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?
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Turned out great! 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. 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. I left out the ham, not sure if they were meat eaters. Used chives from my garden and Cabot’s Vermont Cheddar cheese. Oh my GOSH they are divine. 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. I had made a tangy, savory, spicey fig compote last month to use up some over ripe figs. The pairing is heavenly. I had a few sips of a cold Savignon Blanc with it…if you want to pair it with a wine – perfect match. : > 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!!! This recipe is amazing!! It is simple in construction yet complex in flavor. I doubled both the ham and cheese and it was devine. My guests were over the top in kudos. Thank you Chungah!!
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!
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!