These gluten-free cranberry scones with homemade orange icing are full of incredible fall flavors. They have the perfect texture, and nobody will know these gluten free cranberry orange scones are gluten free. Use fresh or frozen cranberries. Make a batch in under 45 minutes!
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Friends, I am really excited about my new scones recipe. These scones have the perfect scone texture! Serve these scones with breakfast, brunch, or tea time! They taste as if they came from a bakery.
I used fresh cranberries because they are fresh in stores now, but frozen cranberries are also fine. See the FAQ section for frozen cranberry tips. If you love scones as much as we do, I have quite a few delicious sweet and savory gluten free scones recipes to try! If you are new to making scones, check out my Gluten-Free Scones Guide. It is full of scone recipes, baking tips, and more!
Why we make this gluten-free cranberry scones recipe all year long:
- The sweet-tart flavor from the combination of cranberries and orange gives these scones incredible flavors.
- These scones are easy to make, as I did, or in a scones pan.
- They taste incredible, and they are easy to make with little effort.
- You can freeze these scones (probably without the icing unless you flash-freeze them before placing them in a freezer bag.)
This is an amazing recipe! looking for something to bake with leftover fresh cranberries
rachel c., pinterest comment
and found this. So delicious!!! thank you!”
Allergen Information:
These homemade cranberry orange scones are gluten-free, nut-free, oat-free, and soy-free. Make it dairy-free by using dairy-free plant-based butter.
Ingredient Notes:
For the full list of ingredients and amounts, please go to the recipe card below.
- Gluten Free Flour Blend – I tested this recipe with King Arthur Measure for Measure. A reader wrote and said Doves Farm Flour Blend works great. Other blends should work, but depending on the starch content, some may need more or less liquid than others.
- Xanthan Gum – If your blend doesn’t contain either xanthan or guar gum, you must add one teaspoon to your dry ingredients.
- Butter – Use unsalted butter.
- Baking Powder – To get a good rise, you must use a lot of baking powder. I highly recommend aluminum-free baking powder. The regular baking powder leaves a bad metallic aftertaste.
- Salt – Use kosher or sea salt.
- Milk – You can use milk or non-dairy milk in this recipe. I used Milkadamia macadamia nut milk.
- Vanilla – Use pure vanilla extract.
- Cranberries – Fresh is best. Frozen is okay, too.
If it isn’t fall season and you can’t find fresh cranberries, try these Gluten Free Orange Scones.
Tips For Success
1. Be sure your butter is very cold. It helps make those flaky layers.
2. Use unsalted butter. Trust me on this.
3. Use the pastry cutter to make the butter crumbs small. If your butter chunks are too large, you will see butter running on the baking pan.
4. Use the spoon or leveling method to measure your gluten-free flour accurately. Put the measuring scoop into the flour and fill. Do not pack the flour. Use a knife to scrape along the top to remove the extra flour. You can also use a spoon to fill the measuring cup. Use a knife to level along the top to remove the extra flour.
Step-By-Step Photos and Directions:
Preheat your oven to 350º F and ensure the oven rack is in the middle position in your oven.
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Step 1: In a large
Step 2: Cut the cold butter into chunks and add them to the dry ingredients. Use a pastry blender to cut the cold butter into the flour mixture. You want to cut in the butter until it resembles crumbs.
Step 3: Add the cranberries and orange zest to the dry, crumbly mixture.
Step 4: Add the egg, vanilla, and non-dairy milk to a medium-sized bowl. Whisk to blend them.
Step 5: Pour the wet ingredients into the flour cranberry mixture. Mix it into a dough ball.
Step 6: Line a
Step 7: Use a sharp knife to score the dough. You want to add cut marks without cutting too deep into the dough.
Step 8: Bake the scones for 25-30 minutes. The actual baking time will vary depending on the thickness of your scones.
Step 9: Remove the scones from the oven and set them on a cooling rack.
