Savory Scones
- By Amy Dong
- Updated Nov. 8, 2024
These Savory Scones are supremely fluffy and tender. They’re teeming with the delicious flavors of sharp cheddar cheese and chives – the perfect addition to your next brunch menu!
In This Article
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Why This Recipe Stands Out
We’ve enjoyed our fair share of sweet scones like these White Chocolate Raspberry Scones and Pumpkin Scones, but now it’s time to switch things up with this Savory Scones recipe. What you will love:
- Tender and Moist Scones: There’s no worries about these scones turning out dry, crumbly, or tough. These Savory Scones bake up ultra-moist with a tender crumb.
- Cheesy and Savory: We love the bold, fresh flavors of sharp white cheddar, fresh chives, and Dijon mustard in this recipe.
- Great for Holidays: Savory Scones are the perfect baked goody to catch a break from all the sweets during the holidays. We especially love serving them for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or Easter Brunch!
- Super Easy to Make: These may appear and sound like they’re hard to pull off, but scones are one of the easiest pastries to make.
Scones vs. Biscuits
What exactly is the difference between scones and biscuits? Both pastries contain similar ingredients such as flour, baking soda, and butter. The big difference is that scones contain eggs and biscuits do not.
Scones are generally a bit heartier and heavier, and they’re usually rolled out and cut into shapes. They generally also include more sugar than biscuits, more closely resembling a dessert (like these Almond Scones). Since these Cheddar and Chive Scones are savory, they’re more similar to biscuits, but are a bit denser in texture.
Key Recipe Ingredients
- Butter – Extra cold butter makes scones turn out amazingly tender and flaky.
- Cheddar Cheese – We like using extra-sharp white cheddar cheese for this recipe. Make sure to freshly grate it! It makes all the difference in how these turn out.
- Chives – Chives add a pop of color and fresh, earthy flavors to Savory Scones.
- Eggs – Eggs set these scones apart from biscuits and help hold everything together. We also brush some on the outside for that crisp, golden exterior.
- Heavy Cream – Heavy cream ensures that these scones turn out anything-but-dry.
- Dijon Mustard – Just a tablespoon of Dijon mustard is all that’s needed for the perfect burst of sharp, savory flavor.
Substitutions And Variations
Here’s some of our favorite variations to Savory Scones:
- Add Bacon or Ham: We love mixing some pre-cooked and crumbled bacon or ham slices into these Savory Scones. It reminds us of these heavenly Cheesy Bacon Pull-Aparts.
- Experiment with the Kind of Cheese: Try mixing and matching different kinds of cheese for this recipe. We think Gouda, Monterey Jack, Feta, and parmesan (like we use in our Easy Garlic Parmesan Knots) would all be amazing.
- Add Some Herbs: Try adding fresh rosemary, thyme, basil, or even dill to these scones.
- Add a Garnish: We think this Balsamic Glaze would go perfectly drizzled onto Savory Scones, and it’s so easy to make!
Step-By-Step Recipe Instructions
- Whisk together flour, salt, and baking powder.
- Work cold pieces of butter into the dough to make a crumbly mixture; mix in shredded cheese and chives.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, cream, and mustard. Combine wet and dry ingredients until a sticky dough forms.
- Flour a large board and roll out the dough into one large rectangle. Cut rectangle into even squares.
- Cut each square in half to make triangles. Brush tops with egg wash and sprinkle with Kosher salt.
- Bake on a parchment-lined baking sheet at 375F until lightly golden.
For full list of ingredients and instructions, see recipe card below.
How To Prep Ahead
Savory Scones can easily become a fool-proof meal prep breakfast or snack with just a few strategies:
- Mix Dry Ingredients: As always, feel free to measure and mix the dry ingredients (flour, salt, and baking powder) several days in advance.
- Grate Cheese: Sometimes we like grating our cheese the day before just to make our lives that much easier. Store it in an airtight container in the fridge until ready to use.
- Chill the Dough Overnight: You can totally mix all the ingredients for Savory Scones the night before and wrap your ball of dough in plastic, storing it in the fridge overnight. Just note: it may need a few minutes at room temp to soften enough to work with.
