Cheddar cheese, scallions, bacon, garlic and black pepper combine to make these savory scones so flavorful and delicious. You’ll love how light, buttery and flaky they are. Plus, they’re easy to make in just 30 minutes!
There’s a local bakery that has convinced me that savory baked goods are just as good as sweet ones. Once I tried their savory scone, I couldn’t ever get anything else! And I knew I had to try to recreate them at home.
I took my classic scone recipe and swapped in the most common savory biscuit and scone ingredients— cheese, green onions, and bacon. Yum! And adding garlic powder and black pepper adds even more bold flavor.
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Why you should bake scones more often
Scones are very underrated! They are one of my favorite things to bake. Here’s a few reasons why I know you’ll love them too:
- They’re so tender and delicious, and make a HUGE impact when I serve them to others.
- You’ll need only about 30 minutes to make them. They’re seriously so quick and easy.
- Prep them ahead of time and bake fresh when you want them.
- They’re perfect for both special occasions and lazy weekend mornings at home.
The next time you’re planning a holiday or special brunch, I hope you’ll think of this savory scone recipe. But if you can’t wait that long, I get it. You should probably bake these scones asap!
Ingredients you’ll need
- All-purpose flour
- Butter
- Baking powder and baking soda are both used to make these scones tall and fluffy.
- Salt, pepper and garlic powder for seasoning.
- Half and half is preferred as it has just the right amount of richness, though buttermilk or even heavy cream will work too.
- Egg
- Cheese, green onions and bacon are the mix-ins here, but I have more suggestions down below!
Step-by-step instructions
Here’s how to make these incredible homemade savory scones:
- Cut butter into dry ingredients. Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl, add cold butter, and use a pastry cutter to cut the butter into small pea-sized chunks.
- Add savory mix-ins. Toss in shredded cheese, scallions and bacon.
- Add liquid ingredients and combine dough. Pour liquids over flour mixture and use a spatula and then your hands to bring it together to form a smooth dough. It will be very dry and shaggy at first, but should together with a bit of effort.
- Make flaky layers with “fold and flatten method”. Flatten the dough with your hands and fold half the dough over on top of the other half, similar to how you would close a book. Repeat a few more times. (This creates pockets of cold butter which will create rise and flakiness. Don’t skip this step, it’s my trick for the best scones!)
- Slice into triangles. Form dough into a square and cut into 4 smaller squares. Then cut each square into 2 triangles, creating 8 triangles total.
- Freeze (optional). Place a lined or greased baking sheet, brush tops with half and half and freeze for at least 15 minutes while the oven preheats. (This makes sure the butter is cold, which will produce the most rise in the oven. You can choose to skip this step, but it’s recommended.)
- Bake in a 400° oven for 17-20 minutes until the tops and bottoms are golden brown.
- Enjoy! These scones are best the day they are baked but will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for 1-3 days.
baking tip:Why biscuit and scone ingredients need to stay cold
For tall, soft, and flaky biscuits and scones, make sure you start with cold butter and milk/buttermilk, and work the dough quickly so the butter doesn’t have a chance to warm up. If your kitchen is really warm, consider freezing your biscuits and scones on the sheet pan for 15 minutes before baking.
Flavor variations and mix-in options
- Use any kind of cheese, though a firmer shred-able cheese like cheddar, Gouda, swiss or parmesan will be easier to work with.
- Add other herbs such as chives, rosemary, thyme or sage.
- Feel free to leave out the bacon for a vegetarian option, or replace with ham.
How can I make scones in advance?
Both unbaked and baked scones freeze very well!
To freeze unbaked scones, place on lined sheet pan covered with plastic wrap in the freezer for several days. Bake as directed, adding a few minutes to bake time if needed. (This is my preferred method. I do this all the time for special occasions!)
To freeze baked scones, freeze in a single layer in an airtight container or ziplock bag. Thaw at room temperature for a few hours, then warm in a 350°F oven for 10 minutes if desired before serving.
More biscuit and scone recipes
Get the recipe
Savory Scones
Cheddar cheese, scallions, bacon, garlic and black pepper combine to make these savory scones so flavorful and delicious. You’ll love how light, buttery and flaky they are!
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Preheat oven to 400°F and line half or quarter-sheet pan with parchment paper.
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In a large bowl combine the flour, baking powder, sugar, baking soda, and salt, garlic powder and black pepper. Add the cubed butter and cut into the dry ingredients with a pastry blender or knife until the butter is the size of small peas.
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Add cheese, scallions, and bacon (if using) and toss with the flour and butter mixture.
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Whisk together half and half and egg. Add to the bowl and mix until the dough starts to come together. Turn the mixture out onto the counter and use your hands to finish forming a uniform dough. It’ll be dry and shaggy at first but should come together with a little effort.
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Pat dough to about 1-2 inches thick. Fold one half of the dough over onto the other half. Flatten again to 1-2 inches thick and repeat fold and flattening 2 more times (3-4 times total). Don’t skip this step!
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Form dough into an approximate 6-inch square 1-inch tall. Cut into 4 smaller squares, and then cut each small square into 2 triangles. You should have 8 total scones. Feel free to reshape triangles a bit with your hands to get straighter edges. Arrange triangles on prepared sheet pan and brush with more half and half.
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(Optional) Place the sheet pan with scones in the freezer for 15 minutes while the oven finishes preheating. This makes sure the butter in the dough is nice and cold and will create the most rise in the oven.
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Bake until the tops and bottoms of the scones are browned, 17-20 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature, brushing with melted butter and sprinkling with a little salt if you want them to be a little extra.
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Scones are best served the day they are baked.
- I prefer half and half as it has the right amount of richness, but you can also substitute for buttermilk or heavy cream.
- Substitutions and mix-in options:
- Use any kind of cheese, though a firmer shred-able cheese like cheddar, Gouda, swiss or parmesan will be easier to work with.
- Add other herbs such as chives, rosemary, thyme or sage.
- Feel free to leave out the bacon for a vegetarian option, or replace with ham.
- To make scones in advance: To freeze unbaked scones, place on lined sheet pan, cover with plastic wrap, and freeze as-is for several days. Bake as directed, adding a few minutes to bake time if needed. To freeze baked scones, freeze in a single layer in an airtight container or ziplock bag. Thaw at room temperature for a few hours, then glaze and serve.
Calories: 303kcal, Carbohydrates: 26g, Protein: 9g, Fat: 18g, Saturated Fat: 10g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 5g, Trans Fat: 0.4g, Cholesterol: 69mg, Sodium: 330mg, Potassium: 199mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 524IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 173mg, Iron: 2mg
