Cranberry Orange Cream Scones with a Zesty Glaze

Cream scones are made with heavy cream rather than butter and milk. They’re easier, and I think they have a superior texture, too. For dairy-free needs, we use coconut cream or coconut milk. It works seamlessly in recipes like these wonderful dairy-free cranberry orange scones. The coconut flavor is subtle (if not invisible), and melds nicely with the zesty fruit ingredients. These scones are a Christmas favorite, but have also been enjoyed at brunches throughout the holiday season.

Dairy-Free Cranberry Orange Scones add Zest to Brunch

This recipe for dairy-free cranberry orange scones was originally submitted by Jennifer Hillman as an entry in one of our recipe contests. We’ve recently updated her recipe with additional notes and instructions. I’ve also have some more tips in the FAQs below.

What is Regular / Full Fat Coconut Milk?

Classic coconut milk is typically sold in cans (though some brands also sell it in resealable cartons), and is rich in coconut cream. Do not substitute coconut milk beverage (like So Delicious). Coconut milk beverage is sold in larger cartons and is thin, like dairy milk, for drinking and using on cereal. You need full-fat coconut milk for these dairy-free cranberry orange scones.

Can You Taste the Coconut?

Honestly, most people don’t notice it at all. But if you’re concerned, you can add a little vanilla extract to the coconut milk (1/2 to 1 teaspoon). This helps to counteract any notes of coconut.

My Dough is too Soft & Sticky. What Happened?

First, make sure you used full-fat coconut milk, not the drinkable type of “coconut milk” sold in large cartons. It is too thin and runny, and will cause a wet dough. If you did use regular coconut milk, the brand you used is probably too watery. This has become a common problem as companies cut costs – they water down the coconut milk. You can add more flour, as needed, to get a dough that isn’t too sticky.

What Brand of Coconut Milk do you Recommend?

Thai Kitchen tends to be a somewhat reliable brand, and they offer a “simple” variety in cartons that’s made with just coconut and water (no thickeners or other additives). Native Forest is another trusted brand.

How Many Cans of Coconut Milk will I Need?

The cans have gotten a wee bit smaller over the years, and only yield about 1 2/3 cups. (When this recipe was created, a can yielded 1 3/4 to 1 7/8 cups). Personally, I would use the 1 1/4 cups coconut milk in the dairy-free cranberry orange scones, and then just use the rest for the glaze. It’s okay if you use a touch less in the glaze. You can always thin with a little water if needed. With this method, only need 1 (14-ounce / 13.5-ounce) can.

Can I Make these Dairy-Free Cranberry Orange Scones with Gluten-Free Flour?

We haven’t tested this scone recipe without gluten, so I can’t make any guarantees. A good friend swears by King Arthur Measure for Measure in almost all of her baking. If trying this, I would use the gluten-free flour blend as a 1:1 substitute at first, but add more as needed to get a somewhat soft but not sticky dough.

Will Whole Wheat Flour Work?

If you substitute whole wheat flour for the all-purpose flour, these orange cranberry scones will come out quite dense. At most, I would use 1/3 or 1/2 whole wheat flour (preferably whole wheat pastry flour). But even this will yield squatter scones.

Can I Substitute Coconut Flour or Almond Flour?

Do not substitute a single flour and definitely do not substitute a grain-free flour for the all-purpose flour. Grain-free flours, like coconut flour or almond flour, cannot be substituted 1:1 for flour in most recipes, and would require many other ingredient modifications to work in this recipe.

Can I Use Fresh Cranberries instead of Dried Cranberries?

I’ve tested my Wild Blueberry Cream Scones with both fresh and dried blueberries, and they both work great. The scones made with fresh berries do spread a little bit more and take on a slightly cakier texture. But they are still scrumptious!

Can I Use Vegan Butter instead of Coconut Milk?

If you are trying to avoid coconut, please be aware that most dairy-free butter alternatives are made with coconut oil. If you just don’t have any coconut milk on hand, plant butter should work with some modifications. I haven’t tested it, but I would whisk 6 tablespoons of cold dairy-free butter alternative (I would use buttery sticks) into the flour mixture until coarse crumbs form. Then stir in enough dairy-free milk alternative (I like coconut milk beverage or almond milk) to bring the dough together. I would start with 3/4 cup, and add more only as needed. Then proceed with patting the dough out, cutting, and baking.

Special Diet Notes: Dairy-Free Cranberry Orange Scones

By ingredients, this recipe is dairy-free / non-dairy, egg-free, nut-free, peanut-free, soy-free, vegan, and vegetarian.

Jennifer Hillman

Dairy-Free Cranberry Orange Scones

5 from 3 votes

These are cream style orange cranberry scones, and require no butter or oil. They get a light flakiness from the cold coconut milk, which creates tiny pockets of air in the dough.

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 35 minutes mins

Servings: 8 scones

Course: Brunch

Cuisine: English

Calories: 297

Ingredients Method Nutrition Notes

Ingredients

  

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Cranberry Orange Scones

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• ⅓ cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon orange zest
• 1¼ cups cold canned coconut milk regular / full fat
• ½ cup dried cranberries

Zesty Orange Glaze

• ½ cup cold canned coconut milk regular / full fat
• ½ cup powder sugar
• 1 teaspoon orange zest

Method

 

Cranberry Orange Scones

1. Preheat your oven to 425ºF and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and orange zest until combined.
3. Make a well in the dry ingredients, and pour in the coconut milk. Stir until the ingredients are just combined.
4. Fold in the cranberries.
5. Without handling the dough too much, shape it into a ball, and place it on a floured surface.
6. Gently press the dough into a disc that’s about 1-inch to 1¼-inch thick.
7. Using a long sharp knife, cut the dough into 8 even wedges. I cut the dough in half, then in half the other way, and then cut the quarters in half (just pressing the knife straight down - not sawing). This creates 8 fairly equal triangle shaped scones.
8. Place the wedges on your prepared baking sheet. You can keep them close together, as a circle but spaced out just a little if you want pull-apart style scones. Or you can separate them completely on the baking sheet for a crustier exterior on the scones.
9. Bake the scones for 15 to 20 minutes, or until they are lightly golden brown.

Zesty Orange Glaze

1. In a small bowl, whisk together the coconut milk and powdered sugar until very smooth.
2. Stir in the orange zest, and pour the glaze over the warm scones.
3. Serve the scones warm with tea or coffee. Once completely cool, leftovers can be stored in an airtight container for up to 2 days, or frozen for longer storage.

Nutrition

Serving: 1large sconeCalories: 297kcalCarbohydrates: 47.4gProtein: 4.3gFat: 11.1gSaturated Fat: 9.6gSodium: 482mgFiber: 2.4gSugar: 21g

Notes

Glaze Note: It is meant to be a thin glaze that coats the vegan cranberry orange scones and sets up as a sweet layer once cool. If you want a thicker icing, use just 1 tablespoon coconut milk to start. Add more coconut milk as needed to reach a thick but drizzly consistency.

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Also Try My “Starbucks” Wild Blueberry Cream Scones Recipe!