These soft, buttery cranberry white chocolate scones are filled with tart cranberries and sweet white chocolate. They can be made with fresh or frozen cranberries and the recipe is super easy! They are an especially delicious treat for the holidays.
These Cranberry White Chocolate Scones are moist, tender and delicious. They are flavored with hints of vanilla and cinnamon. They are perfect for anytime of the day!
Cranberries have a tart, refreshing flavor. They are delicious with white chocolate.
For more delicious cranberry dessert recipes, try my Orange Cranberry Pound Cake, Cranberry Almond Ricotta Cake and Cranberry Raisin Pistachio Cookies.
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Why This Recipe Works
- You probably already have most of these ingredients.
- They are buttery just like my delicious lemon raspberry scones!
- These scones are made with baking powder instead of yeast. This means they don’t require a lot of kneading.
- This is a great make ahead recipe. Shape the scones and refrigerate them til you’re ready to bake them for breakfast!
Ingredients
Below are a few notes about some of the ingredients.
- Heavy Cream: Milk can also be used. I don’t recommend skim or low fat milk as it will give you less flavorful scones. Heavy cream makes these scones nice and moist just like my carrot scones.
- Brown Sugar: Use light or brown. Make sure your brown sugar is fresh.
- Cranberries: I used frozen cranberries, but fresh and dried cranberries also work. If you use frozen cranberries, there’s no need to thaw them first.
- White Chocolate: I used white chocolate chips, but you can also used chopped white chocolate. Semi-sweet chocolate also works.
- Coarse Sugar: Turbinado sugar adds the perfect extra touch of sweetness and crunch! Check out this post on Turbinado sugar by Kitchn for more ways to use Turbinado sugar.
Please see recipe card below for full list of ingredients.
Substitutions
- I prefer using fresh or frozen cranberries, but you can swap in dried cranberries in this recipe if you like.
- Once the scones are cooled, drizzle some melted white chocolate over the scones.
Expert Tips
- Don’t Overwork the Dough. Overworking the dough will result in a dense, heavy texture.
- Cut the Butter into the Dough. A pastry cutter works best for this. You can also use two forks or your fingertips!
- Keep Your Ingredients Cold. Cold ingredients help keep the butter from melting before it hits the oven. It also makes scones nice and flaky. Use cold eggs, cold cream, and cold butter.
- Stick the butter in the freezer at least a few hours before making the scones. You can then chop the butter into cubes or grate it using the large holes of a box grater. Place the butter back into the freezer for at least 15 minutes after grating it.
- Mixing, shaping the dough will cause it to warm up a bit. After shaping and cutting the scones, chill them for at least 15 minutes before baking.
Recipe FAQs
Stir your flour then lightly spoon it into your measuring cup. Use the back of a knife to level off the top of the flour. Alternatively, use a kitchen scale to weigh your flour.
Yes! If you use frozen cranberries, there’s no need to thaw them first.
Store leftover scones in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
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Cranberry White Chocolate Scones
Ingredients
- 2 cups all purpose flour plus more for work surface
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup brown sugar light or brown, packed
- 3½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter frozen
- 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup cranberries fresh or frozen
- 1/2 cup white chocolate chips
- coarse sugar optional, for sprinkling
For Topping
- 1/2 cup white chocolate chips melted, optional
Instructions
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Grate the frozen butter using a box grater. Return the grated butter to the freezer to stay cold as you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
- Whisk flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt together in a large bowl. Add the grated butter to the flour mixture and combine with your fingertips, two forks, or a pastry cutter until the mixture you have pea sized crumbs.
- Stir in white chocolate chips until just combined. Whisk to combine the heavy cream, egg yolk, sugars, and vanilla in a small bowl. Pour the wet ingredients over the flour mixture and stir until slightly til combined then stir the cranberries in until just combined. Do not overmix. Dough shouldn’t be too dry and should be somewhat sticky, but not too sticky. If dry there are some dry spots, add a bit more heavy cream and if it’s too sticky (sticking to your hands a lot), add a little more flour.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Lightly flour your hands. Shape the dough into a circle about 1-1 1/2 inches thick. Aim for a circle between 6 and 8 inches. Use a sharp knife to slice the dough into 8 triangles.
- Place scones at least 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle tops of scones generously with coarse sugar, if desired. Refrigerate scones 15 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 400 F. Bake scones for 17-20 minutes or until golden brown around the edges and lightly browned on top.
- Allow scones to cool. Drizzle with melted white chocolate, if desired.
Karen Zgraggen
Hi,
Just a question regarding the sugars listed in the recipe.
Are the 3 tablespoons of sugar used with the 1/2 cup packed brown sugar? Or is the granulated sugar (the 3 Tablespoons) for sprinkling on top of the scones?
Thank you
Natalie
Hi Karen, Thank you for your question and apologies for any confusion. I have just updated the recipe to clarify the instructions with the sugars. The 3 tablespoons of (granulated) sugar should be added with the packed brown sugar. If you’d like to sprinkle the scones with sugar, I recommend additional coarse sugar for that (additional granulated sugar could also be used, but I prefer coarse sugar for sprinkling on top). I hope this clarifies things. Please let me know if you have any other questions. Have a nice weekend. -Natalie
Carol
These were so easy to make and such a big hit with my guests who were visiting for the weekend. I made with frozen cranberries and they were divine. Definitely buttery texture and not dry like some scones I’ve had. The white chocolate adds just the perfect amount of sweetness. I’ll make these again and may try add a different fruit for variety.
Natalie
Hi Carol,
Thank you for trying these cranberry white chocolate scones and for sharing your review! So happy you found them easy to make and that they were enjoyed! You described them perfectly and I love hearing that you’re planning to make them again! Xo Natalie
Kristel Grubbs
This is a very good recipe. I didn’t have heavy cream so I used whole milk and whipping cream. I also used 1/8 teaspoon of almond extract, 1 tablespoon of cinnamon and 1/8 teaspoon of ground cloves. I used 3/4 white chocolate chips and about 1/2 cup of slivered almonds. I brushed the outside with the egg white and then sprinkled the sugar over the scones. 😋
Natalie
Hi Kristel, Thank you so much for making these scones! I’m so happy you enjoyed the recipe! Thanks for sharing how you made them. Those all sound like very yummy ideas! Thanks again and appreciate your taking the time to comment! 🙂 Natalie
Sam
These scones are such a pleasant delight with a morning coffee or an afternoon pick me up! They aren’t too sweet but are tangy and delicious.
Natalie
Thank you so much for making these scones, Sam! Not too sweet but tangy and delicious is the perfect description 🙂
Barbara Briggs Ward
Amazing combination of ingredients!
Natalie
Thank you! They make the most delicious scones!!