When it comes to scones, I love mine chock-a-block with cranberries, and tangy from buttermilk. Oh, and it doesn’t hurt to have a kiss of organic maple syrup and vanilla to round out the warm, fresh from the oven, sweet treats.
These cranberry scones are meant to be a good homemade alternative to Starbucks – to be honest, I think they’re better. (Especially given that you can eat them fresh and warm straight from the oven!)
All you need is a big pat of butter, jelly or jam, and talk about an incredible decadent tea time snack!
Of course, if you want you could add white chocolate or dark chocolate chips to these amazing scones. And you could also add finely chopped walnuts, pistachios, or almonds to the mix for a little change of pace.
But, I really enjoy the simplicity of the cranberries, orange zest and juice, along with the sweetness of maple. (Of course, being a Vermonter means that I always love everything with a bit of maple!)
So, however you decide to make these, just decide to make these.
You’ll be happy you did.
Starbucks cranberry scones ingredients
Most of the ingredients you’ll need are pretty typical – flour, sugar (granulated and powdered), baking powder, salt, heavy cream (you can sub in coconut cream), maple syrup, dried cranberries, vanilla extract, an egg, etc.
You’ll also need both a couple tablespoons of orange juice and a tablespoon of orange zest – so I’d recommend fresh-squeezing the orange juice from an orange at home so you can kill two birds with one stone.
Starbucks cranberry scones recipe tips
If you want to make this recipe vegan, I’d recommend subbing in coconut oil for the butter, lemon juice for the buttermilk, flax for the egg, and coconut cream for the heavy cream. It won’t be exactly the same, but it’ll still be delicious!
If you’d like to bake these ahead of time and freeze them, simply flash freeze them on a rimmed baking sheet unglazed. Once they’re thawed, just pull together the easy peasy (and crazy delicious) glaze!
Cranberry scones storage
Generally these scones should last about four days in the refrigerator (just refresh them in the oven for a few minutes at 250 degrees before you serve them to get them nice and warm). I wouldn’t leave them out on the counter for too long, and I generally wouldn’t recommend freezing (aside from unglazed).
PrintCranberry Scones (Copycat Starbucks Recipe)
These copycat Starbucks cranberry scones with an orange glaze are everything you want in a fluffy bite of pastry!
- Prep Time: 45 minutes (including cooling time)
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 70 minutes
- Yield: 8 scones 1x
Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour+ 2 tablespoons, divided
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 tablespoon orange zest, divided
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cold stick unsalted butter, cubed
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup dried cranberries, rehydrated and drained, divided
2 tablespoons maple syrup
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons orange juice
Instructions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Fit a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment.
Place the dried cranberries in a small bowl and cover with hot water. Reserve.
In a large bowl whisk together 2 cups flour, baking powder, 2 teaspoons orange zest, and salt.
Add in the cubed butter, and work the butter into coarse crumbs using a pastry blender or potato masher.
In a medium bowl, whisk together ½ cup buttermilk, egg, and vanilla.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients.
Stir well to combine.
Drain the cranberries.
Fold in ¾ cup dried cranberries.
In a small bowl, stir together remaining cranberries and maple syrup. Reserve.
Sprinkle 1 tablespoon flour onto a work surface.
Pat the dough into an 8-inch round. Place the round on a plate, and refrigerate for 15 minutes.
Divide into 8 triangles.
Place the remaining flour into a small bowl.
Dip a paring knife into the small bowl of flour.
Gently cut a scone in half lengthwise, leaving a 1-inch border so you don’t cut completely through the scone.
Place a small amount of the cranberry maple mixture in the scone. Pat down the top of the scone to seal.
Repeat dipping knife into flour, cutting the scones, and placing filling in the middle.
Place the scones on the prepared baking sheet.
Brush the tops of the scones with the heavy cream.
Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick in the center comes out cleanly.
Let the scones cool on a cooling rack.
In a small bowl whisk together the powdered sugar and orange juice.
Drizzle the glaze over the cooled scones.
Sprinkle with remaining orange zest.
Nutrition Facts
- Serving Size: 1
- Calories: 340
- Sugar: 25.2g
- Sodium: 257mg
- Fat: 13.6g
- Saturated Fat: 8.4g
- Carbohydrates: 49.5g
- Fiber: 1.6g
- Protein: 4.5g
- Cholesterol: 59mg
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