These pretty gluten-free cranberry scones are tender and lightly sweet, everything a good scone should be. Infused with orange zest and packed with juicy cranberries, they're so festive and delicious!
These lovely cranberry scones are gorgeously tender and just packed with tart berries. I love them plain or topped with easy lemon glaze for even more flavor (a sweet maple glaze is also nice).
This is a fantastic make-ahead recipe - you can prepare the dough the night before and bake the scones on Christmas morning (maybe with a batch of gluten free gingerbread muffins or a gluten free cranberry cake?) to keep your life easy. I'll share some tips on how to do this lower down.
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These Scones Are So Holidayish!
I love hosting Christmas brunch! I switch off each year between baking a pan of ultra decadent oat flour cinnamon rolls and these scones. I admit I have a soft spot for a special breakfast pastry, and these scones are:
- Everything a good scone should be! But, they're gluten-free! Soft, sweet, and just the tiniest bit crumbly, they're best served with butter and strawberry honey jam.
- Quick to put together. While you'll need to budget in some time for the dough to rest in the fridge, the active time in prepping this recipe is pretty short.
- Special. Cranberries are available for such a short time each year, and I love to highlight them in unique bakes! Fresh cranberry scones make the most of this seasonal berry.
Ingredients Needed
Here's a glance at what you'll need to make this recipe. Make sure to scroll down to my recipe card at the bottom of this post for the full ingredient amounts and instructions!
- Oat flour - I love using whole grain, gluten free oat flour as the base of the scones. If you can't have oats, brown rice flour or sorghum flour makes a great substitute.
- Almond flour - A bit of almond flour adds structure and moisture to the scones. Swap another nut flour or brown rice flour if you don't eat nuts.
- Baking powder
- Salt - I use fine-grain sea salt in all of my recipes, and table salt works, too.
- Orange zest - Cranberry and orange is a classic combo, but any citrus works! Try tangerine, clementine, or lemon zest.
- Granulated sugar
- Butter - Very cold unsalted butter works best.
- Milk - I used whole milk. For extra richness, try heavy cream or half-and-half.
- Eggs - I used large eggs.
- Cranberries - You can use fresh or frozen cranberries.
Variation Ideas
- Add nuts - For a little crunch, stir in ½ cup of chopped walnuts along with the cranberries.
- Chocolate - To make cranberry-chocolate scones, add ½ cup mini chocolate chips!
- To glaze or not to glaze - I love these plain, and I love them glazed! Do the lemon glaze linked above, or use that recipe with orange juice to bump up the orange flavor here.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Here's an overview in photos of how to make these gluten free cranberry scones:
1. Mix flours: In a large bowl, rub the orange zest into the sugar, then whisk in the oat and almond flours, baking powder, and salt.
2. Add butter: Work in the grated butter.
3. Mix eggs: Whisk the eggs and milk in a small bowl.
4. Make dough: Mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, and add the cranberries. The dough will be wet. Place in the fridge.
5. Form scones: After the dough has chilled, form a circle and cut into 8 scones.
6. Bake: Freeze the dough for 20 minutes, then bake at 375F for about 30 minutes.
Make Ahead Instructions
Prepare the recipe up to the point of freezing the scones. Freeze them for about 20 minutes until firm, then remove from the freezer. You can leave them on the baking sheet and cover the sheet tightly with plastic wrap, or transfer to an airtight container.
Store the scones either in the freezer for up to 1 month, or in the fridge for up to 24 hours. You may bake the scones directly from the freezer; they may take a few minutes longer in the oven if baked from frozen.
Tips & Substitution Suggestions
- The dough will be wet. Note that when you combine the flour mix with the wet ingredients, the dough will be very wet and loose. Place the bowl in the fridge for 20-30 minutes to let the flours hydrate and chill. This will make the dough much easier to handle and work with.
- Keep ingredients very cold. Place the butter in the fridge until you're ready to use it - this will pay off later! And, use the eggs and milk straight from the fridge.
