Ham and Cheese Scones
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Easy peasy ham and cheddar scones perfect for any time of day – perfect as breakfast, snack-time, appetizer or with a bowl of soup!
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why make ham and cheese scones
- Wonderfully flaky, buttery, tender and crumbly
- Perfect as a savory breakfast treat
- Great to serve alongside soups and stews
- Amazingly freezer-friendly, ideal for planning ahead or saving leftovers
Ingredients
Flour
All-purpose is ideal but gluten-free flour can also be substituted.
Sugar
A little bit of sugar helps offset the savory richness with its subtle sweetness.
Baking Powder
A leavening agent to help the scones rise.
Garlic Powder
To complement the savory flavors of the ham and cheese.
Butter
A key ingredient, the butter helps create those light and flaky textures and crisp edges.
Buttermilk
Makes the scones tender while adding a slight tang.
Cheese
Cheddar is our go-to but monterey jack and pepper jack would also work well here.
Ham
This is a great recipe to repurpose any leftover holiday ham.
Chives
Use up any extra herbs on hand (chives, thyme, rosemary or sage).
tips and tricks for success
- Start with cold butter. Using chilled butter is ideal, contributing to a better rise and softer, crumbly scones. If using warm butter, it will melt too quickly during mixing. We want the butter to melt in the oven for those super flaky layers.
- Use buttermilk. While adding a slightly tangy flavor, buttermilk is an important ingredient here yielding light, moist and fluffier scones. Using milk will lead to more neutral flavors and a drier consistency. You can also make a buttermilk substitute using milk, adding 1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar to 1 cup milk.
- Use your favorite cheese and herbs. This is a great recipe to use your favorite cheese and any extra herbs you have leftover.
- Avoid overworking the dough. Knead the dough just until it comes together. Overworking the dough can lead to dense, dry scones.
- Mix it up. Swap out the ham for pancetta, sausage or bacon.
- Freeze before baking. Although scones can be frozen before or after baking, freezing before baking is preferred to preserve texture and for optimal freshness.
freezing and storage
Storage
Leftover baked scones can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days.
Reheating
Reheat in the oven at 350°F, covered in aluminum foil until warmed through, about 5-10 minutes.
Freeze before baking
Place the scones on a baking sheet lined with wax paper or parchment paper, freezing for 1 hour until solid. Transfer the scones to an airtight, resealable freezer bag. Label, date and freeze up to 2 months. To reheat, thaw overnight in the fridge and bake as directed.
Freeze after baking
Let the scones cool completely. Transfer the scones to an airtight, resealable freezer bag. Label, date and freeze up to 2 months. To reheat, thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat in the oven at 350°F, covered in aluminum foil until warmed through, about 5-10 minutes.
what to serve with ham and cheese scones
Tools For This Recipe
Baking sheet
Ham and Cheese Scones: Frequently Asked Questions
A quick and easy buttermilk substitute is creating your own buttermilk with whole milk and something acidic such as lemon juice or distilled white vinegar.
You can add 1 tablespoon acid (lemon juice or vinegar) to 1 cup milk, letting it stand for 5-10 minutes.
Absolutely! Monterey jack, pepper jack, gouda or even swiss can be used instead.
Swap the ham for diced pancetta, crumbled sausage or crispy bacon bits.
Yes! Scones are very freezer-friendly, flash freezing once assembled (before baking) and storing in the freezer for up to 2 months.
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days.
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
- ⅓ cup diced ham
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
Equipment
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.
Video
Did you make this recipe?
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Do you post the calories on your receipes. Everything looks great but tracking my stats.
Hi Andrew! As we are not registered dietitians, we feel that it is not appropriate to provide nutritional information at this time. We recommend using free online resources at your discretion (for example, you can Google “nutritional calculator”). We hope that helps!
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 .
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!
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!!!