- Freeze Unbaked Scones: Take shaped, unbaked scones and flash freeze them on a baking tray. Then, transfer hardened scones to a freezer-safe container. When you’re ready to bake, simply take them out and bake as normal. They’ll need a few minutes longer when baking from frozen.
Commonly Asked Questions
Savory Scones will stay fresh in an airtight container at room temperature for 24 hours. In the fridge, scones will last for up to 4 days, and they can be frozen for up to 1 month. To reheat them, either pop them in the microwave, or bake for 5-10 minutes at 350F just until heated through.
If you don’t have any Dijon on hand, you can definitely use yellow mustard. However, we prefer the sharper taste of Dijon in Savory Scones. Check out our recipe for Honey Mustard Glazed Pork Chops if you’re interested in more of the differences between the different kinds of mustard.
There are a few key tips for extra-tender scones. First, make sure your butter is extra cold. This keeps the scones light and flaky instead of dense and heavy. Second, make sure not to overmix your scones. When blending the dry and wet ingredients stop mixing as soon as the mixture forms a dough. Some lumps are okay. Third, use dairy. Whether it’s sour cream, heavy cream (like we use in this recipe), or Greek yogurt, we always add some sort of full-fat dairy to give our scones that tender-crumb.
If your scones are expanding too much, try chilling the sliced scones in the fridge for 30 minutes before baking. This will help them hold their shape and rise up instead of out.
You’ll know your scones are done when they turn lightly golden on top. You can also do the toothpick test: if an inserted toothpick comes out mostly clean (with a few tender crumbs attached) they’re done!
Here’s our go-to recipe for the Best Buttermilk Biscuits.
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Savory Scones
Ingredients
For the Scones:
- 2 cups flour
- ½ tsp table salt
- 1 TB baking powder
- 5 TB butter, very cold, cut into small pieces
- 1 cup extra-sharp white cheddar cheese, freshly-grated and lightly packed
- 2 TB chives, freshly chopped
- 2 large eggs
- ⅓ cup heavy cream
- 1 TB Dijon mustard, rounded tablespoon
For the Egg Wash:
- 1 egg, beaten in a small bowl
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375F with rack on lower middle position. Line a large baking sheet with parchment or silicone liner and set aside.
- In a bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and baking powder. Using clean fingers, work in cold pieces of butter into the dough to make a crumbly mixture. Work in the shredded cheese and chives lightly, just to incorporate.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, cream, and mustard until incorporated. Stir wet mixture into the dry ingredients, stirring just until dough is fully combined and a bit sticky; don’t over-mix.
- Flour a large board and roll out the dough into approx 20" x 4" rectangle. Cut rectangle into even squares, and then cut each square in half to make triangles. Brush tops with egg wash and sprinkle with a bit of kosher salt on top.
- Place scones on lined baking sheet, 1 inch apart. Bake 13-15 min for smaller scones or 20-23 minutes for larger scones, just until lightly golden brown on top. Serve warm for best results. Can also be stored airtight at room temp for 24 hours.
Notes
- If you find your dough is too sticky to work with, pop it in the fridge for 30 minutes before rolling.
- Be sure not to overmix the dry and wet ingredients. Just mix until barely combined. It’s totally fine if there’s still some lumps.
- Feel free to try different cheeses, if you would like. See our original article for variations.
- This recipe is part of our delicious Baking Recipes Collection.
- For extra fancy Savory Scones, try making this super simple Balsamic Glaze as a garnish.
Nutrition (per serving)
More To Bake And Eat
- White Chocolate Raspberry Scones – Fresh, juicy raspberries and creamy white chocolate come together in this perfectly buttery and tender scone recipe.
- Pumpkin Scones – By far one of our favorite fall breakfasts, these pumpkin scones are bursting with all the fall flavors, and they’re anything-but-dry.
- Almond Scones – If you love the smell and flavor of almond extract, you have to try these scones! They couldn’t be easier to make.
- White Chocolate Cranberry Scones – Crisp on the outside and buttery, soft on the inside, these Cranberry Scones are festive for the holidays.