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Festive Christmas Eve Scones are flavored with orange and cloves, aromatic with piney rosemary, and have a soft, tender interior and crispy exterior. They’re the perfect treat to bake for any holiday breakfast or brunch!
If you’ve been following my blog for a while, you might remember my Christmas Morning Scones. They’re aromatic with vanilla bean, laced with nutmeg and fresh rosemary, and have dried cranberries for sweet/tart bursts of flavor.
I first posted them back in December 2014, and since then I’ve had countless emails, messages on social media, and even phone calls and texts from people I know saying that they made my Christmas Morning Scones. And not only that, but they LOVED them! And also, their families loved them, and now those scones are part of their family’s holiday traditions.
I can’t even tell you how much that means to me. To be quite honest, things like that make me feel like what I do is worthwhile.
This year I had an idea to play with the flavor in my Christmas Morning Scones. I wanted to keep them just as festive, but with whole new flavor profile. And that’s how these Christmas Eve Scones happened!
I’m calling them Christmas Eve Scones as a play on my Christmas Morning Scones. But in reality, these scones are festive and perfect for any holiday breakfast, brunch, or afternoon tea time.
For these Christmas Eve Scones I went with orange zest and cloves with a touch of rosemary because it adds that festive piney flavor that I love so much. These festive scones are not only full of holiday flavor, but they also have a soft, tender crumb inside and a short, crisp exterior. Delicious!
The Best Christmas Eve Scones Recipe – Beautiful Holiday Scones with Festive Flavor
Here’s what you’re going to love about these scones:
- They taste like the holidays. Fresh citrusy orange paired with warm spicy cloves is redolent of Christmas. And a hint of fresh rosemary adds a touch of piney flavor!
- No dry scones here. These Christmas Eve Scones are soft and tender inside with a crisp exterior.
- These scones are easy to make. No worries if it’s your first time making scones! I’m sharing step-by-step photos showing you exactly how to do it.
- You can make the dough ahead of time. This is perfect if you’re making these on a holiday morning. Take a look at the Notes in the recipe below for details on how to make this scone dough in advance.
Ingredients in Christmas Eve Scones
Scones:
- Flour
- Sugar
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Cloves
- Orange zest
- Rosemary
- Unsalted butter
- Half and half
- Vanilla extract
Glaze:
- Powdered sugar
- Vanilla extract
- Cloves
- Water
How to Make Scones
- Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, cloves, orange zest, and rosemary in a large bowl.
- Cut in the butter with a fork or using two butter knives until it looks like coarse meal.
- There should still be some pieces of butter the size of peas.
- Stir in the half and half a little at a time.
- The dough should come together, but not be too wet.
- Shape the dough into a ball, then flatten it into a disk; wrap it in plastic wrap and chill 10 minutes in the freezer.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll or press the dough out to a circle about 7 to 8 inches in diameter and 3/4 inch thick. Cut the circle of dough into 8 equal wedges.
- Transfer the scones to the prepared baking sheet, and lightly brush the tops with a little milk.
- Bake until puffed and light golden brown on top and bottom, about 14 to 16 minutes. Cool completely.
- Once cooled, whisk together all ingredients for the glaze. Dip the tops of the scones into the glaze, letting it run down the sides. Add rosemary leaves on top, if desired. Place the scones onto a wire rack and let the glaze set completely before serving.
Can I Make Scones Ahead of Time?
Like most fresh homemade baked goods, these scones are best served on the same day they’re made. After they’re baked, you can store these scones in an airtight container for up to 2 days, but by the second day they will be a bit drier.
However, you can make this scone dough up to 3 days in advance and at store it in the fridge. Bake the scones straight from the fridge the morning you want to serve them.
This is perfect for holiday mornings; you can have the dough already made so all you need to do is bake the scones!
Variations on This Scones Recipe
- Make them cinnamon. If you don’t like cloves, you can use 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon instead.
- Add some special bling to the top. Sugared cranberries are easy to make and so festive!
