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 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
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
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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 product
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