Move over pumpkin-everything, I’m ready for some tart with my sweet. I am in full-blown cranberry-obsessed mode over here. I couldn’t resist picking up a bag of organic cranberries at TJ’s because they’re just so pretty…like little red jewels. I wasn’t sure what the heck I was going to do with them, and then it dawned on me that they’d be super yummy in some grain-free scones!

Most scone recipes call for dried cranberries, which are usually full of sugar and unhealthy oils, so I wondered what would happen if I tried it out with fresh cranberries. UM…perfection. That’s what happened! Not only do they taste amazing, but they are actually good for you!

Cranberries are serious nutritional powerhouses. They contain over two dozen antioxidant phytonutrients and they are a great source of vitamin C, manganese, fiber and vitamin E. All of these properties make them great for balancing blood sugar, lowering triglycerides, reducing inflammation, maintaining heart health, and warding off cancer. They are the most-nutrient dense when eaten raw, which I haven’t tried yet, but plan to. I’ve heard they’re amazing in smoothies!

Back to the scones…this recipe is so good and so easy…I’ve already made and devoured two batches in the last week! There’s something about cranberry and orange…they just belong together! The orange zest in this recipe complements the tart cranberry so well.

They are super simple to make. You basically throw the wet and dry ingredients together in a bowl and fold in the cranberries. They you flatten the dough into a disc on a parchment lined baking sheet, but it into 8 even pie slices, and they're ready to bake! 

They are good straight out of the oven, but they’re even better the next day, toasted and smothered with some butter and sea salt…or as my husband prefers, with a little orange juice/powdered sugar glaze.

Here's the recipe...

Grain-Free Cranberry Orange Scones

Ingredients

• 2 cups almond flour

• ¾ tsp baking powder (or a 50/50 mix of baking soda/cream of tartar)

• ¼ tsp salt (such as Real Salt)

• 1 large pastured egg (lightly beaten…should be ¼ cup)

• ½ tsp vanilla (I use the alcohol-free type)

• 3 Tbsp maple syrup (or honey)

• 2 Tbsp melted pastured butter (or ghee or coconut oil…you can omit if you prefer dryer, less cakey scones)

• 1 tsp orange zest.

• ½ cup of fresh, organic cranberries, cut in half (discard any that are shriveled or soft)

• Optional: Maple sugar or coconut sugar for sprinkling on top

Directions

1. Preheat your oven to 350 and cover a baking sheet with parchment paper (or grease it).

2. Mix the first three, dry ingredients together in one bowl. Then mix the wet ingredients together (through the zest) in another bowl.

3. Mix the dry and wet ingredients together until well-incorporated.

4. Add the cranberries and mix until they are evenly distributed.

5. The dough should come together in a ball. Place the dough on your baking sheet and flatten into a circle about ¾-inch thick.

6. Cut the circle of dough like a pie into 8 even pieces. Separate them carefully and evenly space them on the baking tray.

7. Sprinkle with maple sugar or coconut sugar (if using).

8. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until they start to turn golden brown on top. Sometimes I even go a little further to dry them out a bit more.

9. Remove from the oven and carefully place them on a cooling rack.

Tips for enjoyment: These taste great with a nice slab of pastured butter and a sprinkle of sea salt, or drizzled with a mixture of melted butter, maple syrup and sea salt, OR you can make a simple glaze with juice from the orange and powdered sugar.

Storage Tips: To retain the best texture, I like to store these on the counter for a couple days, just lightly covered with a paper towel. If you don't devour them by then, I recommend storing them in the fridge for up to a week.

Enjoy!