Ham and Cheese Scones
Easy peasy ham and cheddar scones perfect for any time of day – perfect as breakfast, snack-time, appetizer or with a bowl of soup!
I have always been on the sweeter side of breakfast – waffles, pancakes, cinnamon rolls, donuts – you name it. But I’ll always make an exception for these savory scones.
With chunks of crisp ham, cheddar cheese and chives, this is one breakfast item worth waking up for. And with that buttery, flaky, melt-in-your mouth goodness, it’s absolute perfection.
It’s so easy to whip up too – it’s easier than muffins, and you don’t even need a mixer. The only thing you really need is butter, and lots of it.
And then your morning is complete. That and maybe 3 cups of coffee.
Ham and Cheese Scones
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter, cut into cubes
- ¾ cup buttermilk
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- â…“ cup diced ham*
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat; set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, garlic powder and salt. Add cold butter, using your fingers to work the butter into the dry ingredients until it resembles coarse crumbs.
- Stir in buttermilk, cheese, ham and chives until a soft dough forms.
- Working on a lightly floured surface, knead the dough 3-4 times until it comes together. Using a rolling pill, roll the dough into an 8" circle, about 1-inch thick, and cut into 8 wedges.
- Place scones onto the prepared baking sheet. Place into oven and bake for 18-20 minutes, or until firm to the touch and lightly browned.
- Serve warm.
Notes
Did you make this recipe?
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Spilt my buttermilk, used plain Greek yogurt, turned out so good though!
Delicious! I messed up and added onion powder instead of garlic powder and they still couldn’t have been better. I topped them with a little shredded parmesan after 10 minutes in the oven. The scones were perfectly baked at 18 minutes.
Every time I make these scones I’m amazed how delicious they are and easy to make.  They turn out perfect every time.
chungah, you do not need any more rave reviews on this brilliant recipe. but i can’t resist chiming in. i read lots of comments and took a few tips: i froze and grated my butter in. i also cut them into 2″ biscuits. and finally, no chives so i used green parts of scallions. i am having trouble not eating them all at once. thank you!
I made these as written and they are absolutely delicious. Next time I’m going to add a little cheese on top and maybe some pecorino.
I noticed they don’t do very well sealed in a container by the next day… This is common of biscuits and quick breads. Any suggestions for storage to keep the great texture?
A family favourite! Proportion of ingredients is spot on. Delish with diced ham or bacon…our add- in meat of choice is prosciutto. When I don’t have buttermilk on hand I have used plain yogurt with great results. I do one thing differently, I never use my hands for mixing as the butter should be as cold as possible for flaky scones. My daughter asks for a batch to take back to university every time she comes home to visit. Thanks for a great recipe!
Absolutely delicious and so easy to make. We make these weekly!
Amazingly delicious, we had to make 2 batches as they got eaten so fast . Instead of scones I rolled dough to suggested thickness and used a 2 inch biscuit cutter . 18 minutes in oven .Â
Hi. Just wondering if you think I could use almond flour?
These are delicious! My family asks for them all the time, including relatives. I do prefer my scones a little on the softer side, so I bake them at 375 degrees for about 15 minutes. The rustic look is beautiful!
Delicious!!! I swapped out the ham for bacon and they were perfect!
Made this with a few tweeks increased diced ham and chive but i would suggest making no more then 3/4 inch thick for baking.
The scones turned out perfectly even with my low-fat changes (non-fat Greek yogurt, and turkey ham) and high altitude modifications (2 1/2 tbs extra flour, 1 tbs extra yogurt).  I didn’t have chives so I added 1 tbs dried vegetable powder.  This recipe is a 5++ star!
Super yummy! I made this for our church bake sale and it sold out right  away ! Thank you for sharing this recipe!Â
I made these this morning and they are delicious. My husband really liked them. I’m anxious to try some other variations. Thanks for your great recipes!
I’ve made these many times and they never last long because they’re so delicious! I decided to play with the ingredients a bit and subbed kimchi (drained, chopped finely) for ham, used a bit less buttermilk (closer to 1/2 cup), a combo of Old Croc cheddar and a wedge of parmesan, and some gochugaru. Ah-may-zing!
how long will these last and how should I store them? can they be frozen?
