Elana's Pantry

New York Times Bestselling author Elana Amsterdam founded Elana’s Pantry, the go-to website for easy, healthy, grain-free, Paleo recipes, in 2006

Cranberry Walnut Scones

Cranberry Walnut Scones

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I’ve been making this Cranberry Walnut Scones recipe for the boys for the last couple of years. Since it’s become an official family favorite, I thought it was about time to share. Last week, I decided to make these Paleo scones one evening; by morning, they were gone. Scones for dessert, breakfast, snacks, whenever. Because this is a mighty healthy scone recipe I’m just fine with that. And because it’s also a mighty easy scone recipe I can whip up batch after batch for the boys in no time flat!

When our family needs quick meals in the morning, these gluten-free scones are perfect with hard boiled eggs made the night before. What’s better than a filling, yet easy meal that’s healthy too?! Not a whole lot. Just remember, don’t eat on the run, take 10 minutes to sit, chew, and digest. You deserve it!

Print Recipe
Cranberry Walnut Scones
Serves:8
Ingredients
Instructions
  1. In a food processor pulse together almond flour and baking soda
  2. Pulse in egg, coconut sugar, and orange zest
  3. Stir in cranberries and walnuts by hand
  4. Transfer dough to a parchment paper lined baking sheet
  5. Form dough into a large circle, 1-1½ inches thick
  6. Cut dough like a pizza, into 8 slices
  7. Using a metal baking spatula move slices apart, leaving 2 inches between
  8. Bake at 350° for 12-16 minutes until edges are browned
  9. Serve

These healthy fruit scones are made with an almond flour base and studded with organic dried cranberries. I love baking with almond flour, for me it is the perfect low-carb ingredient, full of good heart healthy fats.

If almond flour isn’t your thing, and you’re in need of nut-free scones try my Paleo Chocolate Chip Scones recipe, which is made of coconut flour. With only 7 ingredients, it’s every bit as easy to make as these Cranberry Walnut Scones! If you’re looking for something similar to this scone recipe that’s savory, try my Paleo Biscuits. They’re fabulous dipped in my Gluten-Free Gravy. If you’re looking for still more recipes for scones, check out my scones page, it’s full of all kinds of delicious healthy goodness!

Healthy recipes are great. No doubt about it. But good health consists of far more than eating well. So if you’re stressed out during the holiday season, or any time of year for that matter, take time whenever you can to put down your cell phone, and nurture yourself with more sleep as well as adequate gentle exercise such as walking or yoga!

Comments

  1. Hi – I made these but made them savory by adding ham and cheese and omitting the sugar, berries and nuts. I seasoned them with a few dashes of sea salt and granulated garlic. Baked for 15 minutes and they turned out really good! I’ve tried this recipe as you have it written and they were amazing too! Thanks for such a delicious and versitle recipe!!

    Reply

  2. I made these for the first time today and they are fantastic! Even my grandchildren (ages 5 and 2) loved them.

    Reply

    • Angela, what lucky grandchildren! It is so great that they have you. I’m glad to hear they loved the scones :-)

      Reply

  3. This recipe is one of my go-to breakfast recipes. I find it incredibly versatile – I’ve used a wide variety of dried fruits and nuts (apricot pistachio cardamom anyone?). I’ve also found that one can substitute other nut flours (cashew, pistachio, hazelnut) easily. If the flours are tolerated by the eater, swapping in up to one cup of chestnut or buckwheat flour works, but one might need a couple of tablespoons of liquid. Thank you Elana. Your recipes have been such a gift, and I am happier and healthier for them.

    Reply

  4. Hello Elana, I tried this recipe today, and though they taste great, I think they would be better if I didn’t bake then for this long. However, after about 16 minutes at 350F, they were still raw inside, so I had to bake them about 20 something I think minutes more. But they turned out somewhat hard to bite. And that’s also with cutting them into smaller pieces. What would u suggest I did wrong that they took long to bake? And rmare they suppose to be soft on the inside? Thank you!

    Reply

  7. What other flour will work besides almond flour. Aside from its expense, I never see organic almond flour available.

    Reply

  8. I don’t have a food processor. Should I mix by hand or use a regular hand held mixer? Thanks. Yummy recipes in here.

    Reply

    • Laura, I haven’t tried making this without a food processor so not sure which of those options would be best. If you do play around with the recipe please let us know how it goes :-)

      Reply

      • I rarely pull out the food processor. I whisk together the flour and baking soda, mix in eggs with a spatula, and then mix in fruit and nuts (currents are my fave) with clean hands. My 2 and 4-year-old grandsons love these! I make them almost every week.

        Reply

  9. These scones really hit the spot! I made one batch in the morning and another in the evening! I had shared the first batch with friends who are my “taste testers”. I only had the brown version of the coconut sugar, so I substituted with Lakanto Monkfruit Sweetener. I also sprinkled a bit on the tops before baking. They are hard to resist….in the warm weather, I will try using lemon zest, blueberries and pecans. Thanks Elana for posting such tasty recipes.

