Orange Cranberry Scones

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.

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!

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.

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.

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

• White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies
• Orange Cranberry Pound Cake

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Happy Holidays from Camille et Del!