Like my basic sweet scones recipe, these ham & cheese scones are flaky and soft with crisp-crumbly edges. But instead of sugary extras, we’re loading them with savory and satisfying flavors including cheddar cheese, ham, garlic powder, black pepper, and fresh chives. Cutting cold butter into the dry ingredients promises a flaky, layered texture like homemade biscuits.
One reader, Courtney, commented: “I have made these pretty much every weekend since I found the recipe. I’ve tried both ham and bacon, as well as white cheddar and sharp (yellow) cheddar. The first two times I made the regular size, but they were such a hit that I had to start making the minis to ensure everyone who wanted one got one. Thank you, Sally! ★★★★★“
Finally, Some Savory Scones!
Berries, banana, cinnamon, and chocolate are flavors that, undoubtedly, taste delicious in scones. And I have recipes for each—meet my blueberry scones, banana scones, apple cinnamon scones, and chocolate scones. (Note that these are sweeter than traditional British scones!) Instead of staying put in the sweet scones category, I’m venturing into savory territory.
I have a dozen scone recipes published on my website, but none of them include salty, savory flavors. Today you’re meeting the first. (And maybe the best!)
You’ll start with my basic scones, reduce the sugar, add a little more liquid, skip the egg white and save it for brushing on the scones, and add savory flavors. Let’s call them flaky cheddar cheese pastries:
Why You’ll Love These Ham & Cheese Scones
- Perfect for breakfast, snack, or side dish—and an absolute must when selecting your menu of Easter brunch recipes
- Delicious alongside scrambled eggs or even pumpkin chili (a fall favorite!)
- Flaky, buttery, not dry
- A little softer than biscuits (use less flour and add an egg yolk)
- Cheesy and garlicky
- Crisp-crumbly edges right out of the oven
Key Ingredients You Need & Why
You need some pantry staples like all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt, & pepper. Here are other ingredients you need and why they’re integral to the recipe:
- Sugar: It sounds odd to include sugar in a savory scone recipe, right? Well, without it, the scone’s flavor falls flat. 1 Tablespoon of sugar balances the strong savory flavors.
- Garlic Powder: Flavor.
- Cold Butter: Besides flour and cheese, cold butter is the main ingredient in these cheddar scones. It adds flakiness, flavor, crisp edges, and rise. The colder, the better.
- Cheddar Cheese: Use your favorite cheddar cheese. Basically, if you enjoy how it tastes, use it here. For best results, freshly grate it yourself like we do for cheddar biscuits instead of buying a bag of shredded cheddar.
- Chives: A few Tablespoons of fresh chopped chives adds flavor. Feel free to use another herb or chopped scallions instead.
- Buttermilk: The dough needs liquid and buttermilk is best. There’s no baking soda in this recipe, so you don’t have to worry about adding an acidic liquid. If you don’t have buttermilk, you can use heavy cream. Avoid thinner liquids like milk or almond milk—your scones won’t be nearly as tasty.
- Egg: An egg is what sets these scones apart from biscuits. Biscuits are flaky and buttery, period. The ham and cheese scones are, too, but they’re richer, softer, and cakier.
- Ham: Chop cooked ham into little bite-size cubes and mix into the dough as your add-in. Use a ham steak, or you can chop some deli slices instead. (The kind you would use in these ham & cheese pockets.)
Success Tip: Grate the Butter & Cheese
Frozen grated butter is the key to scone success.
Like with pie crust, cut the cold butter into the dry ingredients. The butter coats the flour. When the butter/flour crumbs melt as the scones bake, they release steam, which creates pockets of air. These pockets add a flaky center, while keeping the edges crumbly and crisp. Refrigerated butter might melt in the dough as you work with it, but frozen butter will hold out until the oven. And the finer the pieces of cold butter, the less the scones spread and the quicker the butter mixes into the dry ingredients. You don’t want to over-work scone dough.
I recommend grating the frozen butter with a box grater. And since you need a box grater for the butter, you might as well grate your cheddar cheese too. Just as I recommend freshly grated carrots for carrot cake, I recommend freshly grated cheese in scones. It will mix easier, melt easier, and taste better.
