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You are going to love these white chocolate cranberry scones. They are my go to easy scone recipe because they combine two of my favorite things! If you’re looking for a sweet and indulgent treat to enjoy during a lazy weekend morning or to bring to a holiday brunch, this is the best scone recipe. With their buttery and flaky texture, sweet white chocolate, and tangy cranberries, they’re a decadent and irresistible breakfast or dessert option.
Looking for a delicious treat to enjoy with your morning coffee or afternoon tea? Look no further than these white chocolate cranberry scones!
You might also like double chocolate pecan blondies, blueberry zucchini muffins, blueberry cheesecake ice cream, and homemade strawberry lemonade.
What I Like About these Cranberry White Chocolate Scones
Simple Ingredients – They use just a few simple ingredients that you should have in your pantry.
Easy to Make – They are are easy to make at home with baking powder instead of yeast so they do not need a lot of kneading.
Versatile – Scones are a delicious baked good that can be enjoyed at any time of the day or year.
Flavour – The cranberry and white chocolate flavour combination is delicious and perfect for holiday gatherings.
There is something about the cranberry and white chocolate combo that makes these white chocolate cranberry scones so addictive! The best part is they make your house smell amazing! Scones are great with butter, Nutella, jam or just plain! They are perfect for dipping in tea or with a poached egg on for breakfast… who wouldn’t want one?!
White Chocolate Cranberry Scone Ingredients
I make scones often because they are extremely easy to make and don’t take many ingredients. Plus a basic scone recipe is very easy to change up with whatever fruit, chocolate or cheese you have on hand.
For this scone recipe, you will need all purpose flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, unsalted butter, fresh cranberries, white chocolate chips, sour cream, eggs and vanilla extract. Pick sweet white chocolate in either chips or chunks.
Scone Variations
This cranberry white chocolate recipe might be my favourite flavour, but I like to change things up sometimes. Savoury cheese and mustard scones are also amazing, or chocolate chip ones! The list could go on and on. A good easy scone recipe is so versatile.
If you aren’t a white chocolate fan, and don’t really want a cranberry white chocolate recipe, use milk chocolate instead. Either bittersweet or semisweet will work, or perhaps dark chocolate is more to your taste.
Scones Around the World
These biscuit-like pastries are typically rolled into rounds then cut into quarters. They can be baked in the oven or cooked on a griddle. The first scones were a Scottish bread, made with oats then cooked on a griddle. They were around in the 16th century. Modern scones are typically made with flour and baked.
It’s believed the word comes from ‘schoonbrot’ which is Dutch for beautiful bread. Another possibility is that the name comes from Stone of Destiny. That’s where the Kings of Scotland used to be crowned. We know the origins of an easy scone recipe, but maybe not the true reason behind the name.
Scones later became an important part of ‘taking tea’ in England. Anna, the Duchess of Bedford, ordered tea and sweet breads from her servants one afternoon a couple of hundred years ago! She loved the scones so much she would order this every afternoon.
In modern England, scones are round in shape. They are topped with jam and clotted cream, and served with a pot of tea.
Tips for Perfect White Chocolate Cranberry Scones
The best thing about this recipe is the wonderful blend of flavours. The tart fresh berries contrast so well with the rich white chocolate. If you are looking for a fresh cranberry recipe to use up some berries, this one is great. Don’t use frozen berries, or you will lose some of the wonderful texture and flavour.
You will need frozen butter for making the dough, which will grate easily, so pop the butter in the freezer before doing anything else.
Similarly, the dough will need to be chilled for a bit to hold it together. Chilling it makes it a lot easier to work with. Give yourself chilling time with this fresh cranberry recipe, so the scones come out perfect.
Why I Love Fresh Cranberry Recipes
There are more fresh cranberry recipe ideas to choose from, if you have a lot to use up. You could try cranberry bliss bars or cranberry lemon pistachio cookies. What about making some cranberry sauce and some juicy roasted chicken to go with it? I always keep some frozen cranberries in my freezer because they are so tasty and full of flavour.
Scone FAQs
Yes! Wrap each one in plastic wrap then store them in an airtight container in the freezer. Reheat them in the oven before serving.
Be sure to handle the dough as little as possible, and keep the butter and other ingredients as cold as possible.
Yes, you can use frozen berries, but be sure to thaw and drain them well before using to avoid excess moisture in the dough.
Yes, you can make the dough ahead of time. Store overnight in the fridge in an airtight container or for up to 1 month in the freezer in an airtight container.
White Chocolate Cranberry Scone Recipe
White Chocolate Cranberry Scones
Ingredients
- 4 Cups all purpose flour
- ⅔ Cups granulated sugar
- 2 Teaspoon baking powder
- ½ Teaspoon baking soda
- 2 Sticks unsalted butter, frozen
- 2 Cups cranberries, fresh
- 1 Cup white chocolate chips
- 1 Cup sour cream
- 2 eggs
- 4 Teaspoon vanilla extract
Topping
- 1 egg
- 2 Teaspoon water
- 3 Tablespoon granulated sugar, coarse for sprinkling
Instructions
- In a bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and baking soda. Using large holes of a grater, grate frozen butter into the flour. Use fingers to work in the butter until it resembles a coarse meal. Stir in white chocolate chips.
- In separate bowl, whisk together sour cream, eggs, and vanilla until smooth and incorporated.
- Use a fork to stir sour cream mixture into flour mixture until large clumps form. Gently stir in cranberries. Use hands to form dough into two even sized balls.
- If dough is sticky and needs to firm up a bit, wrap dough balls tightly and chill until it's easier to work with, about 20 to 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, line baking sheets with parchment paper. Set oven to 400 degrees F.
- On a lightly floured, flat surface, pat each dough ball evenly into an 8 inch circle, about ¾ inch thick each. Cut each circle into 8 triangle wedges. Place triangles on lined baking sheets, 1 inch apart.
- To make the egg wash, lightly beat the egg and water together. Brush the egg wash on top of each triangle. Sprinkle tops with coarse sugar.
- Bake about 14-17 minutes or just until tops are light golden.
Nutrition
Whether you have a sweet tooth or not, there are plenty of fresh cranberry recipes. You can add sugar or another sweetener for a sweet taste.
Let me know if you try these cranberry white chocolate scones. They won’t last long, because they are so good!
Other Recipes to Try
Bella Bucchiotti
Bella Bucchiotti is a Canadian-based syndicated food, travel, and lifestyle writer, photographer, and creator at xoxoBella. She founded xoxoBella in 2015, where she shares her love for food, dogs, sustainability, fitness, crafts, outdoor adventures, travel, and philanthropy to encourage others to run the extra mile, try new recipes, visit unfamiliar places, and stand for a cause. Bella creates stress-free and family-friendly recipes for weeknight dinners and festive feasts.
Could you freeze the dough and cook another day?
Thanks!
I’ve made before and they were super good.
I have not tried that. Next time I make them, I will give it a try.
Can you use dried cranberries instead of fresh cranberries?
I have not tried, but it other baking I can usually substitute with no problem. I would use less if using dried. For example, if a recipe calls for one cup of fresh or frozen cranberries, I would use ¾ cup of sweetened dried cranberries. I hope that helps.