I have pinned to try very soon, yummy!
Made these last weekend and, WOW, they were soooo good. The only change I made was I used Swiss cheese. Definitely making again!!!
They are in fact Damn delicous
Yum, these are good! I froze my butter, then grated it for the dough. Delish
Do you separate the 8 wedges on the cookie sheet before baking them or just cut thru and bake?
I cut and bake.Â
Once baked I use a knife to separate.
These are great. The best. Â Will doubling the receipt work? Â Has anyone done this?Â
Thanks
I love making these. Â The local coffee shop sells something like these. Â I have tweaked the recipe a little.. added red pepper flakes and a bit more buttermilk. Â So yummy!
I’ve been making these every few days since I tried the recipe a couple of weeks ago. I’ve done pancetta and Parmesan, bacon and smoked Gouda, bacon and smoked cheddar, as well as ham and cheddar. All of them have been delicious, and my coworkers are hooked! Today I’m doing ham and pepper jack, and pancetta and parm again. Excellent recipe.Â
These scones are awesome. I watched the time carefully so they were golden brown, and crisp outside. I did have to add a splash more buttermilk to get all ingredients moist. In future I will use an extra sharp cheddar and add a little red pepper, but that’s just me. As I said, awesome!Â
I make these a few times a year and they are always such a treat! I use dill instead of chives and they are absolutely delicious.Â
Every time I make them they are delicious but they flake apart I have such a hard time getting them to stay together before I bake them. Any ideas on what I’m doing wrong ?Â
I have been made these scones multiple times over the last year. Everybody loves them, especially my husband; he’s a tough critic! They are easy to make make and so delicious.
I love these. I usually freeze them and micro in the morning for 20-30 seconds. Today I decided to make them sweet instead of savoury. Used the first 7 ingredients, increased sugar to 1/4 cup added zest from one lemon and one cup frozen blueberries. Just as good as savoury.
these were amazingly easy a d delicious
i have co workers who are lactose intolerant…if i leave out the cheese will it affect the recipe or do you have another additive suggestion?
I am lactose intolerant as well. Serve with a side of Beans. 🙂
I meant Beano.
Ham and cheese scones is the recipe I’ve been looking for! Absolutely delicious! I used 1c whole wheat white flour and 1 c unbleached with 1c milk to make up for the wwflour.
So happy!
Should the butter be at room temperature or should it be cold from the freezer?
Having the ingredients cold will produce a lighter, fluffier scone.
These scones were some of the most delicious scones I have ever made. They were flaky and buttery and just all around amazing. Can’t wait to make another batch.
These were absolutely incredible! I make a lot of scones and this recipe was the best yet. I’m vegetarian so instead of the ham I just added a bit extra chives and cheese and about 1 tsp of onion powder. I’m trying to only eat one a day but it’s hard!
Wanted to use my Chives from my garden and made this recipe just to give it a try and Damn it’s Delicious!! Love it! Thank you!Â
Wife made these this morning and they were absolutely amazing!
Delicious!  I used ham and a combination of cheddar and gruyere cheeses.  I didn’t have buttermilk, so I used equal parts of whole milk and sour cream.  They came out perfect after 18 minutes.  Soft in the inside with a perfect light crust on the outside.  Thank you!
Soooo good!! I didn’t have buttermilk so made sour milk and it worked beautifully. Soft and fluffy on the inside, a nice crispy outside.Â
Are these scones supposed to be baked in the round, or are the eight slices to be separated before being baked? I baked them sliced, but as a round piece of dough. I ended up having to separate them after baking and return them to the oven for another 5-6 minutes. They were delicious, but I am still not sure how they are to be baked. BTW, I used some cooked breakfast sausage I had in my freezer. Damn Delicious!
Fantastic and easy!
This is an amazing scone recipe that turned out perfect. It was also super easy to make. I was worried about how to store the extras but my family ate all of them.
Made them with parmesan because it’s all I had and they were PERFECT!!Â
Very easy to make. Damn Delicious!
These never get old. I can make these daily and NO one will complain. Delicious!
I do chopped jalapenos and habaneros with pepper jack cheese – I leave the rest of the recipe as is and it turns out perfect!
