These Cardamom Orange Scones are high in protein, gluten-free, dairy-free, and ready in less than 30 minutes for the perfect guilt-free treat you’ll love! Pair it with a warm cup of coffee or tea for a delicious breakfast or afternoon snack.
The Best Breakfast
Can I call myself a scone queen yet? Pretty sure I’m going to, either way! If you’ve been here awhile (or any time at all, really), you already know I love a good scone. If you’re new here, you won’t have to do much digging to find out. With recipes like Lemon Poppyseed Scones, Strawberries n Cream Scones, Healthy Chocolate Chip Scones, and more, it’s obvious it’s pretty clear that I’m always testing out new recipes and flavors. At this point, I can even count how many I’ve made, but that won’t stop me from continuing to create and improve my scone-making game.
After all, I’m pretty sure they’re the perfect breakfast recipe. I mean, not only are they super easy and versatile to make, but they’re also light, buttery, and full of delicious flavor. I’m drooling just thinking about them. If I’m being honest, I enjoy them for more than just breakfast, incorporating them into brunch, afternoon snacks, and desserts. So, with winter in full swing, I decided to incorporate some seasonal flavors into my arsenal with these Cardamom Orange Scones! Made with warm spices and a hint of citrus zest, they’re everything you never knew you needed. If you’re ready to treat your tastebuds, keep reading to learn everything you’ll need to know to make this orange scone recipe!
Ingredients You’ll Need
One of the best things about this orange scone recipe is that it’s made with dairy-free, gluten-free, grain-free ingredients for a breakfast everyone can enjoy! I also used as few ingredients as possible to keep things simple for you. You’re welcome. Take a look below to find everything you’ll need!
For the Scones:
- Flour – I used chickpea flour, but oat flour or all-purpose flour works just as well!
- Protein – As usual, I used Nuzest Probiotic Vanilla protein powder. Feel free to use code: thekellykathleen to save a few bucks if you want to try it out, too! Or, you can try swapping it out for another protein powder you prefer, but I can’t guarantee the taste or texture of your orange scones if you do.
- Orange Zest – Orange zest is the key to creating the light, orange flavor or these scones and cannot easily be substituted with any other ingredient.
- Cardamom – The warm flavor of cardamom is similar to a combination of cinnamon and ginger and helps balance out the acidity of the orange zest.
- Maple Syrup – Maple syrup is used to add natural sweetness to these orange scones without the need for added sugars!
- Yogurt – I used a dairy-free yogurt, but regular yogurt can be used in its place if you prefer.
- Butter – I used vegan butter, but dairy butter works as well. Just make sure it is chilled and cubed!
For the Glaze:
- Powdered Sugar – Powdered sugar is crucial to creating a glaze-like consistency and cannot be substituted with any other sugar.
- Milk – I used a dairy-free milk, but any other milk can be used in its place.
- Orange Zest – To solidify the orange flavor of these scones, I highly recommend including the orange zest in the glaze as well!

How to Make the Best Orange Scones
In all honesty, the method I use to make scones hardly changes, if ever. That’s because, as your self-proclaimed scone queen, I have perfected how to make the best scones with minimal effort. Work smarter, not harder, my friends. Take a look to see how it’s done below!
- Mix. In a large bowl, mix together all of the ingredients for the scones except for the butter.
- Cube. Once the ingredients are combined, use a fork to cut the cubed butter into the dough until it resembles coarse, pea-sized chunks.
- Freeze & Preheat. When the butter has been fully incorporated, pop the dough in the freezer, preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Form the Scones. Once the oven has heated, place the dough on the baking sheet, and use your hands to pat the dough into a circle that is 1 ½ inch thick.
- Cut. Then, cut the circle into 6 mini triangles.
- Bake. Place your scones in the oven for 12 minutes.
- Whisk. While the scones are baking add the ingredients for the glaze to a small bowl, and whisk them until they are well-combined.
- Glaze. Once fully cooked, let your orange scones cool completely. Then, dunk, drizzle, or dip them with the glaze!
Baking Tips and Tricks
In all honesty, this recipe is pretty failproof. However, in my time, I’ve developed a few tips and tricks to ensure you get the best, fluffiest, most delicious scones every single time. Lucky for you, I’m sharing them below!
Wet Your Hands. Before you pat the dough into a circle, wet your hands with just a bit of water so they’re damp but not dripping. This will help prevent the dough from sticking to your fingers!
Don’t Overmix. Combine the ingredients until they are just-mixed, but be careful not to overmix them! Otherwise, your scones won’t rise in the oven.
Place them Closely. When placing your scones on the baking sheet, make sure they are touching each other. This will help them rise upward, becoming fluffy, instead of spreading too wide.
Storage and Preparation
Fridge: To keep your scones fresh, store them in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
Freezer: For longer-lasting scones, store them in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Reheat: To thaw your scones, place them in the fridge overnight. Once thawed, reheat your scones by warming them in the oven for 5-10 minutes. Or, just pop them in the microwave in 30-second intervals until your desired temperature is reached!
More Scones Recipes You’ll Love
That’s it, you guys! If you try these Cardamom Orange Scones or any of my other scone recipes, I would love it if you let me know in the comments below!
Like my other scone recipes, all you have to do is mix all the ingredients (except the butter). Then, cube the butter with a fork until it resembles coarse chunks.
Now, pop the bowl in the freezer, and wait for the oven to preheat to 400 degrees. In the meantime, line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and take a breather. Once the oven is ready, place the chilled dough on your baking sheet, and use your hands (it’s easier if you wet them!) to pat the dough into a circle.
Cut the circle into 6 mini triangles, and bake them for 12 minutes. Let the scones cool completely, and dip, drizzle, or dunk your glaze! Finally, let the glaze harden, and enjoy!
Dying to tell everyone you made this recipe and loved it?? Don’t forget to share a picture and tag @thekellykathleen so that I can profess my love to you and re-share it for all to see!

Cardamom Orange Scones
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups chickpea flour can sub for oat or all-purpose
- 1 1/2 servings 37g Nuzest Probiotic Vanilla Protein (code: thekellykathleen)
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp orange zest
- 1/2 tsp cardamom
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1/4 cup dairy-free yogurt
- 1/4 cup vegan butter chilled and cubed
Glaze
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar + 1 tbsp dairy-free milk + 1 tsp orange zest
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix together all the ingredients except for the butter.
- Once combined, cut in the cubed butter with a fork until it resembles coarse chunks (should be slightly bigger than pea-sized).
- Pop the bowl into your freezer and preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
- While the oven is preheating, line a baking sheet with parchment paper and do a few minutes of self-care.
- Once the oven has reached baking temperature, place the chilled dough on your baking sheet.
- Using your hands (wet them, it helps!) pat the dough out into a circle that’s 1 1/2 inches thick.
- Cut the circle into 6 mini triangles and bake for 12 minutes.
- Let them completely cool before glazing!
Glaze
- Whisk the ingredients in a small bowl.
- Dunk or spoon the glaze over the scones.
- Let them sit on a cooling wrack to harden
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