Best Cheese Scones Ever
These cheese scones are everything I want in a savory bake. The outside is golden and crisp from the cheese baked into the top, the inside has tender flaky layers. They taste like the cheese scones from a really good cafe (or dare I say, even better!) and they come together in about half an hour.
About this recipe
This is a flaky cheese scone recipe made with cold butter, buttermilk, and a little fold technique that builds layers into the dough. The folds are the same idea as in rough puff pastry, just much faster and far more forgiving. You roll the dough into a rectangle, fold it like a letter, turn it, roll it out again, and fold it once more.
The result is a savory scone with the texture of a really good American biscuit. They’re tender and fluffy on the inside with visible flaky layers, and the cheese on top bakes into a golden crust. I use a sharp cheddar for the strongest flavor, but you can mix in different cheeses too. Fresh chives bring a mild oniony note and a pop of color.
These are based on my popular sourdough cheese scones, but this version uses buttermilk instead of starter.
Cheese scones or American cheese biscuits?
This is the question I get asked the most, so let’s get it out of the way upfront. In New Zealand and Australia, these are called cheese scones. In the US, you’d call them cheese biscuits. They are essentially the same thing, a flaky savory quick bread made with cold butter, leavened with baking powder. The dough is shaped and cut rather than scooped, and they bake at a high temperature to puff up tall.
UK-style scones are different. Those are usually rounder, denser, and a bit sweeter, served with jam and clotted cream. These cheese scones are NZ/Aussie style, which sits much closer to American biscuits in texture. So if you’re searching for cheese biscuits and landed here, you’re in the right place.
Key ingredients and why
- All-purpose flour. A lower-protein flour keeps the scones tender. Bread flour will work but the scones will be a touch chewier and less delicate. Stick with all-purpose if you can.
- Baking powder. This is what gives the scones their lift. A full tablespoon looks like a lot, but it’s the right amount for this much flour. Check that your baking powder is fresh, expired baking powder is one of the most common reasons scones bake up flat.
- Cold butter. This is the most important ingredient in any flaky scone recipe. The butter needs to stay cold and in distinct pieces through mixing. When the cold butter pieces hit the hot oven, the water in the butter turns to steam, and that steam pushes the dough apart into flaky layers. If the butter melts into the flour before baking, you lose those layers and end up with dense, greasy scones. You can use unsalted or salted butter.
- Buttermilk. Buttermilk is acidic, and that acidity helps slow gluten development in the flour. Less gluten means a more tender scone. It also adds a subtle tang that pairs beautifully with sharp cheese. If you don’t have buttermilk, you can make a quick substitute with milk and lemon juice (see the recipe card notes).
- Cheese. A sharp, mature cheddar is my go-to because it brings the most flavor. You can also mix cheeses, a milder cheese like Edam or Gouda combined with something punchy like parmesan or aged cheddar works really well. Most of the cheese goes into the dough, and a little gets sprinkled on top to bake into a golden, crispy crust.
- Fresh chives. Chives bring a mild onion flavor and a pretty pop of green through the dough. If you don’t have chives, finely diced spring onion or shallot works as a substitute.
How to make flaky cheese scones
The two tricks to flaky scones are keeping the butter cold and handling the dough as little as possible.
- Whisk the flour, salt, and baking powder in a large bowl.
- Chop the cold butter into cubes and add it to the flour.
- Use a pastry cutter or your fingertips to cut the butter into the flour until you have pea-sized pieces.
- Stir in the grated cheese and chopped chives.
- Pour in the buttermilk and gently fold until the dough holds together.
Tip: Add the buttermilk gradually and stop as soon as the dough holds together. A few dry, floury patches are completely fine, they come together during the folds. Too much liquid and the dough turns sticky and hard to work with.
- Tip the shaggy dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently press it into a rough rectangle.
Folding the dough
- Roll the dough into a 7×10 inch rectangle on a lightly floured surface.
- Lift the top third of the dough and fold it down toward the middle. Then bring the bottom third up over the top, like you’re folding a letter.
