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These cheese and chive scones are buttery with a crumbly edge that just melt in your mouth, making for a great savory scone option.
I'm all about scones these days - from raspberry and white chocolate scones to chocolate chip scones to blackberry scones.
If you've never had a scone, it is basically the American version of a biscuit.
They can be both sweet or savory and today I happened to be craving some savory ones. By adding some sharp cheddar cheese and chopped chives, you get a classic combination.
Oh and they're super easy to make. Just whisk together the dry ingredients before mixing in some buttermilk and the other ingredients. Shape into a disc, cut to size and bake. What you end up with is perfectly textured cheese and chive scones.
Why This Recipe Works
- Easy - you'll be surprised how easy these scones are to make. They can be prepped and put in the oven in less than 10 minutes.
- Flaky - by shredding the butter and folding in, you get pockets of butter throughout which leads to that flakiness you expect.
- Flavorful - while the base is easy to make, having fresh cheese and chives with every bite takes this over the top.
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Ingredient Notes
- Flour - the base of the recipe is all-purpose flour.
- 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.
- Cheese - adds pops of meltiness that complements the chives.
- 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.
- 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
Please note full ingredient list and instructions can be found in recipe card below.
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 rest of the ingredients, mixing 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 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
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.
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.
Freezing Instructions
You can either freeze the 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.
Equipment
The equipment you use is important to how the recipe turns out. What is needed is the following:
- Box grater - gives you shredded butter and cheese.
- Large bowl - used to mix the ingredients.
- Pastry cutter - helps blend the butter with the flour.
- Baking sheet - how you bake the scones.
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 pops of cheese throughout the scones, just dice instead of shredding.
- 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.
Similar Recipes
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Cheese and Chive Scones
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter, cold
- 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
- 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 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 20-22 minutes until tops are golden brown and toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.
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 pops of cheese throughout the scones, just dice instead of shredding.
- 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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