Flaky and tender, these mandarin orange scones burst with bright citrus flavor and are topped with a sweet orange glaze drizzle. They’re my go‑to for breakfast—or a mid‑afternoon tea break for a tasty citrus scone during Mandarin season.
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Not only are mandarins perfect for snacking, but they are great in all types of recipes. Mandarins have a sweet yet bold flavor and are a great addition to these homemade scones.
Scones are quick to make, which is a good thing because who has time to wait all day for something good to come out of your oven? I have plans for a big pot of tea and a warm, fresh-from-the-oven scone today, so let’s get started.
- Type of recipe: Pastry
- Cooking method: Baking
- Skill level: Easy to medium
- Flavors & textures: A citrus flavor with a tender scone with a creamy glaze
Table of contents
The Scone Basics
- Crumbly edge and moist centers: This is just how we like our scones.
- Pops of fruit: Every scone is full of sweet and juicy mandarin pieces.
- A fresh citrus glaze: Drizzle with a creamy orange drizzle for a sweet topping.
What is a mandarin?
- A mandarin is a type of orange that is small, usually seedless, very easy to peel, and its sections separate easily.
- This fruit is sweet, juicy, and has amazing flavor, perfect for snacks and baking.
- There are many types of mandarins, and today, I am using the popular Satsuma for this recipe. Look for a bright orange color; many times, they still have the stems attached.
This is what I brought home from the store, minus a couple I ate on the drive home.
Ingredients for citrus scones
- All-purpose flour
- Sugar – for this recipe use granulated sugar
- Baking powder~baking soda~salt
- Butter – Use cold butter
- Buttermilk – If you don’t have any on hand, make some homemade buttermilk with this recipe.
- Mandarin Oranges – use my favorite Satsuma Mandarins
- Confectioner’s sugar (also called powdered sugar)
- Orange juice
How to make orange scones
Step 1. The first thing you need to do is zest two to three mandarins. The easiest way to do this is with a citrus zester. Since the peels on mandarins are loose, you need to go slow zesting so you don’t tear the skin, unlike an orange, where the peel is attached to the orange tightly, which is easier to zest.
Really, this is the hardest part of the recipe, and it’s not really that hard. Personally, I like zesting citrus, which is crazy, I know, but it releases all the citrus scent and makes my kitchen smell so good.
Step 2. Once zested, peel the mandarins and separate them into sections, and cut them into small pieces. The easiest way to cut the mandarins is with a pair of scissors. Since the mandarin slices can be very juicy, cutting them with a knife isn’t always easy, so grab your kitchen shears and cut each slice into about four or five pieces.
Step 3. Make the dough by adding all the dry ingredients to a large bowl.
Step 4. Cut in the butter using two knives or a pastry blender until the mixture looks like small peas.
Scone Tip #1 Cold Butter – Before adding the butter to the dough, make sure it is COLD. Cut the butter into small dice then add it to the flour mixutre. You want the butter pieces as small as possible and this makes cutting it into the flour easier.
Step 5. Mix in the buttermilk, orange zest, and Mandarin orange pieces. Mix gently until all the flour is incorporated. Overmixing will make the scones tough.
Step 6. After the dough is mixed, turn it out on a well-floured board.knead and flatten the dough into a 1/4″ disk.
See all those mandarin pieces in the dough? They’re going to give these scones a burst of citrusy flavor.
Step 7. Shape the dough and flatten into a 1/4″ disk. Cut the dough into eight wedges and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Scone Tip #2 – Chill the unbaked scones. Cold dough doesn’t spread so I suggest chilling the unbaked shaped scones for at least 15 minutes prior to baking. Or, if you want scones for breakfast, chill them overnight and bake in the morning.
Step 8. Bake at 425 degrees for 15-17 minutes.
Step 9. While the scones are baking, go ahead and make the glaze. Just mix powdered sugar, mandarin orange zest, and orange juice. If you have more mandarins, you can use the juice from one. Once the scones have cooled, drizzle the glaze over the scones.
Use Oranges Instead Of Mandarins In This Recipe
Since mandarins are a seasonal fruit, you can always make this recipe with oranges. Like any fruit, the size varies, but one large orange should be enough for this recipe.
These scones are moist and tender, a little bit sweet, and with the mandarin orange pieces and zest, the citrus flavor is in every bite.
More favorite scones to make and eat!
