Orange Scones

A recipe for Orange Scones! These light and flaky scones are flavored with orange zest and topped with a sweet orange glaze.

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These Orange Scones are a perfect addition to breakfast or even weekend brunch paired with mimosas! Best of all, they come together in less than 30 minutes.

Cold, diced butter is cut into a mixture of flour, baking powder, salt, and orange zest to create a light and flaky texture. Blend in a beaten egg and cream to bring the dough together quickly while everything is still cold. Cut the scones into your desired shape (I opted for mini squares), brush with an egg wash, and bake until golden. Cool to room temperature, then serve topped with a sweet orange glaze for even more flavor!

A few tips

To help create the buttery flaky texture, I used a dough blender to cut in the well-chilled, diced butter. You can also use two forks or the tips of your fingers. Just try to work as quickly as possible to keep the butter from melting. Add just enough cream to bring the dough together. Too much liquid and overworking the dough will cause the scones to toughen.

I opted to cut the scones into mini squares for a smaller treat, but you can also cut them into larger wedges or use a circular biscuit cutter. 

The glaze is completely optional, though I definitely recommend it! It just adds a little extra boost of flavor and sweetness. Be sure the scones have cooled to room temperature before drizzling. Otherwise, the glaze will absorb into the top and cause soggy scones.

These Orange Scones are best the day they are made, especially with the addition of the glaze. They can be frozen after cutting, but before baking for future use. Arrange in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet. When solid, transfer to a freezer-safe bag for up to a couple of months. Bake straight from the freezer. Just add a couple of minutes to the baking time.

Looking for more scone recipes?

Try my Vanilla Bean Cream Cheese Scones, Irish Cream Scones, and Meyer Lemon Scones.

Orange Scones Recipe

Adapted from Pastry Affair

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Orange Scones

A recipe for Orange Scones! These light and flaky scones are flavored with orange zest and topped with a sweet orange glaze.

Course Breakfast

Cuisine N/A

Keyword breakfast, brunch, citrus, orange, scone

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 12 minutes minutes

0 minutes minutes

Total Time 27 minutes minutes

Servings 12 small scones or 4-6 larger

Ingredients

• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• Pinch salt
• Zest of 1 orange
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter chilled and diced
• 1 large egg
• 1/2-3/4 cup heavy cream

For Eggwash:

• 1 large egg
• 1 tablespoon milk

For Orange Glaze:

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons orange juice

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 400˚F and line a large baking sheet with parchment or lightly grease.
• In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and orange zest.
• Cut the cold butter into pieces and add to the flour using a dough blade, two forks, or your fingers until the dough has a crumbly texture and no pieces are larger than a pea.
• In a small bowl, beat together the cream and egg. Pour into the dry ingredients and gently combine just until the mixture comes together. Do not overmix. If the mixture continues to fall apart, add a little more cream.
• On a lightly floured surface, pat the dough into a square or circle about 1/2 inch thick. Cut the scones into squares, triangles, or use biscuit cutters to cut out shapes. For smaller scones like photographed in this post, cut the dough into 12 small squares.
• Place the cut scones on the prepared baking sheet, about 1/4 inches apart. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and milk. Brush over the top of each scone.
• Bake in preheated oven until golden, 12-15 minutes. Let cool on pan 5 minutes before removing to wire rack.

To make the glaze:

• In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar and orange juice. If too thin, add a little more powdered sugar. If too thick, add a little more orange juice. Drizzle the glaze over the cooled scones or dip the top of each scone into the glaze. Allow to set and serve within a day.