- Turn the dough 90 degrees, roll out, and fold once more. Turn 90 degrees and roll out into a final rectangle.
- Use a sharp knife to cut the dough into pieces. Chill while the oven preheats.
- Brush with milk, sprinkle with cheese, and bake until deep golden.
Tip: These bake hot and fast, so bottoms can darken quickly if your oven runs hot from below. Move the scones up a rack or stack two trays together to insulate the base.
Tips for the best cheese scones
Storage and make ahead
- To store baked scones: Keep them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. Warm them briefly in the microwave or in a low oven (300°F/150°C for 5 minutes).
- To make ahead: Cut the scones, arrange them on a baking tray, and refrigerate for up to 24 hours before baking. You can bake them straight from the fridge.
- To freeze unbaked: Cut the scones, freeze them on a tray until solid, then transfer to a freezer bag. Bake directly from frozen at 425°F/220°C, adding 5 to 6 minutes to the bake time.
- To freeze baked: Cool fully, then freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature and warm before serving.
Variations
This is a versatile dough, and once you’ve made it a few times you can play with the flavors. A few combinations I love:
- A pinch of cayenne or chopped jalapeños for spice
- A teaspoon of mustard powder or garlic powder
- Diced cooked bacon or leftover ham folded in with the cheese
- Swap the chives for fresh thyme, rosemary, or dill
- Sundried tomatoes (drained and chopped)
Serving suggestions
Cheese scones are at their absolute best warm from the oven with a slab of butter melting into them. Beyond that, I love them:
- Alongside a bowl of tomato soup or pumpkin soup
- Split and filled with butter, sliced cheese, and a spoonful of chutney
- As part of a brunch spread with eggs and bacon
- Topped with smashed avocado for a quick lunch
- Used in place of dinner rolls with a roast
Related recipes
If you love these cheese scones, you’ll likely love these too.
- Sourdough cheese scones
- Orange cardamom scones
- Sour cream and chive rolls
- Sun-dried tomato bread
- Basil pesto focaccia
- Pesto pull-apart bread
- Puff pastry potato tart
- Rough puff pastry
The Best Cheese Scones
Ingredients
- 345 g all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 113 g butter cold and cubed
- 200 g grated sharp cheddar cheese*
- 2 tablespoons fresh chives finely chopped
- 225 g buttermilk plus more if needed, cold
Topping
- Milk for brushing
- Extra grated cheese
Instructions
- Whisk the flour, salt, and baking powder in a large bowl. Chop the cold butter into cubes and add it to the dry ingredients. Use a pastry cutter or your fingertips to cut the butter into pea-sized crumbs, ensuring the pieces stay cold and don't melt into the flour. 345 g all-purpose flour, 1 tablespoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon salt, 113 g butter
- Stir in the grated cheese and chopped chives. 200 g grated sharp cheddar cheese*, 2 tablespoons fresh chives
- Make a well in the flour mixture and pour in most of the buttermilk, holding a little back. Fold it together with a rubber spatula or a fork, then switch to your hands to bring the dough into a shaggy ball. Add the rest of the buttermilk only if needed. A few dry, floury patches are fine. It can be slightly tacky but shouldn't be wet. 225 g buttermilk
Folding the dough
- Place the dough onto a lightly floured surface and push it into a rough rectangle. Dust the top lightly with flour and use a rolling pin to roll it out to about 7×10 inches (17x25cm).
- Lift the top third of the dough and fold it down to the middle. Bring the bottom third up over the top, like folding a letter.
- Turn the dough 90 degrees, dust lightly with flour if needed, then roll it out into another 7×10 inch rectangle. Fold it the same way once more.
- Turn the dough 90 degrees one last time and roll it into a final 7×10 inch rectangle. Try to keep this final rectangle as neat and even as possible so the scones bake evenly.
- Use a sharp knife to cut the dough into 8 large pieces or 10 smaller pieces. Press straight down, don't drag or twist the knife.