- This recipe for Apple Scones is one that we make over and over.
- Another fruity scone that you will love are these Blueberry Lemon Scones. They bake up tender inside and crispy on the outside.
- Orange Cranberry Scones are made with Mandarin oranges for the best citrus flavor in a tender scone.
Don’t forget to pin to your favorite board
Tools to get the job done
- The one kitchen tool you need for this recipe is also one of my most used tools. The citrus zester. Not only can you zest all kinds of citrus, but you can also zest ginger and garlic. This is the zester I use, and it gets the job done.
- Good sheet pans are a must, and I have multiple sets of these rimmed baking sheets. They bake foods evenly, with no warping.
- Lastly, mixing butter and flour with a pastry blender makes the job so much easier.
How To Freeze Unbaked Scones For Later
- Simply make the scone batter and cut out the shape you want.
- Place the scones on a parchment paper-lined tray and freeze until firm.
- Once the scones are frozen, remove them from the freezer and place them in a plastic bag and freeze.
- It is best to freeze the scones for 3 months
How to bake frozen scones
- Get your scones out of the freezer and place them on a parchment-lined or silicone baking sheet.
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. While the oven is preheating, the scones will start to defrost.
- The recipe calls for a baking time of 15-17 minutes. For the partially frozen dough, add a few more minutes to bake the scones completely
- Remove from the oven, let cool, and top with icing and enjoy
Enough said, let’s bake!!!!!
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Recipe
Tried it? Rate ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ & comment below—your feedback keeps the oven mitts flying here at One Hot Oven.
Mandarin Orange Scones
Ingredients
SCONE INGREDIENTS:
- 1 ¾ cups AP flour
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1¼ teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 6 tablespoons butter
- ½ cup buttermilk
- 3 Mandarin oranges
GLAZE INGREDIENTS:
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon mandarin orange zest
- 1-2 tablespoons orange juice Or, use another mandarin for the juice
Instructions
- Heat oven to 425 degrees F.
Preparing the Mandarins
- With a citrus zester, zest two mandarin oranges and then peel the skin off the oranges and divide into sections. Next, slice all the orange sections into small pieces. Reserve any juice to add to the glaze.
Mixing the Dough
- In a large bowl mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
- Cut the cold butter into small cubes and then add to the flour mixture. Cut in butter with two knives or a pastry cutter until the mixture is the size of peas. Next add the buttermilk, orange zest, and mandarin oranges pieces.
- Gently stir this mixture with a wooden spoon until all the flour is incorporated.
- Turn dough onto a well-floured board and shape the dough into a disk about ¼" thick.
- Cut the disk into eight wedges Transfer the wedges to a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for 15 to 17 minutes.
- Optional – One the scones are cut out chill the dough for 15 minute. This keep the butter cold and the scones from spreading.
Sweet Orange Glaze
- Combine confectioners' sugar, reserved mandarin orange zest, and enough orange juice (or mandarin orange juice) to make a runny glaze.
- Pour glaze over warm scones.
- Scones are best served warm from the oven. If you have leftovers, place in a sealed container for a couple of days.
Notes
How to freeze scones
- Simply make the scone batter and cut out the shape you want.
- Freeze the scones on a tray then wrap each individual scone in plastic wrap and freeze.
- Freeze the scone dough for up to three months.
How to bake frozen scones
- Remov e the scones from the freezer and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. While the oven is preheating the scones will start to defrost.
- The recipe calls for 15-17 minute baking time, for the partially froze dough add a few more minutes to completely bake the scones
- Remove from the oven and top with icing and enjoy
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Nutrition
First published: Feb 14, 2016, Last updated: July 21, 2025, for better readability and updated process shots.
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About Jere’ Cassidy
From learning to cook on a farm in Indiana to culinary school in California, my passion for food is never-ending. Turning on my oven to bake something for friends and family is my happy place. I am glad to be sharing sweet and savory family-friendly recipes for your cooking and baking inspiration.
I love any kind of orange dessert and these scones look incredible. I can’t wait to try them.
I have never made scones before but these look amazing and I am going to need to give it a try.
I didn’t even know that scones could be made with fresh chopped orange wedges. I’m so excited to try this recipe as I have a ton of mandarin oranges on hand right now.
I am enjoying all the citrus this Winter and these scones would be such a delicious way to get my citrus fix – especially with a warm mug of milky tea!
