Vegan Cranberry Orange Scones

Cranberry Orange Scones broken in half next to fresh cranberries

Vegan Cranberry Orange Scones

Wake up this Christmas morning with these delightfully sweet and tart Vegan Cranberry Orange Scones topped with Orange Glaze.

5 from 6 votes

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Prep Time: 15

Cook Time: 25

Total Time: 40

Servings: people

Calories: 334kcal

Author: Sarah McMinn

Ingredients

Cranberry Orange Scones

2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for flouring surfaces
½ cup granulated sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup vegan butter, I use Earth Balance
zest of one large orange
¾ cup light coconut milk plus more for brushing
3 tbsp chickpea flour
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup fresh cranberries

Orange Glaze

1 cup powdered sugar
2-3 tbsp fresh orange juice, as needed

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 425. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking mat and set aside.
In a small bowl combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and orange zest.
Cut butter into small pieces and add it to the dry ingredients. Mix in with a pastry cutter or your fingers until a fine crumb has formed.
In a small bowl or liquid measuring cup combine the coconut milk and chickpea flour, stirring vigorously until chickpea flour has completely dissolved. Stir in vanilla extract. Add wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, stirring to combine.
With a wooden spoon or your hands, fold in the cranberries.
Flour the bottom of an 8" cake pan and press dough evenly into the pan to shape. Flip onto a floured surface and cut into 8 equal pieces. Place scones on the prepared baking sheet. Brush with a light layer of creamer and bake for 20-25 minutes until tops are golden brown.
While scones are baking combine ingredients for the glaze, adding juice slowly to the powdered sugar until desired consistency is reached. It should be slightly thick but thin enough to easily dip scones into the glaze.
Remove scones from the oven, let cool for 10 minutes, then dip tops in the glaze before letting cool completely. Serve or store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

Notes

Serving and Storing - Serve these scones immediately with a Chai Tea Latte. Store leftover scones in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.

Make in Advance - If you want to make this recipe in advance, you can store unbaked scones in the freezer for up to 2 months. Place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet and let them freeze all the way through. Once they are frozen, transfer them to a large Ziplock bag. When ready to bake, you can bake them straight from the freezer following the instructions below. They may need a few extra minutes in the oven since they will be frozen.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use frozen cranberries? I prefer using fresh cranberries as frozen ones can sometimes bleed into the dough and make it turn pinkish. However, if you are making this recipe offseason, frozen ones will work just fine. Follow these steps when using frozen berries:

Place the cranberries in a colander and run them under room temperature water, breaking the berries up with your fingers. This will allow the excess juices to run out of the berries so they don’t bleed into your batter.
Let the cranberries sit in the colander for at least 30 minutes so all the water has drained from them. If they are still wet, they will add liquid to your batter, altering the texture of these muffins.
Gently pat the berries dry with a paper towel before adding them to your batter.

Do I have to use coconut milk? I recommend coconut milk because it is thick, rich, and adds a nice subtle flavor. If you don't like coconut, I recommend using a quality unsweetened non-dairy creamer rather than milk.

Can regular flour be swapped for chickpea flour? Unfortunately, no. Chickpea flour is uniquely dense in protein and works as an egg replacer in a way that all-purpose flour cannot. You should be able to find chickpea flour at your grocery store – look in the bulk or alternative flours section.

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