Orange Almond Scones
A slight crunch on the edges of these orange scones gives away to an incredibly moist middle that is packed with a ton of flavor: orange, lemon and almond. This is a very simple recipe but rewarding in all the perfect ways a scone can be.
blood orange and almond scones: crispy edges, moist middles and packed with flavor
Packed with a ton of orange zest and some lemon zest too, these are bursting with flavor. Almond flour for a little added nutritional value (psshh, it is breakfast after all) but also just goes really, really well with the orange. All these flavors come together in this slightly crispy on the outside, extremely tender on the inside scone.
Why this scone recipe works
I love, love making scones because they are such a quick and rewarding treat and can be made days ahead. I do everything in just one bowl (except mixing the egg and heavy cream, which you can do in a cup). Once everything is in, you can use your hands to mound the dough and a bench scraper to slice.
A note on freezing scone dough
As annoying as it is to wait for delicious things, scones are always better baked from frozen because solidified butter melts in the hot oven to give us those flaky layers. But this also means you can just leave them in the freezer and pop them into the oven on the mornings you want them.
Tools you’ll need to make these scones:
- A whisk: to blend the dry ingredients, or you can use a fork.
- A zester & juicer: to extract the orange & lemon flavor.
- A pastry cutter: to cut in the butter without overworking it or melting it.
- Something to slice the scones (knife, bench scraper, any biscuit cutter)
Tips for perfect homemade scones
Butter should be pea & kidney bean sized
Use a pastry cutter to cut in the butter without overdoing it. Stop when the butter bits about the size of a green pea. You can also use your hands, but not if they are very warm and will melt the butter.
Keep the dough as cold as possible
This is what leads to a flakier scone, keeping the butter from melting so that it melts in the oven where it will cause the dough to puff up and create layers.
Don’t add anymore liquid or flour
It may seem that the heavy cream/egg mixture isn’t enough moisture for the dough but as you work it, it will come together. You’ll need a bit of flour to dust the countertop to cut the shapes but avoid adding too much so you don’t end up with a dry scone.
Don’t overwork the dough
You want to use your hands to just gather it together, don’t knead it or anything. The warmth from your hands will melt the butter if you do.
On the baking pan, place them close together (but not touching) so they rise higher.
Orange almond scones: ingredients and substitutions
Oranges
I love using blood oranges because they’re a little tart and juice makes such a pretty pink glaze. If you are using navel or cara cara you might just want to zest one or two as they are larger than blood.
Almond flour
This adds a lovely almond taste and accentuates the crumbly part of the scone without drying it out. It’s a little pricey but you can buy it in bulk online. Don’t grind your own nuts though as home food processors won’t get the flour fine enough.
All purpose flour
Careful when measuring your flour. Instead of dipping the cup into the bag, use another measuring cup to sprinkle it in and then swipe over the cup to avoid over-filling it.
Egg
It’s not super common to have egg in a scone dough and some recipes use more heavy cream instead but I find it keeps the scone from being dry. Someone is likely to ask me if flax eggs would work here, I haven’t tried it!
Butter
Butter is the main ingredient that makes for a good scone. If you only have salted, omit the salt from the recipe. Butter cannot be substituted here with another oil without recalculating the rest of the ingredients since oils are compositionally different than butter. I think vegan butter could work though!
Heavy cream
Because it’s super creamy and full of fat, heavy cream makes a more tender and moist scone. If you don’t have it you can use light cream.
FAQ: Almond Orange Scones
Do I have to bake them from frozen?
You’ll have better shaped and flakier scones if you do!
How can I make these gluten free?
For the all-purpose portion of the flour, substitute with a gluten-free 1 to 1 baking flour.
How can I make these nut-free?
You can leave out the almond flour and instead use an additional ⅔ cups all purpose flour.
Almond Orange Scones Recipe
Almond Orange Scones
Ingredients
Blood Orange Almond Scones
- 100g or 1 cup almond flour
- 250g or 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 65g or ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- Zest of 2 blood oranges
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 180g or ¾ cups butter , very cold
- 80g or ⅓ cup heavy cream plus extra for brushing
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Blood Orange Glaze
- 1 cup organic powdered sugar
- 2-4 tablespoons blood orange juice
- Pinch salt
Method
- The night before or a few hours before baking:
- In a large bowl whisk together the almond flour, all purpose flour, salt, baking powder and sugar. Zest in the oranges and lemon and whisk to combine. Set orange juice aside for glaze.
- Cut the cold butter into slices and use a pastry knife to work it into the flour until it’s pea sized.
- Mix the heavy cream, egg and vanilla in a cup with a fork. Pour it into the dough and use your hands to work the dough until it mostly comes together into a ball. It’s okay if there are still bits of dough not worked in.
- On a floured surface, dump the dough and use your hands to gather it into a flat disk that’s an inch thick. You can use a bench scraper, knife or or biscuit cutter to portion the dough into any shape you like.
- Set in a container in the freezer overnight or for a few hours to freeze the dough.
- Preheat the oven to 400 F. Right before baking, place scones on a parchment lined cookie sheet and brush with heavy cream. Bake until bottoms are golden and center are baked through, 18-22 minutes. If the scones are mini, they’ll be done sooner. If larger, they’ll take a bit longer
- To make the glaze: whisk together powdered sugar, salt and orange juice. Drizzle or pour over cooled scones.
Did you make this recipe?
Share & tag me on instagram @buttermilkbysam
These scones are perfectly moist & tender & flakey & an absolute favorite of mine! I like to rub the zest into the sugar before mixing in the other dry ingredients to get a bit more flavor. I’ve made these many times for family & friends & always get rave reviews! Thanks for the amazing recipes
What a bright flavor! These weren’t as tall as the blueberry scones on the website, probably because of the lack of add ins. I used raspberry oranges and they tasted wonderful.
I’ve made these multiple times and loved them. I can’t wait until blood oranges are in season again. Very moist and delicious and that color!
I baked these and got rave reviews from my office– everyone said they were the most tender scones they’d ever had and I totally agree. Plus the blood orange glaze is just as gorgeously pink in real life as the pictures!
These are absolutely delightful! Used all of the tips and tricks included in the post and they turned out perfectly. Super flaky with just the right amount of sweetness! And that glaze — oh, man. Bright, citrusy, and adds a beautiful pop of color!
These are spectacular! I have made them a few times while blood oranges were in season and LOVED the fresh bright flavor! I subbed organic coconut sugar in the last batch, which added a lovely flavor!
I only used the blood orange glaze as I unfortunately didn’t have the time to make the scones, but it was just divine and what a perfect complement to literally anything. I’m sure the scones are just as wonderful. So very creative
These came out perfect. Read the full post for information on ingredients and tips, which was a big help! Thank you! The citrus really comes through in the dough which is delightful. The only complaint is that they are disappearing too fast 🙂
Moist and crunchy! What I loved about it is that it is not too sweet and you can control the sweetness with the amount of glazing!
My blood oranges were not strong enough to give the same glazing color, so I added a drop of food coloring!
This is true, the scones themselves are not sweet! So happy you loved them Benan =)
Delicious!