Description

These easy glazed orange scones are buttery, tender breakfast pastries bursting with fresh citrus flavor. Made with grated frozen butter for a flaky crumb and brightened with fresh orange zest and juice, they’re topped with a luscious orange vanilla butter glaze. Perfect for brunch, teatime, or dessert, these scones bring sunshine to your morning table with minimal fuss.

Ingredients

Scale

For the scones:

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
4 tablespoons salted butter, grated and frozen
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or extract
1 large egg (room temperature)
1 tablespoon fresh orange zest
1–2 tablespoons fresh orange juice

For the orange vanilla butter glaze:

1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or extract
1 tablespoon melted butter
Zest of 1 orange
Juice of 1/2 orange (add more as needed)

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Instructions

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add grated frozen butter and mix until coarse crumbs form.
In another bowl, whisk heavy cream, vanilla, egg, orange zest, and orange juice.
Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients; mix gently until a shaggy dough forms.
Turn dough onto baking sheet; shape into an 8-inch disc, about 1/2–3/4 inch thick.
Cut into 8 wedges and space slightly apart. Chill for 10–30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C).
Bake scones 13–15 minutes until bottoms are golden. Cool on a wire rack.

Make the glaze:

Whisk powdered sugar, vanilla, melted butter, orange zest, and orange juice until smooth and pourable.
Dip cooled scones into glaze and set on wire rack to let glaze harden.

Notes

Fresh zest and juice provide bold citrus flavor.

Chilling the dough helps keep scones flaky.

Adjust glaze thickness by varying juice amount.

Freeze unglazed scones; glaze after reheating.

Prep Time: 20 minutes (including chilling)
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Category: Breakfast, Brunch, Dessert
Method: Baking
Cuisine: American, British-Inspired