Step 10: While the scones are cooling, add the powdered sugar and orange juice to a small bowl. If you like a thicker glaze, use more powdered sugar. Whisk to blend it. Drizzle it over the cooled scones. Enjoy!!
This homemade orange icing is best with freshly squeezed orange juice. This orange glaze would also taste incredible on my grandma’s homemade Gluten Free Bread Pudding!
These gluten free cranberry scones are incredible with or without the icing! If you love cranberries as much as I do, check out my incredible gluten free cranberry recipes.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Yes, use plant-based butter and milk to make these scones dairy-free.
I have not tested any egg-free versions. If you try this, please come back and let us know how they turned out.
Store these gluten free scones in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They should keep fresh for up to 3-4 days.
Freeze the scones by placing them in a freezer bag. They will keep fresh for up to 3 months.
If you love holiday flavors, try these Gluten Free Gingerbread Scones too!
This recipe totally rocks! I used Namaste brand gluten free flour which is different than the gf flour listed. The texture is amazing. Highly recommend!”
Elizabeth E., Pinterest
More Gluten Free Scones Recipes:
- Gluten Free Blueberry Scones
- Easy Gluten Free Pumpkin Scones
- Gluten Free Cinnamon Apple Scones
- Gluten Free Cheese Scones
- Gluten Free Strawberries and Cream Scones
Love This Recipe?
If you made and enjoyed this recipe, I would be incredibly grateful if you could leave a comment below. Please include which flour blend you used. This will help others know this recipe is delicious. Thank you!
Gluten Free Cranberry Orange Scones
Ingredients
- 2 cups gluten free flour blend * see notes
- ½ cup cane sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder aluminum-free
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup milk or non-dairy milk
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ cup unsalted butter * see note for dairy-free options
- ⅔ cup fresh cranberries * see note
- 1 tablespoon orange zest
Icing
- ¾ cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons orange juice with pulp, use more for a thinner icing
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Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350º F.
- In a large mixing bowl,½ cup unsalted butter add the 2 cups gluten free flour blend, ½ cup cane sugar, 2 teaspoons baking powder, and ⅛ teaspoon salt.
- Add cold butter chunks to the dry ingredients and use a pastry cutter to cut the butter into the flour mixture. When you are done, the mixture should resemble crumbs.
- Add 2 large eggs, ½ cup milk or non-dairy milk, 1 tablespoon orange zest, and 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract. To a medium bowl. Whisk to blend.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and add the ⅔ cup fresh cranberries. Mix into a scone dough.
- Place parchment paper on a baking sheet and add the dough to the middle. Press the dough into a circle shape about 1 1/2 inches thick.
- Use a sharp knife to score the dough into 8 slices. Don't cut the dough all the way through.
- Bake the scones for 25-30 minutes, depending on the thickness.
- Remove the scones from the oven and use a knife to cut through the score lines.
- Move the scones to a cooling rack. Drizzle the orange icing when the scones have cooled.
Icing
- Add the powdered ¾ cup powdered sugar and 2 tablespoons orange juice in a small bowl. Whisk into icing and drizzle over the scones.
Notes
- I tested this recipe with King Arthur Measure for Measure GF blend. Other blends should also work well. If your blend doesn’t contain xanthan or guar gum, add one teaspoon to the dry ingredients.
- Use a plant-based cold butter if you are dairy-free.
- If you want to use frozen cranberries, thaw them and drain the excess liquid before adding them to the scones mixture.
- Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days. You can also freeze the scones in a freezer bag for up to 3 months.
SPECIAL NOTE
Please know that every gluten free flour blend has a different starch to grain ratio. If you use a blend I didn’t test, my rule of thumb is to add more flour if your dough or batter is wet and add more liquid if the dough or batter is too dry!
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the actual nutritional information with the products and brands you are using with your preferred nutritional calculator.
i have made this recipe three times now and everyone LOVES them even those who are not gf
I make these often as well…I have several bags of cranberries in the freezer just so I can make these scones. I am thrilled you and your family love this recipe. Thank you!
