Eggnog Cranberry Scones
Rich, soft and buttery eggnog cranberry scones with orange zest are a delightful holiday treat. It’s a great recipe to use up any leftover eggnog you may have, and another reason to buy it in the first place!
I am a huge fan of eggnog, and not just as a beverage, but in desserts too! It’s a great substitute for cream or milk in baked goods, and I put eggnog in baked goods all the time during the holiday season. Last year I made eggnog cinnamon rolls and this year, these scones!
Dried cranberries, bright orange zest, cinnamon and nutmeg add a festive touch, while the rich flavor and tender buttery texture make these eggnog scones truly special. They’re perfect for breakfast, a sweet treat anytime, or a holiday brunch!
Table of Contents
- Why make these scones?
- Ingredients you'll need
- How to make eggnog cranberry scones, step by step
- Make-ahead tips
- More brunch recipes
- Here's the recipe
Why make these scones?
- Uses leftover eggnog in a delicious, creative way.
- Gourmet flavor and texture in less than 30 minutes start to finish.
- Great for holiday brunches, but also anytime any day of the week.
- Freezer-friendly and perfect for making-ahead.
Ingredients you’ll need
- All-purpose flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt: Make up the standard dry ingredients for homemade scones.
- Ground cinnamon and nutmeg: To enhance the lightly spiced eggnog flavor.
- Orange zest: Use navel oranges, clementines, cuties, etc.
- Butter: Should be cold and cubed.
- Eggnog: I have only ever used full-fat dairy eggnog, though other varieties may work fine.
- Dried cranberries: Give them a rough chop for smaller bits of cranberry in every bite.
- Powdered sugar and vanilla extract: For the glaze, along with more eggnog.
How to make eggnog cranberry scones, step by step
- Cut butter into dry ingredients. Make sure the butter is cold, and use a pastry blender to cut it into small bits dispersed in the flour mixture. Stir in the cranberries.
- Add eggnog. Use a spatula and then your hands to gently knead it together into a shaggy dough.
- Make flaky layers with “fold and flatten method”. Flatten the dough, then fold in half on top of itself, like you’re closing a book. Repeat 2 more times. (This creates pockets of cold butter which will create rise and flakiness, don’t skip this step!)
- Slice into wedges. Form dough into a square, then divide into 4 equal small squares, and cut each square into 2 triangles, for 8 triangles total.
- Bake. Brush tops with more eggnog and bake in a 400° oven for 15-17 minutes until the tops and bottoms are lightly golden brown.
- Glaze with eggnog icing. Make a quick icing with eggnog, powdered sugar and vanilla, and whisk until smooth. Drizzle over cooled scones.
- Enjoy! These scones are best the day they are baked but will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for 1-3 days.
baking tip:Why biscuit and scone ingredients need to stay cold
A key factor in the rise of biscuits and scones, and an even bigger part of their texture, is the little bits of cold butter that melt and make steam as they bake. If the butter is too warm it will incorporate into the dry ingredients and those little pockets of butter and steam will be gone.
For tall, soft, and flaky biscuits and scones, make sure you start with cold butter and milk/buttermilk, and work the dough quickly so the butter doesn’t have a chance to warm up. If your kitchen is really warm, consider freezing your biscuits and scones on the sheet pan for 15 minutes before baking.
Make-ahead tips
Scones are the perfect recipe for making ahead, especially since you can bake them straight from frozen (and they
- If prepping up to 2 days in advance: Prepare and shape scones as directed, and set them on the lined pan you’ll bake them on and wrap in 1-2 layers of plastic wrap. Bake straight from the freezer (removing plastic wrap), when ready.
- If prepping farther ahead: Flash freeze on a parchment lined baking sheetpan for about 30 minutes, then transfer to a freezer ziplock bag and freeze for up to 6 weeks. When ready to bake, transfer back to a lined pan.
More brunch recipes
Add these eggnog cranberry scones to your brunch menu (I’m looking at you, Christmas morning!) along with any of these brunch recipes:
- Sausage and Mushroom Breakfast Casserole
- Best Berry Fruit Salad
- Hash Brown Frittata with Ham, Peppers and Spinach
- Savory Cheese Scones
- Baked French Toast with Streusel Topping and Cranberry Maple Syrup
Here’s the recipe
Eggnog Cranberry Scones
Rich, soft and buttery eggnog cranberry scones with orange zest are a delightful holiday treat. It’s a great recipe to use up any leftover eggnog you may have, and another reason to buy it in the first place!
Ingredients
Eggnog Cranberry Scones:
- 2 cups (260 grams) all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoon (25 grams) granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 orange , zested
- 6 tablespoons (85 grams) cold unsalted butter , cubed
- ¼ cup (28 grams) dried cranberries , roughly chopped
- ½ cup (115 grams) cold eggnog
- Additional eggnog , for brushing
Eggnog Icing:
- 1 cup (114 grams) powdered sugar (114 grams)
- 1-3 tablespoons eggnog
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Make the scones:
- Preheat oven to 400°F and line half or quarter-sheet pan with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, salt and orange zest. 2 cups (260 grams) all-purpose flour, 2 tablespoon (25 grams) granulated sugar, 2 teaspoons baking powder, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg, ¼ teaspoon baking soda, 1 orange
- Add the cold cubed butter and cut into the dry ingredients with a pastry blender or cutter until the butter is the size of small peas. Stir in the cranberries.6 tablespoons (85 grams) cold unsalted butter, ¼ cup (28 grams) dried cranberries
- Add the eggnog to the flour mixture and mix until the dough starts to come together. Turn the mixture out onto the counter and use your hands to finish forming a uniform dough.½ cup (115 grams) cold eggnog
- Pat dough to about 1-2 inches thick. Fold one half of the dough over onto the other half. Flatten again to 1-2 inches thick and repeat fold and flattening 2 more times (3-4 times total).
- Form dough into an approximate 6-inch square 1-inch tall. Cut into 4 smaller squares, and then cut each small square into 2 triangles.
- Arrange wedges on prepared sheet pan and brush with more eggnog (this helps them brown nicely).
- Bake until the edges and tops are lightly browned, 15-18 minutes (Don't overbake or scones will lose their soft texture). Let cool while you make the icing.
Make the icing:
- Whisk the powdered sugar, 1 eggnog, and vanilla together. Add more eggnog as needed to make a thick but pourable icing.
- Drizzle over cooled scones and let set for a few minutes before serving.
- Scones are best served the day they are baked.
Notes
- I recommend full-fat dairy eggnog for this recipe, and I have not tested other options.
- Make-ahead instructions: If prepping up to 2 days in advance, prepare scones and place on lined baking pan, wrap in 1-2 layers of plastic wrap, and bake straight from the freezer when ready. If prepping farther ahead, flash freeze on a lined pan for 30 minutes, then transfer to a freezer ziplock bag and freeze for up to 6 weeks. When ready to bake, transfer back to a lined pan.
Calories: 296kcal, Carbohydrates: 49g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 10g, Saturated Fat: 6g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.5g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2g, Trans Fat: 0.3g, Cholesterol: 33mg, Sodium: 192mg, Potassium: 199mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 24g, Vitamin A: 336IU, Vitamin C: 9mg, Calcium: 82mg, Iron: 2mg
Have you tried this recipe?I’d love to hear about it! Leave a rating and review below, or take a photo and tag it on Instagram @completelydelicious with #completelydelicious.
