Gluten Free Cranberry Orange Scones

Celebrate the holiday season with these gluten-free cranberry orange scones! Every bite delivers a soft, tender crumb and a delightful sugar crunch, all while bursting with classic cranberry and orange flavor.

Why you'll love these gluten free cranberry orange scones

These gluten-free cranberry orange scones feature a quintessential holiday flavor pairing—one of the most classic and cherished combinations of the season! While fresh cranberries are in season, I like to take full advantage and create delicious recipes such as my roasted cranberry chicken and red wine cranberry sauce. But trust me, these festive scones are an absolute must-have for your holiday table. Here are more reasons why you will love this recipe:

A Pop of Festive Color: Their vibrant look instantly elevates any holiday spread! The deep ruby-red cranberries and flecks of golden-orange zest are naturally festive, adding a beautiful, cheerful color to your breakfast, brunch, or dessert platter.
Easy to Make Ahead: You can easily bake them fresh in the morning, or take advantage of their convenience by preparing and freezing them ahead of time.

Gluten Free Cranberry Orange Scones Ingredients

Here are a few notes on some of the key ingredients to make these cranberry orange scones. See the printable recipe card with full instructions and measurements below.

Overhead shot of all the ingredients for the Cranberry Orange Scones recipe, including a large bowl of gluten-free flour, sour cream, two eggs, granulated sugar, whole cranberries, a whole orange, heavy cream in a small pitcher, and small bowls containing vanilla extract, almond extract, and baking powder/salt.

Ingredient Notes

Gluten-Free Flour: For the best overall texture, choose a high-quality gluten-free flour blend with xanthan gum, like Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free 1:1 Baking Flour.
Baking Powder: This powerful leavening agent provides the necessary lift for tender scones.
Sour Cream & Heavy Whipping Cream: To give our scones a pleasant tang and a rich flavor, we're using sour cream and heavy cream.
Butter: Very cold butter is key! The unsalted butter melts in the hot oven, releasing steam, creating distinct air pockets that result in those perfect flaky layers and a wonderfully crisp exterior.
Orange Zest: You'll need the fresh orange zest of one large navel orange or two medium oranges.
Cranberries: For the best results, I recommend using fresh cranberries in this recipe, which have less moisture compared to frozen. If you need to use frozen ones, be sure to add them directly to the dough—do not thaw them!

How To Make Gluten Free Cranberry Orange Scones

Here's an overview of how to make this cranberry orange scone recipe. For complete instructions, you can jump to the recipe card.

Make The Cranberry Orange Scone Dough

Overhead shot of dry ingredients in a food processor and butter for cranberry orange scones.

Step 1: Combine the flour mixture. Pulse the gluten-free flour, baking powder, and salt in a food processor until combined.
Step 2: Add the frozen butter. Pulse the diced frozen butter into the flour until coarse crumbs form. Transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl.

Mixing orange zest and granulated sugar in a small bowl. Chopping cranberries in half on a cutting board.

Step 3: Combine the sugar and zest. In a small bowl, combine the granulated sugar and orange zest. Use a spoon to gently stir the zest directly into the sugar.
Step 4: Prepare the cranberries. Slice the fresh cranberries in half.

Mixing the sour cream mixture into scone dry ingredients, then folding in cranberries.

Step 5: Add the zested sugar and wet ingredients. Whisk the orange-zested sugar into the flour mixture and form a well in the center. In a separate bowl, whisk together the sour cream, heavy cream, egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract. Pour these wet ingredients into the well and gently fold everything together until a shaggy dough forms.
Step 6: Add cranberries. Fold the cranberries into the dough.

Laiminate The Cranberry Orange Scone Dough

Rolling out and kneading scone dough, forming the dough into a rectangle then cutting in half.

Step 7: Turn out the cranberry dough. On a lightly floured surface using floured hands, gently knead the dough a few times until it comes together.
Step 8: Shape and cut the dough. Pat the dough into a rectangle, about 7x5 inches. Using a knife or bench scraper, cut the rectangle in half vertically.

Laminating the cranberry orange scones by folding, cutting, and stacking.

Step 9: Stack the dough. Stack one half on top of the other. Gently press the dough back into a rectangle, then turn it 90 degrees.
Step 10: Repeat the process. Continue to cut, stack, press, and turn the dough a total of three times.

Slice and Bake Cranberry Orange Scones

Forming the cranberry orange into a disk then cutting the disk into eight triangles.

Step 11: Form the dough into a disk. Gently pat the dough into a 7-inch disk. Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
Step 12: Cut the scones and freeze. Using a sharp knife, cut the dough disk into eight equal triangular wedges. Arrange the wedges on a large, parchment-lined baking sheet, leaving plenty of space between them. Place the baking sheet in the freezer for another 30 minutes.

Applying egg wash and sugar coating to cranberry orange scones, then baking until golden brown.

Step 13: Apply the egg wash. Using a pastry brush, brush the top of the scones with the egg wash. Then, sprinkle the top of the dough with granulated sugar.
Step 14: Bake the scones. Place the baking sheet in the preheated oven at 400°F, and bake for 20-22 minutes, or until the scones are beautifully golden brown.

Close up of gluten free cranberry orange scones on baking tray.

Storing and Freezing Your Scones

Best Served Fresh:

Scones taste their absolute best the day they are baked!

Storage & Reheating:

Store any leftover baked scones in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2-3 days.
To serve them warm again, I recommend a quick 8-15 second microwave.

Freezing Baked Scones:

To freeze baked scones for up to 2 months, allow them to cool completely to room temperature first.
Wrap each scone individually in plastic wrap and store them in an airtight container or freezer bag.
When you are ready to serve, remove the plastic wrap before placing the scones on a plate to thaw for about 3 hours. This step ensures the plastic wrap does not trap moisture and cause stickiness during thawing!

Freezing Unbaked Dough:

After cutting the scone wedges, place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze for about 30 minutes, or until fully solid.
Once frozen, wrap each wedge in plastic wrap, then place the unbaked scones in a freezer-safe bag or airtight container and store them for up to three months.
When you are ready to bake, there is no need to thaw them! Simply bake the scones straight from frozen, adding an extra 4–6 minutes to the normal baking time.

Common Questions

Can I use frozen cranberries?

For this recipe, I recommend using fresh cranberries as they contain less moisture, ensuring the best scone texture. If you must use frozen cranberries, do not thaw them before adding them to the dough, and be aware that they may add a few extra minutes to the baking time.

More Gluten-Free Scone Recipes

I hope you love this gluten free cranberry orange scone recipe as much as I do! If you make it, I’d love to hear how it turned out in the comment box below. Your review will help other readers in the community.