*obviously I leave out the ham/chives, but everything else is the same…
That sounds amazing! I’ll try that next time!Â
These are fantastic. They even work with regular milk and they are indeed delicious. I made them more like biscuits and even threw an egg in for some more protein. The one thing about what we are going through right now is that we all may start eating healthier because we are at home. You have to see the sunshine.
I’ve made these twice now and they are delicious.  The first time I made them with the ham and the second time with bacon.  Both time side had to add about 1/8 extra cup of buttermilk, but they turned out amazing both times.  We’ve eaten them for breakfast and then in the evening with a bowl of soup!  Thank you! Â
These were absolutely amazing! I got nervous because I completely forgot to add the ham and had to re-mix and recut the scones, so I thought they were going to be overworked and tough, but they were just perfect. Tender, flaky, and just absolutely delicious. Thank you so much for posting such a great, foolproof recipe.Â
I’ve made these before for day of breakfast and they are absolutely super! I am wondering if I could freeze the dough and bake later? My mother in law loves these and I would like to send her home with some to bake at her leisure! Thanks!
What a great idea! But unfortunately, without having tried this myself, I cannot answer with certainty. But if you get a chance to try it, please let me know how it turns out! 🙂
You can freeze before baking, OR bake them, then freeze. I’ve done it with biscuits. You don’t have to thaw them, just put them on your baking sheet, and bake as normal, but add a few extra minutes to your baking time. If prebaked, wrap them in foil, and bake at the temperature in the recipe for about 20 minutes, or heated through. (You could microwave the prebaked ones. Wrap in a paper towel, or parchment paper, and heat for about 2 to 3 minutes, adding more time until it’s at your desired temperature.)
I made them today and they were delicious! rave reviews from my guests. Â I followed the recipe exactly but did put the unbaked tray of scones in the fridge for 15 minutes before baking. Â I’d been reading about keeping the ingredients very cold before baking and these were so flaky!
Excellent! I’ve made these 3 times already! Question, how do you recommend reheating leftovers?Â
I personally would reheat them in the oven on low heat. However, there is no one way of doing it and it generally takes some improvising so please use your best judgement. Hope that helps!
Thank you, that helps! I will reheat as you recommended. 🙂Â
If you reheat in the oven, I would wrap them in foil so they don’t dry out. Otherwise, 15-30 seconds in the microwave would be about right, depending on your microwave.
Excellent! Next time I’d either go a short 1″ thick or go slightly cooler oven but it was a big win!
These are really flavourful and great for breakfast, my daughter keeps swiping them off my plate.
Great idea for breakfast!
So easy to make and so good! I made them to accompany a supper of soup and can’t wait to share the leftovers with family!Â
Turned out great! Â But my batch needed 40 minutes in the oven. Definitely doing this recipe again next week.
Thanks for sharing with us, Jaime!
I made this, substituted fake buttermilk (with white vinegar), cubed monterey jack cheese, doubled the ham, and used split and minced green onions for chives. The dough was very moist. After baking for 20 min. the cuts in the circle had fused. I took it out, let it rest a few minutes (5-6) on the parchment on a cooling rack, then carefully re-cut on the parchment, put it back on the tray with wedges separated, and baked another 10 min. The scones have a browner bottom and are definitely chewy/cheesy with bits of cakey bread holding them together. They are just the taste and texture I wanted. Thanks for the springboard of a recipe so I didn’t have to try to make these with Bisquick (no control of ingredient proportions).
These were delish!!
Sweet!
Oh man, were these delicious. Followed the recipe exactly and used pancetta as a suggested option. Next time maybe add just the cheese and present as buttermilk biscuits. Will make these again and again.
