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Cranberry Orange Scones topped with a generous dusting of cinnamon sugar are what Christmas smells like. Warm, sweet cinnamon laces the air with citrus notes floating around to brighten your day. These star shaped Christmas scones are perfect for the winter holiday, but you’re going to want to make these year round!

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This recipe was originally published on April 23, 2020. It was republished on October 10, 2024 with updates.

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Story Time

I’ve been working my way through a giant list of family recipes to make a family cookbook. This project has taken over six years so far, and I’m not exactly close to being done. But that’s mostly because I got distracted by starting Bakes & Blunders and falling in love with cakes and macarons.

Although they are called Christmas Scones in the original newspaper clipping, there is no need to limit yourself to enjoying these just once a year. These scones will make your house smell like Christmas morning, but they’d be just as welcome on my table in May as December.

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Scones vs. Biscuits

First of all, scones and biscuits are not the same thing. I know, I’ve been confused about this too. According to Bon Appétit, a scone should be tender and crumbly when compared to a biscuit that is tender and flaky. Scones can also have a slightly cakier texture than biscuits, but they should not be cake like. These are small differences, but they make a big difference.

Scones usually come in a wedge shape,but just to keep things confusing, they can also come in a circle like a biscuit. For these Cranberry Orange Scones, we’re going to use a star shaped cookie cutter. If this doesn’t float your boat, feel free to shape them however you want. These are your Christmas scones and you can make them however you want.

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How to Make Great Cranberry Orange Scones

While scones and biscuits are different, the method is very similar. You’ll be combining cold butter with dry ingredients, then gently folding in the wet. If your dough gets too warm and the butter begins to soften or melt, simply wrap it up and chill it for about 10 minutes.

Another key point is not to over work the dough. The more you stir or knead the dough, the tougher your scone will become because you’re developing gluten. Stir the dough gently. If you have persistent dry pockets, get in there and finish it off by kneading it with your hands just a few times. I found that a Danish dough whisk was super helpful.

Smells Like Christmas

I had no idea that the cinnamon sugar on these Cranberry Orange Scones would be so magical. Within a minute of popping them in the oven, I began to smell Christmas wafting through my kitchen. Like straight up, the essence of Christmas with cinnamon and orange being the key players.

If you need any excuse at all to make these scones, this is it. Make them on Christmas morning for a perfect memory, or make them in April because you feel like it. They may be Christmas scones, but there is no way these are a once a year kinda thing.

Related Reading: Kolache: A Slovakian Walnut Roll

Cranberry Issues

I love the cranberries in this recipe, don’t get me wrong, but they do pose a little problem. Ya see, my plastic star cookie cutter did not exactly slice through these very well. Maybe a sharp metal biscuit cutter or a knife would work better. Don’t wiggle the cutter around, just use your fingers to help press the cutter through the cranberry. No biggie.

If you hate cranberries or just don’t have them, you’ve got options. Dried currants or raisins would work well too. Personally, I think the classic combination of cranberries and orange help make this recipe, but I know they would taste delicious with these other options too.

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Enjoy!

That’s it! These Cranberry Orange Scones are so easy to make that I don’t even have anything else to yammer on about. You’re going to fall in love with these tasty breakfast (or brunch!) treats before they even make it out of the oven. If you’re on Pinterest, be sure to follow Bakes and Blunders for all things food and baking related!

Cranberry Orange Scones

Tender scones flavored with orange zest, cranberries, and a cinnamon sugar topping smell like Christmas!

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Course Breakfast

Cuisine American

Keyword Bread, Breakfast, Brunch, Cinnamon, cranberry, Fall, Holiday, orange, Side

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 14

Total Time 34

Servings 9 Scones

Calories 185kcal

Ingredients

1 tsp cinnamon
2 oz sugar +1 Tbsp
6.5 oz all purpose flour
1 ½ tsps baking powder
½ tsp salt
4 oz butter cold and cubed
3 oz dried cranberries
2 oz sour cream
2 fl oz orange juice
2 tsps orange zest

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400° and line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper. Mix cinnamon and 1 Tbsp of sugar in a small bowl, set aside.
In a bowl or a food processor, add 2 ounces of sugar, flour, baking powder, and salt. Whisk or pulse to combine the dry ingredients.
Add the cold cubed butter to the dry ingredients. Use a pastry blender or pulse in the food processor until the mixture is coarse and combined. The largest chunks of butter should be about the size of a pea. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl.
Stir in cranberries, sour cream, orange juice, and orange zest until just blended. A Danish dough whisk is very helpful for this. Do not overmix. Use your hands to bring the dough together into a ball.
Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently roll to ½ inch thickness. Use a star shaped cookie cutter (about 3 inches) to cut out scones. Place scones on prepared cookie sheet 2 inches apart.
Press dough scraps together, reroll, and cut out star shaped scones. Repeat until dough is gone.
Sprinkle scones with the cinnamon sugar mixture and bake 12- 14 minutes, until golden brown. Serve scones warm, or allow to cool on a cooling rack.

Notes

One large orange was all I needed for the juice and zest.
If the dough gets too soft and the butter gets melty, wrap it up and chill in the fridge for about 10 minutes. Then continue with the recipe.
Depending on how thick you roll the dough and the size of your cutter, you should end up with 8- 10 scones.