Rhubarb Scones with Orange Glaze

Celebrate the joy of seasonal baking with these Rhubarb Scones with Orange Glaze. I love finding new ways to incorporate rhubarb into baked goods and these scones exceeded my expectations.

For this recipe, I turned to my trusted scone dough formula, which uses a combination of cold unsalted butter and chilled heavy cream. The result? Delicately spiced scones with a tender crumb, crisp buttery edges, and tangy rhubarb pieces throughout.

To elevate them further, the scones are topped with a fragrant, zesty orange glaze. The orange complements the rhubarb beautifully and adds a burst of sweetness to every bite.

With a simple preparation and short bake time, these scones can be whipped up at a moment’s notice. To make the recipe even more user-friendly, I’ve included my favorite reheating and freezing instructions below.

Why You’ll Love These Rhubarb Scones:

• Quick & Easy – scones are one of my favorite breakfast pastries, because you can whip up a batch with minimal to no preparation.
• Great Texture – unfortunately there are a lot of bad scones, which has given this classic baked good a bad reputation over the years. This recipe produces an ideal scone with a tender, moist crumb and crisp buttery edges. 
• Easy to Reheat & Prep Ahead – These scones reheat beautifully – just be sure to skip the glaze until serving! Similar to cookie dough, you can also prep scone dough, freeze it, and bake from frozen (see full instructions below). Ideal for smaller households or gatherings.

How to Make Rhubarb Scones:

1. In a large food processor, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, cardamom, and cinnamon. Pulse several times. Add the cold cubed unsalted butter to the bowl and gently toss in the flour mixture until coated. Pulse 10 to 12 times, or until the butter is no smaller than the size of a pea. Transfer mixture to a large mixing bowl.

2. Create a well in the center of the ingredients and pour in the cold heavy cream. Using a large fork, stir the cream into the dry ingredients. As the dough just starts to come together, stir in the diced rhubarb. Scrape the dough onto a clean, lightly-floured countertop. Press the dough together gently for 5 to 10 seconds, avoid over-working. Sprinkle with flour if the dough gets too sticky or difficult to handle. Pat the dough into an 8-inch diameter disc, roughly 1-inch thick. Using a sharp, large knife, cut the dough into six even wedges. Transfer to the lined sheet pan.

3. Brush the tops of the scones with heavy cream, then sprinkle generously with demerara or turbinado sugar. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until golden brown. Allow to cool, then prepare and drizzle with orange glaze.

How to Reheat Baked Scones:

• These scones are best served the day they are baked. If you do plan on preparing the scones a day or two in advance, do not glaze the scones. This will allow you to reheat them in the oven.
• REHEATING SCONES: Preheat the oven to 350ºF (176ºC). Place the unglazed, baked scones on a parchment-lined sheet pan and bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool, then glaze and serve.

How to Freeze and Bake from Frozen:

• Alternatively, you can prepare the dough, cut into wedges, freeze, and bake from frozen as desired: Prepare the scone dough, cut into wedges, and set apart on a lined sheet pan. Place in the freezer until solid, then transfer to a large Ziplock bag, excess air squeezed out and sealed well. Freeze for up to a month.
• BAKE FROM FROZEN: Preheat the oven to 425ºF (220°C). Place the frozen scones on a parchment-lined sheet pan and bake for 20 to 22 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool, then glaze and serve.

Rhubarb Scones with Orange Glaze

5 stars (4 ratings)

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Yield: 6 Servings

Prep: 15 minutes minutes

Cook: 20 minutes minutes

Total: 35 minutes minutes

This Rhubarb Scone recipe relies on my trusted scone dough formula, which uses a combination of cold unsalted butter and chilled heavy cream. The result? Delicately spiced scones with a tender crumb, crisp buttery edges, and tangy rhubarb pieces throughout. 

To elevate them further, the scones are topped with a zesty and fragrant orange glaze. The fresh orange complements the rhubarb beautifully and adds a burst of sweetness to each bite. These scones are best served the day they are baked, but they reheat beautifully (just skip the glaze!) and can also be baked from frozen. See the full instructions in the recipe note section.

