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Cranberry Orange Sour Cream Scones

Tender, moist, and flaky scones bursting with tart fresh cranberries and bright orange zest. The addition of sour cream guarantees a soft, melt-in-your-mouth texture.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 18 minutes
Total Time 38 minutes
Servings: 8 scones
Course: Breakfast, Brunch, Snack
Cuisine: American, British-Inspired
Calories: 320
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Dry Ingredients
  • 2.5 cups all-purpose flour spooned and leveled
  • 0.5 cup granulated sugar
  • 2.5 tsp baking powder
  • 0.5 tsp baking soda
  • 0.5 tsp salt
  • 1 tbsp fresh orange zest from 1 large orange
  • 0.5 cup unsalted butter cold and cubed
Wet Ingredients & Mix-ins
  • 1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries
  • 0.75 cup sour cream full-fat, cold
  • 1 large egg cold
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tbsp fresh orange juice
Topping
  • 2 tbsp heavy cream or milk for brushing
  • 2 tbsp coarse sugar for sprinkling

Equipment

  • Baking sheet
  • Mixing bowls
  • Pastry Blender or Fork
  • Grater/Zester

Method
 

  1. Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and orange zest.
  3. Cut in the cold butter using a pastry blender or your fingers until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with pea-sized bits of butter.
  4. In a separate bowl, whisk together sour cream, egg, vanilla, and orange juice.
  5. Pour wet ingredients over the dry mixture. Gently toss with a fork until a shaggy dough forms. Fold in cranberries.
  6. Turn dough onto a floured surface and gently pat into an 8-inch disc. Cut into 8 wedges.
  7. Place wedges on prepared baking sheet. Brush with cream and sprinkle with coarse sugar.
  8. Bake for 15-20 minutes until golden brown. Cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.

Notes

Do not overmix the dough; handle it as little as possible for tender scones. Keep butter and wet ingredients cold until ready to use.