This vanilla scones recipe with orange glaze is the perfect baked good to enjoy with your morning coffee or for an afternoon treat. These vanilla scones are delicious on their own, but with the orange glaze, it takes them to the next level.
I’m so excited about this recipe. After I made these vanilla scones, I honestly had to put them away in a container and give some away so I didn’t eat every last one of them! My son loved them so much and kept wanting another “cooone” I had to hide the container.
You guys know how much I love Starbucks. They have great drinks, obviously, but I also love some of their baked goods. I love trying to re-create recipes that I love at home. I’ve re-created their delicious Pumpkin Loaf and Lemon Loaf and I created this salted honey latte before they even created their oat milk version – it’s so good whatever milk you use!

I’ve been cooking and baking A TON during this weird time, so this is just another in the long list of things I’ve made that I had to share.
This recipe is a mixture of two of my favorite baked treats – the petite vanilla scones that are oh so yummy from Starbucks and the orange scones from Panera.
I love the size of the petite vanilla scones, but find they are too hard. I love the orange glazed ones from Panera, but find they are too big and too crumbly and doughy.
So I wanted the scones I created to be smaller in size, and taste like a ‘scone’ while being firm but not tooth-breaking hard.
What I love most about these scones is the balance between the soft, buttery vanilla flavor in the scone with the contrast of the zesty, orange flavor in the glaze. If orange isn’t your thing, you can always substitute for lemon.
As with most of my recipes, I am always trying to see if I am able to make things into a freezer meal so it can be prepped ahead of time. Great news! You can make these vanilla scones with orange glaze into a make-ahead, freezer breakfast.
Simply make the dough ahead of time, form into scone and freeze the dough. Then, when your’e ready to eat them, just remove the dough from the freezer and allow it to sit on a baking sheet while the oven preheats, then bake.

Vanilla Scones Recipe with Orange Glaze
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups ap flour
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup cold butter cubed (12 tbs) (if using salted butter don't add 1/4 tsp salt)
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup sour cream
For the glaze
- 1 1/2 cups confectioners sugar powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons orange juice & zest from 1 orange
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon orange extract optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line two baking pans with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a food processor (or in a large bowl if using forks to 'cut in' the butter) combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Add in the butter and pulsate for 5 seconds, until a few pieces remain.
- Add in the egg, sour cream, and vanilla extract, pulsate until just combined, about 5 seconds.
- Transfer dough to a floured surface and divide into two piles, lightly knead each into 3/4-1 inch thick, 6-7 inch diameter rounds. Cut each round into 8 wedges and place on prepared baking pans spaced out about 2 inches.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes or until slightly browned.
- Remove from oven, allow to cool - make the glaze.
- To make the glaze combine confectioners sugar, orange juice, zest and vanilla extract. Drizzle or spread over scones.
- These are great to freeze - make ahead.
- To bake from frozen remove from freezer when you preheat your oven and add about 2 minutes to baking time.
Jean Carpenter says
Hi, I just wanted to check on your butter amount. 3/4 cup is 12 T. So did you use 10 or 12 Tbls? Thank you!!!
Sweetphi says
It’s 12, sorry about that!!
Jean Carpenter says
No problem!!!!! Many thanks ?
Cass says
Just finished making these. They are delicious!
Very easy to make. Because I had no sour cream on hand I substituted buttermilk, which is what I always use in my scones. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Sweetphi says
So happy to hear this – great substitute by the way, I’ve made them with buttermilk and they’ve turned out great too! So glad you liked them!