Sweet Gluten-Free Cranberry Orange Scones

Here are my favorite gluten-free cranberry orange scones, with a tender, crumbly texture, tart cranberries, fresh orange zest, and a simple glaze that brings it all together.

These scones have become our go-to weekend breakfast treat. I love making a batch on Sunday mornings so we can grab them throughout the week with our coffee. There’s something so satisfying about a warm scone that doesn’t leave you missing the gluten, you know?

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What Kind of Gluten-Free Flour Should I Use?

For these scones, you’ll want to use a good quality gluten-free multipurpose flour blend that contains xanthan gum – this helps give your scones the structure they need to hold together properly. Popular brands like King Arthur, Bob’s Red Mill, or Cup4Cup all work well for this recipe. Avoid using single-ingredient flours like almond flour or rice flour on their own, as they won’t give you the right texture. If your flour blend doesn’t already contain xanthan gum, you’ll need to add about ½ teaspoon to help bind everything together and prevent your scones from falling apart.

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Options for Substitutions

This gluten-free scone recipe is pretty adaptable, but there are a few key ingredients you’ll want to keep as-is:

• Gluten-free flour: This is the one ingredient you really shouldn’t substitute – stick with a good quality gluten-free multipurpose flour blend that contains xanthan gum for the best texture and structure.
• Buttermilk: No buttermilk on hand? Make your own by adding 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar to regular milk and letting it sit for 5 minutes. You can also use plain Greek yogurt thinned with a little milk.
• Fresh cranberries: Dried cranberries work great too – just use about 75 grams and soak them in warm water for 10 minutes to plump them up. You could also try chopped dried apricots or blueberries.
• Orange zest and juice: Lemon works just as well if you prefer a different citrus flavor. You could even try lime for something a bit more unique.
• Cold butter: Vegan butter or coconut oil (solid, not melted) can work for dairy-free needs, though the texture might be slightly different.
• Raw sugar for topping: Regular granulated sugar, coarse sugar, or even a light sprinkle of cinnamon sugar makes a nice finishing touch.

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Baking

The biggest mistake when making gluten-free scones is overworking the dough, which can lead to tough, dense results since gluten-free flour behaves differently than regular flour – mix just until the ingredients come together and no more.

Keep your butter ice-cold and cut it into small cubes before incorporating it into the flour mixture, as warm butter will melt and create heavy scones instead of the light, flaky texture you want.

Don’t skip chilling the shaped scones for at least 15 minutes before baking, which helps them hold their shape and prevents spreading, and be careful not to overmix when adding the cranberries to avoid breaking them down too much.

Finally, resist the urge to open the oven door during the first 15 minutes of baking, as the temperature drop can cause your scones to collapse before they’ve had a chance to set properly.

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What to Serve With Gluten-Free Cranberry Orange Scones?

These scones are perfect for breakfast or afternoon tea, and they pair beautifully with a hot cup of coffee or English breakfast tea. I love serving them with a dollop of clotted cream or even just some good butter and a bit of orange marmalade to play up those citrus flavors. They’re also great alongside fresh berries or a simple fruit salad, especially if you’re hosting a brunch. For a cozy morning treat, try them with some Greek yogurt drizzled with honey – the tangy yogurt balances out the sweetness of the scones perfectly.

Storage Instructions

Keep Fresh: These cranberry orange scones taste best within the first day or two, but you can store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. If you’ve added the orange glaze, they’ll stay moist a bit longer than plain ones.

Freeze: Scones freeze really well! Wrap each one individually in plastic wrap, then pop them in a freezer bag for up to 3 months. You can freeze them with or without the glaze – whatever works best for you.

Warm Up: To bring back that fresh-baked taste, warm frozen scones in a 350°F oven for about 10-15 minutes, or thaw them at room temperature for an hour. If they’re from the fridge, just a quick 5-minute warm-up in the oven will make them taste like new again.

Estimated Nutrition

Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):

• Calories: 1950-2150
• Protein: 22-26 g
• Fat: 60-70 g
• Carbohydrates: 340-370 g

Ingredients

For the scone dough:

• 1 tbsp zest from 2 medium oranges
• 100 grams white sugar
• 300 grams gluten-free all-purpose flour
• 14 grams (1 tbsp) baking powder
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 113 grams unsalted butter, cold
• 125 grams buttermilk, chilled
• 1 large egg, cold
• 25 grams freshly squeezed orange juice
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 100 grams chopped fresh cranberries

For topping:

• Raw sugar, for sprinkling
• Extra buttermilk, for brushing

For orange glaze:

• 120 grams powdered sugar
• 30 to 40 grams orange juice

Step 1: Prepare Baking Tray and Dry Ingredients

• 300 grams gluten-free all-purpose flour
• 14 grams (1 tbsp) baking powder
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt

Line a sheet tray with parchment paper and set it aside.

In a small bowl, sift or whisk together the gluten-free all-purpose flour, baking powder, and kosher salt to combine.

Set this dry mixture aside for use in later steps.

Step 2: Prepare the Cranberries and Orange Sugar

• 100 grams chopped fresh cranberries
• 1 tbsp zest from 2 medium oranges
• 100 grams white sugar

Rinse the fresh cranberries and pat them dry using paper towels or a clean kitchen towel, discarding any that are overripe.

Chop the cranberries roughly, especially if they are large.

In a large bowl, combine the white sugar and orange zest, then use your fingers or the back of a spoon to rub the zest into the sugar until fragrant.

Step 3: Make the Scone Dough

• 113 grams unsalted butter, cold
• 125 grams buttermilk, chilled
• 1 large egg, cold
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 25 grams freshly squeezed orange juice
• dry ingredient mixture from Step 1
• orange zest sugar mixture from Step 2
• chopped cranberries from Step 2

Add the dry ingredients from Step 1 to the orange zest sugar mixture from Step 2 and stir to combine.