These look AMAZING…I can’t wait to give them a try. My boys are going to love them! And such a great idea to have them for breakfast too…lazy Sunday breakfasts are a family ritual where we always knock up something scrummy…these are a must and are now next on the list!! 😉
I made these scones tonight 11-11-17 for my young AirBnB guests. Â They are here 2 nights so since I had already given them a sweet bread for breakfast I wanted something savory, but that would be quick for me and for them since they had to be out early for their Biltmore House tour. Â I left out the ham, not sure if they were meat eaters. Â Used chives from my garden and Cabot’s Vermont Cheddar cheese. Oh my GOSH they are divine. Â I had read Trista’s review and followed her lead to brush the tops with cream. So flakey and yet full boddied, just a hint of garlic and chive and beautiful to look at wiht that browned top. Â I had made a tangy, savory, spicey fig compote last month to use up some over ripe figs. Â The pairing is heavenly. Â I had a few sips of a cold Savignon Blanc with it…if you want to pair it with a wine – perfect match. Â : > Thanks for sharing this delish scone recipe; going in my FAVES box. TrishAnn
These were absolutely delicious! Great consistency, so moist, but not doughy. Now if I can find a way to make this dough but with cinnamon chips …I’ll be super excited! I know cheese and ham don’t have the same properties as cinnamon chips…ha!
The scones were so yummy! A hot bowl of homemade cream of cauliflower soup and ham and cheese scones..perfect! Thanks for a great recipe
I made these last night (first time making and eating scones) and they turned out so good! I do think mine needed more cheese, but that’s probably because I used a milder cheese.
My mom taught me to follow a recipe exactly the first time you make it, and then adjust anything according to your tastes. All I can say is wow, no adjustments needed. These are in the top 5 of the best homemade foods I have ever made. The balance of these scones is incredible. I did add about 1/8 cup more buttermilk and cooked for about 16 minutes because my oven runs overly hot. Thank you so much Damn Delicious! I seriously appreciate your time and efforts 🙂
Is there a way to make this recipe with almond flour?
Unfortunately, without further recipe testing, I cannot answer with certainty. As always, please use your best judgment regarding substitutions and modifications.
OMG!!! Â This recipe is amazing!! Â It is simple in construction yet complex in flavor. Â I doubled both the ham and cheese and it was devine. Â My guests were over the top in kudos. Â Thank you Chungah!! Â
These scones are very versatile, you can easily get creative with them when it comes to flavours. I’ve made them several times now and they’re always a big hit! I double the recipe and I use just a little more butter and milk. Tip: I grate my butter right into the flour when it is really cold or almost frozen which is also a cheat I use when making pastry. This ensures the butter stays cold and minimizes the amount of handling. Very important for fluffy biscuits.
These tasted SO good! The texture was more like a biscuit, and not dense like a scone …but we still loved them!Â
I served these for brunch this morning and they were gobbled up! I substituted bacon instead of ham because that’s what I had and there weren’t any complaints. Thanks again for a great recipe.
I decided to make today a scone baking day and made these – I subbed a 1/4 tsp of cayenne since my husband cant have garlic. I also brushed the tops with cream because I had it ready from the other scones. The smell of these had everyone coming to the kitchen to see what was baking. They are flaky, delicious, and they look beautiful.
Do you also bake it at 425° ?
Yes.
As the contrary they are very nice I used more butter milk but also more flour , they are perfect I do not know why they are saying dry no way mines cameo ut really good !!!thank you I powerd them with confectionar sugar o nt he top a hit!!
Has anyone tried this recipe without the ham?
Let’s just say it like it is, these look freaking awesome. I mean come on, who wouldn’t want a scone and meat and cheese all in one?! I’ve gotta try this recipe!
Do the scones end up coming out dry? And, Will they end up tasting like biscuits?
Not at all!
Made this recipe on the weekend and they were delicious. Actually I doubled the recipe and made two rounds which I cut into 8 biscuits each and gave some to my neighbour. They were a big hit! Going to make them again on Christmas morning to have with coffee while opening gifts. This recipe’s a keeper.
These are amazing! I made them for fellowship time after church. I shaped the dough in a rectangle and cut into small triangles and got 20. Now I have to set bag them up so I’ll stop sampling them. I’ve made scones of every type – sweet and savory and will definitely be adding these to my favorites list. http://www.serenitea-sb.blogspot.com Thank you!
They weren’t very flavorful but love the texture. I din’t have Ham but used real bacon bits. Wonder what would happen if I added more salt or more cheese?? We ended up making a gravy and had them as biscuits and gravy instead. Need to try again 😛
Made these for a school day breakfast this morning for my teens. No substitutions -used Black Forest ham & sharp cheddar cheese. Use a light quick hand for just the kneading described and no more. Delicious! Â Came together so quickly and completely doable. Light texture for scones -good recipe proportions. Thanks!!