I agree, scones and tea just are perfect together. You will love these citrusy scones.
I tried these mandarin orange scones and the flavor was delicious. They seemed a bit chewy instead of flakey an crumbly as most scones are. Any suggestiions.
Kathy, thanks for asking questions about the scones recipe. Usually, anytime a scone is chewy is it has been overmixed. This recipe is a bit tricky since you do have to get the mandarin pieces mixed in. And then, you need to gather up all the dough and form it, also tends to overwork the dough. A solution is instead of turning the dough onto a floured board, turn it into a pie plate and press the dough in, bake and cut into triangles. This way you aren’t handling the dough as much. I do this with the Irish Apple Scones. Hope this helps.
Hoping they turn out as I had to add over a half cup more floor because the dough was SO sticky! Did I not juice the mandarins enough? I about stopped and threw it away is was so sticky.
For this recipe you do not need to juice the Mandarins, just cut them into sections, however, there are times you can get some really juicy citrus and can throw a dough off. You were right to add extra flour, and obviously, that didn’t help you this time and I know how upsetting it is to throw away a dough with lots of ingredients.
These orange scones look amazing! Thank you for sharing this recipe. I love scones and will have to try this one.
Jere,
Thank you for this recipe. They are great even though I subbed almond milk and vinegar for the buttermilk, subbed 3/4 cup flour for oat flour and Earth Balance stick butter, it was what I had.. Even with these subs they were delicious. Would never have thought to use mandarins in a scone. Oh, I added cardamon to the icing.
I love it when fellow bakers can make these recipes their own. I think your substitutions are genius. And, I am a big fan of cardamon so next time I make these scones I am adding that.
I’m new to baking and this recipe was easy to follow for the most part! I was a little confused about cutting in the butter but I got it sorted out and the scones are soooooo good!! They are flaky and delicious! Thank you so much!
So glad you enjoyed the scones. I will try to clarify cutting in butter better so it makes more sense. Thanks!!
I had a bag of mandarins that were just “okay!” I thought that they’d be best in a recipe rather than peeling and eating. I found your recipe this morning and decided to make your scones! They are delicious!! I see more being made in our future. For the glaze I used the juice of one mandarin (2 TBS), the zest of one mandarin (didn’t measure….it was more than 1 tsp) along with 1 cup of powdered sugar. I sprinkled in some sliced almonds that I happened to have. Two thumbs up from my husband and myself. My little sleepyhead has yet to wake up to have one. I have no doubt she’ll love them too! Thank you for this recipe! It’s a keeper!
I forgot to add a “star rating” to my previous comment! 5 stars!!
So glad you found this recipe and enjoyed the scones. We make these a lot.
Can you use coconut oil as substitute for butter?
Yes, I do a lot, unless the recipe needs cold butter like in scones and biscuits then it doesn’t really work.
The scones itself were good but the icing was a bit much mine needed much more mandarin juice
It’s always hard to tell how much liquid to add to a powdered sugar frosting to get just that perfect consistency. It’s always good to start out with the smaller amounts and add some extra liquid to get the consistency you want. Thanks for trying the recipe.
Scones are hard to find where we live and this is the recipe I have been looking for! I just made these this morning and my family ate almost the entire batch!
Will definitely make again
Thank you so much for sharing!
So glad you enjoyed the recipe. There is nothing better than homemade scones, right out of the oven.
I had to read this post, my great grandmother was from Wales and scones were a staple for every visit, but I haven’t had any since she passed. It’s brought up happy memories and I am definitely making these! They sound delicious; I’ll definitely be sending this to my family – you can never have too many scones!
Peyton, I loved reading your comment about your great grandmother, what a wonderful memory. We love scones too; they are so easy to make and go great with a good cup of tea.
Hi, Jere! Your blog is amazing! I swear, the second it loaded and I saw all those fantastic pics of yummy desserts I started to crave all the wonderful desserts you have! I confess I have a HUGE sweet tooth! I absolutely love desserts. These mandarin orange scones look terrific. I will definitely give this recipe a try. Thanks for sharing! (btw, I tried to leave a comment on the Rose Petal Shortbread but it didn’t let me. Those shortbreads look soooo yummy and chic!)
Aww, thank you so much for the kind words.
I have never seen a recipe that uses chopped citrus like this. I’m intrigued–they look delicious! Pinning this one !
You get a burst of citrus in every bite! Thanks for the pin.