- Place the scones on a lined baking sheet and refrigerate while you preheat the oven to 425°F/220°C.
Baking
- Brush the tops of the cold scones with milk and sprinkle with the reserved cheese. Bake for around 14-18 minutes (depending on the size of your scones and your oven), until deep golden brown and risen tall. Cool briefly on a wire rack and serve warm.
My mouth is salivating. I absolutely obsessed with any type of baking that involves CHEESE, I’m right there. But its 1am Wednesday to late to bake but later on today they will be made they look so incredibly flaky and cheesy and butterfly. OMGosh can’t wait…😋😋😋
Hope you love them 😃
These are so tasty! My daughter thinks these are the best cheese scones in the world. Will be making these again.
So happy you loved them!!
How are these scones if there’s no egg and they’re flaky? Aren’t these more like biscuits? (USA kind)
Yeah they’re like USA biscuits and NZ style scones 🙂
Oh nice. Must be one of those things like crisps being chips and cookies being biscuits. Thanks! Didn’t know NZ had their own terms too.
Hi Elien,
Would the temprature for your scones 220c ordinary bake or fanbake?
Ordinary oven 🙂
Wow best scone recipe ever and family enjoyed them as well. I’ll be keeping this recipe for sure thanks so much for sharing it 🙂
Hi there. I don’t have a pastry cutter. What can I use instead?
You can chop it into small cubes with a knife and then use your fingers to rub the butter in 🙂
the best no fail way is to freeze the butter and then grate it using the larger size grate, into the flour…they turn out amazingly fluffy
I will not be using any other cheese scone recipe from now onwards. These were stunning – light, flaky, and with a lovely balanced cheesy flavour and oh, so buttery. I had to control myself after two. Only addition I made was adding an egg in with the ‘well’ with the buttermilk. Thank you for sharing your recipe.
These scones are amazing! Probably the best homemade ones I’ve ever had! For some reason my scones turned out a touch flat though, should I have added a bit more baking powder or did I not laminate the scones enough?
Maybe over handled the dough.
I replaces the chives with canned jalapeños and added a little seasoning to the brushed on buttermilk. Had to add a small amount of extra flour to compensate for the wetness of the jalapeños. These were my first ever scone/biscuit recipe and they turned out so great! Will definitely repeat!
Fantastic recipe, never had better scones/biscuits in my life!!
Thank you so much for making them!!
I shred my butter like you shred cheese instead of cubing butter. Works great; but work quick so cold butter doesn’t melt.
These were wonderful. I used skim milk bec I forgot the buttermilk. Cheddar and Guyere. I did not do all the folding but chilled and scooped in rough balls. My husband ( the baker !) loved them.
These look amazing and taste even better. This will be the only recipe I use from now on.
I’ve just made my 2nd batch today for a shared luncheon.
Both times all were eaten and the recipe was requested. That’s a good indication how great this recipe is!
Deb, Nelson NZ
Yay that’s the best feedback! thank you!
Yum these were are so good! I’ve struggled for years to find a scone recipe that gives me cafe scone vibes and these are spot on! I will only be using this recipe from now on! Thank you!!
So stoked to read this! Thank you!!
Curious about the use of buttermilk without baking soda – usually I see soda rather than powder to react with the acidity in the buttermilk and create rise (whereas powder is self-reacting) – or is this a NZ/US language issue again?
Hey Marvin,
I use buttermilk because the acidity halts gluten development in the dough so it creates a more tender scone, not for the rise. And baking powder as opposed to baking soda is best in scones because it gives a more controlled rise with less spread 🙂
These were really good. I didn’t have any other flour other than bread flour so I used that. Came out really flaky and turned out great. I will definitely make these again.
So happy you loved them!
I made these yesterday. They were delicious but came out a little denser than I would have liked. I think my oven was the culprit as I had to bake them for a lot longer and they didn’t get that lovely golden colour yours have. I will use more cheese next time and also use an egg wash for the tops.
These are awesome! Love how the layers come out. Butter makes things better for sure. Will save recipe and make again for sure!
