These AIP Cranberry Orange Scones are sweet, citrusy, and tart. It’s the perfect combination for a holiday treat. But they are so good you’ll want to make them all year long.

Ingredients for AIP Cranberry Orange Scones

• Grain Free Flour Blend: Our blend includes baking soda so no need to add anything else to help these Grain Free Cranberry Orange Scones rise.
• Coconut Sugar
• Salt: Make sure to use sea salt.
• Gelatin: No eggs needed for this recipe. Make sure to use powdered gelatin.
• Palm Shortening or Lard: Palm Shortening is preferred but lard is a good substitute.
• Water: Coconut Milk is a good substitute.
• Vanilla Extract: If using vanilla powder, you only need 1/2 teaspoon.
• Fresh Cranberries
• Orange: Organic oranges are best as you’ll be needing the zest.
• Coconut Butter: This is an optional glaze.

How to make perfect AIP scones

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. In a large bowl, add the grain free flour blend, coconut sugar, salt and gelatin. Stir to combine.

3. Add the palm shortening into the flour mixture and work it with your spoon (or fingers) until the mixture resembles wet sand.

4. Add the water, vanilla extract, cranberries and the zest and juice of the orange. Mix or pulse together until it starts to form a dough. You may have to knead it with your hands to get it to come into a ball.

5. Put the dough it on a floured cutting board or clean surface so that can be cut into. Gently flatten the ball into a circle shape, about 1 inch thick and 7 inches wide. Using a knife cut into six equal wedges and then transfer the wedges to the baking sheet.

6. Bake for 20 minutes. Allow to rest for 10 minutes before serving.

7. If using, soften a few tablespoons of coconut butter and drizzle on top.

Tips for making the best AIP scones

• If you want a sweeter glaze, you can use the glaze options from the Paleo Pumpkin Donuts recipe. 
• This recipe can be made in a food processor, but it’s not necessary and easy enough to do by hand.
• You can easily substitute blueberries and lemon for the orange and cranberries to make these Gluten Free Blueberry Lemon Scones or Gluten Free Black Berry Scones.
• Feel free to use coconut milk as a substitute for water.
• If using vanilla powder, you only need 1/2 teaspoon.
• Organic oranges are best as you’ll be needing the zest.
• Make sure to use sea salt.
• Make sure to use powdered gelatin.

Do scones have egg in them?

No eggs needed for this gluten free cranberry orange scones recipe. We use gelatin as a substitute for egg in this recipe. Additionally, the tapioca flour used in our Grain Free Flour Blend also has some stretch to is which helps hold it together. Most of our recipe using the Grain Free Flour Blend don’t even need an additional binder like gelatin. For example, check out the recipes for Gluten Free Apple Fritter Cake, AIP Chocolate Donut (Paleo Option), or AIP Air Fryer Drop Biscuits.

Is a scone supposed to be moist or more on the dry side?

Yes. They are supposed to be drier than something like a muffin with a crisp outside. The cranberries in this recipe help keep these scones from being too dry while also being delightfully tart.

What is the best flour to make scones?

Beth Blends Grain Free Flour Blend is the best grain free flour to make scones. This AIP scones recipe is much easier because Beth Blends combines 5 different ingredients onto 1.  

What does cream of tartar do in scones?

Cream of Tartar helps activate the baking soda which then creates a grain free baking powder.

What makes scones rise best?

The combination of cream of tartar and baking soda in our Beth Blends Grain Free Flour Blend helps the scones rise.

What is the correct shape for a scone?

Scones are traditionally shaped like a piece or pie or pizza. It’s not necessary, of course, but it is traditional.

If you like these AIP Cranberry Orange Scones, you’ll love these AIP desserts using our Grain Free Flour Blend.

• AIP Chocolate Cake 
• AIP Chocolate Mug Cake 
• AIP Cinnamon Spice Muffins 
• AIP Summer Fruit Crisp