Lemon & Cranberry Scones

5 from 2 votes

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Lemon Cranberry Scones are easy to make and are great for breakfast or as snacks! Fresh zingy lemon with tart cranberries plus a sweet glaze!

Here is a crazy easy no-brainer Lemon Cranberry Scones recipe courtesy of my good friend Bob. He works at a Red Mill. Allegedly. I used a whole wheat biscuit mix, jazzed it up and added a glaze. I’ve decided that glazes make the world go ’round. Especially lemon ones. Have I mentioned I’m slightly addicted to lemon? Little known fact.

Lemon Cranberry Scones

Lemon Cranberry Scones Ingredients

Hello, easy lemon cranberry scone recipe! It’s so easy you could make this early in the morning before anyone is awake, even before you’ve fully wakened up! Here’s everything you’ll need to make these lemon cranberry scones:

  • Biscuit Mix – feel free to use any biscuit mix you have. This one wasn’t too sweet, so I’d add a tablespoon or two of sugar next time. That or more glaze…I heart glaze.
  • Cold Butter – cold butter works in scones just like it works in pie crust. Not only do they provide flavor but they also are the key to flakey and moist scones. Either use cold butter, cut up into small chunks or freeze your butter and grate it with a cheese grater.
  • Egg – used for structure and lift.
  • Water – make sure it’s cold so that it doesn’t melt the butter. This just helps the dough come together.
  • Dried Cranberries – this is what this recipe is all about! Sweet-tart cranberries! Feel free to leave out all the lemons for plain cranberry scones (replace lemon juice with milk for glaze).
  • Lemon Zest – and the zing from the lemons that complements the sweet-tart so well. Feel free to replace the lemon with orange if that’s your thing.
  • Lemon Juice and Powdered Sugar – this is for a simple icing that is drizzled on top of the scones. It’s the perfect finish! Feel free to replace the lemon with orange if that’s your thing.

Love cranberries and citrus? Check out these recipes: Lemon Cranberry Coffee CakeOrange Cranberry Crinkle Cookies, and Cranberry Orange Cake Doughnuts.

Scone Ingredients

How to Make Lemon Cranberry Scones

I was really pleasantly surprised at how poofy this Lemon Cranberry Scone recipe got. I love a puffy biscuit and/or scone. For full recipe details check out the recipe card down at the bottom of the post. Enjoy!

  1. In an electric stand mixer, mix your biscuit mix together with some cold butter. Mix it with the paddle attachment until the butter gets broken up into small chunks.
  2. With the mixer on low, stream in 1 egg mixed with some cold water.
  3. After the basic biscuit dough comes together, mix in some cranberries and lemon zest. Yup, that’s the dough.
  4. Scoop the whole lot onto a floured surface and flatten out to be about 10 inches across. This stuff is sticky, so keep it moving and be generous with that flour!
  5. Cut the dough like a pie into 8 slices and place on a baking mat. Bake these at 400 degrees for 10-12 minutes. Once baked, set these aside while we make the glaze.

Rolling out Dough

How to Prevent Over-Spreading

Over-spreading happens when the butter is too warm and is just melting instead of releasing steam to create air pockets in the dough. If you are afraid that your lemon cranberry scones will spread, refrigerate the shaped scones for at least 15 minutes before baking.

If you still find that your dough is spreading too much as it bakes, remove from the oven and press back into shape using a spatula. Then return to the oven to bake. Good luck!

Unbaked and Baked Scones

Lemon Glaze

This glaze consists of two ingredients. Powdered sugar and lemon juice which perfectly complements the lemon cranberry scones by giving them a sweet zingy topping!

  1. Mix the two ingredients together until it’s runny but on the thick side of runny…if that makes sense. If it’s too thick add more lemon juice, if it’s too runny add more powdered sugar.
  2. Then go to town and glaze the tops of these and gobble them up like it’s 1999. {Ummm, what?}

Lemon Glaze

Storing

If you store lemon cranberry scones in an airtight container, they will stay fresh for about two days before turning very dry and crumbly. This is a baked good that tastes best within 24 hours of baking.

Freezing Lemon Cranberry Scones

Luckily for you, you can make these lemon cranberry scones and then freeze them for later! Either freeze baked or unbaked with these instructions.

Baked

Bake scones as directed and cool. Do not top with icing. Freeze in an airtight bag or container for up to 4 months. To thaw, transfer the scones to the counter for a few hours or overnight in the fridge. Either warm in the microwave or in the oven, then top with icing!

Unbaked

Once you are done cutting the dough into wedges, freeze on a plate or baking sheet for at least an hour. Then transfer to an airtight bag or container and freeze for up to 4 months. To bake, either bake from frozen, adding a few minutes to the baking time or thaw overnight and bake as normal.