These Step Photos Will Help:
Mix the shredded cold butter and cheese into the dry ingredients using a pastry cutter or a food processor. This is pretty much the same way we mix biscuits dough & pie dough.
Whisk the cold buttermilk and 1 egg yolk together, and then pour into the dry ingredients. Lightly mix until the dough clumps together:
Pour the messy dough out onto a floured work surface and, using floured hands, bring the dough together into a ball. Flatten into an 8-inch disc and then cut into triangles (like a pizza):
Brush with an egg white & buttermilk mixture, and then sprinkle with flaky sea salt before baking.
Another Success Tip: Chill the Shaped Scones
I recommend chilling the scones in the refrigerator for 15 minutes as you preheat the oven. By doing this, the cheese scones hold their shape better and rise taller (more flakes!).
Can I Leave Out the Ham? Use Another Cheese?
Yes and yes! Feel free to use another favorite cheese such as feta, gouda, or pepper jack, and you can skip the ham entirely, or replace with the same amount of cooked, chopped bacon or sausage.
Savory Ham & Cheese Scones
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 8 large scones
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
These savory ham & cheese scones are packed with flavor and have a delightfully flaky, soft interior. You can freeze the scones before or after baking. You can also skip the ham or replace with cooked bacon or sausage. Review recipe Notes before beginning.
Ingredients
- 2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled), plus more for hands and work surface
- 1 Tablespoon (12g) granulated sugar
- 2 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 3 Tablespoons chopped fresh chives
- 1 cup (about 100g or 3.5 oz) shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/2 cup (8 Tbsp; 113g) unsalted butter, frozen (see note)
- 2/3 cup (160ml) cold buttermilk, plus 1 Tablespoon for brushing
- 1 large egg, separated
- 3/4 cup (about 110g or 3 oz) finely chopped ham
- optional for topping: flaky sea salt
Instructions
- Whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper together in a large bowl. Stir in the chives and shredded cheese.
- Grate the frozen butter using a box grater. Add it to the flour mixture and combine with a pastry cutter, two forks, or your fingers until the mixture comes together in pea-sized crumbs. Place in the refrigerator or freezer as you mix the wet ingredients together.
- Whisk 2/3 cup buttermilk and the egg yolk together. (Save egg white for step 5.) Pour over the flour/cheese mixture, add the ham, and then mix until the dough clumps together.
- To make triangle scones: Pour dough onto a lightly floured work surface and, with floured hands, work dough into a ball as best you can. Dough will be sticky. If it’s too sticky, add a little more flour. If it seems too dry, add 1–2 more Tablespoons cold buttermilk. Press into an 8-inch disc and, with a sharp knife or bench scraper, cut into 8 wedges. See recipe Note for smaller scones. To make 10–12 drop scones: Keep mixing dough in the bowl until it comes together. Drop dough, about 1/4 cup of dough per scone, 3 inches apart on a lined baking sheet.
- Whisk 1 Tablespoon buttermilk with reserved egg white. Brush lightly onto scones and, if desired, sprinkle with flaky sea salt. (You can do this before or after refrigerating in the next step.)
- Place scones on a plate or lined baking sheet (if your refrigerator has space!) and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400°F (204°C).
- Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking mat(s). If making mini or drop scones, use 2 baking sheets. After refrigerating, arrange scones 2–3 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet(s).
- Bake for 22–25 minutes or until golden brown around the edges and lightly browned on top. Remove from the oven and cool for a few minutes on the baking sheets before serving.
- Leftover scones keep well at room temperature for 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Scones become softer by day 2.
Notes
- Freeze Before Baking: Freeze scone dough wedges on a plate or baking sheet for 1 hour. Once relatively frozen, you can layer them in a freezer-friendly bag or container and freeze for up to 3 months. Bake from frozen, adding a few minutes to the bake time. Or thaw overnight in the refrigerator, and then bake as directed.