I too was looking to emulate/duplicate a coffee shop cheese scone I had a few days ago that was phenomenal. I could tell by looking at your photos that this recipe was going to be a close match. The folding and rolling made me think of croissants and, boy, do you get that lovely, flaky croissant texture and the taste is out of this world. Thanks for such an amazing recipe. It has moved to the head of my scone file and is way out in front. I made no changes to the recipe but am looking forward to adding different fresh herbs to try them out.
This recipe is the best scone recipe I have ever tried and at 75 I can tell you I have tried many scone recipes.
Thank you so much Barbara!!
Hi. I need to make quite a few scones. 2 different functions on the same day! Do I just double up the recipe? Or make it twice? Thanks
You can just double the recipe, and I’d just use an extra large bowl so it’s easier to mix without overworking 🙂
Es la cuarta vez que hago esta receta,agradezco por Instagram y lo hago por este medio porque es ABSOLUTAMENTE PERFECTA.
Cada ingrediente y su procedimiento son super fáciles y el resultado EXCELENTE.
Muchas gracias!!!!
Can you use gluten free flour to make these beautiful scones?
Hey Nisha I haven’t tried that myself so I can’t be sure but I would you think you could
I’ve made these several times now and they’re perfect! This time I added a diced apple for apple cheddar biscuits and brush a little honey butter on the top after baking and so yummy so definitely easy to modify to tastes.
Thank you so much for your lovely review!!
I made these scones and entered them in a produce and food show, I came second out of 50 entries, I would have come 1st, but they wanted cheese scones not cheese and chives. Just for information I am a 77 year old man
I loved reading this!! Well done on the competition and thank you so much for sharing! 😀
I’ve never had such a moist, flakey and luscious scone! Thank you for sharing your recipe. I used gruyere and thyme because that’s what I had on hand. Also subbed kefir for buttermilk. I worked the dough with a rubber spatula/scraper thingy I found at Ikea, cutting and smooshing the butter into the flour with my fingers. I didn’t need to laminate. The dough came together and I quickly rolled it out for cutting. I like round scones, so I used a glass. They puffed up beautifully in the oven and turned golden. Fabulous presentation. I plan on experimenting with this recipe….;-)
So happy you loved them Maggie!!
I would give this 10 stars if I could! Remembered last minute I wanted to bake scones while the oven was still on-these came together so fast! I used a truffle gruyere and green onions, as that’s what I had on hand. OMG, these flavors. Turns out I’ve never actually had a freshly baked scone, and I am hooked. I will definitely make these again! A friend came over while they were in the oven and loved them also!
thank you so much Rebekah! 😀
Love these! Recipe was easy to follow and the folding method I had never tried before. Great results!
I have been making scones for years and these were the biggest hit of all time. Everyone asked for the recipe. Thank you for making me look good.
Thank you for your lovely review! So happy you loved them!
This may be the best thing I baked …ever…
I made it twice in one week … first time loosely following the instructions and the second time following them to the letter. Both turned out amazing but of course the second batch was perfection!
Thank you!
Thank you so much for your lovely review!! It made my day!
I’ve never left a recipe review before, but these are INCREDIBLE. My husband actually said they’re all he wants to eat “forevermore”. I’m in Canada so I ended up needing quite a bit more buttermilk (our flour is different), and I used bread flour and salted butter. These are going into my regular rotation for sure. Thank you! I’ll be checking out more of your recipes, you’ve made a fan!
Thank you so much for your review!! So happy you loved them!
These were exceptional
Thank you so much!
Is the buttermilk mls or grams? Thanks
Hey, I weigh everything in grams 🙂
Delicious! I added a pinch of mustard powder as well as cayenne pepper as suggested and the results are great! I froze my butter overnight and grated it in as I don’t have a pastry cutter. They rose up perfectly and I definitely recommend!
I had some buttermilk and found your recipe. These were so good two of us ate 7! 😲
So happy to hear you loved them! 😀