- Use a 1:1 substitute - This recipe was developed specifically to use these two gluten-free flours. However, if you wish to use a gluten-free all-purpose flour, or my homemade gluten free flour blend, that will work, too! Make sure to substitute the flour blend by weight for the total of the oat and almond flours.
- Use fresh or frozen berries. Either fresh or frozen cranberries work great. I prefer these over dried cranberries because they add a lovely, juicy texture to the scones.
- Make them refined sugar-free. Use coconut sugar or maple sugar for the granulated sugar.
- Make them dairy-free. Swap very cold coconut oil or your favorite non-dairy butter for the butter, and swap non-dairy milk for the milk.
Proper Storage
Always make sure to cool scones completely before storing them so that they don't get soggy.
- Counter - Cover the plate of scones in plastic or place them in an airtight container and store on the counter at room temperature for up to several days.
- Freezer - Place the baked scones in a freezer-safe, sealable bag and store them in the freezer for up to 3 months. You can reheat them from frozen, which will take longer, or thaw them in the fridge before reheating.
- To Reheat - Place the scones on a baking sheet, tent lightly with foil, and warm in a preheated 350°F oven for about 10 minutes.
More Gluten Free Cranberry Recipes
Happy baking! If you make this recipe, I'd love to know. Please leave a comment below, reach out with any questions, and tag me on Instagram @Cucina Nicolina ❤️
Recipe
Gluten Free Cranberry Scones
Ingredients
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons orange zest
- 1 ¾ cups gluten-free oat flour (200 grams)
- ½ cup almond flour (60 grams)
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter very cold
- ½ cup whole milk
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries
Instructions
- Place the ½ cup granulated sugar in a large bowl and add the 2 teaspoons orange zest. Using your fingers, work the zest into the sugar until it is fragrant and well dispersed. Whisk in the 1 ¾ cups gluten-free oat flour, ½ cup almond flour , 3 teaspoons baking powder, and ½ teaspoon fine sea saltGrate the ½ cup unsalted butter using a box grater and add it to the flour mixture. Work in the butter with a fork and/or your hands until it comes together in pea-sized crumbs.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the ½ cup whole milk and 2 eggs. Drizzle over the flour mixture, add the 1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries, and stir together until moistened. The dough will be very wet. Place in the fridge for 20-30 minutes until workable.
- Using a little oat flour, turn out the dough on the counter and, using a little more oat flour, knead and work the dough together until it is smooth and firm. Form dough into an 8-inch disc and, using a sharp knife, cut into 8 equal pieces.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the scones on the baking sheet and place the sheet in the freezer for at least 20 minutes.
- When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 375°F. Place the baking sheet with the scones in the oven and bake for about 35 minutes, until scones are lightly browned and firm. Remove from oven, let cool on the sheet for 5 minutes, then place on a rack to cool completely.
Notes
- The dough will be wet. Note that when you combine the flour mix with the wet ingredients, the dough will be very wet and loose. Place the bowl in the fridge for 20-30 minutes to let the flours hydrate and chill. This will make the dough much easier to handle and work with.
- Keep ingredients very cold. Place the butter in the fridge until you're ready to use it - this will pay off later! And, use the eggs and milk straight from the fridge.
- Use a 1:1 substitute - This recipe was developed specifically to use these two gluten-free flours. However, if you wish to use a gluten-free all-purpose flour, or my homemade gluten free flour blend, that will work, too! Make sure to substitute the flour blend by weight for the total of the oat and almond flours.
- Use fresh or frozen berries. Either fresh or frozen cranberries work great. I prefer these over dried cranberries because they add a lovely, juicy texture to the scones.
- Make them refined sugar-free. Use coconut sugar or maple sugar for the granulated sugar.
- Make them dairy-free. Swap very cold coconut oil or your favorite non-dairy butter for the butter, and swap non-dairy milk for the milk.
Charley says
What a great recipe!
For some reason I can’t select 5 stars inly 4
I love the suggestion to use a grater for the butter.
I zested 2 oranges and swapped cranberries for dried apricots.
Helen Spiridakis says
As always a well researched and practiced product. The results are everything one desires in a scone Thumbs up