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This bacon cheddar scones recipe mixes it up by adding crispy bacon, cheddar cheese and chives, making for a delicious and savory scone.
I'm a big fan of scones, but have leaned toward sweet, from blackberry scones to chocolate chip scones to apple scones. But that changes today.
If you aren't familiar with scones, they are pretty much biscuits. I didn't have many scones growing up, I imagine like most Americans. But watching The Great British Baking Show made me crave them constantly.
And instead of my traditional sweet scone, I wanted a savory one. Plus what is better than bacon? I mean bacon makes everything better.
If you are nervous about making homemade scones, you need not be. You just whisk dry ingredients before adding butter and buttermilk. Plus all of the delicious savory ingredients. Then cut up and bake and you won't stop at one.
Unlike other scones, with these bacon cheddar scones, you get pops of melty cheese or bits of cheese that get crispy on the outside. I mean who doesn't love crispy cheese. So if your mouth is watering like mine, give these a try.
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Ingredient Notes
- Baking powder/soda - super important as it helps the homemade scones rise.
- Unsalted butter - by shredding the butter you get bits throughout the flour which help creates the flaky crust you expect.
- Bacon - I like thick cut bacon as you get even more crispiness.
- Cheese - adds pops of meltiness that complements the bacon.
- Chives - gives the scones a pop of color and adds a slight onion flavor.
- Buttermilk - the acidity reacts with the leaveners and creates a nice rise.
Ingredient Swaps
Like any recipe, you can mix up some of the ingredients if needed. Some variations include:
- While I use all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour can be substituted.
- It is a bacon cheddar scones recipe for a reason, but you can sub with prosciutto, ham or pancetta.
- Cheddar is my favorite cheese, which is why I use it but you can also use gouda, mozzarella, pepper jack, etc...
- I like chives for a slight onion flavor, but scallions work too.
Step-by-Step Photos
Cook the bacon in a skillet until crisp and set aside. Then mix together the dry ingredients in a large bowl.
Use a cheese grater to shred the cold butter. Add the butter to the flour mixture and use a pastry cutter or 2 knifes to mix in and then fold in the cheese, bacon and chives.
Mix the buttermilk into the dry ingredients until just incorporated. Then place the dough on a floured surface and form into a disc about 1 ½ inches thick. Cut into 8-10 slices.
Place the bacon cheddar scones on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Brush with some buttermilk and add a little bit of salt if desired. Bake at 400°F for 22-25 minutes or until golden brown on top
The Key to Light and Flaky Scones
As with anything that you bake, you do not want to overwork the dough. Use a pastry cutter or knives to get the cold butter into small crumbs.
You then use your hands to shape and pat the dough into a disc. Yes your hands will get messy, but the end product is worth it.
FAQs
Yes and no. Scones are the British version and generally have eggs in them, where biscuits do not. However I've "Americanized" these homemade scones and taken the egg out which gives you a light, flaky texture.
If you don't have buttermilk you can easily make it at home. Simply add 1 tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice to 1 cup of milk. Let stand at room temperature for 10 minutes and it’s ready.
As mentioned above, eggs are commonly in scones as it gives it a richer mouthfeel. However I like a flakier scone so I omit the egg.
You can break one open to check for doneness. The interior shouldn't be doughy or wet, but slightly moist.
Freezing Instructions
You can either freeze the blackberry scones before baking or after baking.
- Freeze Before Baking: Cut the scone dough into wedges than place on baking sheet and freeze for 1 hour. Once frozen, you can layer them into a bag or container. To bake from frozen, just add a few minutes to the bake time or thaw overnight and bake as directed.
- Freeze After Baking: Place the baked and cooled scones on a sheet and the freeze for at least 1 hour. You can then layer them into a bag or container. Thaw on the counter or overnight in the fridge. Warm in the microwave for 30 seconds or on a baking sheet at 300°F for 10 minutes.
Pro Tips/Recipe Notes
- Use cold or even frozen butter. The cold butter coats the flour which creates crumbs that melt and steam, thus creating that flakiness you expect in scones.
- If you want cheese throughout the scones, just shred instead of cutting in cubes.
- Do not overwork the dough. Mix everything until just combined or you will have tough scones.
- Leftover bacon cheddar scones will keep at room temperature for 2 days or in the fridge for 5 days.
Similar Recipes
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Bacon Cheddar Scones
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter, cold
- 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, diced
- ½ lb bacon, cooked and crumbled
- ¼ cup chives, chopped
- ¾ cup + 2 tablespoon buttermilk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.
- Grate the cold butter using a cheese grater. This is an easy way to get it into small pieces to incorporate in the dry ingredients. If you do not have a cheese grater, you can just cut into small cubes. Blend the grated butter in with the flour mixture using a pastry cutter or 2 knives. The mixture should be clumpy and look like course crumbs.
- Mix in the cheese, bacon and chives. Add the buttermilk and mix into the flour mixture until JUST incorporated. DO NOT over mix, this will make the scones too dense.
- Put a small amount of flour onto a clean surface and knead the dough briefly. Shape the dough into a circle that is about 1 ½ inches thick. Cut the circle in half and then each half into 4-5 wedges (depending on how big you want your scones).
- Put the wedges on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper. Brush the tops with a little bit of buttermilk.
- Bake for 22-25 minutes until tops are golden brown and toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.
Notes
- You may not realize this but baking powder/baking soda actually expires pretty quickly. Use baking powder that is less than a year old since it has been opened. If you use older baking powder, it won’t be powerful enough to help leaven the scones. You can test it by stirring half a teaspoon of baking powder into a cup of hot water. It will immediately start to fizz and release carbon dioxide gas if it’s still fresh enough to use. Baking soda should be less than six months old and you can use the same test.
- Use cold or even frozen butter. The cold butter coats the flour which creates crumbs that melt and steam, thus creating that flakiness you expect in scones.
- If you want cheese throughout the scones, just shred instead of cutting in cubes.
- Do not overwork the dough. Mix everything until just combined or you will have tough scones.
- Leftover scones will keep at room temperature for 2 days or in the fridge for 5 days.
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