Cranberry scones

Tender and flavorful, these homemade cranberry scones, are made with dried cranberries and chocolate glaze, and have a perfectly balanced buttery flavor and the right amount of sweetness. 

Fresh cranberries vs dried cranberries 

Although I've used dried cranberries in this cranberry scone recipe, feel free to swap them out with fresh ones if you prefer. Just keep in mind that it will alter the taste of your scones.

Dried cranberries will give a sweeter taste and a slightly chewy texture to your scones, whereas fresh cranberries bring a more sour and fresh flavor. If you prefer using frozen berries, go right ahead. Just a quick note: When working with fresh or frozen berries in the dough, be cautious not to crush them as you shape it.

Looking for more festive recipes? I've got you covered! Try these Cranberry bars, these Linzer cookies with cranberry jam, or these Cranberry orange muffins.

Ingredients you will need

• Flour – Use all-purpose flour to make this easy cranberry scones recipe.
• White granulated sugar
• Salt
• Baking soda
• Unsalted butter – Place the butter in the freezer for 20 minutes before grating.
• Dried cranberries – If you’re interested in more recipes where you can use dried cranberries, try this Cranberry walnut bread or this Chocolate bark.
• Vanilla extract
• Egg – Using a cold egg will help the butter in the dough stay solid while shaping your scones with cranberries. 
• Whole milk – Same as the egg, the milk should be cold.
• Dark chocolate chips

Cooking tips

• Adjust the amount of liquids or flour as needed. Pay attention to the consistency of the dough. Depending on factors like humidity, you may need to tweak the amount of liquids or flour to achieve the perfect texture for your cranberry scones. If the dough is too sticky, add a little bit more flour, and if it’s too dry and crumbly and you can’t bring all pieces together, add a splash of milk.
• Don’t knead the dough. When bringing the ingredients together, resist the urge to knead the dough. Gentle pressing and squeezing are all you need to create tender scones. Over-kneading can result in a dense texture.
• Allow your dried cranberry scones to cool down before decorating. Patience is key! Ensure your cranberry scones are completely cooled before adding any decorative touches. This will prevent the decorations from melting and running down the scones, creating a mess.

How to make cranberry scones

Making the scone dough

1. Combine the flour, sugar, salt, and baking soda.
2. Grate the frozen butter using a grater box.
3. Cut the grated butter into the dry ingredients using a pastry knife, fork, or by hand.
4. Whisk together the egg, vanilla extract, and milk. Optionally, reserve 1 tablespoon of the mixture to use as an egg wash later.
5. Add the wet ingredients to the butter and flour mixture and bring the dough together. Do not knead it. Just press and squeeze it with your hands until it comes together. 
6. Transfer the dough onto a floured surface and form a 2” (5cm) thick disk. Cut it into 8 triangles and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Baking and decorating

1. Place the baking sheet in the fridge and preheat the oven to 400F (200C).
2. Brush the scones with the reserved egg wash and bake them for 15-18 minutes or until golden on top and around the edges.
3. Allow them to cool down to room temperature before decorating.
4. Melt the chocolate in the microwave in short increments, mixing in between until ⅔ of it has melted. Allow the rest of the chocolate to melt from the residual heat while agitating it with a spoon.
5. Drizzle the chocolate above the fully cooled scones. Allow the chocolate to set and serve.

Possible variations

• Add nuts – Add your preferred nuts, such as pecans or walnuts, into the dough. Alternatively, you can sprinkle finely chopped nuts on top of the chocolate glaze. 
• Glaze with sugar icing – Give your scones a sweet finishing touch by drizzling them with a simple sugar icing. Prepare a mixture of powdered sugar and a splash of liquid (like milk or lemon juice) until you achieve a smooth consistency, then drizzle over the cooled scones. 
• Add lemon or orange zest – Infuse a citrusy brightness into your scones by adding the zest of lemons or oranges. Grate the outer peel of the citrus fruits and fold the zest into the dough to create cranberry lemon or cranberry orange scones. This addition brings a refreshing and zesty flavor to complement the sweetness of the dried cranberries.

FAQ

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Recipe card

Cranberry scones

Tender and flavorful, these homemade cranberry scones, are made with dried cranberries and chocolate glaze, and have a perfectly balanced buttery flavor and the right amount of sweetness.

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes minutes

Servings: 8 servings

Calories: 326kcal

Author: Anna

Equipment

• Digital kitchen scale
• 2 Mixing bowls
• Pastry brush
• Parchment paper

Ingredients

• 250 g all-purpose flour
• 35 g white granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 100 g unsalted butter frozen
• 100 g dried cranberries
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 large egg cold
• 100 ml whole milk cold
• 75 g dark chocolate chips

US CustomaryMetric

Instructions

• In a bowl, combine the flour, sugar, salt, and baking soda.
• Grate the frozen butter using the grater box’s side with large holes.
• Cut the grated butter into the dry ingredients using a pastry knife, fork, or by hand until the mixture resembles a coarse meal with pea-size pieces of butter in it.
• In a small bowl, whisk together the egg, vanilla extract, and milk. Optionally, reserve 1 tablespoon of the mixture to use as an egg wash later.
• Add the wet ingredients to the butter and flour mixture and bring the dough together. Do not knead it. Just press and squeeze it with your hands until it comes together. If the dough stays too dry and crumbly, incorporate 1-2 tablespoon of milk into the dough. If the dough is too sticky, add a little bit more flour.
• Transfer the dough onto a floured surface and form a 2” (5cm) thick disk. Cut it into 8 triangles and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
• Place the baking sheet in the fridge and preheat the oven to 400F (200C).
• When the oven is hot, brush the scones with the reserved egg wash and bake them for 15-18 minutes or until golden on top and around the edges.
• Allow them to cool down to room temperature before decorating.
• Melt the chocolate in the microwave in short increments, mixing in between until ⅔ of it has melted. Allow the rest of the chocolate to melt from the residual heat while agitating it with a spoon.
• Drizzle the chocolate above the fully cooled scones using a spoon or a piping bag. Allow the chocolate to set and serve.

Video

Notes

Store in an air-tight container for up to 2 days or for up to one week in the fridge.

Shape the dough into scones and freeze them for up to 2 months.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Cranberry scones

Serving Size

 

1 serving

Amount per Serving

Calories

326

% Daily Value*

Fat

 

14

g

22

%

Saturated Fat

 

10

g

63

%

Trans Fat

 

0.4

g

Polyunsaturated Fat

 

1

g

Monounsaturated Fat

 

3

g

Cholesterol

 

49

mg

16

%

Sodium

 

385

mg

17

%

Potassium

 

130

mg

4

%

Carbohydrates

 

45

g

15

%

Fiber

 

2

g

8

%

Sugar

 

17

g

19

%

Protein

 

5

g

10

%

Vitamin A

 

364

IU

7

%

Vitamin C

 

0.1

mg

0

%

Calcium

 

56

mg

6

%

Iron

 

2

mg

11

%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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