These Orange Cranberry Scones are flaky, bursting with tangy flavors, and ridiculously easy to bake. Dairy-free and vegan, they’re the perfect item to add to your Christmas basket.
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Let’s set the mood for Christmas, with a lovely scent of orange all over the house. We just decorated our Christmas tree, lit a few candles, and made everything cozy and intimate. Now let’s get into Christmas baking, by making some orange cranberry scones. Believe me here, they will brighten up your Christmas morning!
I originally created this recipe with my now retired blogger friend Camille from the blog Rosenoisette. Together, we spent hours perfecting this recipe, making it vegan while still keeping the perfect flaky texture we all love in scones. I’m happy to report that we nailed it. You won’t even miss the butter or cream in the recipe!
Why you’ll love this orange-cranberry scones recipe
- Vegan, dairy-free, and egg-free
- Flaky and bursting with sweet, tangy and juicy flavors
- The recipe comes together easily
- A great recipe for the holiday season (Thanksgiving, Christmas…)
Key ingredients for vegan orange-cranberry scones
Butter, milk and eggs are the core ingredients of a traditional scone recipe. So how can we make it vegan may you ask? Here’s the secret to get perfect vegan scones, without altering the texture or flavor:
- Softened coconut oil (not melted). It replaces butter, traditionally used in scones.
- Full-fat coconut milk. It’s the replacement for both regular milk/cream and eggs. And no, the scones won’t taste like coconut!
- Cranberries. You can use fresh, frozen or dried cranberries. If using the first ones, be very gentle as you fold them into the dough so they don’t burst and stain the scones.
- Orange juice. Use a whole orange (not bottled orange juice), as you will need both the juice for the glaze and the zest for the scones.
Note about cranberries. When in season, try to go for fresh cranberries. They will release their juice and bring some moistness to the scones. Dried cranberries work too, and you can either use them as is or re-hydrate them, by soaking in hot water for a couple of hours. Dry them with paper towel before using.
How to make the perfect vegan scones
Step 1: prepare the scones. It comes in two steps: mixing all the dry ingredients, and slowly adding all the wet ingredients (coconut oil, then coconut milk), until the dough comes together roughly. Carefully fold in the cranberries, spreading them into the dough. Side note: Don’t forget to take a deep inhale and enjoy how good it smells.
Step 2: Shape the scones. Place the dough onto a parchment paper, roughly shape into a thick circle (about 7 inches diameter and 2 inches thick), cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. When the dough is set, cut the circle into 6 equal triangles.
Step 3: final touches and baking. Gently separate the scones from each other. Before baking, you can brush with coconut milk and sprinkle with sugar to create a shimmering crust. Then, bake in a preheated oven at 400°F (200°C) until golden.
Important note for my French-speaking readers. Make sure you watch the video tutorial we made together with my blogger friend Camille. It will guide you through the steps and provide you with some useful tips to perfect your scones.
How to make a vegan orange glaze
Now that your house smells divinely good and your scones are baked, let’s make the orange glaze. It seems like a detail but really finishes up the recipe, bringing some additional touches of freshness. To keep it vegan I used full-fat coconut milk (no milk), powdered sugar, orange juice, maple syrup and spices.
To make the glaze, simply whisk all the ingredients in a mixing bowl and wait until the scones have cooled completely before drizzling over. You can either use a spoon or a piping bag to drizzle the glaze over the scones.
Quick ecipe variation
This easy vegan scone recipe will also work wonderfully with fresh blueberries and lemon zest. Rosemary and pears is another personal favorite, especially for the holidays! Enjoy your scones with a cup of tea to complete the experience. Happy baking!
Other breakfast for the Holidays
- Chocolate-Orange Sweet Roll Christmas Tree
- Baked Apple Pecan French Toast
- The Best Fluffy Cinnamon Rolls
- Buttermilk Chocolate Chip Scones
- Chocolate Chip Vanilla Custard Brioches (Brioches Suisses)
More recipes with cranberries
Vegan Orange Cranberry Scones
- Prep Time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 25 mins
- Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Breakfast
- Diet: Vegan
These Orange Cranberry Scones are flaky, bursting with tangy flavors, and ridiculously easy to bake. Dairy-free and vegan, they’re the perfect item to add to your Christmas basket.
Email me this recipe
We’ll send it straight to your inbox, along with weekly food inspiration!
Ingredients
For the scones:
- 2 cups (240g) all-purpose flour
- 1 Tablespoon baking powder
- ¼ cup (50g) sugar
- 1 pinch salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)
- ¼ cup (55g) coconut oil, softened
- 1 cup (225g) coconut milk, full-fat and unsweetened
- 1 cup (25 cl) fresh and dried cranberries, divided*
- Zest of 1 orange
For the glaze:
- ¾ cup (90g) powdered sugar
- 1 pinch of cinnamon or pumpkin spice
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup
- 1 to 2 teaspoon(s) coconut milk, full-fat
- 1 Tablespoon orange juice
- ½ orange, zest
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, sugar, salt and cinnamon. Add orange zest and mix.
- Stir in the coconut oil to the dry ingredients, and mix by hand until you get a crumbly dough. Stir in the coconut milk, using a wooden or rubber spatula. Gently fold in the cranberries and mix until just combined. Do not overmix.
- Invert the bowl onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and pat the dough into an approx. 7-inch (18 cm) round circle and 2-inch (4 cm) thick. Refrigerate for 20 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
- Cut the chilled dough into 6 wedges, detaching each of them from the center and leaving space in between so they don’t stick together while baking.
- Sprinkle with sugar and bake for about 25 minutes. Let cool completely.
- In the meantime, prepare the glaze: in a small bowl, combine all the ingredients until you get a thick and smooth batter. Transfer into a pipping bag and set aside. When the scones are chilled, drizzle the glaze all over. Let chill for 5 minutes, and serve.
Notes
* or dried cranberries if fresh cranberries are not in season where you live.
Did you make this recipe?
Lastly, if you make this Vegan Orange Cranberry Scones, be sure to leave a comment and give this recipe a rating, letting me know how you liked it. And of course, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Thank you and enjoy!
Happy Holidays from Camille et Del!
Barb
Best scones ever! I have at least a dozen other plant based recipes I’ve made looking for the perfect one. This is it. Super easy to make and they turn out every time. I make a batch and refrigerate overnight to bake fresh in the morning. Delicious. Big hit with family and friends. Thank you.