There’s nothing like pulling a warm tray of ham and cheese scones out of the oven! The best part? They’re SO easy!
Goooooood morning! How’s your week so far? Anything exciting going on? I’m typing this up, bolting to an early morning yoga class, then heading to the airport! SO excited. I’ll be in gone for 5 weeks (!!!), but don’t worry, I have plenty of new recipes to keep you busy in the kitchen. And who knows… maybe I’ll even cook a little abroad! Maybe.
But first, breakfast! I made these savory scones for you earlier in the week and it was love at first bite. Gooey cheese, plenty of black forest ham, and fresh scallions all baked up in a flaky, buttery scone… I mean, does it get any better?!
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These scones are:
- savory
- flaky
- buttery
- melt-in-your-mouth tender
- slightly crunchy at the edges
- loaded with ham and cheese
- sprinkled with fresh scallions
- perfect for breakfast, brunch, or dinner
- and incredibly hard to resist… especially warm from the oven.
As mentioned earlier, these scones are really easy! To make them you’re going to need flour, salt, black pepper, baking powder, baking soda, brown sugar, butter, an egg, plain full-fat yogurt, whole Milk, cheddar cheese, ham, and fresh scallions. I know, it’s quite a list! But all of these ingredients combined is what makes these scones SO incredible.
Now. I know I’m like a broken record with this tip, but it’s worth saying again: the key to flaky, bakery-style scones is very, very, very COLD BUTTER.
Why cold butter? Please read on! Cold butter is what creates scones that are flaky, just slightly crumbly, and tender. If your butter is warm and melts before baking, you’re going to loose those buttery layers that are essential to a scone. When it comes time to add the butter into the dough, you should resist using your hands, if possible, since body heat will quickly melt the butter. Instead, use a pastry cutter or two forks. My favorite method is grating the butter then quickly working it into the dough with two forks.
To cut the scones, simply use a large, sharp knife to slice the circle into 8 even triangles. And remember, scones are very forgiving, so don’t beat yourself up if they look a little… rustic. The trick is to work very quickly and try not to handle the dough too much. If your dough feels warm or very sticky, simply pop it back into the fridge or freezer for a few minutes and let it chill, then get back to work.
I chose to top these scones with extra ham, cheese, and scallions. This part is totally optional, but I just couldn’t resist taking it to the next level. If you’re not going to eat these right away, I’d suggest skipping the extra toppings. Trust me, they have plenty of yummy hiding inside.
… anyone else getting hungry?! ↓
Another savory scone recipe for the win! These ham and cheese scones are perfect for pretty much any meal, but would be especially lovely for Easter brunch or Mother’s day.
If you try this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment below and don’t forget to snap a pic and tag it #bakerbynature on Instagram! Seeing your kitchen creations makes my day. ♥
Ham and Cheese Scones
Prep
Cook
Total
Yield 8 scones
Flaky, buttery, super delicious ham and cheese scones! Perfect for breakfast, brunch, snack time, or dinner.
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter, VERY cold and cut into tiny pieces
- 1 large egg, at room temperature, beaten
- 1/2 cup plain full-fat yogurt
- 2 tablespoons whole Milk
- 4 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded
- 4 ounces ham, diced
- 1/3 cup scallions, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°(F). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.
- In a large bowl add the flour, salt, pepper, baking powder, baking soda, and brown sugar; mix well to combine. Cut the butter into small cubes then quickly work it into the mixture (using your fingers) until it resembles a coarse meal. Set aside. In a small bowl whisk together the egg, yogurt, and milk, beating well to combine. Add the liquid mixture to dry and use a fork to stir everything together until just moistened.
- Add in the cheese, ham, and scallions and gently fold them into dough with a spatula.
- Pour the shaggy dough out onto a clean, floured work surface and shape the dough into an 8-inch circle. Cut the dough into 8 wedges and carefully transfer to the prepared sheet.
- Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until the tops are lightly golden brown.
- Cool for 5 minutes on the tray, then serve warm.
Notes
*Add a little extra ham, cheese, and scallions on top of each scone before baking if you'd like yours to look like mine do in the photos. *These scones are best eaten the day they are baked. *You can flash freeze the baked scones for up to 2 months.
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 1 scone
Amount Per Serving | ||
|---|---|---|
% Daily Value |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
omg this looks ABS divine!!!! xO!
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Thank you, my friend! xoxo
Can you freeze the dough?
Absolutely! Just not with the cheese or egg wash on top 🙂
Made these yesterday morning while my daughter was visiting….turned out great and will making them again
I made these last night and omggggg so good! I added the extra cheese and stuff like in your photos… amazing. My boyfriend ate 4 in one sitting!!! Thank you for this recipe, and looking forward to trying more of yours out.