- Freeze After Baking: Freeze the baked and cooled scones for up to 3 months. To thaw, leave out on the counter for a few hours or overnight in the refrigerator. Warm in the microwave for 30 seconds or on a baking sheet in a 300°F (149°C) oven for 10 minutes.
- Overnight Instructions: Prepare scones through step 4. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Continue with the recipe the following day.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Glass Mixing Bowl | Whisk | Box Grater | Pastry Cutter | Bench Scraper | Pastry Brush | Baking Sheets | Silicone Baking Mats or Parchment Paper | Flaky Sea Salt
- Butter: Use frozen butter if you have a box grater. If you don’t have a box grater (highly recommended for this recipe), cut very cold butter into very fine cubes and use that in step 2 instead.
- Can I leave out or substitute the chives? Yes. Replace with the same amount of another fresh herb such as parsley or use chopped scallion/green onion.
- Can I use another type of cheese? Yes. Feel free to use another favorite cheese such as feta, gouda, or pepper jack.
- Can I leave out the ham? Yes. Skip the ham for cheese scones or replace with the same amount of cooked, chopped bacon or sausage.
- Over-spreading: Start with very cold ingredients and very cold scone dough. Expect some spread, but if the scones are over-spreading as they bake, remove from the oven and press back into shape with a rubber spatula.
- Mini/Petite Cheese Scones: To make smaller scones, press dough into two 5-inch discs and cut each into 8 equal wedges. Make sure the ham is cut very small. Bake scones for 18–20 minutes or until lightly browned.
Reader Comments and Reviews
Can this recipe be doubled?
Hi MJ, for best results, we recommend making two separate batches rather than doubling.
These are amazing scones! We’ve made them both with and without ham and they are delectable. After two days they were still fantastic when heated at 350 degrees for 6 minutes.
Excellent! We love these scones. I did the drop scones – make it quicker and easier. Taste and texture is wonderful.
I made these scones to the letter last night and found the flavor amazing. But, the scones came out too brown on the outside & bottom at 22 minutes. So, I tried to cook them less for the second batch at 18 mins – the browning was fine but they were too moist in the middle. I do have a thermometer in my oven so I know it’s not off there. Any recommendations for starting the oven at 400 degrees and then lowering it? Or, tenting with foil? Perhaps I need to stretch my dough to 9 inches instead of 8? I froze a bunch to serve to visiting relatives coming in a couple days.
Hi Shelly! Tenting with foil could help, or you could try a different baking position in your oven.
These worked really well! I subbed the chives for 3 heaping tablespoons (closer to 4-5 tablespoons) of caramelized onions and the ham for bacon. I think my oven must run hot because 20 minutes was too long and caused the scones to be a bit dark.
These were stupendous! I omitted the ham and did the 3/4 c as scallions instead and put a little extra aged cheddar in. I used king Arthur 1:1 gf flour and they were perfect. There is a gf bakery near us called “Say Vray” that sells an ex excellent scallion and cheese scone and these were just as good, if not even better (and not $4.99 each!)
So good. Haven’t done it yet, but I fully plan on trying the suggested freezer method. Grated frozen butter sucks but next time I’ll make enough to justify getting out the food processor.
I made these gluten free by replacing the flour with 1.5 cups almond flour and 1/2 cup coconut flour. I also omitted the salt (because almond flour is slightly salty and leaving the salt in would be too much). I brought these into a work party and they were a massive hit! Everyone loved them and actually preferred them over the chocolate and pumpkin scones I also brought!
These are the best cheese scones I’ve ever tasted! I forwarded the recipe to so many friends and family.
Thanks Sally
Absolutely delicious and beautiful! I probably put in a bit more cheese and ham, subbed yellow onion for chive (I had none) and traded one cup of whole wheat flour for white (and a bit extra buttermilk). Divided in 8 wedges, spread them apart on the parchment and brushed all sides with the glaze. Baked as directed. They’ll accompany a potato bacon soup particularly well, I think.
What’s a good substitute if we don’t have buttermilk, please?
