Cranberry Orange Scones (5 ingredients)

Who knew that Orange Cranberry Scones could be this easy and made with just five ingredients? You'll be amazed at how quickly you can have them on your table!

Jump to:

• Ingredients
• How to make the 5 ingredient scones
• Equipment that will come in handy
• Storing scones
• Glaze for scones
• Mini scones
• Recipe FAQ
• 📖 Recipe
• Sweet Breakfast Recipes

I first became interested in making scones while writing a review on the best biscuits made from a mix. We tested the biscuit recipes of four popular baking mixes and one of those mixes had a recipe for scones on the box.

After trying the recipe I was pretty impressed by how easy and tasty the scones turned out, but I knew they could be improved on.

So, the use of a baking mix is the basis for making these super easy breakfast or brunch treats. That's how they happen to be so good with so few ingredients.

The four mixes we used in the biscuit test were Bisquick, Pioneer, Southern Biscuit and Jiffy. Do you know which one produced the best biscuit? Find out what is the best biscuit mix here.

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Any of them could be used in this recipe for scones though we have only tested it using the Pioneer mix.

Ingredients

• Baking Mix (the type used for making biscuits, pancakes etc.)
• Sugar
• Orange Juice (freshly squeezed or store bought, but don't use juice that's been sweetened)
• Orange Zest (it's what gives the scones a bold orange flavor)
• Dried Cranberries (we haven't tested with fresh cranberries, but if you do, leave a comment and let us know how they turn out)

That's it, y'all! That's a short and sweet list.

If you're looking for something a little different, our Cinnamon Scones have the same amount of ingredients and are just as easy to make.

How to make the 5 ingredient scones

1. Mix the baking mix with the sugar and then stir in the orange juice and zest just until well mixed.
2. Fold in the cranberries.
3. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface. I actually "flour" the surface with more of the baking mix here, but plain flour will work as well. (see equipment list below for our favorite baking mat)
4. Knead gently 3 to 4 times just to make sure the ingredients are blended well.
5. Pat to about ½ inch thick and shape the edges to make a circle of about 8 inches.
6. Cut into wedges with a sharp knife or a bench scraper.
7. Lay wedges on a parchment paper lined baking sheet and chill in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes. (This keeps your scones from spreading when they bake).
8. Bake at 400 degrees for about 12 minutes, or until lightly browned.
9. If a glaze is desired, you can mix it while they bake and then drizzle over warm scones after they have been out of the oven 2-3 minutes.

Equipment that will come in handy

Neither of these are essential and the scones could easily be made using any surface and a sharp knife.

However, if you do much baking you will love having this baking mat in your kitchen. Cutting straight lines, rolling into an 8, 10 or 12 inch circle are a breeze when you use it.

If you get used to working with a bench scraper you'll wonder how you went so long without it. Not only are they great for cutting dough but super handy to have when chopping veggies etc. Just "scrape" up the diced items and move them where you need them.

Storing scones

Room Temperature

If kept tightly covered, you can store your scones about one day at room temperature.

Refrigerator

For any longer than that you will want to refrigerate them, again making sure they're tightly covered. They'll keep refrigerated about 5-6 days.

Freezer

You can freeze your scones for up to three months. If frozen you should allow them to thaw before heating.

Glaze for scones

Your scones will be great without a glaze, but we do like that extra little bit of sweetness. The recipe below makes plenty to drizzle over them like you see in these photos.

If you want a heavier coating of glaze you may want to make a double recipe - just to be sure you have plenty.

A sprinkle of sanding sugar or coarse sugar is another option for adding a bit of sweetness on top. You would want to sprinkle the sugar on before baking your scones.

Mini scones

This recipe makes 8 good sized scones. If you like the mini version you can do that too.

First, you'll cut the dough in half. Roll each half into a circle (disc) of about 5-6 inches. You'll want to get it a little thinner than ½ inch - around ⅓ inch is good.

Then cut each disc into 6 wedges. The cooking time is cut back since they're smaller. Start checking for brownness at about 8 minutes. Most ovens will take closer to 10 minutes to evenly brown mini scones.

Recipe FAQ

📖 Recipe