Ham and Cheese Scones
by Chungah
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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!
Featured Comment
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 bake, 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
Video
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
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.
Equipment
Did you make this recipe?
Tag @damn_delicious on Instagram and hashtag it #damndelicious!
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!
I want to make these for an early morning Christmas breakfast with my women’s bible study group. Can I get them all made, on a baking sheet and put them in the fridge overnight and bake in the morning?
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.
Once baked I use a knife to separate.
These are great. The best. Will doubling the receipt work? Has anyone done this?
Thanks
I love making these. The local coffee shop sells something like these. I have tweaked the recipe a little.. added red pepper flakes and a bit more buttermilk. 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.
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!
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.
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 ?
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!