Healthy Cranberry Orange Scones

 

 
During the spring of my freshman year of high school, my dad and I flew to Seattle for a special weekend trip. We arrived late Friday afternoon, and after checking into our hotel, we walked a few blocks west to the Pike Place Market to start our sightseeing. After browsing the multitude of food stalls, ranging from seasonal produce to fresh fish to artisan cheese and even a few bakeries, I decided I wanted to own one of the flower booths someday. So many sweet scents and brightly colored blooms!  

We started the next day by walking in the other direction until we reached the Space Needle. After purchasing tickets, we rode over 500 feet to the top, where we snapped plenty of pictures of the views in every direction. The weather even cooperated that day, miraculously holding off any showers, so we could see for miles.
 

 
That afternoon, we walked two miles south of our hotel to the main event we traveled to Seattle to attend… The Mariners baseball game! If you’ve been around my blog for a while, you already know how big of a fan I am. My dad and I are in the process of visiting all 30 MLB stadiums together, and although we’ve already checked off 22 from our list, Safeco Field in Seattle was #8!

After a long evening of cheering and the brisk two-mile walk back to our hotel (I nearly had to jog to keep up with my dad!), we collapsed into bed. When we woke up the following morning, we rode the elevator down to the lobby to eat breakfast in the hotel’s restaurant.
 

 
The hostess immediately seated us at a table, and once we had scanned the menus, Dad and I both settled on egg dishes. When our server set them down in front of us, I glanced down at the plate. I recognized the eggs, bacon, and hash browns, but… I had no idea what the pastry was!

Dad explained that it was a scone, and after tasting a few bites of everything else, I broke off a tiny piece to sample. Soft and tender on the inside, a crisp sugar-crusted outside, and bursting with sweet orange flavors and tangy cranberries… I almost forgot about everything else on my plate, and Dad even offered his to me when he saw how quickly I polished off mine!
 

 
Although I’ve baked and eaten plenty of scones since then, that first one I ever tasted still holds a special place in my heart. And now, too many years later, I’ve finally perfected the recipe for my own version: these Healthy Cranberry Orange Scones!

These have the same bright flavors and tender texture, even with no heavy cream or eggs, and contain nearly 5g of protein too. They’re also quick and easy to make. You only need 30 minutes!
 

 

KEY INGREDIENTS TO MAKE HEALTHY CRANBERRY ORANGE SCONES

Let’s chat about the ingredients you’ll need to make these healthy cranberry orange scones! I’m assuming you already have common baking staples like baking powder and vanilla, so we’ll mainly cover the more interesting ones.

Flour. To make these scones healthier, I opted for white whole wheat flour. I know… It sounds like an oxymoron, doesn’t it? White… Whole wheat?… But such a thing actually exists — and it’s not just a combination of white (aka all-purpose) flour and regular whole wheat flour!

Here in the US, white whole wheat flour is made by finely grinding a special type of softer white wheat, whereas regular whole wheat flour comes from a heartier variety of red wheat. This gives white whole wheat flour a lighter taste and texture, closer to that of all-purpose flour, but it still has the same health benefits as regular whole wheat flour (like extra fiber and micronutrients!). That difference in appearance and texture is perfect for creating the irresistibly tender insides of these healthy cranberry orange scones!

Tip: If you’d like to make your healthy cranberry orange scones gluten-free, then see the Notes section of the recipe. I’ve included how to do so there!

Unsalted butter. Whereas the original scones probably included a full stick of butter (or two) as well as heavy cream, these lighter ones are the exact opposite! You just need 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter. That really helps keep your healthy cranberry orange scones low calorie and low fat in comparison! Yet they’re still just as soft on the inside because of…

Greek yogurt. It’s one of my favorite ingredients in healthy baking, especially when making homemade scones! In this recipe, Greek yogurt adds the same moisture as extra butter or cream for a fraction of the calories, and it also gives your healthy cranberry orange scones a protein boost.
 

 
Orange. You’ll use both freshly squeezed orange juice and orange zest to make the dough. Don’t skip the orange zest — it provides the majority of the bright citrus flavor!

Sweetener. To boost the natural sweetness of the fresh OJ, you’ll also add a bit of sweetener. Instead of refined granulated sugar, I opted for honey. It worked beautifully and paired so well with the fruit flavors!

