Cheesy Buttermilk Scones: The Perfect Start to Your Day

This morning, I made a batch of these cheesy buttermilk scones for our morning tea out on the front deck.

There’s something about having warm scones with a good cup of coffee, especially when the sun’s shining on a chilly winter morning. The smell of those freshly baked cheese scones filling the air— enjoyed with a hot cup of coffee—was the perfect way to start the day.

This recipe is an easy way to bring a little homemade goodness into your kitchen, and I hope you enjoy it as much as we do! Let’s get into how you can make these delicious scones yourself.

Tips & Tricks

I know there are lots of tips and tricks for making the perfect scone, but to be honest, I just throw everything together, handle the dough as little as possible, roll out, cut it with a knife, place the pieces on a baking tray, and sprinkle a little cheese on top, fling on a rack when done — that’s it!

Note to self to try and be aware of the following tips for a better bake…

1. Use Cold Ingredients: Ensure your butter and buttermilk are cold before mixing. This helps create a flakier texture.
2. Handle the Dough Gently: When mixing and shaping the dough, handle it as little as possible to avoid overworking it, which can result in tough scones.
3. Don’t Twist the Cutter: When cutting out the scones, press the cutter straight down without twisting. Twisting can seal the edges and affect the rise of the scones.
4. Adjust Cheese Amount: Feel free to adjust the types and amounts of cheese based on your preference. A mix of cheeses like cheddar, parmesan, or even a bit of blue cheese can add complexity to the flavour.
5. Preheat the Oven: Ensure your oven is fully preheated before baking the scones. This helps them rise properly and bake evenly.
6. Glazing: Brushing the tops of the scones with buttermilk before baking gives them a nice golden colour.
7. Cooling: Allow the scones to cool slightly on a wire rack after baking. This helps them set and prevents them from becoming soggy.
8. Storage: Cheese scones are best enjoyed fresh on the day they are baked. If you have leftovers, store them in an airtight container once completely cooled and consume within a day or two.

Recipe

To print the recipe, simply click the ‘Print’ button below and save your PDF for easy reference!

★🧀🍞🌿🐇🍴🧀★

Cheesy Buttermilk Scones

• Servings: 8-10
• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Cook Time: 15 mins
• Difficulty: easy
• Rating: ★★★★★
• Print

Cheese scones are savoury baked treats made with a blend of cheeses, perfect for enjoying warm with a touch of butter.

Tip: A gentle hand is best!

Recipe Credit: Source unknown, but most likely from the New Zealand Women’s Weekly — one of those tried-and-true favourites.

Ingredients

• 60 g Butter, straight from the fridge, diced
• 270 g Flour, plus extra to dust
• 1 ½ Tbsp Baking powder
• ¼ tsp Cayenne pepper, or ½ tsp smoked paprika
• 2 tsp Caster sugar
• 1/8 tsp Salt
• 210 g Buttermilk, plus extra for glazing (or use 180g plain yoghurt and 30g full fat milk)
• 50 g Mature cheddar, diced (or try diced feta)
• 30 g Mature cheddar, coarsely grated
• 30 g Parmesan cheese, grated

Directions

1. 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝗵𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗢𝘃𝗲𝗻: First, set your oven to 210°C (about 410°F) to get it nice and hot for baking.
2. 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗗𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵: In a food processor, blend together the butter, flour, baking powder, a pinch of cayenne pepper, a bit of sugar, and a dash of salt. Pulse it for about 10-15 seconds until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs.
3. 𝗠𝗶𝘅 𝗶𝗻 𝗕𝘂𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗸: Pour the buttermilk into a mixing bowl. Add the flour mixture and gently stir with a metal knife or spoon. Mix it until it starts to come together, but don’t worry if there are still some bits of flour and dough. Be careful not to mix it too much – a gentle touch is best.
4. 𝗔𝗱𝗱 𝗖𝗵𝗲𝗲𝘀𝗲: Mix your cheeses together and gently fold them into the dough. This will give your scones a lovely cheesy flavor!
5. 𝗦𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗲 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗦𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘀: Sprinkle a little flour on your work surface. Roll out the dough until it’s about 2½ cm thick. Then, using a cutter, press straight down (without twisting) to shape your scones. Place them a few centimeters apart on a baking tray lined with parchment paper.
6. 𝗚𝗹𝗮𝘇𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗕𝘂𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗸: Brush the tops of the scones with a little extra buttermilk. This will give them a nice golden finish when they bake.
7. 𝗕𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗨𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗹 𝗚𝗼𝗹𝗱𝗲𝗻: Pop the tray into the preheated oven and bake for 12-15 minutes, or until the scones are beautifully golden on top. The kitchen will smell amazing!
8. 𝗖𝗼𝗼𝗹 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗦𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗲: Once baked, take the scones out and let them cool briefly. Then, transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. This step helps keep the bottoms nice and crisp.

Now, sit back, relax, and enjoy your freshly baked cheesy scones with a nice cup of tea or coffee!

Nutrition

Per Serving (1 scone): Calories: 290, Total Fat: 16.5g, Saturated Fat: 10g, Trans Fat: 0.5g, Cholesterol: 25mg, Sodium: 380mg, Total Carbohydrate: 25.3g, Dietary Fiber: 0.75g, Sugars: 1.6g, Protein: 10.2g

These values are estimated per serving of one cheese scone.

Don’t lose it — Pin it! Save this recipe to Pinterest or share it with a friend so you can find it again. ♡ Janet