These Gluten Free Cranberry Orange Scones are tender, with flaky, buttery crumb and crunchy edges. Made with fresh cranberries and freshly grated orange zest they will quickly become a new holiday favorite. Serve them for breakfast, brunch, or whenever you want a comforting, homemade treat.
Prep Time25 minutes
Bake Time25 minutes
Additional Time30 minutes
Total Time1 hour 20 minutes
Ingredients
Gluten Free Cranberry Orange Scones
Zest from 2 medium oranges, around 1 tablespoon
100 grams granulated sugar
300 grams gluten free multipurpose flour
14 grams baking powder (1 tablespoon)
½ teaspoon kosher salt
113 grams unsalted butter, cold
125 grams buttermilk
1 large egg, cold
25 grams orange juice, fresh squeezed
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
100 grams fresh cranberries, roughly chopped
Raw Sugar
Extra Buttermilk
Sweet Orange Glaze
120 grams powdered sugar
30-40 grams orange juice
Instructions
How to make Gluten Free Cranberry Orange Scones
Line a sheet tray with parchment paper and set it aside.
In a small bowl sift or whisk together the gluten free baking flour, baking powder, and kosher salt. Set aside.
Give the fresh cranberries a quick rinse and pat dry with some paper towels or a kitchen towels. Make sure to remove any cranberries that are past their prime. With a large chef knife give them a few quick chops, especially if they are on the larger side. If you use frozen cranberries, do not thaw them before using but still give them a rough chop (if possible)
Combine the granulated white sugar and orange zest in a large bowl. Using your fingers or the back of a spoon, rub the zest into the sugar.
Add the dry ingredients to the orange zest sugar mixture and stir to combine.
Cut the COLD butter into smaller pieces and add to your dry ingredients. Using a fork or your washed, clean hands, work the butter into the dry mixture. The butter should look very crumbly. You may also use a box grater to grate the butter.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, large egg, vanilla extract and orange juice until frothy. Pour the wet ingredients into the mixture of flour and butter. Add the chopped cranberries and with a spatula stir everything together. Don’t worry if the dough looks dry and shaggy. The dough will come together.
Transfer the gluten-free cranberry orange scones dough to the parchment-lined baking tray and gently knead until the dough comes together (a brief 30 seconds). With your hands shape the dough in a 7-inch circle, around ¾” – 1″ thick. If the dough is sticky, add a little bit of additional gluten free flour (around 10-15 grams)
Place the uncut gluten free cranberry orange scone dough in your fridge for at least 10 minutes. At this point, you can allow them to sit in your fridge for up to 48hrs.
While the scone dough is setting up, preheat your oven to 400F.
When your oven reaches 400F, remove the scone dough from the fridge and use a sharp knife to cut it into eight equally sized scones. The easiest way to do this is by cutting the circle into quarters and then half each quarter again.
Arrange the gluten-free cranberry orange scones on the prepared sheet tray, using a pastry brush lightly brush them with some additional buttermilk and sprinkle them with raw sugar.
Bake at 400F for 22-26 minutes until golden brown. Remove them from the oven and allow them to cool on the sheet tray for 10 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack to cool completely (and glaze).
Sweet Orange Glaze
While the scones are cooling, prepare the orange glaze by combining the ingredients in a small bowl. If your glaze is too thick, add some additional lemon juice. Please be aware that a little goes a long way.
When the scones are cool, use a spoon and drizzle them with the orange glaze. Garnish with additional Orange Zest if you like.
Notes
Storage: Scones in general (not just gluten-free scones) taste the best the day they have been baked. If you happen to have any leftovers, store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Flour: To make the scones with regular all purpose flour, please substitute the gluten free flour with 275 grams of all-purpose flour.