Cottage Cheese Cranberry Orange Scones

These cottage cheese cranberry orange scones are one of my favorite things to bake when I want something a little special for breakfast.

The cottage cheese is what makes them so good. It keeps the scones soft and moist on the inside instead of dry and crumbly.

You also get a nice tang from the cottage cheese that works really well with the sweet cranberries and fresh orange zest.

They come together in one bowl and bake in about 20 minutes, so you don’t need to spend much time in the kitchen.

Once they cool a bit, they are perfect with a cup of coffee or tea in the morning.

Why I Love This Recipe

Bright Citrus Flavor – Fresh orange zest gives every bite a sweet, sunny taste that instantly wakes up your morning.

Soft and Tender Inside – The cottage cheese keeps these scones moist and fluffy instead of dry and crumbly.

Sweet Bursts of Cranberry – Chewy dried cranberries add little pops of tart sweetness in every single wedge.

Simple to Make – Just mix, shape, and bake, with no rolling or fancy steps to worry about.

The Ingredients

• 1 cup Cottage Cheese
• 2 1/2 cups All-Purpose Flour
• 1/4 cup Granulated Sugar
• 1 tablespoon Baking Powder
• 1/2 teaspoon Fine Salt
• 6 tablespoons Cold Unsalted Butter
• 1 Large Egg
• 1 tablespoon Orange Zest
• 2/3 cup Dried Cranberries

How to Make This Recipe

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 400 F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Step 2

Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl.

Step 3

Cut the cold butter into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in the dried cranberries and orange zest.

Step 4

Blend the cottage cheese and egg until smooth, then stir the mixture into the dry ingredients until a soft dough forms.

Step 5

Transfer the dough to the prepared baking sheet and shape it into an 8-inch round. Cut the dough into 8 wedges and separate them slightly.

Step 6

Bake for 18 to 22 minutes, until the scones are golden and firm at the edges. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Quick Tips

Keep Your Butter Really Cold

Pull the butter straight from the fridge right before you need it, and cut it into small cubes so it’s easier to work into the flour.

Those little cold pieces of butter melt while baking and create pockets of steam, which is what gives you that flaky, tender texture.

If the butter softens too much while you work, pop the whole bowl in the fridge for 10 minutes before moving on.

Blend the Cottage Cheese Until Smooth

Cottage cheese has lots of little curds, and if you skip blending you’ll get lumpy spots throughout your dough.

I run it in a blender or food processor with the egg until it’s completely creamy with no chunks left.

This gives you a smooth, even dough and helps the scones hold together nicely without any weird pockets of texture.

Don’t Overwork the Dough

Once you add the wet mixture to the dry, stir just until it comes together into a soft dough with no dry flour showing.

The more you mix, the more the gluten develops, and that turns your scones dense and tough instead of light.

The dough will feel a little sticky and shaggy, and that’s exactly what you want.

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Quick Answers

Do I need to drain the cottage cheese first?

You don’t have to drain it, but if your cottage cheese looks very watery you can pour off the extra liquid before blending. This helps keep the dough from turning too sticky and hard to shape.

Blending it smooth also makes a big difference, since you won’t get lumpy curds in the final scones and the dough comes together more evenly.