Cranberry Pepperjack Scones

These Cranberry Pepper Jack Sourdough Scones are the perfect balance of sweet, savory, and just a little spicy. Tart dried cranberries pair beautifully with creamy, melty Pepper Jack cheese, while sourdough discard adds a subtle tang and tender texture.

This recipe is simple and approachable, making it a great way to use up extra starter without any complicated steps. The scones bake up soft on the inside with lightly golden edges, creating a comforting, bakery-style treat right at home.

❤️ Why You’ll Love Cranberry Pepperjack Scones

Other than the fact these are one of the most unique and delicious scones you'll ever taste, they come with a lot of other perks as well!

Sourdough Discard-This is just inactive sourdough starter that hasn’t been fed. It is equal parts flour and water that has already risen and fallen and now can be added to a multitude of recipes.

Butter –Cold butter, it must be cold to achieve the correct scone texture.

Flour – All-purpose flour is a pantry staple, but if you have bread flour you can use that too.

Pepperjack cheese – High quality pepperjack cheese that you shred yourself will go a long way as far as flavor goes in this recipe!

Craisins – Dehydrated cranberries

Sugar – There is granulated sugar in the recipe, and brown sugar sprinkled on top. I think brown sugar is a better topping sugar, but you can use granulated for both.

Milk -Whole milk or heavy cream.

👩‍🍳 How to Make Cranberry Scones

In a large mixing bowl, start by mixing together your dry ingredients. Grate in your cold butter AND your pepperjack cheese and mix together so the butter and cheese are fully coated in flour making a crumbly mixture. Add in the yogurt and sourdough discard and mix together until combined. Fold in the craisins.

Whether the dough is fully together or not, take it out of the bowl and transfer onto your workspace. Work the dough with your hands to help the dough come together, fold over a couple of times before shaping it into a ball to achieve the texture of a flaky scone.

Cut into 8 equal pieces and place into your cast iron pan. Brush the top of the scones with heavy cream and sprinkle with a bit of salt.

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. While your oven is preheating, place the cast iron with the scones into the fridge for 20-30 minutes.

Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown.

🪄 Tips and Tricks

• Chill the scones in the fridge while the oven is preheating, just to make sure the butter is cold before baking.
• While shaping your scone dough into a circle on the counter, fold it over a couple of times so your scones come out extra flaky.

🗒 Variations

This is an excellent base scone recipe, which means you can take out the cranberries completely, or add whatever other flavors you’re in the mood for!

Cinnamon Roll Scones – Acts of Sourdough

🍓Strawberry Sourdough Scones – Acts of Sourdough

White Chocolate + Peach Scones – Acts of Sourdough

Cookie Dough Scones – Acts of Sourdough

👝 How to Store Leftovers

Scones are one of the easiest pastries to freeze. So, if you want to make a double batch, place half in a Ziplock bag and into the freezer for up to 3 months. Bake them as normal, straight from the freezer. With your already baked scones – place them in an airtight container and keep them on the counter for 3-4 days.