozen cranberries: Whole cranberries soften in the oven, delivering a tart burst of flavor that pairs beautifully with the orange scone base.
- Topping: Brushing the scones with heavy cream and sprinkling them with coarse sugar gives the scones a nice finish and a sweet crunch.
- Glaze: A combination of powdered sugar and orange juice will make the most delicious glaze for these cranberry scones! You can use bottled orange juice if you want, but I just use the juice from the zested orange.
How to Make Whole Grain Cranberry Orange Scones
Step 1. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and orange zest.
Step 2. Grate the frozen butter using a box grater. Add it to the dry mixture and toss until it resembles coarse crumbs. Place the bowl in the freezer while you prep the wet ingredients.
Step 3. In a small bowl, whisk together the heavy cream, egg, and vanilla extract.
Step 4. Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and stir gently. Add in the frozen cranberries and mix just until everything is combined.
Step 5. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface. With floured hands, shape it into a rough ball. Don’t worry if it’s a little sticky. Press into an 8-inch circle and cut into 8 wedges.
Step 6. Transfer the scones to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Brush the tops with heavy cream and sprinkle with coarse sugar. Chill the pan in the fridge for at least 15 minutes.
Step 7. While the scones are chilling, preheat your oven to 400°F.
Step 8. Once chilled, bake the scones for 22–25 minutes, or until golden on the edges and lightly browned on top. Let them cool slightly.
Step 9. While the scones cool, whisk together the powdered sugar and orange juice to make the glaze.
Step 10. Drizzle the glaze over the scones and enjoy.
Tips for Success
- Be sure to use frozen butter and don’t skip the chilling time. Cold ingredients are important for light and fluffy scones (much like whole grain biscuits!).
- Don’t overwork your scone dough. You want to handle it as little as possible in order to keep the ingredients cold and prevent gluten development, which can affect the texture.
- Don’t thaw your cranberries before adding them to the dough. You want them straight from the freezer so they don’t get juicy or mushy.
- When it comes to milling your own flour, having a good mill makes a world of difference. As such, I strongly recommend investing in a high quality grain mill. I use a Mockmill professional grain mill.
- New to milling grains? You can learn everything you need to know in my post on how to mill your own flour!
- Check out the video in the recipe card below for a visual demonstration of how to work the dough and what the texture should look like.
Storage
Scones are best stored at room temperature in an airtight container. They’ll last around 3 days this way, but you may notice them drying out and the texture changing as they sit.
For longer storage, scones freeze very well! Be sure they are entirely cool, then pack them into an airtight container or freezer bag. The scones will keep in the freezer for up to 6 months. When you are ready to enjoy them, thaw them at room temperature and optionally reheat them in the oven or microwave.
Recipe FAQs
Sure! It will change the flavor and texture of the final product, but dried cranberries will absolutely work.
Yes, all purpose flour can be used instead of fresh milled whole grains. You don’t even need to adjust the measurement!
No, a properly made scone should not be dry! Scones should have a slightly crisp exterior, and the inside should be moist, fluffy, and tender. If your scones are coming out dry, you may be overworking the dough or baking them too long.
The scones are done baking when they are risen, and the edges and top are golden brown. The scones should lift easily off the baking sheet, and the bottom should have a nice golden color.
Now that you know the ins and outs of making whole grain cranberry orange scones, I hope you have fun with some festive holiday baking! I’m going to go enjoy a scone with some dutch oven hot chocolate for a cozy Christmas treat!
Related Recipes
- Whole Grain Cinnamon Rolls
- Whole Grain Blueberry Muffins
- Long John Donuts with Whole Grain Flour
- Whole Grain Pumpkin Roll
- Whole Grain Puff Pancakes
If you tried these whole grain cranberry orange scones or any other recipe on my website, please leave a star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Whole Grain Cranberry Orange Scones
Equipment
Ingredients
For the Scones
- 2 cups milled hard white wheat berries spooned and leveled (plus more for dusting)
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- Zest from 1 orange
- ½ cup butter frozen
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup frozen cranberries
For Brushing the Tops
- 1 tablespoon heavy cream
- Coarse sugar for sprinkling
Glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 3 tablespoons orange juice
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and orange zest.
- Grate the frozen butter using a box grater. Add it to the dry mixture and toss until it resembles coarse crumbs. Place the bowl in the freezer while you prep the wet ingredients.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the heavy cream, egg, and vanilla extract.
- Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and stir gently. Add in the frozen cranberries and mix just until everything is combined.
- Turn the dough out onto a floured surface. With floured hands, shape it into a rough ball. Don’t worry if it’s a little sticky. Press into an 8-inch circle and cut into 8 wedges.
- Transfer the scones to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Brush the tops with heavy cream and sprinkle with coarse sugar. Chill the pan in the fridge for at least 15 minutes.
- While the scones are chilling, preheat your oven to 400°F.
- Once chilled, bake the scones for 22–25 minutes, or until golden on the edges and lightly browned on top. Let them cool slightly.
- While the scones cool, whisk together the powdered sugar and orange juice to make the glaze.
- Drizzle the glaze over the scones and enjoy.
Video
Notes
- Be sure to use frozen butter and don’t skip the chilling time. Cold ingredients are important for light and fluffy scones (much like whole grain biscuits!).
- Don’t overwork your scone dough. You want to handle it as little as possible in order to keep the ingredients cold and prevent gluten development, which can affect the texture.
- Don’t thaw your cranberries before adding them to the dough. You want them straight from the freezer so they don’t get juicy or mushy.
- When it comes to milling your own flour, having a good mill makes a world of difference. As such, I strongly recommend investing in a high quality grain mill. I use a Mockmill professional grain mill.
- New to milling grains? You can learn everything you need to know in my post on how to mill your own flour!
- Check out the video here in the recipe card for a visual demonstration of how to work the dough and what the texture should look like.
These are the best scones I have ever had. I followed your recipe exactly, except I used soft white wheat berries and cut the scones in smaller pieces. They are so light and fluffy and the best part, the taste is phenomenal. This is my go to recipe from now on.
Oh my, thank you so much! I am so happy to hear you loved them!
THese are sooo good!
Thanks, I am so happy to hear!
i’ve always wanted to make scones, and these sound amazing!
I can’t wait for you to try them!
These look delightfully delicious!
They are so good! I am so happy to hear you think they look delicious!