Preparing a tasty Christmas morning breakfast has become a welcome tradition in our home over the last few years. We all crowd into the kitchen and help with a dish, French toast, cheesy scrambled eggs (my mom and husband handle this one), crispy potatoes, or sometimes a Sweet Potato and Kale Hash.
It’s one of those newer traditions that we’re kicking ourselves for not embracing sooner. Especially for the big kids, a morning meal – preferably enjoyed with mimosas – makes for a truly relaxing start to the day. And who wouldn’t want to prolong the excitement of the main event – presents! – just a wee bit longer? Since I’ve been on a scone kick lately, I’m planning to shake this year’s menu up with a batch of these cranberry orange beauties. The combo of cranberries and orange zest is so classic and quintessentially Christmas. My grandparents have often shared stories of receiving oranges as Christmas presents when they were children growing up in Glasgow. I love that these scones embrace that memory.
Christmas warm and fuzzies aside, these scones are downright delicious. Light and crumbly and flecked with chewy, tangy cranberries, it’s hard to eat just one. Don’t even get me started on the intoxicating citrus smell that will fill your kitchen. Serve warm out of the oven with a little vegan butter, or nothing at all because they’re really that good. Not even your crabby great uncle, who never had a kind word to say about those of the vegan persuasion, will be able to tell that these are made with coconut oil and not butter.
And if you’re a Christmas procrastinator, still running around like a crazy person and finishing up last minute details on the big day, I’m happy to report that these are wildly easy to make. The most time intensive step is spent zesting two oranges, which can totally be done the night before. So go ahead and start a new tradition this year, one involving scones. It’s really the best kind.
- 2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
- ½ cup organic cane sugar
- ½ cup unrefined coconut oil (solid & chilled)*
- ¾ cup unsweetened plain almond milk
- ½ cup dried cranberries
- zest of 2 navel oranges
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 tablespoon melted coconut oil
- 2 teaspoons organic turbinado sugar
- Preheat oven to 400 F. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl and whisk together. Add solid coconut oil to bowl and using a pastry cutter, cut the coconut oil into the dry ingredients until the mixture begins to form fine crumbs (it will look like wet sand).
- Stir in the cranberries and orange zest. Add the almond milk to the flour mixture and stir until the mixture forms a soft dough and no longer sticks to the sides of the bowl (Add additional almond milk 1 tablespoon at a time if your dough is too dry and crumbly). Turn the dough out onto a parchment lined cooking sheet sprinkled with flour and shape into a circle, 7- 8 inches wide and ½ an inch thick. Cut into 8 triangles and gently separate scones, giving them enough room to spread out as they bake. Brush with melted coconut oil and sprinkle with turbinado sugar.
- Bake for 20 -25 minutes until golden and edges begin to brown.
- Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack.
Craving more breakfast inspiration? Check out my Perfect Bran Muffins.
I stumbled upon your food blog per Pinterest. We tried this recipe out last night. We replaced cane sugar for coconut sugar because this is what we prefer. Excellent recipe.
Hi Rachael, I’m so glad you like them! And thank you for letting me know coconut sugar works as a swap!
These are probably the best scones we have ever made. They are not dry like other vegan scones we have tried. My family loved them. Thanks so much.
Delicious! I love scones with coffee and these are perfect!
Thank you, Lisa! And I agree, a steaming cup of coffee and a scone is one of life’s true pleasures! 🙂
Made these with shredded coconut instead of cranberries and lime zest instead of orange and it was a party HIT. Thank you for the inspiration!
Wow, love your ingredient swaps! So glad they were a hit.
Just trying these for the first time-the batter is delish! Substituting orange/cranberry out for strawberries and lemon zest.
I’ve made these several times , chocolate chip, cinnamon chip, blueberry
, all delicious! Thank you so much for this recipe!
Awesome, love the idea of cinnamon chip!
Just ate four in a row…pure goodness! Thank you! I added walnuts as well…
Four sounds like the perfect number to me! 🙂 Love that you added walnuts too, Anna.
Amazing!!!!
Than you!
I made these for breakfast Christmas morning. They were absolutely perfect! I’m saving this recipe forever and can’t wait to try different flavors.
These look great! Do you think I could use regular cranberries…not dried?
Totally. I just prefer the texture of dried cranberries in scones.
Do you know if the use of the fresh cranberries by Jen worked? I am making my grocery list and have left over fresh from Thanksgiving and wondered before I bought dried. Thanks!!
Hi. I’m not sure if I have left a comment, but I have been making this recipe for a while and it’s delicious. I know there’s a ton of recipes on the internet but I think this recipe is the easiest most delicious recipe I have found. I usually make it following exactly what the recipe says but I sometimes use lemon zest and poppy seeds and they are as delicious as the one with cranberries and orange zest. Is a must in some of my Sunday brunch at home.. Success!!!!! 😋
Yay! Your comment made my day, Bee! So glad you’ve been enjoying the scones and putting your own twist on them as well.
I made these today for brunch. My husbands response was “ Where have these been all this time.” Thanks so very much for sharing your recipe! Definitely a keeper.❣️
Hahaha! Happy to have brought these scones into your lives. Thank you for commenting, Myrna!
Hi! These look so lovely! Do you know whether these can be batch made and frozen? Was wondering if it were possible so as I could make some for my Mum to reheat whenever she felt like having one.
Many thanks xxx
Yes, I freeze them all the time! A quick warm up in the toaster oven is all they need.
Can you substitute almond flour?
These have been my go to scones for a couple of years. I have never made with cranberry/orange, but have made chocolate chip, lemon poppy seed, and jam filled. All have been delicious
Yum, Elizabeth! I make a lot of different versions off this recipe too, blueberry is our favorite.
My granddaughter is allergic to coconut. What can I substitute for the coconut oil? Thank you!
I’ve made these several times and everyone loves them. I love the substitution comments and next time I’m going to try the lime coconut as I have tons of lime juice from my lime tree. Thanks for a great recipe that everyone loves!
This makes me so happy, Teri! Thank you for commenting.