Equipment

• Large Food Processor

Ingredients

• 2 cups (240g) unbleached all purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons (36g) granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon (14g) baking powder aluminum free
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ¾ teaspoon ground cardamom
• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 8 tablespoons (4 oz;115g) cold unsalted butter cut into ½-inch cubes
• 1 cup (240g) cold heavy cream plus roughly 2 tablespoons (30g) for brushing
• 7 ounces (200g) fresh rhubarb cut into ½-inch dice (roughly 2 medium stalks)
• 2 tablespoons (14g) demerara or turbinado sugar for sprinkling

Orange Glaze:

• ¾ cup (90g) powdered sugar sifted
• 1 teaspoon fresh orange zest
• 1 tablespoon + 1-2 teaspoons freshly squeezed orange juice

Instructions 

• Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C) with a rack in the center position. Line a half sheet pan with parchment paper and set aside.
• Prepare Scones: In a large food processor, fitted with a blade attachment, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, cardamom, and cinnamon. Pulse several times until all of the ingredients are evenly incorporated. Add cold cubed unsalted butter to the bowl and gently toss in the flour mixture until lightly coated. Pulse 10 to 12 times, or until the butter is no smaller than the size of a pea. Transfer mixture to a large mixing bowl.
  
• Create a well in the center of the ingredients, and pour in 1 cup (240g) cold heavy cream. Using a large fork, stir the cream into the dry ingredients. As the dough just starts to clump and come together, stir in the diced rhubarb. Scrape the dough onto a clean, lightly-floured counter-top. Press the dough together gently for 5 to 10 seconds, avoid over-working. Sprinkle with more flour if the dough gets too sticky or difficult to handle. Pat the dough into an 8-inch diameter disc, roughly 1-inch thick.
  
• Using a sharp, large knife, cut the dough into six even wedges. Transfer to the lined sheet pan, setting them apart by several inches. Using a pastry brush, brush the tops of the scones with heavy cream, then sprinkle the tops generously with demerara or turbinado sugar. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until golden brown. Place on a rack and allow the scones to cool on the sheet pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely before glazing.
  
• Prepare Orange Glaze: In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, orange zest, and 1 tablespoon orange juice. It should be thick, but able to be drizzled from the end of a spoon. If the glaze is too thick, add another 1-2 teaspoons of orange juice to thin. If the glaze is too thin, add another tablespoon of powdered sugar (or more, as needed) until it reaches the appropriate consistency.
  
• Once the scones have cooled, use a spoon and drizzle the tops of the cooled scones with the glaze. Allow the glaze to set slightly before serving. These scones are best served the day of baking. If you do plan on preparing the scones a day or two in advance, do not glaze the scones and following the reheating instructions in the note section below.
  

Reheating Instructions:

• These scones are best served the day they are baked. If you do plan on preparing the scones a day or two in advance, do not glaze the scones and follow these reheat instructions: Preheat the oven to 350ºF (176ºC). Place the unglazed, baked scones on a parchment-lined sheet pan and bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool, then prepare and glaze using the recipe instructions. 

Freezing Instructions: 

• Alternatively, you can prepare the dough, cut them into wedges, freeze, and bake from frozen using these instructions: Prepare the scone dough, cut into wedges, and set apart on a lined sheet pan. Place in the freezer until solid, then transfer to a large Ziplock bag, excess air squeezed out and sealed well. Freeze for up to a month.
• Bake from Frozen: Preheat the oven to 425ºF (220°C). Place the frozen scones on a parchment-lined sheet pan and bake for 20 to 22 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool, then prepare and glaze using the recipe instructions. 

Serving: 1Scone, Calories: 736kcal, Carbohydrates: 106g, Protein: 10g, Fat: 31g, Saturated Fat: 19g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 8g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 87mg, Sodium: 596mg, Potassium: 233mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 43g, Vitamin A: 1114IU, Vitamin C: 5mg, Calcium: 220mg, Iron: 4mg

Course: Breakfast, Desserts, Fruit Desserts

Cuisine: American