Filled with cardamom spice and citrus, Orange Scones with Maple Glaze are a tender, easy-to-make breakfast treat.
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There's nothing quite like a freshly baked batch of homemade scones, tender on the inside and with crisp, browned edges. If you love scones and especially love them topped with sweet glaze, then this recipe is going to please you right down to your scone-loving toes!
Orange Scones with Maple Glaze are made with fresh orange juice and zest, plus the warm spice flavor of cardamom. They're topped with a simple glaze made with maple syrup.
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It's a bake for any season
When I first developed this glazed Orange Scone recipe it was early spring in Vermont, a time when folks are just so excited for warm weather and all the good things that are about to start growing.
The reality is that springtime in Vermont and throughout New England is notoriously unpredictable. 60-plus-degree days mix inexplicably with days of snow showers and early morning frosts.
Luckily, two things are in abundance in New England in the early spring whether it's nice out or not: oranges at the grocery store and pure maple syrup, boiled down from a fresh crop of maple tree sap. Even luckier still; orange flavor and maple flavor are delectable together.
Of course, you don't have to wait until spring to make these homemade scones. The flavor of fresh orange is just as welcome in summer and winter. Those jugs of real maple syrup will last you the whole year! And, the flavor of cardamom is one of my favorites to enjoy in fall and winter.
Why you'll love these scones
One of the best things about this simple Orange Scones recipe is that they can be whipped up so quickly. Because scones taste the best when eaten within a day or two of being baked, the ease of this recipe means you won't even hesitate when it's time to make more.
Fresh orange scones have a tender texture and are filled with the flavors of cardamom, vanilla, and orange juice. The scones glaze is made with powdered sugar and pure maple syrup—simple!
Though old-fashioned orange scones are delicious all on their own, the maple glaze adds a little extra decadence. They're lovely for breakfast or brunch, or to have with afternoon tea and coffee.
Another scone!
Irish Cream Scones
With a whiskey-chocolate sauce!
🔪 How to make Orange Scones with Maple Glaze
Ingredients:
- Buttermilk: For a little tang and a tender texture in the orange scones, buttermilk is the liquid I use in this batter. If buttermilk isn't available, add a little lemon juice to whole milk.
- Orange: Pick up a fresh orange; you'll add the zest and freshly squeezed orange juice to the batter.
- All-purpose flour: My go-to brand of all purpose and other flours is King Arthur Baking.
- Sugar: To sweeten the scones, use granulated sugar in the batter.
- Leaveners: Baking powder and baking soda react with the buttermilk to help the scones rise as they bake.
- Cardamom: This warm, fragrant spice is beautiful with maple and citrus. Check the date on your bottle to make sure your cardamom hasn't expired.
- Salt: Just a pinch helps to enhance the other flavors in the scone.
- Egg: Use one large egg in the batter scones batter.
- Vanilla extract: Use good quality vanilla like Nielsen-Massey brand.
- Butter: This is the fat that makes for tender scones. Some favorite butter brands are Vermont Creamery and Kerrygold.
- Pure maple syrup: I love Vermont maple syrup, but any pure maple from your local sugarhouse will be perfect here.
- Confectioners' sugar: This fine sugar is ideal because it blends smoothly to make the glaze.
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Combine the wet ingredients
Mix together the egg, buttermilk, vanilla extract, orange juice, and orange zest.
Mix the dry ingredients
Whisk up the flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and spices.
Grate in the butter
Grate the butter into the large bowl of dry ingredients, and use a pastry blender to evenly blend in the butter pieces.
Mix in the wet ingredients
Pour the buttermilk mixture into the dry mixture and stir it together until it just comes together.
Shape and chill the dough
Pour out the dough mixture and squeeze it into a craggy ball. Shape the dough into a flat round. Then, pop the dough into the fridge to chill.
Cut and bake the scones
Slice the dough round into wedges and place them on a lined baking sheet. Bake the scones until they're golden brown.
Make the scone glaze recipe
Whisk together warm maple syrup and melted butter, then combine these with the sugar to make a thick glaze.
Serve those scones!
Spoon glaze over warm or room temperature scones, sprinkle on a few pieces of orange zest, and dig on in.
