These zesty and light Copycat Panera Orange Scones are a replica of the Panera Orange Scones! Perfectly zesty, orangey, not too crumbly, and filling! I love that these are a softer scone, not crunchy. Enjoy with coffee first thing in the morning.

How to make orange scones like Panera

In my opinion what makes the Panera orange scones so irresistible comes down to two things: flavor and texture. Let’s talk about the texture first.

These orange scones are not hard and crunchy, they’ve got a softer interior with only a slight crunch in the top and bottom. Since these are a scone made with sour cream, the added moisture is helping to keep these nice and soft and not dry and crumbly.

Now the flavor. The orange zest combined with the sugar makes these bright, light, and refreshing. You’ll love all that orange in the scone and in the glaze. The glaze for these isn’t just a sweet topping, it’s packed with orange juice and orange zest so it really enhances the citrus flavors.

To make the orange scones, it’s really going to help to have a pastry cutter. You’ll need it to cut in the cold butter into the dry ingredients. Trust me on this. Get a pastry cutter it’s going to save you time and energy. In a pastry recipe when a mixture is referred to as a “course meal” you’re looking to get a texture like the photo on the top right here. It’s grainy, and will fee slightly wet from the butter.

The recipe notes that the ball of dough should measure 7″ across. Keep a tape measure handy in the kitchen for times like these when you need to measure. Once you’ve got your 7″ dough ball, slice it into 8 triangles and you’re ready to bake!

I love a scone for breakfast. They’re not as cakey as a muffin, and they can be made as sweet or savory. These orange scones fall into the sweet category, but they definitely aren’t sweet like a cupcake. The dough is hearty and dense, but remains soft and most from the sour cream. The orange juice and orange zest lighten the flavors and keep these from tasting too heavy. Now you can enjoy the taste of a Panera orange scone right from your own oven!

What I love about this scone recipe is it can also be very versatile. Omit the orange zest from the dough and what you have is the foundation of a basic scone recipe! Have fun with it by adding other ingredients like chocolate chips, blueberries, or lemon!

Tips for making these scones

• Get yourself a pastry cutter. You really need this to create the course meal texture correctly.
• You can freeze these are keep them in the fridge!
• The glaze will harden on top of the scones. After it hardens you can add more glaze to each scone.

You might also like these other recipes:
Edible Cookie Dough Bars
Amaretto Blueberry Puff Pastries

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