These sugar-free cranberry orange scones are a real treat, perfect for breakfast, an afternoon snack with a cup of tea, or a festive holiday brunch. Bursting with the bright flavors of orange and cranberries, these scones are not only delicious but also keto-friendly, grain-free, and gluten-free. This recipe is inspired by Maya Krampf's "The Wholesome Yum Easy Keto Cookbook," known for its simple, low-carb recipes with 10 ingredients or less.
Why You'll Love These Keto Scones
- Deliciously Buttery: The scones have a delightful buttery crumbliness that makes them irresistible.
- Zingy and Fragrant: A generous helping of orange zest makes the scones wonderfully fragrant and zingy.
- Perfectly Moist: The inside of the scones is delightfully moist, almost like a cake.
- Easy to Make: Simple ingredients and straightforward instructions mean you can enjoy warm scones in under an hour.
- Festive Flavor Combo: These scones are perfect for an easy holiday brunch but they are delicious any time of year.
- Bakery-Style Texture: Flaky, buttery, and just the right amount of crumbly.
Ingredients You'll Need
- Almond Flour: Use blanched, finely ground almond flour for the best texture. Ground almonds, equivalent to regular almond flour in the US, also work well.
- Coconut Flour: This helps to create the right texture. If you wish to replace the coconut flour, you will need an additional two thirds cup of almond flour. The nutritional information will change accordingly.
- Sweetener: Erythritol, monk fruit sweetener blends, allulose, or xylitol can be used. Lakanto Monk Fruit and Swerve are excellent choices. For the glaze, a powdered sugar substitute is necessary.
- Baking Powder: This helps the scones rise.
- Salt: Sea salt is a good option.
- Coconut Oil or Butter: Melted coconut oil adds a hint of coconut flavor and makes the scones dairy-free. Melted butter (unsalted) can also be used.
- Orange Zest: Essential for the signature orange flavor. If you don't want to be bothered zesting oranges, you can use 1/2-1 teaspoon of orange extract instead.
- Vanilla Extract: Adds a touch of sweetness and enhances the other flavors.
- Egg: Helps to bind the ingredients.
- Fresh or Frozen Cranberries: Frozen cranberries can be used straight from the freezer without thawing.
- Optional Glaze: Confectioner's sugar substitute, lemon juice, orange extract, and heavy whipping cream.
- Protein Powder: A little bit of whey protein helps the scones rise more and makes them more flaky.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Sweetener Options: Erythritol-based sweeteners are recommended for the scones themselves, as allulose will brown too quickly and make them overly soft. For the glaze, any powdered sweetener you like best should work.
- Orange Flavor Boost: I recommend NOT skimping on the orange zest. The amount of orange flavor that comes from the orange zest is fantastic!
- Dairy-Free Option: Coconut oil is used to make these dairy-free Low Carb scones.
- Extract Alternative: To avoid the hassle of zesting an orange, you can use 1/2 or 1 teaspoon orange extract instead, depending on the potency.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Preheat the Oven: Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or grease a 9-inch cast-iron skillet with butter.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, combine the almond flour, sweetener (erythritol or your preferred substitute), baking powder, and sea salt.
- Mix Wet Ingredients: In a separate small bowl, whisk together the melted coconut oil (or melted butter), orange zest, vanilla extract, and egg.
- Form the Dough: Stir the wet mixture into the dry ingredients, pressing with a spoon or spatula, until a uniform dough forms. The dough should be pliable and dense, but not crumbly; add a little more coconut oil, a teaspoon at a time, if it's very dry.
- Add Cranberries: Gently stir and press the fresh or frozen cranberries into the dough. If using frozen cranberries, do not thaw them first.
- Shape the Scones: Place the dough onto the lined baking sheet or prepared cast-iron skillet and form a disc shape, about 1 inch thick and 6 inches in diameter.
- Cut and Separate: Cut the disc into 8 wedges, like a pie or pizza. Move the pieces about 1 inch apart.
- Bake: Bake for 18 to 22 minutes, or until golden brown.
- Cool: Cool completely on the pan to firm up. These scones are fragile when hot but they firm up as they cool down.
Tips for Perfect Scones
- Frozen Cranberries: If using frozen cranberries, do not thaw them first because they will go soggy and make the dough too wet. Add them in while they’re frozen. Chop them up while they are still frozen so they don’t squish as easily.
- Grated Butter: Grated butter is one of my best tricks for bakery-style keto scones. You want to chill it in the freezer for at least 30 minutes so that it doesn’t melt as you grate it.
- Cutting the Wedges: Use a large sharp knife that you can straight up and down, rather than dragging it through the dough. The wedges will come out better.
- Cooling is Crucial: Scones will fall apart if you move them before cooling.
- Lightly Sweetened: Scones are not meant to be overly sweet, so the sweetener can be kept to a minimum. If you’d rather leave it out, there’s really no reason to add sweetener to the recipe.
- Even Distribution: Chopped cranberries gives you better distribution throughout the scones and makes them hold together better as you cut the wedges.
Optional Keto Orange Glaze
- Combine Ingredients: In a small bowl, combine the confectioner's sugar substitute with two tablespoons of lemon juice and ½ teaspoon of orange extract.
- Adjust Consistency: Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of heavy whipping cream to thin the glaze to a drizzling consistency.
- Drizzle: Drizzle the glaze over the cooled scones.
Serving Suggestions
These scones taste great all on their own. Of course, you can serve them with sugar-free whipped cream or whipped coconut cream. I love pairing mine with a cup of almond milk matcha latte!
- Tea Time: Cranberry scones make the perfect tea-time dessert.
- Coffee Pairing: These sugar-free scones go perfectly with a cup of coffee or latte.
- Holiday Brunch: A wonderful addition to your Christmas morning or any holiday gathering.
Storage Instructions
Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Scones can be frozen once they’re baked and they really do a great job staying fresh in the freezer.
Nutritional Information
This keto cranberry orange scone recipe has 8.2g of carbs and 4.8g of fiber per serving. That comes to 3.4g net carbs per scone.
Nutritional data is provided as a courtesy and is accurate to the best of my knowledge. You can verify it using the nutrition calculator of your choice.
Read also: Easy Low-Carb Cheese Crackers
Variations and Adaptations
- Other Berries: You can easily adapt this recipe by leaving out the orange zest and replacing the cranberries with blueberries or raspberries.
- Maple Nut: For a maple nut variation, refer to a copycat Starbucks Maple Oat Nut Scones recipe.
- Lemon Scones: Sub in lemon zest or lemon extract in place of the orange.
The Wholesome Yum Easy Keto Cookbook
This recipe is inspired by Maya Krampf's cookbook, "The Wholesome Yum Easy Keto Cookbook," which features 100 simple low-carb recipes, all with 10 ingredients or less. It's a great resource for anyone new to keto or looking for easy and delicious keto recipes.
Read also: Keto Calorie Counting: A Detailed Guide
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