Cranberries. I absolutely love baking with fresh cranberries, so that’s what I chose to make these healthy scones. They contain such a fun and vibrant flavor! While it’s currently cranberry season and easy to find them in the produce section of grocery stores, frozen cranberries would work as well.

Tip: If you’d like to substitute dried cranberries, see the Notes section of the recipe. I’ve shared some tips there!

Milk. You only need a teensy tiny amount, so feel free to use whatever you already have stashed in your fridge. Almost any type will work!
 

 

HOW TO MAKE HEALTHY CRANBERRY ORANGE SCONES

Let’s quickly go over how to make the best healthy cranberry orange scones! Like I promised earlier, this recipe is quick and easy to make. I also have some tips to ensure your batch turns out beautifully soft and flavorful!

Measure correctly. You’ve probably heard this a time or two before… Perhaps you can even recite it with me from memory? If so, then you know what I’m about to say.

It’s extremely important to measure the ingredients correctly. For the flour, use this method or a kitchen scale. Do NOT scoop it directly from the container with your measuring cups! This can result in adding 1 ½ times as much flour, which dries out the dough, makes your scones taste bland, and yields a very crumbly and dry texture too. Yet if you measure the flour properly, you’ll end up with a lovely moist texture inside and irresistible fruity flavor throughout!

For the orange juice and zest, use measuring spoons. Do NOT measure by “1 large orange!” Not all “large” oranges are the exact same size. If yours is on the bigger side, you’ll end up adding too much juice, which will add more acid and liquid to the dough and also prevent your scones from fully baking all the way through. On the other hand, if your orange is on the small side, your dough will be too dry, and your scones will turn out crumbly. However, if you use measuring spoons, your scones will be perfectly soft and citrusy!

For the honey, use measuring spoons again. Please oh please… Do NOT use a kitchen scale! I know many kitchen scales offer a liquid ounces option, but that only works for liquids with a density of exactly 1.0g/mL (like water). Honey’s density is different, so unless you’d like to do the math to convert it into grams… Measuring spoons are more accurate — and faster too!

Cold butter. It’s also really important that you use very cold butter, straight from the refrigerator. (Freezing isn’t necessary for this recipe!) Cold butter won’t heat up until you put the scones into the extremely hot oven, and it will create little air pockets and a very tender crumb when it melts. If your butter is at room temperature when you begin — or starts to soften ahead of time while making the dough — you’ll miss out on that really moist texture!

Note: This is why I recommend against using coconut oil, if at all possible, because coconut oil has a much lower melting point than butter and quickly turns to liquid once you begin mixing it into the dough.

Mix by hand. Although quite useful for some recipes, skip the stand mixer and hand-held mixer when making these scones. Those tend to overmix low-fat doughs, like this one. Overmixing leads to a tough, gummy, or dense texture… Not good! But if you mix by hand, your healthy cranberry orange scones should turn out really moist and soft inside.

Tip: I highly recommend a pastry cutter for working the cold butter into the dry ingredients! It’s really efficient and does a fantastic job, so your butter shouldn’t start to soften or melt. Pastry cutters are really affordable — and useful too! They’re perfect for making scones, homemade pie crust, and even mashing bananas for banana bread.

Shape, brush + slice. Once you’ve made the dough and transferred it to your baking sheet, you’ll shape it into a large ¾”-tall disc. The dough is sticky (that helps make these scones so moist!), so use a spatula to do this — not your hands! I turn to my mini spatulas for this. They’re so helpful!

Next, you’ll brush the tops and sides of the dough with milk. This seals moisture into the dough, which yields that supremely soft texture inside, and it also creates a hint of a crust on the outside.

Finally, slice the circle into eight triangular sections — but don’t separate them! Leave those wedges touching. When you bake your scones like this, it traps more moisture into the dough, prevents them from drying out, and helps them turn out perfectly tender.

Bake. It’s time! These scones bake at a higher temperature, which helps them rise and creates that subtly crisp exterior. They’re done when the tops look golden and the center — where those eight points of the triangles meet — feels firm.
 