Yay! So happy to hear it, Matilda. You’re very welcome 🙂
We tried these this morning and they are definitely going to my keeper recipes! I omitted the sugar and substituted swiss cheese for the cheddar. Very good!! Next time I want to add some jalapeño and go with sharp cheddar.
So happy you enjoyed them, Rebecca! Adding jalapeno and sharp cheddar sounds like a delicious idea 😉
The recipe calls for 1 stick (4 ounces) of butter. However my butter comes in 8 ounce sticks. Is 4 ounces correct, or a full stick which is 8 ounces?
Thank you!
Hi Laura. You’ll want 4 ounces of cold butter 🙂
Can you give directions for after frozen please?
Hi Theresa! You just bake them as directed, adding an extra minute or two on the bake time.
Can I make the dough and refrigerate it then bake the next day?
Hi Stephanie. While I’ve never tried that, I think it should work just fine! You can also freeze the dough, after it’s cut, then bake them the next day, just add an extra 2 minutes or so.
Can you recommend a substitution for the yogurt? Would sour cream work?
Hi Meredith. Yes, I think that would work just fine 🙂
What a brilliant idea to grate the butter, that alone should win you a trip to Hawaii! Scones amazing. .
Haha thank you, Gail! A trip to Hawaii sounds dreamy 😉
Doubled the recipe and the dough was so dry I could hardly get them to the pan without them falling apart.
After baking they held together better but were still kind of dry. Will definitely try again.
Hi Sandy. I don’t recommend doubling this recipe, but instead making two separate batches. If the batter is still dry, you can always add an extra tablespoon or so of milk.
Am I reading that correctly? One TABLESPOON of baking powder, or should it be one teaspoon? That seems like a ton of baking powder. Thanks!
One tablespoon is correct 😉
Can these be made gluten free??
Does anyone know the nutritional value for these? I am type 2 diabetic and wondering if I could eat these.
How would these turned out if I used lowfat milk, cheese, and yogurt?
My dough was dry and crumbly. I couldn’t even use all of it 🙁
I’m not sure what I did wrong!
Hi Lauren. So sorry to hear that! Did you knead the dough together for a while? Scone dough is kind of like pie crust in the sense that for the first few minutes it’s a dry, crumbly mess, but as you continue to pinch and push the dough together, it becomes workable. That said, the dough should be shaggy, even when it’s assembled. They’ll go into the oven looking kind of dry and lumpy and emerge looking incredible! I call it scone magic haha. It’s also possible the dough just needed an extra tablespoon or two of liquid. All flour brands absorb liquid differently, so if you try again I would suggest adding just a little more liquid and seeing if it helps 🙂 Just be sure not to add too much, other wise they’ll come out too soft. If there’s anything else I can help with, just let me know! xoxo
Thanks for the advice! I think I could have worked the dough more and maybe added a bit more milk. Either way, the scones that did come out are great! I will definitely be making these again. Thanks again!! 🙂
I never see so colorful scones. They are beautiful !
Thank you! They’re colorful and SO flavorful 🙂
Hello, I’m hosting a brunch and think these would be terrific. So would you suggest making dough with the ham and cheese and freeze the day before? Then the next morning take out and thaw and decorate with extras on top?
These look so good! i’m trying to make some goodies for our newest local fire department up the street to welcome them into the neighborhood! i’ve never made scones before! are these safe for a scone newbie!?
Thanks so much,
girl just trying to show some appreciation!
These are totally safe for a scone newbie 🙂 So sweet of you to bake for your local fire department, too!!! Love it!
hello! we just happen to have some prosciutto ham in the fridge at the moment. would it be ok to chop it up ‘as is’ and throw it in the batter? or would you fry it up a bit? thank you! very excited to use your recipe!
Hi Christine! I think it could work as is, since it’ll bake for 20 minutes or so. I can’t wait to hear how they turn out 🙂
Hi! I quant to do this but for me 4 ounces of cheese and ham? It Will be what in cups ? Thanks! Sorry for my english!
Hi Helene. I’d say about a 1/2 cup 😉
I’ve never commented on a blog before, but here I am! I found one of your recipes on Pinterest, which lead me to your blog and I pretty much want to make EVERYTHING! Scones are great because you usually have all the ingredients on hand–and I did, yay! So easy to make and came out perfectly. I ate one..then another…and I’ll probably have another for dinner (maybe with a runny fried egg?!). These would be great to pack for a picnic or hiking.
Thanks for sharing your amazing recipes, can’t wait to try another one soon 🙂
These look amazing! Is the brown sugar necessary? I am really trying to cut out sugar in breakfasts for my kids.
These are incredible!! I make a lot of scones and my husband says these are the best I’ve ever made. I didn’t have scallions so I grated some red onion and it worked great! I think the fact that I used greek yogurt also made them richer. Thanks for this recipe – it will be a new favorite!!