I made these the other day and used milk instead of buttermilk. (I didn’t have buttermilk.) We didn’t like them at all. We ended up dumping the whole thing. 1 Tablespoon of baking powder was way way too much. I thought that seemed like a lot and I triple checked the amount. It tasted like baking powder and it left a terrible taste in your mouth.Â
I’m sorry that this recipe did not turn out the way you had imagined. I only post recipes that have been successfully tested in my own kitchen, and as you can see from the comments here, many of these readers have had great outcomes in the final dish as well.
Also, please note that the buttermilk is a crucial ingredient here. By using a substitution, this can vary the final results quite a bit. I also recommend checking the expiration date of the baking powder as it should not be leaving a bad aftertaste.
The buttermilk is what activates with the baking power, which is why your recipe didn’t turn out. Next time if you don’t have buttermilk, you can mix vinegar in with milk (1 Tbsp vinegar to every 1 cup of milk) and let sit for about 5 minutes. The vinegar will then help activate the baking powder.Â
Made these tonight. These were awesome! Definitely a keeper.
These are so good! I just made them for my husband (the boss) to take to the office tomorrow with a few other scones. I added fresh ground black pepper and sprinkled with a little more cheese halfway through baking. YUM!!!! these might have to be made on a weekly basis, especially once school starts. 😉
This recipe looks great! Can’t wait to try.Â
Was just wondering, instead of rubbing in the cold better with my hand, can I throw it all in the food processor and pulse it a few times?
Have you tried freezing these? Planning on making them for our annual camping trip but I would have to freeze them before hand.Â
Unfortunately, I cannot answer this with certainty as I have never tried freezing this myself – there were no leftovers left to freeze! Please use your best judgment for freezing and reheating.
Can you prepare these the night before and refrigerate the dough, then cook them off in the AM
Unfortunately, without further recipe testing, I cannot answer with certainty. As always, please use your best judgment.
I don’t understand this recipe, nor the reviews.
These scones are SO SO SO SO SO dry?!!
And, I added like twice the amount of liquid. Sorry, but they’re awfu.
Thank you for your feedback. But instead of blaming the recipe, it is important to remember that many factors are at play here that may result in a failed outcome. I only share recipes that have been successful and well-tested in my own kitchen, but I understand that failures and mishaps can happen. But with a little bit more information, we can troubleshoot what went wrong to have a successful turnaround next time.
So I must ask – did you follow the recipe exactly as written without any substitutions?
Made these this morning with some leftover holiday ham. Â Turned out amazing. Â Got rave reviews.
I have made these three times and absolutely love them! Here are some substitutions that I make:
– As a college student, I don’t often have buttermilk on hand, but I have skim milk. I know they are completely not the same thing, but I’ve used it every time and they still turn out fluffy, moist, and delicious. I usually have to add more flour when kneading because they tend to end up very sticky initially, but otherwise they come together and bake normally.
– Green onion instead of chives — don’t know if it makes much of a difference, but I happened to have green onions and no chives, so I made the swap.
– I usually double the amount of kosher salt and garlic powder. I like a little extra kick of flavor. I also often put in a little more ham than is called for. 🙂Â
I love making these on the weekend and refrigerating/reheating them for breakfast before class throughout the week. They also go really well with over easy eggs — the perfect thing for messy yolks! Yum. Thanks for the recipe!
Thanks for all the notes! I was wondering about how skim milk would change the recipe, and I’m glad someone else loaded up on the cheese and garlic! I’m definitely going to try these with eggs like you suggested on the weekend, but they make perfect take along breakfasts for me in the morning!
You can make your own buttermilk substitutions adding a tablespoon of lemon juice to your measuring cup then add enough milk to measure out to 3/4 of a cup. Stir and let it sit while you prepare the rest of the recipe!
These are excellent. I have made them twice in one week!
I made these this morning and they were very good. The only thing I would alter is using kosher salt. I found it gave to big of a hit of salt in certain bites. It is a personal taste thing. This recipe had great instructions and photos and I’d definitely make it again. I’m wondering if the measurement for table salt would be the same as kosher? Thanks.