Lemon & Cranberry Scones

Overnight Instructions

To make these lemon cranberry scones the night before, follow the instructions, stopping after you cut the circle of dough into 8 triangles. Cover and refrigerate overnight. When ready to bake, preheat your oven and continue where the instructions left off.

More Scone Recipes to Love!

These Lemon Cranberry Scones make a great breakfast on the go, brunch, snack or evening treat. I hope you like them! Pick up some biscuit mix today! 🙂

Printable recipe card is below!

Lemon & Cranberry Scones
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5 from 2 votes

Lemon & Cranberry Scones

Lemon Cranberry Scones are easy to make and are great for breakfast or as snacks! Fresh zingy lemon with tart cranberries plus a sweet glaze!
servings 8 scones
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Total Time 27 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 cups biscuit mix such as Bob's Red Mill
  • 1/4 cup cold butter cubed
  • 1 egg
  • cold water about 1/2 cup
  • 1/4 cup dried cranberries
  • lemon zest zest one whole lemon

for the glaze-

  • 3/4 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice or more, if needed

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  • In a stand mixer, stir biscuit mix and butter together until the butter breaks apart into smaller pieces, about the size of peas.
  • Crack an egg into a liquid measuring cup and top it off with enough water to equal 3/4 cup. Whisk the mixture together and stream into dry ingredients with mixer on low. Once that is just incorporated, stir in cranberries and lemon zest.
  • Dump scone dough onto a well floured surface and press out to be an 8-10-inch circle, approximately. Cut into 8 triangles, just like you're cutting a pie. Place onto the baking mat and bake for 10-12 minutes or until puffed and lightly golden. Remove from oven and set aside to cool.
  • In a small bowl, combine powdered sugar and lemon juice until a thick but still runny glaze forms and spread over top scones. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Notes

Overspreading. If you are afraid that your lemon cranberry scones will spread, refrigerate the shaped scones for at least 15 minutes before baking.
If you still find that your dough is spreading too much as it bakes, remove from the oven and press back into shape using a spatula. Then return to the oven to bake. Good luck!
Freezing Baked. Bake scones as directed and cool. Do not top with icing. Freeze in an airtight bag or container for up to 4 months. To thaw, transfer the scones to the counter for a few hours or overnight in the fridge. Either warm in the microwave or in the oven, then top with icing!
Freezing Unbaked. Once you are done cutting the dough into wedges, freeze on a plate or baking sheet for at least an hour. Then transfer to an airtight bag or container and freeze for up to 4 months. To bake, either bake from frozen, adding a few minutes to the baking time or thaw overnight and bake as normal.
Overnight Instructions. To make these lemon cranberry scones the night before, follow the instructions, stopping after you cut the circle of dough into triangles. Cover and refrigerate overnight. When ready to bake, preheat your oven and continue where the instructions left off.

Nutrition

Calories: 243kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 36mg | Sodium: 442mg | Potassium: 56mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 17g | Vitamin A: 207IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 58mg | Iron: 1mg
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Keyword: cranberry scones, lemon cranberry scones, lemon scones
5 from 2 votes

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14 Responses
  1. Patty Holtke

    I’ve posted this before, but since I’m making these scones again today, I will repost this: after preparing the dough, place the dough onto the baking pan and then form it into a circle with your hand. Don’t try to roll it out on a different surface, and then do the impossible of trying to transport it from that surface onto the baking pan. And read the instructions carefully since the ingredient list is confusing regarding the water. Add an egg to the measuring cup, then add cold water to equal 3/4 cup.

  2. Patricia Holtke

    This is a good recipe, but found that it was impossible to transfer the scone dough from the floured surface onto the baking pan. So I ended up re-forming the batter into a circle with the dough directly on it. Thank you for the recipe. God bless.

  3. Curated: Scones Recipes | Erika Gibson

    […]  glazed mixed berry scones | pumpkin scones | cinnamon chip scones orange and cream mini scones | strawberry buttermilk scones | pomegranate scones tiny strawberry cream scones | cream scones drizzled with chocolate | lemon and cranberry scones […]

  4. Holly

    I bake too, but always have trouble getting the glaze to set up if it’s thin enough to be
    runny. Will try your glaze..wonder if OJ would work as well as Lemon Juice??

  5. Priya

    5 stars
    Delicious Scones…they r nice variation to cookies!! Like the lemon juice in the glaze with sugar…YUM!! you got me drooling now :).

  6. Averie @ Love Veggies and Yoga

    these are so pretty! Your photos are always so well lit and “delicate” looking and just so pretty. Makes me wanna make…scones!

  7. Sylvie @ Gourmande in the Kitchen

    Santa needs to bring me a better singing voice too while he’s at it! lol I could seriously use some help in that department.

  8. Krissy @ Krissy's Creations

    Lemon and Cranberry is a wonderful combination! I’ve been craving scones and I could so use one of your right now 🙂

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