    Reply

  10. Elaina, I am very much enjoying your recipes since being gluten -free and sugar – free. I am not able to tolerate coconut sugar. It has the same trigger as regular sugar for me. What options can I substitute it for without changing the texture of the scones? Stevia? Honey? ??? I have read your post about the differences between the flours and was wondering if you did one on sugars. Frankly these ingredients are too expensive for me to just try.

    Reply

  11. Tried these today and they are great…definitely one for a repeat! I did them a little thinner than they needed to be though so will try to correct that next time around. Thank you for sharing your recipes. I only discovered your site last week and have since tried this one and your cheese muffins and both are definitely going to become a staple as I work on my weight loss.

    Reply

  12. Elana-
    We share a name, as well as a love for delicious and healthy baked goods. Thanks so much for all of your recipes. From your breads to your muffins, we always have fresh Elana’s Pantry baking in the house. These scones are delicious and filling. I chose to shape two discs and cut them into four, so that each serving is a bit smaller. I also used lemon zest instead of orange. Also delicious! These scones are a perfect breakfast or snack!

    Reply

    • Hi Elana! Nice to meet you! So glad we share this amazing name. Also glad to hear these scones are perfect for breakfast or snack :-)

      Reply

  14. recipe seemed to work well with my few variations …chopped the cranberries and used chopped pecans instead of walnuts, two medium eggs instead of 1 large…and 1tsp baking soda..
    thanks elana

    Reply

  15. I came across this recipe on FB just recently and I have been making them since. My all time favorite, easy to make. Thank you for sharing your recipes.

    Reply

  16. These are amazing I also added 1/4 cup of dried mango and stawberries to the mix and used 1tbsp of brown sugar as I had no coconut sugar really hit the spot will make a great grab and go breakfast for me this week

    Reply

  17. Wow. Just made these and they came out great. So easy! I just mixed in a bowl with a whisk because my daughter was sleeping. Whisked the egg separately, then added, whisked some more, then mixed by hand.

    I agree with the other commenter that they remind me of a nice Christmas cookie. Will definitely try this again and experiment with other flavors.

    Thanks!

    Reply

  18. Hello this looks fantastic for my breakfast on the run. Do you know if they will keep if I make a batch on the weekend? In the fridge or freezer maybe?
    Thanks again

    Reply

    • Becky, if you let them cool overnight and then wrap them up and store in the fridge they will keep for a couple of days.

      Reply

  19. Hi!

    Could I replace the almond flour with coconut flour?
    I don’t have any almond flour on hand but have everything else…

    Thanks!

    Reply

  20. I just can’t stand coconut in any way, shape, or form, but I want to try this recipe. I will just substitute regular organic sugar, starting with a small amount and working up to what tastes right. A friend just passed along your website and I can’t wait to get started trying some of your recipes.

    Reply

  21. I just made these for the first time and they are wonderful. My junk food eating husband even liked them! I’m home sick on a rainy day and just didn’t want salad or a full meal. I whipped these up in literally no time at all – so good. Just what I needed. Thank you for recipes that only have a few ingredients.

    Reply

    • Hi Teresa, thanks for your wonderful comment. I make it a point to use as few ingredients as possible in each of my recipes :-)

      Reply

  22. Can I apply any other refined oil instead of coconut oil to this recipe? I am eager to know this from you… Thanks for sharing such nice recipe.

    Reply

  24. Made these with 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest and 2 Tsp poppy seeds instead of the cranberry, orange walnut which I did not have. Also subbed coconut sugar for 2 tablespoons honey. Pretty good, moist just out of the oven. Needed some honey on top as they were not very sweet.

    Reply

  26. These were a holiday hit! Better than most scones I’ve eaten and so easy to make! I’m getting ready to make another batch. Thanks, Elena!

    Reply

  27. I just made these and they are delicious. Great flavor and texture. And so easy. A hit with the whole family. I made a few substitutions. I used fresh cranberries because I couldn’t find unsweetened ones. I coarsely chopped them to avoid the tartness of eating a whole fresh cranberry all at once. I thought my daughter might have a texture issue with the walnuts, so I pulsed them a few times with the dough, and it worked out great. We got the flavor of the walnuts without the texture problem. Finallly, I divided the dough into three even balls and made mini scones. They are absolutely adorable and have the feel of Christmas cookies. Thanks for all the wonderful recipes, Elana.

    Reply

  28. I made these today and they were delicious. Thank you for the recipe :-)

    I did substitute the egg with 1tbsp ground chia seeds and 3tbsp water, simply because I’d run out of egg. I also reduced the almond meal because I was using almond meal that included the almond skin, which can be more absorbent than that made from blanched almonds.

    Thanks again ?

    Reply

  29. I’ve made this recipe a few times now. I didn’t have cranberries. So, I used currents.

    First time I made them as the scones. They were great.