FAQs
One thing that is very important to making good scones is not to overwork the dough. It should be squeezed and folded just until the dough holds together. Overhandling when making scones will result in a tough texture. Keeping the dough cold is another secret to good scones. Use cold butter and chill the dough before baking, so that the butter can create a light, tender baked texture.
In general, serve your scones at room temperature or lightly warmed. For these glazed scones, serving them at room temperature is best so that the glaze doesn't run off. There's no need to refrigerate scones.
The glazed scones should be stored in an airtight container or on a plate covered tightly with food wrap. If you need to stack them, place a piece of waxed paper between the layers. Store the scones at room temperature for up to two days.
Tips:
- Scones have the best texture when the ingredients stay cold and the dough isn't overhandled. So, stir and squeeze the dough just enough for the ingredients to hold together.
- I love Grade A dark Vermont maple syrup in the glaze. It has a stronger, sweeter flavor than the lighter grades. However, feel free to use any grade of maple you want—as long as it's REAL maple syrup. No fake stuff!
The recipe for Orange Scones with Maple Glaze is below. Here are more baked, breakfasty treats:
💬 Did you make and devour this recipe? Leave a comment below.
📖 Recipe
Orange Scones with Maple Glaze
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Ingredients
For the scones:
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ¾ cup buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
- 2 tablespoons orange juice
- 3 cups all-purpose flour, unbleached
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cardamom
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter
- Extra buttermilk for brushing
For the glaze:
- ½ cup pure Vermont maple syrup (I like Grade A Dark, which has a deep, almost brown sugar-like intensity, but feel free to use Grade A Golden or Amber.)
- 1 tablespoon melted butter
- 1½ cups confectioner's sugar
- Orange zest to sprinkle
Instructions
Blend the liquid ingredients:
- Whisk together the egg, vanilla, and buttermilk in a medium bowl. Stir in the 1 teaspoon of orange zest and the orange juice. Hold this mixture aside.
Blend the dry ingredients and the butter:
- Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, cardamom, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.
- Use a grater to grate the cold butter over the dry mixture. Then, use a pastry blender or two forks to mix the butter in, so that no clumps remain.
Combine the wet and dry mixtures:
- Pour the egg-buttermilk mixture into the large bowl of dry ingredients and butter. Use a large spoon to stir everything together, JUST until most of the dry ingredients are mixed in.
- Turn out this dough and any remaining dry bits onto a lightly floured surface. Squeeze and fold the dough a few times until you have a craggy ball of dough. (Don't overmix here.)
- Shape the dough into a round that's about 7 inches in diameter, and about 1½ to 2 inches thick.
Chill the dough:
- Place the dough round on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, and loosely cover it with a piece of plastic wrap. Place the pan in the fridge to chill for 15 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 400° F.
Cut the dough:
- Use a sharp knife to slice the dough round into 8 even wedges. Space the wedges apart from each other on the baking sheet.
- Brush the tops of the scones with a little buttermilk.
Bake the scones:
- Pop the pan of scones into the oven, and bake them for 20 minutes. They should be browned and baked through.
Prepare the Maple Glaze:
- While the scones bake, warm up the maple syrup in a medium-sized heat-proof bowl in the microwave oven. Whisk it together with the melted butter.
- Blend in the confectioner's sugar using a handheld mixer, adding the sugar a ½ cup at a time. Whip the ingredients together until the glaze is smooth and thick.
Serve the scones:
- The scones can be served warm or at room temperature. Spoon Maple Glaze over the tops, and add a few pieces of orange zest as a colorful little flourish. Dig in!
Notes
- Scones have the best texture when the ingredients stay cold and the dough isn't overhandled. So stir and squeeze the dough just enough for ingredients to hang together.
- I love Grade A Dark pure Vermont maple syrup in the glaze, for the stronger and sweeter flavor. Feel free to try other grades, but make sure you're using REAL maple syrup. No fake stuff!
Nutrition
Heidi says
These look so delicious, Nancy--and your photographs of everything are so good (love the little orange guy!)
Nancy Mock says
Haha, yes I like his cheery little face next to these scones! Thanks Heidi!! 🙂