Wake up this Christmas morning with these delightfully sweet and tart Vegan Cranberry Orange Scones topped with Orange Glaze. So good; you won’t believe they are vegan!
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Last weekend was a festive one. It started off on Friday with a trip to the theater to watch a Christmas-themed play with a friend. On Saturday I continued the tradition of decorating the Christmas tree with my kids. My parents came into help (and by help, I mean bringing me a tree so I didn’t have to figure out how to fit one in my small car without a roof rack). We listened to Christmas music, ate cookies, and put lights and ornaments around the tree.
Today, I’m keeping up the holiday spirit by sharing a new recipe with you. These Vegan Cranberry Orange Scones are a delicious pastry for this season and might just be the perfect way to wake up on Christmas morning.
I made these cranberry orange scones for years when I worked as a professional baker. Every year, around this time, we would start making an Orange Cranberry Scone. For weeks it became one of the most popular items we sold.
This year I decided it was time to veganize them.
And they were delicious!
Ingredients for Vegan Scones
The key to a perfect scone is finding that perfect buttery and flaky texture without making it too dry. To do this, we must choose our vegan ingredients carefully.
Ingredients & Substitutions
- All-Purpose Flour – I have also made these scones with 1:1 Gluten-Free Flour Baking Blend with great success.
- Granulated & Powdered Sugar – Check out my guide to vegan sugars and healthy sugar alternatives. For a healthier alternative, I suggest coconut sugar.
- Baking Powder
- Salt
- Vegan Butter – Look for a high-quality non-hydrogenated vegan butter. I recommend either Earth Balance or Miyoko’s.
- Orange – You will need both the zest and juice.
- Canned Light Coconut Milk – Most traditional scone recipes use cream to give the scone its rich flavor. Non-dairy milk simply won’t replace the fat and creaminess in the same way. For that reason, I use canned lite coconut milk. It is thick, rich, and adds a nice subtle flavor. If you don’t like coconut, I recommend using a quality unsweetened non-dairy creamer rather than milk.
- Chickpea Flour – This is used as an egg replacer. Because of its high protein content, chickpea flour gives the scones structure without being too crumbly. It also is completely flavorless meaning it won’t affect the taste of the scones itself (unlike some other vegan egg replacers). If you can’t find it at your local grocery store, you can buy chickpea flour online. (<<affiliate link)
- Vanilla Extract
- Fresh Cranberries
Recommended Equipment
You will need a baking sheet, with a silicone baking mat, mixing bowls, a pastry cutter, an 8″ cake pan, and basic kitchen utensils. (<<affiliate links)
Check out the full list of my recommended kitchen tools and gadgets.
Step-by-Step Prodedure
Step One – Combine the Dry Ingredients
Combine the dry ingredients together in a large bowl. I also add my orange zest at this point to ensure that it is thoroughly mixed throughout.
Once your dry ingredients are well combined, cut in the vegan butter. You can use a pastry cutter or your fingers to spread the butter throughout the flour mixture so that it resembles a fine crumb.
Step Two – Add the Wet Ingredients
In a separate bowl combine the coconut milk and chickpea flour, whisking vigorously until the chickpea flour is dissolved. It should be a thick egg-like consistency. Add the vanilla extra and combine the wet ingredients with the dry.
The dough will be kind of dry. This is necessary for getting a flaky pastry. Work the dough with your fingers until it is evenly hydrated. Only add more liquid if it feels like it’s not sticking together when pressed between your fingers.
Step Three – Bake the Scones
Stir in the cranberries to the dough and transfer it to a floured 8″ cake pan.
Pro Tip: I learned this in my many years as a baker. By pressing it into a cake pan you ensure a perfect circle. More importantly, this step allows you to press the dough together so that it holds together better in the oven.
Once the dough is evenly pressed into the pan, turn it out onto a floured surface and cut it into 8 equal pieces. Place the cranberry orange scones on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Brush them with extra vegan cream or non-dairy milk and bake for about 20 minutes, until they are golden brown and flaky.
Once they are out of the oven, top them with orange glaze and serve.
Serving and Storing
Serve these scones immediately with some Christmas Sangria or a Chai Tea Latte.
Store leftover scones in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Make in Advance: If you want to make this recipe in advance, you can store unbaked scones in the freezer for up to 2 months. Place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet and let them freeze all the way through. Once they are frozen, transfer them to a large Ziplock bag. When ready to bake, you can bake them straight from the freezer following the instructions below. They may need a few extra minutes in the oven since they will be frozen.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use frozen cranberries?
I prefer using fresh cranberries as frozen ones can sometimes bleed into the dough and make it turn pinkish. However, if you are making this recipe offseason, frozen ones will work just fine. Follow these steps when using frozen berries:
- Place the cranberries in a colander and run them under room temperature water, breaking the berries up with your fingers. This will allow the excess juices to run out of the berries so they don’t bleed into your batter.
- Let the cranberries sit in the colander for at least 30 minutes so all the water has drained from them. If they are still wet, they will add liquid to your batter, altering the texture of these muffins.