    The next time I made them as icebox cookies. I rolled the dough into a log and refrigerated until it was firm. Then sliced and baked. It made 20 cookies. Baking time was about 10 mins.

    Reply

    • I just made these and they were very good but reminded me more of a cookie than a scone so I think I will use your idea next time?

      Reply

  30. These are a-maz-ing! I’ve made them 6 times so far since getting the email. So simple, so easy and fast, so chocked full of walnuts and cranberries. They’re all gone in minutes!

    I use a mixer instead of a food processor, and put the dough right on my USA PAN Jelly Roll Pan to form the scones, no parchment paper needed.

    Reply

  31. I just made these scones using my blender as I don’t have a food processor. They were delicious, but dry and flat/dense. Any suggestions as to how to make them thicker and less dry? Do I need a food processor? Thanks!

    Reply

  32. made these again. this time I used a scoop to make 15 equal sized scones, flattening them out before baking. Perfect!

    Reply

  33. Oh, man. These are delicious! I love them! I didn’t use the dried cranberries, walnuts, or orange zest because I just didn’t feel like it. Not disappointed! I’m trying to make my own bread-type foods because I can’t find exactly what I want at any store and I’m working on going gluten/dairy free. I made these to eat for breakfast instead of toast. They may not last more than a day, between me and my husband. They’re sort of small, so 2 seems like a serving to me. Oh my gosh, I will be making these a lot more. I may put dark chocolate in them next time. Or they could be dressed up with ganache or some type of topping.

    Reply

  34. Made these 3 days ago. Best scones! Thought the dough was dry & hard to work with, I was afraid the scones would be dry & fall apart. They were DELICIOUS & my husband’s favorites. Thank you for sharing the recipe!

    Reply

  35. Ah scones! Something I have never dared to bake… In Switzerland scones are not “normal” so the only times I would have them is when buying them in a british bakery shop :) However, I do love love love them. So far I haven’t had them with cranberries. I think it’s an amazingly delicious idea. I might have the courage to do these :)

    Reply

  36. This is the season to try making these with fresh cranberries. Here in New England, the supermarkets have fresh cranberries and I eat them in salads fresh and raw… Tart and yummy and healthy. I dump a bunch in my paleo breakfast bars instead of my usual frozen blueberries. Cranberries freeze really well, too, so I freeze half the bag and use them through the winter…

    I can’t wait to try these scones – I am surprised that there is no liquid in the dough. Thanks!

    Reply

    • I am going to make them they sound great.Me and my family are gluten free and we always look for great ideas all the time thanks Elanas Pantry??

      Reply

  38. Just made these with what I had on hand: Dried cherries, pecans and dried lemon zest. WONDERFUL. Husband could not stop eating. Just had a friend that is new to Paleo and is looking for a quick breakfast to replace his oatmeal, me thinks this would work perfectly.

    Reply

    • I used your combination of cherries, pecans and lemon zest. Honey for sweetener. These are really great! and very satisfying considering they’re not particularly sweet.

      Reply

  41. elana,
    I have tried these before and they are so good!!! my husband and I love them!!! I have all of your cookbooks and use them a lot. I also love your breakfast sausage recipe. sometimes I make it with pure sorghum syrup which is low on the glycemic index and they turn out really good. I also make your zucchini bread recipe only I use 1/2 coconut palm sugar syrup which I make myself and 1/2 sorghum syrup to replace the agave and them I make muffins out of it. they are a big hit with my husband. thank you so much for all of your cookbooks and website!! I would have been lost without you when I first found out I was celiac. I also have ibs-c so I am on the fodmap diet as well and found out that my 2 major triggers were garlic and onions :( but at least I can use garlic infused oil.
    well I sure hope this note finds you and your family in good health and happy. happy holidays to you.
    sincerely,
    marian

    Reply

  42. My nephew has Type 1 Diabetes and gluten intolerant…
    Do you know the sugar and carb count for this and maybe any recipes you can recommend for him?
    Thanks!

    Reply

  43. Elana, I wonder if you think any of your scone recipes would work in a cast iron scone pan. I have one that I used to use and I really love it but since going grain free, I have never found a recipe that states it could be used. It makes the prettiest scones and I would love to use it again. This recipe would be perfect to try it out.

    Reply

  44. My sister was recently diagnosed with an Autoimmune disease and must be on an Autoimmune Paleo diet. Do you have recipes for this even more restrictive diet? All help appreciated. Thanks, Linda

    Reply

    • I don’t see why you couldn’t dry your own! Put fresh cranberries on a cookie sheet in a low heat oven for an hour or so. I used to make homemade granola and I used cranberries that I’d dried in the oven. They still had a little bit of POP in your mouth with that tartness – so delicious!

      Reply

    • I would like to use fresh as well. I make a cranberry bread with fresh and was wondering if I could use fresh here?

      Reply

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