Deegee, it may be best to add salt, to taste, to suit your preferences whether you are using kosher or table salt.
These are delish! I have a recipe from AllRecipes for sweet scenes that everyone loves. It uses sour cream and egg as the only liquid. I always feared recipes that use something else because I mean, there are THAT good BUT I really wanted to try these. My husband is soooo glad I did. I did not have fresh chives but I did have pepper jack cheese. I gotta tell you, ham and pepper jack is a great combo too! This one of several great recipes I have gotten from your site starting with your super great Zuppa Toscana Soup. I hope you’ll keep blogging for years to come…and my husband wishes that even more than I do!
Looks like a great recipe and I can’t wait to try it. Have you ever substituted any of the ingredients, such as whole milk instead of buttermilk and Parmesan instead of cheddar?
Unfortunately, I have not tried any of these substitutes.
Looks good. I’d love to try this. Have you tried making the dough the night before and just pop in the oven the next day? It would be nice to have freshly baked scones for breakfast before the kids go off to school.
That sounds like a great idea! But unfortunately, without trying this myself, I cannot answer with certainty. Please use your best judgment.
Generally biscuit dough needs to be baked or frozen shortly after the dough is made. Once the baking powder gets wet, it starts activating and if it sits too long, they won’t rise properly. I would make the dough, cut into triangles and then freeze on a cooking sheet and then pop into a freezer bag.Â
I made these for my family last night, and they were a hit. I couldn’t try it myself, because I would have to make it gluten free and dairy free, but they sure smelled good, and my picky girls loved them. I followed the recipe exactly. I will try to sub in vegan butter and gluten free flour, as well as Daiya cheese next time for myself, and will see how it turns out. Thanks for a quick, family-pleasing recipe!
Oh my you have really done it now. I can’t wait to try these. My mouth is watering. Thank you for the recipe!
I’m just going to go ahead and give myself a high five for deciding to scour Bloglovin before breakfast today…
What kind of ham did you use? Is it just ham purchased at the deli counter?
You can use any ham that you wish – it’s up to you!
I love this recipe I just made these delicious scones and they came out gummy.Can you please tell me what I did wrong I’m going to make them again.
Kimberly, many factors can be at play here but kneading the dough too much can certainly result in gummy scones.
I made them again I had by mistake added 2 cups of cheese instead of one cup.The second batch is beautiful and delicious. I love your recipes and the beautiful pic. Thanks for sharing!
Hi Kim
Were they moist or flaky?
I just made this recipe and your cheese jalapeño corn muffins and OMG. They were both amazing…only lasted one hour in my office!
I made these for lunch today.
I have about 1h and didn’t know what to make.
I only had enough stuff for 1/2 the recipe. It turned out SOOOOO delicious!
Keeper, for sure!
Thank you 😀
These look great! I am going to make them tonight. (If) I have any leftover, do they need to be stored in the refrigerator, or can they be left in a sealed container on the counter? Thank you for all of your amazing recipes!
I left them in a sealed container on the counter overnight but as always, please do what you are most comfortable with.
Lovely scone. I usually make one from King Arthur Flour that is a bacon, cheddar, and chive. Seeing yours just gave me idea for some combos. Thanks.
Looks so good and will be perfect for a brunch party this weekend. One question, did you fry the ham up prior to putting in the scone?? If using pancetta or bacon, you would obviously want to cook prior to, but just wondering if you fried up ham too, to add some crunch?
Thank you, I love your recipes too.
You can choose to give it a quick saute if you’d like – it’s really up to you!
YUM! I happen to actually have all the ingredients, It’s a miracle! Making these today 🙂
Is it possible to get carb count on your recipes? Have enjoyed making many of your recipes.
Nutritional information is provided only for select and new recipes at this time. However, if it is not available for a specific recipe, I recommend using free online resources at your discretion (you can Google “nutritional calculator”) to obtain such information.
Is this the nutrional info per one slice or the whole productÂ
The nutritional information is for each serving.
These look sooooo good!! I have got to make a batch ASAP!
Love your recipes, this one I will have to try! thankyou