Blueberry + orange: a dynamic duo! This duo has made delicious, crunchy muffins and cranberry sauce, and now a new cranberry-orange favorite joins the Minimalist Baker family: scones!
These EASY, 1 bowl The scones are fluffy, citrusy, lightly sweetened, generously garnished with fresh, imperceptible blueberries. vegan + gluten free. Perfect for Christmas breakfasts, brunches and more! Let us show you how it’s done!
These fluffy, tender, gluten free The buns get their perfect texture from a mixture of almond flour, oat flour and potato starch. We discovered this magical combination (after many rounds of testing) when creating our gluten-free blueberry scones.
These buns are perfectly flaky thanks to cutting cold (vegan) butter into the dry ingredients.
Orange juice + zest ensures a bright, citrus flavor throughout. The baking powder helps them rise, the salt gives them flavor, and the flaxseed meal prevents them from crumbling too much.
The final ingredient is blueberries! Fresh (or frozen) blueberries They are full of acidity and flavor that balance perfectly with the sweet and citrus dough.
We think you’ll LOVE these Cranberry Orange Scones! They are:
Spongy
spicy
Cake
slightly sweet
easy to do
And something perfect!
Enjoy it with coffee or tea on a lazy weekend morning, for a holiday brunch when serving a crowd, and more! They also make a great fall snack or dessert and can be frozen unbaked for quick baking when scone cravings strike.
More homemade buns
If you try this recipe, tell us! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo @minimalistbaker on Instagram. Cheers, friends!
Portions 6 (buns)
Prevent your screen from going dark
- 1 ¼ cup almond flour* (we like Wellbee’s)
- 1/2 cup oatmeal*
- 1/2 cup potato starch*
- 3 tablespoon cane sugar
- 1 ½ tablespoon orange zest (1 ½ or 2 large oranges makes ~1 ½ tablespoons // 4 ½ teaspoons zest)
- 2 ½ teaspoonful baking powder
- 1 ½ teaspoonful linseed meal (ground flax seeds)
- 1/4 teaspoonful sea salt
- 1/4 cup cold vegan butter* (we like Miyoko’s dairy butter // would also work if it wasn’t vegan // or spoonable coconut oil, not liquid or frozen*)
- 1/4 cup orange juice (1 ½ large oranges makes ~1/4 cup or 60 ml of juice)
- 1/2 cup fresh or frozen whole blueberries
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Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (176 C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
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In a large bowl, add the almond flour, oat flour, potato starch, cane sugar, orange zest, baking powder, flaxseed meal, and sea salt. Beat until completely incorporated.
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Use a pastry cutter, fork, or clean hands to cut the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles wet sand and a few pea-sized pieces of butter remain.
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Add the orange juice little by little while stirring with a wooden spoon. The dough should not crumble and should not stick to your fingers. If it is too dry, continue mixing or add 1 more teaspoon of orange juice at a time (up to 1 tablespoon more). Then add the cranberries and stir gently to distribute.
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Place the dough on the prepared baking sheet and use your hands to form it into a disk about 3/4 to 1 inch tall. Use a knife to cut the circle into 6 equal pieces. Then use a floured spatula to place the buns about 2 inches apart on the baking sheet. Sprinkle the top with a little more cane sugar for a glossy finish and extra sweetness (optional)!
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Bake for 18-20 minutes or until fluffy and lightly golden around the edges. Let cool slightly before enjoying. They are delicious on their own or spread with a little vegan butter.
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NOTE: It is best within the first 24 to 36 hours after baking. The texture tends to dry out after that. Once completely cool, store leftovers at room temperature in a tightly closed container for up to 3 days, or in the freezer for up to 1 month. You can also freeze the cut buns and bake them from frozen, adding an additional 3 to 5 minutes to the baking time as needed.
*The combination of almond flour, oat flour, and potato starch gives these buns a classic flavor and fluffiness. You could try replacing the oat flour + potato starch with a little less of a 1:1 gluten-free flour mix, but chances are they won’t be as fluffy!
*If you use coconut oil, make sure it is pourable (the state it normally is in when you buy it at the store), not liquid. If it is too liquid and pourable, this will negatively affect the buns. To fix this, place the jar of coconut oil in the refrigerator to harden for 30 minutes, then stir and let it sit for another 30 minutes at room temperature. The oil should be consistently solid, neither partially solid nor partially liquid. Repeat this process (cooling, stirring, resting) until you achieve the right texture. This is key to ensuring that the texture of the buns is correct and that the dough is easy to work with. (For best, most consistent results, be sure to store coconut oil in a cool, dark place to keep it at the right texture and consistency.)
*Nutritional information is a rough estimate.
Service: 1 bun Calories: 303 Carbohydrates: 30.1 gram Protein: 6 gram Fat: 19.1 gram Saturated fats: 6.3 gram Polyunsaturated fats: 3.1 gram Monounsaturated fats: 7.6 gram Trans fats: 0 gram Cholesterol: 0 mg Sodium: 347 mg Potassium: 240 mg Fiber: 3.9 gram Sugar: 9 gram Vitamin A: 6 UI Vitamin C: 9 mg Calcium: 181 mg Iron: 1.4 mg
