These vegan Apple Cranberry Scones are the cure for the winter blues! They’re crisp on the outside, loaded with fresh apples, and topped with a sweet cranberry glaze.
Why you’ll love this recipe!
Juicy apples – You get little bursts of juicy apples in every bite.
Tart cranberry glaze – I dressed up the scones in a pink cranberry glaze to make them completely irresistible.
Buttery and tender – Even though these scones are vegan-friendly, they’re as buttery, tender, and flaky as traditional scones!
Use up leftover cranberries – Got extra cranberries lying around after the holidays? Use them up in these scones, my cranberry white chocolate cookies, and these cranberry orange muffins!
These days, my mornings start with these Apple Cranberry Scones. They always make those cold winter mornings feel extra cozy!
Can we all agree that a big, fluffy scone is the breakfast of champions? Somewhere between breakfast and dessert, I absolutely love the chunks of apples throughout, the pockets of buttery flakiness on the inside, and the slightly crisp edges.
And that pretty-in-pink cranberry glaze on top? Gorgeous and delicious! Trust me, just like my pumpkin scones, it’s perfectly acceptable to eat an apple and cranberry scone for any and every meal during fall and winter.
Cranberry Apple Scones Ingredients
Flour – I almost always use all-purpose flour to make scones. A 50-50 mix of whole wheat flour and all-purpose flour might work for a more rustic version.
Cold butter – The butter has to be very, very cold when it’s combined with the dry ingredients. It’s the secret to flaky and tender scones, after all! I like to pre-slice the butter and keep it in a bowl in the fridge or freezer right up until I need it.
Flax egg – These are egg-free scones made with just one vegan flax egg (1 tablespoon of ground flaxseed mixed with 2.5 tablespoons of water).
Milk – I used almond milk to keep the recipe vegan/dairy-free, but you can use regular milk if you’d like.
Apples – Use any variety of apples you like, peeled or unpeeled. Just make sure they’re diced very small, so you get some in every bite.
Cranberries – Use the fresh or frozen cranberries you have leftover from the Thanksgiving cranberry sauce. Remember that frozen cranberries will take slightly longer to break down.
This list is to provide further clarification on a few of the ingredients. See recipe card below for the full ingredient list.
Variations
- Gluten-free – I haven’t tested it, but making these with all-purpose gluten-free flour should work well.
- If you don’t need them to be vegan, make the scones with 1 egg instead of the flax egg.
- Instead of apples, use chopped pears or dried cranberries.
- Add citrus – A pinch of lemon or orange zest in the dough would be so nice!
- Change the glaze – Dress up the scones in a simple vanilla glaze or sprinkle coarse sugar on top before baking if you’re out of cranberries.
How to Make Apple Cranberry Scones
Step 1: Make the flax egg. Stir the ground flaxseed and water together in a small bowl and set aside.
Step 2: Start the dough. Stir the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl, then add the cold butter. Use your hands or a dough blender to combine everything until the butter resembles small pebbles.
Step 3: Finish the dough. Add the flax egg, melted butter, milk, and vanilla to the bowl with the flour. Stir with a wooden spoon to combine, then fold in the chopped apples.
Step 4: Shape. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface. Use your hands to form it into a large ball, then flatten it into a 7-8” wide and ½” thick disc.
Step 5: Cut and bake. Cut the dough disc into 8 even scones. Transfer them to a prepared baking sheet, then brush each scone with a little melted butter. Bake the scones.
Step 6: Make the cranberry glaze. Meanwhile, add the cranberries, water, and sugar to a saucepan and heat to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until the cranberries start to break down.
Step 7: Strain. Place a mesh strainer over a bowl and pour the simmered cranberries through it. Discard the leftover cranberries.
Step 8: Finish the glaze. Using a hand mixer, mix 2 tablespoons of the syrup with the milk and powdered sugar until the glaze is smooth.
Step 9: Decorate and serve. Once the scones are done baking and have cooled, drizzle the glaze over the tops. Serve right away and enjoy!
Erin’s Tips and Tricks
- You can combine the cold butter with the dry ingredients either with your hands, a dough blender, a fork, or a food processor. If you use a food processor, pulse the mixture a few times or until the butter is cut into small pieces.
- Grating the frozen butter with a box grater is a genius way to distribute it throughout the dough.
- It’s optional, but freezing the shaped scones for 15 minutes before baking will chill the butter again and give you the softest, flakiest scones.
- I like to press on the cranberries with a wooden spoon while they’re simmering to help them break down faster.
My Pro Tip
Save The Cranberry Syrup
You’ll have extra cranberry syrup after you’re done making the glaze. Make sure you save it. You can use it to make my cranberry orange cocktails!
Homemade Scone FAQs
Absolutely! Feel free to shape the scones and keep them covered in the freezer for up to 3 months. Before baking, place as many frozen scones as you need on a baking sheet and bake from frozen (adding a couple of extra minutes to the baking time).
Dense or bread-like scones are a sign that the dough was overworked or the butter was too soft when they went in the oven. It’s important to always start with very cold butter and to only mix and shape the dough just until it holds together.
I personally love treating myself to a couple of apple cranberry scones on holiday mornings. Outside of the holidays, I’ll usually have one with a cup of tea or coffee in the mornings or for an afternoon snack.
They’re always a hit at our family brunches, too! Sometimes I’ll pair them with clotted cream when I want to impress, but soft butter or fruit jam spread on the inside is good, too.
Storage
Make Ahead: The cranberry syrup and glaze can both be made up to 5 days in advance. As for the scones, I recommend baking and glazing them fresh. There’s nothing inherently wrong with baking the scones ahead of time, but they lose a lot of their flakiness over time. When I want to get a head start, I’ll keep the shaped scones in the freezer, then bake as many (from frozen) as I need in the morning.
Room temperature: The glazed scones will keep for up to 3 days in an airtight container on the kitchen counter. They will soften a lot over time, so try to eat them as quickly as possible.
More Scone Recipes
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Preheat oven to 350°F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
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Start by making the flax egg: stir the ground flaxseed and water together in a small bowl and set aside.
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Next, stir the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl, then add the cold butter (I like to use a large cheese grater for this) and use your hands to combine everything until the butter resembles small pebbles (this takes a minute or two so be patient).
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Next, add the flax egg, melted butter, milk, and vanilla to that bowl and stir everything together with a wooden spoon. Last, fold in the chopped apples.
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Flour a clean surface, then pour the dough out onto it and use your hands to form the dough into a large ball. Flatten the ball into a disc that’s about 7-8” wide and ½” thick.
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Use a large knife to make 4 cuts into the disc, creating 8 scones. Place them onto the prepared baking sheet, then brush each scone with a little melted butter (optional).
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Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake the scones for 20-25 minutes.
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Meanwhile, make the cranberry glaze: add the cranberries, water and sugar to a saucepan and bring them to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and simmer for 8-10 minutes, using a wooden spoon to help break down the cranberries.
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Place a mesh strainer over a bowl, then pour the cranberries through it. You should be left with cranberry syrup. At this point, you can discard the mashed cranberries.
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Take 2 tablespoons of the syrup and add it to a large bowl, along with the milk and powdered sugar. Use a hand mixer to whisk until the glaze is smooth.
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Once the scones are done, transfer them to a wire rack. Allow the scones to cool before adding the glaze. Once ready, drizzle the glaze over each scone and enjoy!
Calories: 360kcal | Carbohydrates: 60g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.5g | Cholesterol: 30mg | Sodium: 350mg | Potassium: 57mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 34g | Vitamin A: 354IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 122mg | Iron: 2mg