Cut the cold butter into smaller pieces and add it to the bowl.

Using a fork or clean hands, work the butter into the dry mixture until it becomes crumbly—alternatively, grate the butter using a box grater.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the chilled buttermilk, egg, vanilla extract, and freshly squeezed orange juice until frothy.

Pour this wet mixture into the flour-butter mixture.

Add the chopped cranberries and stir everything together with a spatula until you have a shaggy dough.

Don’t worry if it looks a little dry—the dough will come together.

Step 4: Shape and Chill the Dough

• prepared scone dough from Step 3
• extra gluten-free all-purpose flour, if needed

Transfer the scone dough to the parchment-lined sheet tray and gently knead just until it comes together, about 30 seconds.

Shape the dough into a 7-inch circle, ¾ to 1 inch thick.

If the dough is sticky, sprinkle over an extra 10-15 grams of gluten-free flour.

Place the uncut dough in the refrigerator for at least 10 minutes to set up (you can refrigerate it for up to 48 hours).

Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 400°F.

Step 5: Cut, Brush, and Bake the Scones

• uncut scone dough from Step 4
• extra buttermilk, for brushing
• raw sugar, for sprinkling

Once the oven reaches 400°F, remove the dough from the fridge.

Use a sharp knife to cut the dough circle into eight equal wedges—quarter the circle first, then halve each quarter.

Arrange the scones on the prepared tray, lightly brush the tops with extra buttermilk, and sprinkle with raw sugar.

Bake for 22 to 26 minutes, until golden brown.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool on the tray for 10 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely before glazing.

I like to let the scones cool completely before glazing to ensure the glaze sets beautifully.

Step 6: Prepare the Orange Glaze

• 120 grams powdered sugar
• 30 to 40 grams orange juice

While the scones are cooling, prepare the orange glaze by mixing the powdered sugar and orange juice in a small bowl until smooth.

If the glaze is too thick, add more orange juice a little at a time—a little goes a long way to adjust the consistency.

For a brighter citrus flavor, sometimes I like to add a bit more orange zest or a hint of lemon juice.

Step 7: Glaze and Serve the Scones

When the scones are completely cool, drizzle them generously with the orange glaze prepared in Step 6.

Garnish with a little extra orange zest if you like, then serve and enjoy!

Sweet Gluten-Free Cranberry Orange Scones

Delicious Sweet Gluten-Free Cranberry Orange Scones recipe with step-by-step instructions.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 31 minutes mins

Total Time 46 minutes mins

Servings 4

Calories 2050 kcal

Ingredients

  

For the scone dough:

• 1 tbsp zest from 2 medium oranges
• 100 grams white sugar
• 300 grams gluten-free all-purpose flour
• 14 grams (1 tbsp) baking powder
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 113 grams unsalted butter, cold
• 125 grams buttermilk, chilled
• 1 large egg, cold
• 25 grams freshly squeezed orange juice
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 100 grams chopped fresh cranberries

For topping:

• raw sugar, for sprinkling
• extra buttermilk, for brushing

For orange glaze:

• 120 grams powdered sugar
• 30 to 40 grams orange juice

Instructions

 

• Line a sheet tray with parchment paper and set it aside. In a small bowl, sift or whisk together the gluten-free all-purpose flour, baking powder, and kosher salt to combine. Set this dry mixture aside for use in later steps.
• Rinse the fresh cranberries and pat them dry using paper towels or a clean kitchen towel, discarding any that are overripe. Chop the cranberries roughly, especially if they are large. In a large bowl, combine the white sugar and orange zest, then use your fingers or the back of a spoon to rub the zest into the sugar until fragrant.
• Add the dry ingredients from Step 1 to the orange zest sugar mixture from Step 2 and stir to combine. Cut the cold butter into smaller pieces and add it to the bowl. Using a fork or clean hands, work the butter into the dry mixture until it becomes crumbly—alternatively, grate the butter using a box grater. In a separate bowl, whisk together the chilled buttermilk, egg, vanilla extract, and freshly squeezed orange juice until frothy. Pour this wet mixture into the flour-butter mixture. Add the chopped cranberries and stir everything together with a spatula until you have a shaggy dough. Don't worry if it looks a little dry—the dough will come together.
• Transfer the scone dough to the parchment-lined sheet tray and gently knead just until it comes together, about 30 seconds. Shape the dough into a 7-inch circle, ¾ to 1 inch thick. If the dough is sticky, sprinkle over an extra 10-15 grams of gluten-free flour. Place the uncut dough in the refrigerator for at least 10 minutes to set up (you can refrigerate it for up to 48 hours). Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 400°F.
• Once the oven reaches 400°F, remove the dough from the fridge. Use a sharp knife to cut the dough circle into eight equal wedges—quarter the circle first, then halve each quarter. Arrange the scones on the prepared tray, lightly brush the tops with extra buttermilk, and sprinkle with raw sugar. Bake for 22 to 26 minutes, until golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on the tray for 10 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely before glazing. I like to let the scones cool completely before glazing to ensure the glaze sets beautifully.
• While the scones are cooling, prepare the orange glaze by mixing the powdered sugar and orange juice in a small bowl until smooth. If the glaze is too thick, add more orange juice a little at a time—a little goes a long way to adjust the consistency. For a brighter citrus flavor, sometimes I like to add a bit more orange zest or a hint of lemon juice.
• When the scones are completely cool, drizzle them generously with the orange glaze prepared in Step 6. Garnish with a little extra orange zest if you like, then serve and enjoy!