- Get herby. Instead of fresh rosemary, use the same amount of fresh sage, thyme, or marjoram.
Scones FAQs
Where Are Scones From?
Scones are thought of as originating from the region of the world including England, Scotland, and Ireland. However, there is much debate as to which of these countries can claim their origin.
What is the Difference Between a Scone and a Biscuit?
The main difference is in the way that they’re made.
Biscuit dough is usually folded over and rolled out, folded over and rolled out, similar to the way in which puff pastry dough is made (although with much less lamination).
Alternatively, scone dough is usually made by mixing all ingredients together in a bowl, pressing the dough into a ball and rolling it out, and then cutting the dough into whatever shape of scone you want.
As a result, biscuits typically have flaky layers while scones usually have a denser interior.
Do You Need to Chill Scone Dough?
Yes! Once scone dough is made and the scones are cut into whatever shape you’re baking them in, the dough should be chilled. This is to help stiffen the butter so the scones don’t flatten too much while baking.
I chill my scone dough for 10 minutes in the freezer, but you could do it for 1 hour in the fridge.
Why Didn’t My Scones Rise?
There are several different factors that can prevent scones from rising. Here are some of the most common issues:
- Leavening agent. Your baking powder was expired.
- You didn’t chill the dough before baking. This helps make sure that the butter isn’t warm when you go to bake the scones.
- Oven temperature. Your oven runs cool (you can easily test this with an inexpensive oven thermometer).
More Holiday Breakfast Recipes to Make
- Banketstaaf (Dutch Christmas Log)
- Eggnog Muffins with Cranberry Filling
- Orange and Nutmeg-Scented Brown Sugar Bread Pudding
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Christmas Eve Scones (Orange, Clove, and Rosemary-Scented Scones)
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Ingredients
Scones:
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 6 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh orange zest
- 4 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter chilled and diced
- 1 cup half and half or milk or cream, plus 2 tablespoons more for brushing on top
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Glaze:
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/16 teaspoon ground cloves
- 2 to 3 tablespoons water
Other Toppings (optional):
- Fresh rosemary leaves
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450F. Line a baking sheet with a silpat liner for easy cleanup; otherwise, lightly grease a baking sheet.
- Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, cloves, orange zest, and rosemary in a large bowl.
- Cut in the butter with a fork or using two butter knives until it looks like coarse meal. Stir in the half and half and vanilla. (The dough should come together, but not be too wet.)
- Shape the dough into a ball, then flatten it into a disk; wrap it in plastic wrap and chill 10 minutes in the freezer.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll or press the dough out to a circle about 7 to 8 inches in diameter and 3/4 inch thick. Cut the circle of dough into 8 equal wedges.
- Transfer the scones to the prepared baking sheet, lightly brush the tops with a little milk, and bake until puffed and light golden brown on top and bottom, about 14 to 16 minutes. Cool completely.
- Once cooled, whisk together all ingredients for the glaze. Dip the tops of the scones into the glaze, letting it run down the sides. Add rosemary leaves on top, if desired. Place the scones onto a wire rack and let the glaze set completely before serving.
Notes
- Recipe Inspiration: This recipe was inspired by and adapted from my recipe for Christmas Morning Scones.
- Make Ahead: You can make the dough the night before; instead of chilling it in the freezer for 10 minutes, wrap it up and refrigerate it overnight (or up to 3 days in advance). Bake the scones straight from the fridge the morning you want to serve them.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is automatically calculated and should be used as an approximate.
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I’m the writer, recipe developer, photographer, and food stylist behind this blog. I love finding the human connection through something we all do every day: eat! Food is a common ground that we can all relate to, and our tables tell a story. It’s my goal to inspire you to get in the kitchen, try something new, and find a favorite you didn’t know you had.
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I made the Christmas most big scones last year and they were amazing so I had to try the Christmas Eve scones this year. They did not disappoint! I will definitely be making them again