- Gently pat the berries dry with a paper towel before adding them to your batter.
Do I have to use coconut milk?
I recommend coconut milk because it is thick, rich, and adds a nice subtle flavor. If you don’t like coconut, I recommend using a quality unsweetened non-dairy creamer rather than milk.
Can regular flour be swapped for chickpea flour?
Unfortunately, no. Chickpea flour is uniquely dense in protein and works as an egg replacer in a way that all-purpose flour cannot. You should be able to find chickpea flour at your grocery store – look in the bulk or alternative flours section.
More Vegan Scone Recipes
- Oatmeal Date Scones
- Chocolate Chip Walnut Scones
- Chai Spiced Scones with Cinnamon Glaze
- Lemon Blueberry Scones
Vegan Cranberry Orange Scones
Ingredients
Cranberry Orange Scones
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for flouring surfaces
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup vegan butter, I use Earth Balance
- zest of one large orange
- 3/4 cup light coconut milk plus more for brushing
- 3 tbsp chickpea flour
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup fresh cranberries
Orange Glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2-3 tbsp fresh orange juice, as needed
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking mat and set aside.
- In a small bowl combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and orange zest.
- Cut butter into small pieces and add it to the dry ingredients. Mix in with a pastry cutter or your fingers until a fine crumb has formed.
- In a small bowl or liquid measuring cup combine the coconut milk and chickpea flour, stirring vigorously until chickpea flour has completely dissolved. Stir in vanilla extract. Add wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, stirring to combine.
- With a wooden spoon or your hands, fold in the cranberries.
- Flour the bottom of an 8" cake pan and press dough evenly into the pan to shape. Flip onto a floured surface and cut into 8 equal pieces. Place scones on the prepared baking sheet. Brush with a light layer of creamer and bake for 20-25 minutes until tops are golden brown.
- While scones are baking combine ingredients for the glaze, adding juice slowly to the powdered sugar until desired consistency is reached. It should be slightly thick but thin enough to easily dip scones into the glaze.
- Remove scones from the oven, let cool for 10 minutes, then dip tops in the glaze before letting cool completely. Serve or store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Place the cranberries in a colander and run them under room temperature water, breaking the berries up with your fingers. This will allow the excess juices to run out of the berries so they don’t bleed into your batter.
- Let the cranberries sit in the colander for at least 30 minutes so all the water has drained from them. If they are still wet, they will add liquid to your batter, altering the texture of these muffins.
- Gently pat the berries dry with a paper towel before adding them to your batter.
Hi, I’m Sarah. I’m a 14-year (and counting) vegan, professionally trained photographer, former pastry chef, founder of My Darling Vegan, and author of the
jordan says
can i use vegan heavy cream instead of coconut milk? would it be the same amounts?
Caitlyn Miller says
Can I use an egg replacer powder in place of the chickpea flour? Or flax eggs?
Katrina says
This recipe is that one that people know me for. Like I think I sometimes only get invited to stuff because people want me to bring “the crack scones” haha, when I can’t find fresh cranberries, blueberries are also really amazing.
Karen says
I didn’t have fresh or frozen cranberries but really wanted to make this so substituted dried cranberries and it still turned out wonderful!
suzi says
Can I use a rich homemade milk like Brazil nuts and almonds in place of the creamer? Can’t wait to try this one!!
Jessica says
My son and I just made these scones and they turned out amazing! Here’s the YouTube video of us making them. He’s 4 and loves to bake.
Let us know what you think!
Doug says
I made these, only with Meyer Lemons and blueberries (when life-or your backyard-gives you lemons…).
I have tried several other scone recipes to replace my beloved cinnamon chip scones, and they have all fallen short.
This one did not: It was *excellent*!
Thanks for sharing it!
Sarah says
That’s great to hear! I do have a chocolate chip scone you might like: https://www.mydarlingvegan.com/chocolate-chip-walnut-scones/
You could add 1/2 -1 tsp of cinnamon to it too and try and recreate your cinnamon chip scones.
Marilynn Shymanovitz says
Can regular flour be used in place of chickpea flour?
Can So Delicious unsweetened coconut milk be used in place of creamer?
Sarah says
No, the chickpea flour is used as an egg replacer. It’s higher in protein and therefore works as a strong binder which regular flour would not.
Kristin says
I made these scones over the weekend and they were easy to make and incredibly delicious! They came out perfectly. Thank you so much for the recipe, Sarah. I have a feeling these will become a holiday staple!
Rox Geer says
I love scones this looks Fantastic ????question is Could I use coconut flour I’m gluten-free and vegan.
Sarah says
I’m sure you would need to use a combination of gf flours to make this work. My best advice is using a gf flour blend for the most similar taste and texture.
Ashley Woodward says
Let it be cookies, cakes, pies, and scones… Christmas is the time to go all out and these scones will definitely be on our holiday table. Thank you Sarah for another wonderful recipe!
Victoria says
Wow, these look sooo inspiring. I’ll be making these as soon as I get some cranberries.
Jennifer Bliss says
YUM! Look and sound perfect!!!!! WOWZA! Scones! I want some!