 

FAQS ABOUT HEALTHY CRANBERRY ORANGE SCONES

Are these healthy cranberry orange scones gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free, vegan, low fat, low calorie, or clean eating?
Yes! These scones are naturally egg-free, clean eating, low fat, and low calorie (compared to many more traditional recipes). They’re also nut-free! In the Notes section of the recipe, I’ve shared how to make them gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegan.

Can I use a different flour?
Sure! Whole wheat pastry flour and all-purpose flour work really well. You can also substitute regular whole wheat flour, but your scones may have a very subtle “wheaty” flavor in the background.

What can I use instead of butter?
Stick-style vegan butter is the best alternative. (I like this one and this one). I strongly advise against using coconut oil, and I’ve shared why underneath the “Unsalted butter” header in the “Key Ingredients to Make Healthy Cranberry Orange Scones” section above.

Is there something I can substitute for the plain nonfat Greek yogurt?
Other types of Greek yogurt also work, like 2% or full-fat! Otherwise, regular (non-Greek) yogurt and non-dairy yogurt (ie soy- or almond-based) perform really well too.

Can I use a different type of milk?
Absolutely! Nearly any kind will work, so feel free to use whatever you already have on hand.

Can I use dried cranberries?
Yes — but I highly recommend hydrating them first! This makes them soft and plump. I’ve outlined how to do this in the Notes section of the recipe, and it’s really quick and easy!
 

 
My scones turned out dry and crumbly. Why is that?
There are a few common culprits! The first is adding too much flour — or not enough honey or orange juice. Make sure you’re measuring these properly! (See the “Measure correctly” header in the “How to Make Healthy Cranberry Orange Scones” section above for more info.)

Second, don’t substitute coconut flour! It’s about three times as absorbent as most other flours, so it immediately dries out the dough and yields a super crumbly consistency.

Finally, overbaking the scones will make them dry. Try pulling them out of the oven a bit sooner, and see the “Bake” header in the “How to Make Healthy Cranberry Orange Scones” section above for more visual cues about how to tell when they’re done.

I had the opposite problem, where mine were gummy inside and collapsed while cooling. Why did that happen?
There are some typical culprits here too! First, adding too much orange juice or honey will yield those results. Excess liquids makes the dough too wet, prevents your scones from baking properly, and often results in them collapsing while cooling. Review the “Measure correctly” header in the “How to Make Healthy Cranberry Orange Scones” section above for more info about how to properly measure these ingredients!

Next, overworking or overmixing the dough will make them gummy, tough, or dense. Make sure you’re mixing by hand, and I highly recommend using a pastry cutter, if you aren’t already! (See the “Mix by hand” header in the “How to Make Healthy Cranberry Orange Scones” section above for more info.)

Finally, substituting sugar-free maple syrup — or another sugar-free liquid sweetener — will also make your scones collapse while cooling and yield a gummy consistency. It’s because many of them are water-based. Use honey or one of the other alternative sweeteners in the Notes section of the recipe instead for the best results!

What’s the best way to store these healthy cranberry orange scones? How long will they last?
Store your scones in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They should keep for at least four days (if not closer to a week or more!). These healthy cranberry orange scones freeze and thaw really well too!

Tip: I highly recommend reheating leftover scones in the microwave before eating. It really improves their texture and makes them soft and fluffy again! I heat them on 30% power until they’re warmed all the way through. It works like a charm!
 

 
Hello breakfast bliss! I wonder if that restaurant would ever consider changing their recipe… My dad said these tasted even better! ♡ And when you make your own, remember to snap a picture and share it on Instagram using #amyshealthybaking and tagging @amyshealthybaking IN the photo itself! (That guarantees I’ll see your picture! 🙂 ) I’d love to see your healthy cranberry orange scones!

View Nutrition Information + Weight Watchers Points
 
 
You may also like Amy’s other recipes…
♡  The Ultimate Healthy Cranberry Orange Muffins
♡  Cranberry Orange Pecan Granola
♡  Cranberry Pumpkin Muffins
♡  Dark Chocolate Cranberry Coffee Cake
♡  Cranberry Banana Bread
♡  Cranberry Quick Bread
♡  Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies
♡  …and the rest of Amy’s healthy scone recipes and healthy cranberry recipes!