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These cranberry lemon scones are light and fluffy, just like you’d expect from your favourite bakery. Topped with a lemon drizzle, these scones are perfect for breakfast or with a cup of afternoon tea.
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- Why We Love This Recipe
- HOW TO MAKE BAKERY STYLE CRANBERRY LEMON SCONES
- FAQS
- More Biscuits and Scones
- Printable Recipe
There is something special about a perfect scone. They are buttery and flaky and there are endless varieties.
These bakery-style cranberry lemon scones are one of my favourites.
These scones are loaded with fresh cranberries and lemon zest and then, to take them over the top, they are coated in a tangy lemon drizzle.
I like to make these as large wedges and I get eight scones out of a batch. If you don’t want large scones you can cut these smaller without any issues.
Why We Love This Recipe
It is super easy to change things up in this recipe, using raspberries or blueberries instead of the cranberries, and if you don’t love lemon as I do, you could leave it out, or use oranges.
These scones are great served warm with some butter or preserves, especially some homemade Lemon Jam. I think they make a perfect breakfast, but they are also pretty good for an afternoon snack with a cup of tea.
Either way, you can’t go wrong.
HOW TO MAKE BAKERY STYLE CRANBERRY LEMON SCONES
The first thing to ensure your cranberry lemon scones are full of flavour is to make sure you are using fresh lemon and fresh cranberries.
Frozen cranberries are fine too, you just don’t want to use dried.
I use a rasp for zesting my lemon, then I juice the same lemon for use in the wet ingredients and the lemon drizzle.
My favourite type of juicer is the type with handles that you squeeze, like in the photo below. I find this type is the best at getting every last drop of juice out of the lemon, it does a great job on limes and oranges as well.
Once you’ve zested and juiced your lemon, add 2 tablespoons of the juice to the milk and set aside for a few minutes.
You are going to add the dry ingredients to a food processor, add the cold butter, then pulse until it looks like coarse crumbs. If you don’t have a food processor, you can cut the butter in with a pastry blender.
Dump the contents of the food processor into a medium-sized bowl.
Next, add the sugar and lemon zest to the dry ingredients. Then make a well in the centre and add the liquid ingredients, stirring just until combined. Add the cranberries to the bowl and combine them with the dough.
Pro-Tip: Make sure you are using cold butter for this recipe. The cold butter will prevent the dough from becoming too sticky and the steam it creates while baking is what helps give these scones their flaky texture.
Turn the dough onto a floured surface, or a large sheet of parchment paper. I like using the parchment paper because it makes cleaning up ridiculously easy.
Press the dough into a 9-inch circle, then cut into 8 wedges with a sharp knife or pizza cutter.
Pro-Tip: Be careful not to overwork the dough when you are pressing it out. The overworked dough will create scones that are tough and chewy.
Place the wedges on a parchment-lined baking sheet about 1 inch apart.
Next, mix the egg and 2 teaspoon of milk and brush on the scones.
Pop them in the oven at 400 degrees for 20 minutes or until they are nice and golden brown.
Remove the scones to a cooling rack, allow them to cool for 10 minutes, then coat in the lemon drizzle.
Serve immediately or allow to cool completely and store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
FAQS
Can I use whole wheat flour for scones?
Yes, you can. Whole wheat flour tends to be a bit drier than most white flours, so you may need to add a bit more liquid.
Can I reduce the sugar in my scones?
Yes, you can. However, because both cranberries and lemon are tart, the sugar helps to balance the flavours. If that doesn’t bother you, go ahead and reduce it.
More Biscuits and Scones
- Raspberry White Chocolate Chip Scones
- Strawberry Rhubarb Scones
- Cinnamon Spiced Eggnog Scones
- Herbed Cottage Cheese Biscuits
Best ever apple streusel muffins
Flakey cheddar chive biscuits
Air Fryer Blueberry turnovers
Printable Recipe
Bakery Style Cranberry Lemon Scones
These bakery style cranberry lemon scones are finished with a tangy lemon drizzle. Perfect for breakfast or with a cup of afternoon tea.
4.78 from 89 votes
Print Pin Save Recipe Rate
Course: Biscuits & Muffins
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes
Servings: 8 Scones
Calories: 356kcal
Author: Deanna
Ingredients
- 2.5 Cups Flour All purpose
- 1 tablespoon Baking powder
- ½ tsp Salt
- ½ Cup Cold butter, cut into cubes
- ½ Cup Sugar
- 1 Cup 2% Milk divided
- 2 tablespoon Lemon juice fresh
- 2 teaspoon Lemon zest zest from one medium lemon
- ¾ Cup Fresh or frozen cranberries
Egg Wash
- 1 Egg beaten
- 2 teaspoon Milk
For the Lemon Drizzle
- ½ Cup Powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoon Fresh lemon juice
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees
Place flour, baking powder, salt and butter in a food processor and pulse until it resembles coarse crumbs.Alternatively, you can cut the butter into the dry ingredients with a pastry blender. Dump the mixture into a large bowl.
Mix ¾ cup of the milk and 2 tablespoon lemon juice together in a small bowl or measuring cup and let stand for 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, add the sugar to the dry ingredients, then stir in the lemon zest.
Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the ¾ cup of the milk mixed with the lemon juice, stir just until combined. If there are any dry spots, add the remaining milk 1 tablespoon at a time until the dough has come together. You are looking for a dough that is just slightly sticky, but not wet. Then fold in the cranberries.
Turn the dough out onto a floured surface. I like to put parchment paper down first as it makes cleaning up easy.
Sprinkle the top of the dough with a bit of flour, then gently press the dough into a 9-inch circle. Cut into 8 wedges with a sharp knife or pizza cutter.It is important not to handle the dough more than necessary or it will become tough.
Place the wedges on a parchment-lined baking sheet with 1-inch of room between them.
Whisk the egg and 2 teaspoon of milk together and brush over scones.
Place in the oven and bake 20 minutes or until golden brown.
Remove scones from the oven to a cooling rack.
Allow the scones to cool for about 10 minutes.Then mix the powdered sugar and 2 tablespoon lemon juice.Drizzle over the scones and serve.
Video
Notes
Fresh or frozen cranberries may be used. If using frozen cranberries, you may need to add a bit of extra flour to the counter and to the top of the scones as you press them out. As the cranberries thaw they can release a bit of water making the dough a bit stickier.
If the scone wedges feel sticky on the bottom after cutting them, it can help to use a pie lifter to move them to the baking sheet.
When zesting the lemon, be careful not to go too deep. You want to use only the bright yellow part of the lemon; the white part (pith) will make the flavour bitter.
You may not need all of the milk. Start with the ¾ cup of milk mixed with the lemon juice if the dough seems dry, then add the remaining ¼ cup of milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, until it comes together. Lower-fat milk will be thinner, resulting in a wetter dough, while higher-fat milk is thicker and may require a bit more to get the right consistency.
Nutrition
Estimated Nutrition Facts
Bakery Style Cranberry Lemon Scones
Amount per Serving
Calories
356
% Daily Value*
Fat
13
g
20
%
Saturated Fat
8
g
50
%
Sodium
339
mg
15
%
Carbohydrates
54
g
18
%
Fiber
2
g
8
%
Sugar
22
g
24
%
Protein
6
g
12
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more.
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