Pumpkin Cranberry Scones Recipe

Pumpkin scones dotted with tart cranberries are the perfect make-ahead breakfast for the fall and winter. This pumpkin scones recipe is fabulous plain or with dried fruit or nuts (or even chocolate chips) baked in.

Pumpkin scones with dried cranberries on a parchment lined baking sheet on a white wooden surface.

I developed this pumpkin cranberry variation on my favorite plain scone recipe [1] for Thanksgiving morning breakfast, and they were a huge hit with the whole family. If you love cranberries, try these lemon cranberry scones [2], too.

Pumpkin Scones ingredients on a white wooden table.

Quick breads like these pumpkin scones or pumpkin muffins [3] are fast and easy to whip together, and are great for making ahead of time for holiday visitors.

Ingredients for Pumpkin Scones with Cranberries:

4 cups flour
3/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, cold
1 egg, beaten
1 15 ounce can of pumpkin puree
1 teaspoon cinnamon
dried cranberries to taste. (I used about a cup)

Pastry cutter being used to combine ingredients for Pumpkin Scones in a clear bowl.

Mix the dry ingredients together, and cut in the cold butter. Mix the egg and pumpkin puree together, and mix into the dry ingredients to form a dough.

Pumpkin Scones with dried cranberries dough cut into wedge shapes on a floured surface.

Knead the dough for a few minutes, then divide the dough in half. Pat each half of dough into a disk, and cut into eight wedges.

One Pumpkin cranberry scone on a white plate, a second on the white weathered wood table beside the plate.

Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for approximately 15 minutes.

Can I use Fresh Cranberries in these Pumpkin Scones?

Absolutely! I'd recommend chopping up the fresh cranberries, since it can be quite an intense burst of sour when you bite into a whole, fresh cranberry in baked goods. I personally love that burst of bright cranberry flavor in the lightly sweet pumpkin scones. If you prefer something a little less sour, dried cranberries add great flavor without quite the same intensity.

Other Mix-Ins for Pumpkin Scones

If cranberries aren't your favorite, but you still want to add something extra to plain pumpkin scones, try one of these:

chocolate chips
white chocolate chips
cinnamon chips [4]
chopped pecans
a drizzle of cream cheese icing on top of the scones
a generous sprinkle of cinnamon sugar on top of the scones

Pumpkin Scones topped with clotted cream and cranberry butter, next to a teapot and cup of tea.

These scones are delicious on their own, but are absolutely miraculous slathered with clotted cream and homemade cranberry butter [5]. Ideally with a cup of good tea on a cold fall or winter morning.

Pumpkin scones with dried cranberries on a parchment lined baking sheet on a white wooden surface.

Printable, One Page Pumpkin Scone Recipe:

Want a one page, printable, PDF version of this pumpkin scones recipe? Click on the image below to print directly or download to you your device.

[6]

Other Cranberry Recipes You Might Like:

[7]

Other Pumpkin Recipes You Might Like:

[8]

[9]