Hi Yazi, buttermilk or a buttermilk substitute is best. If you don’t have buttermilk, you can use heavy cream. Avoid thinner liquids like milk or almond milk—your scones won’t be nearly as tasty.
You can always start with whole milk and add 1 Tbsp white vinegar or lemon juice per cup of milk. For 2/3 cup milk in this recipe, use a bit less than 1 Tbsp.
These are absolutely amazing!!! I’ve always wanted to try making scones. To find a savory type, I was ready for the challenge. And yet, your recipe made it so easy and they came out perfect. I substituted bacon for the ham and can’t believe the flavor. I may try adding a bit of jalapeño next time for a little kick. Thank you so much! I can’t wait to try your other recipes!!
The link you provide to the ham & cheese pockets (to show what kind of ham to buy/use for this scone recipe) just takes you back to the scone recipe!
Thank you for catching that, Jennifer! We just updated that link to go to our Ham & Cheese Pockets recipe as intended.
2nd time making! So wonderful! Thank you for your reply. It made a difference knowing I was getting the right amount of butter in.
Again I used bacon bits and Bleu cheese bits, but no chives, so I used diced onion. The flavor does not stand out. Next time chives it is.
So happy this recipe is a hit for you, Jeri! Thanks for giving it a try!
I just made these and they are amazing! I subbed bacon and Bleu cheese and made bite sized pieces. I got 19 from this size. I will be making them again.
Question on butter, do I grate a stick of butter or grate butter until I get to 1/2 cup? I did the latter and couldn’t get pea sized batter. It all worked out when I added the buttermilk. I ask for next time.
Hi Jeri, we’re glad you enjoyed them! You will take 1/2 cup of butter (typically 1 stick) and then grate that.
Halved the recipe and made 8 mini scones, and they were really good! Used scallions instead of chives, two different kinds of cheese, and spread your honey butter on them and my family loved them!!
These were so delicious! Was very happy with how they turned out 🙂
Hi, for this recipe, I would like to try them in circles rather than triangles. Would this work and would the cooking time be the same?
Hi Holly, you can cut them into circles, yes. The bake time will be a little shorter, depending on how large the circles are.
I made this vegetarian by replacing ham with smoked gouda (1 to 1, I just chopped the gouda into small 1/4″ chunks). They were perfect and a big hit at a potluck. This is a great base recipe, and I absolutely recommend this vegetarian version!
Made for my wife’s birthday,to which brownie points were awarded = win win.
Wow, are these delicious! I made them this morning and they were so easy. This recipe is definitely a keeper
Very savour and tasty
Perfection. Eating them right now.
Is the nutritional value per scone available?
Hi Susan, We don’t usually include nutrition information as it can vary between different brands of the same ingredients. Plus, many recipes have ingredient substitutions or optional ingredients listed. However, there are many handy online calculators where you can plug in and customize your exact ingredients/brands. Readers have found this one especially helpful: https://www.verywellfit.com/recipe-nutrition-analyzer-4157076
Is the oven temperature fan or conventional?
Hi Amy, all of the recipes on this site are written for conventional settings. Convection ovens are fantastic for cooking and roasting. If you have the choice, we recommend conventional settings when baking cakes, breads, etc. The flow of air from convection heat can cause baked goods to rise and bake unevenly and it also pulls moisture out of the oven. If you do use convection settings for baking, lower your temperature by 25 degrees F and keep in mind that things may still take less time to bake.
Fan-flipping-tastic recipe!!! My hubby and son loooove these.
Can I make it without the ham? By the way, I love your stuff, thank you for such amazing recpies!!!
Hi Rory! Yes, absolutely. You can use this as a base recipe for any savory scone varieties you wish to make.
These are absolute perfection! This is my go to recipe any time we have leftover holiday ham in the house. Easy and flavorful.
Delicious! The fresh chives really added great flavor. Adding this recipe to the weekend breakfast list!
Can I use non dairy milk instead of buttermilk?
Hi Megan, you really need a nice thick and fatty liquid here. You could try a full fat coconut milk (form the can) as a non dairy option.
How much does it make
Hi E, this recipe yields 8 large scones.