Made per recipe instructions. Turned out great but will probably add more orange and cranberry next time.
I am so glad you loved the recipe. Please keep me posted on how they are after you add more cranberry and orange.
So good! Can’t wait to try your other scone recipes! Thank you for making such reliable recipes.
I am so glad you loved my cranberry scones recipe. They are so good. Enjoy!!
Loved this so much! Perfect for Thanksgiving breakfast.
I am so glad you enjoyed these with breakfast!! I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
These are delicious! I used Cup 4 Cup brand gluten free flour blend. I didn’t zest 1 T of orange zest, I just used the zest of 1 orange since that’s all I had. They are so good, terrific texture, hold their shape once cooled, and I love the little tart pops of cranberry in each bite! I had to cook mine a bit longer, about 40 min. But maybe that’s because mine were a little taller than 1.5”. I’ll definitely be making these again, thanks for sharing the recipe ☺️
I am so glad you loved these scones. Thank you so much, Rachel!
I made these and they turned out great! I’ll definitely make them again! Gave them to friends who loved them as well.
I am so glad you loved these scones, Carol. Thank you!
I used Better Batter multipurpose flour because that’s all I had. Turned out great. Only had dried cranberries so I hydrated in milk/vanilla mixture. And added just a smidge more milk. 10/10.
I am so glad to hear the recipe worked well with that flour blend. Thank you so much for coming back to let me know!
This is the best gluten free scone recipe! I used dried cranberries, and they turned out great. I made a dried cherry with chocolate chips version which was also tasty. Planning to make a blueberry lemon version, as well!
Thanks for this wonderful recipe!!
I loved how easy this recipe was. I did not use the orange (long story) but they came out perfect. I used Robin Hood glutten free flour and dried cranberries I pre soaked in a vanilla, sugar water mix to plump them up.
I am allergic to eggs so I used an egg replacer and brushed them with coconut milk just before baking to help brown them up.
Thank you so much for your note. I am so glad they worked with an egg replacer. Which did you use? Other readers will love to know.
This is beautiful and delicious and my gluten tolerant family likes it!
Thank you so much, Jennnifer.I am so glad you all loved the scones!
I used to love the orange scones from Panera Bread Co. before I had to be gluten free. These are actually BETTER! I used King Aurthur flour and let it rest before baking. I can’t wait to bake these again for Christmas.
Wow, that is a huge compliment. Thank you so much!!
This was super easy to make and so delicious and moist. I used a little less sugar. I loved that the scones did not have to be rolled out. I did not have milk so mixed a 1/4 cup of plain Greek yogurt with 1/4 cup water. I did not put the glaze on as I don’t like things too sweet. I plan to try the recipe with blueberries and dark chocolate next. Thank you!
I am glad you found a good work around with the yogurt and water. Thank you so much for coming back to share this tip.
I use a kitchen scale to measure my flour. How many grams would 2 cups be?
Hi Cindy, what flour blend are you using? Every single flour blend has a different measurement. I can only surmise in grams…If I say one measurement, your flour may not weigh that much. They all have different starch to grain ratios.
I added Orange Zest (1T.) to the Scone dough too. I like the layered Orange flavor and it just punches it up a bit more. So pretty for Christmas morning….they were requested again, so I’m making them tomorrow for New Year’s Day brunch.
Also used the Orange flavored Cranberries from Trader Joe’s.
Ohhh, that sounds good. I love the layered orange flavor you used. Happy New Year!
Made these this morning with Alaska cranberries. My husband loved them! Sharing the rest with grandkids tomorrow 😊
Hi Laurie, I am so glad your husband loved the recipe! Thank you so much for coming to let me know 🙂
Absolutely delicious! My non-gluten free husband ate almost all of them. Today I made another batch using raspberries and blueberries with a lemon glaze. So yummy! Making these scones for our holiday breakfast!
I am so glad you loved this new scones recipe! My husband ate most of them too :-).