Got leftover cranberry sauce? No worries! They are perfect in these scrumptious whole wheat scones – just in time for the holidays!

I adore my Thanksgiving leftovers, but some years I my ratios are a bit off and I end up with only leftover cranberry sauce. WHAT?!
And these whole wheat scones work beautifully with ANY variation of leftover cranberry sauce you might have in the fridge. This year, I had leftover pomegranate cranberry sauce.
The beauty about leftover cranberry sauce is that is lasts! Cranberries are highly acidic and your sauce can stay safe in your refrigerator for weeks without going bad. And since my daughter has been asking for scones, I decided to use my leftover cranberry sauce to good use.
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Ingredients you need
- Whole wheat flour: I use both King Arthur and Bob’s Red Mill brands of whole wheat flour. You do not need whole wheat pastry flour.
- Cranberry sauce: I used homemade cranberry sauce, leftover from Thanksgiving. You can also use canned, but not the jelly. You can also use any fruit jam on hand.
- Brown sugar: I wanted a deeper sweetness that brown sugar gives.
- Yogurt: Some people use buttermilk in their scones, but I love using yogurt! You can also use sour cream.
- Milk: I do dilute the yogurt with a little milk.
- Turbinado sugar: I sprinkle a little on the top of the scones, but you can use regular white or brown sugar.
- Kitchen staples: Butter, egg, baking powder and kosher salt.
Step by step directions
- Combine dry ingredients. Whisk together flour, brown sugar, baking powder and salt.
- Add butter. Using your fingers squeeze in and mix in butter. Continue squeezing butter into flour mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs.
- Add wet ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk together yogurt, milk and egg. Add yogurt mixture into flour mixture and work with a fork until a rough dough is formed.
- Form the scones. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and shape into a circle or rectangle, about ½-inch thick. Spread cranberry sauce over half of the dough.
- Finish the scones. Fold the empty half of the dough over the cranberry sauce, pinching the sides and pressing the two layers together. Cut dough into 8-10 even pieces.
- Bake the scones. Place scones on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Sprinkle turbinado sugar over the scones and bake until golden.
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Expert tips and recipe FAQs
I love baking with whole wheat flour and the nuttiness it provides in my baked goods. Try my other scone recipes like my whole wheat scones with pomegranate and my wholemeal scones with pumpkin.
I also have wonderful recipes for whole wheat banana bread, whole wheat apple galette, whole wheat pretzel dogs and my whole wheat pizza dough.
Storing/Freezing Instructions
TO STORE: Store cooled scones lightly covered in foil on the counter for up to 3 days if the room is cool. If you live in a humid environment, I suggest refrigeration. Scones will keep in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
TO FREEZE: You can also freeze scones. Transfer to a resealable bag or freezer safe container and freeze for up to 4 months.
I like to substitute buttermilk with yogurt and milk when I bake. Both have acid in that helps with the leavening in baking and creates a delicious and tender scone.
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Leftover Cranberry Sauce Scones
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ cup whole wheat flour
- ¼ cup light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter cold and cut into small pieces
- ¼ cup plain Greek yogurt
- ¼ cup milk
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup cranberry sauce
- ¾ teaspoon turbinado sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400ºF.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- In a medium-sized bowl whisk together flour, brown sugar, baking powder and salt.
- Using your fingers squeeze in and mix in butter. Continue squeezing butter into flour mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together yogurt, milk and egg.
- Pour yogurt mixture into flour mixture and mix with a spoon or a fork until a rough dough is formed. Do not over mix the dough.
- Turn the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and shape into a circle or rectangle, about ½-inch thick. Pour cranberry sauce over half of the dough
- Fold the empty half of the dough over the cranberry sauce, pinching the sides and pressing the two layers together.
- Cut dough into 8-10 even pieces. Sprinkle turbinado sugar over the scones.
- Place scones onto the prepared baking sheet and bake until golden, about 12-15 minutes.
- Allow scones to cool on the baking sheet for five minutes then transfer to a cooling rack.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the actual nutritional information with the products and brands you are using with your preferred nutritional calculator.
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Written by Laura Bashar
Hi, I’m Laura, a certified professional cook and cookbook author living in San Diego. I have been sharing my family’s favorite recipes inspired from all over the world since 2008. Let’s cook up something fun!
First, I want your cranberry sauce, and now I love your scones!!! No one needs to know “leftover” part because it looks perfectly delicious to me. 😉
Hahe, I guess us food bloggers are easy and cheap to shop for. Good luck with all the holiday madness…I mean lovely holiday prep and activities;) Your scones sound and look delicious. Thanks for sharing Laura!
What a great idea for leftovers! I wish I had some extra cranberries/sauce around to make these…
Beautiful scones, I love the cranberry sauce!
I love scones AND cranberry sauce so this idea is right up my alley! PS: Beat up pallets and tarnished spoons make me happy too 🙂
“Give me a beat up pallet or some tarnished spoons and I’m happy.” So true! One can never have too many props for photos! Making scones is a great idea for leftover cranberry anything. I use them on top of biscuits sometimes – nice substitute for jam!
This is so creative!!! Keeping these in mind next time we have extra cranberry sauce.
What a clever idea for leftover cranberry sauce! I threw mine in a smoothie. I like your idea much better! They look delicious!