These ham and cheese scones are tender, buttery, and packed with sharp aged cheddar, savory ham, and a sprinkle of fresh chives. They bake up tall with light, crispy edges and soft, fluffy centers. Perfect for breakfast, brunch, or alongside a warm bowl of soup!
With no special equipment or complicated shaping, these savory scones come together in minutes. Cold butter, cold milk, a simple pat and cut method, and some extra chill time are the only secrets behind their perfectly light and flaky texture.
They'd be perfect served alongside some sweet scones like these earl grey lemon scones or apple cinnamon scones for a full spread!
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
Savory and satisfying - packed with aged cheddar, bites of ham, and some aromatics, every bite is full of flavor and a tender texture.
Quick to mix - no kneading, laminated, or extended chilling is required!
Great for meal prep - easy to make ahead, freeze, and reheat like a charm!
Ingredients
- Flour. Standard all-purpose flour is the base of the recipe to provide structure and absorb moisture. Use a digital scale to measure if you have one so you don't add too much flour!
- Baking powder. This gives the scones a tall, fluffy rise and should not be omitted!
- Unsalted butter. Grating cold butter is the key to flaky, tender layers.
- Cheese. Adds salty, nutty richness to every bite. I love to use Old Croc aged cheddar or Dubliner!
- Ham. Your favorite ham adds savory flavor and texture to every scone. Use any leftover ham to make these ham and cheese turnovers, ham and cheese quiche, or savory breakfast rolls!
- Chives. Adds mild, fresh onion flavor that pairs perfectly with the cheese and ham.
- Milk. Brings the dough together while keeping it tender.
See recipe card for full ingredients list and quantities.
Substitutions and Variations
- Cheese. Try gruyere, smoked cheddar, or pepper jack.
- Meat. Cooked bacon, prosciutto or sausage.
- Chives. Replace with green onions or a bit of parsley (or omit).
- Milk. Use buttermilk for extra tang, or any variety of milk you have on hand. Higher fat milks will be most tender.
- Add ins. Cracker black pepper, smoked paprika, or everything bagel seasoning.
How to Make This Recipe
One: Grate frozen butter on the wide shred.
Two: Toss the butter with the dry ingredients until coated.
Three: Add the ham, cheese, and chives and toss again.
Four: Drizzle in the milk and mix until just combined.
Five: Pat into a circle on a lightly floured piece of parchment paper.
Six: Use a knife or bench cutter to slice the scones into 8 wedges. Freeze while the oven preheats.
Seven: Brush the semi-frozen scones with milk.
Eight: Sprinkle with a bit of extra cheese and chives, then bake!
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Expert Tips
- Use frozen butter for easy grating and maximum flakiness.
- Keep ingredients cold. Cold dough and a hot oven produce the most lift.
- Don't overmix! A shaggy dough is perfect. Overmixing can lead to a dense scone.
- Space the wedges apart about 2". Having them slightly close together actually helps them rise up!
Testing Notes
- I really loved the clumps of thinly sliced ham throughout the scones. Larger pieces made it feel too chunky, but this is likely a personal preference, so use whatever flavor and cut you want!
- I decided to add the garlic powder to give it a little note of "cheddar bay biscuit," and it made a big difference for me! Totally optional, though.
- Using a highly flavorful cheddar is key. A lightly flavored cheese will definitely get lost in the scone.
Recipe FAQs
Yes! Shape and cut the scones, freeze completely, then transfer to a bag or container. Bake straight from frozen with the same bake time!
Freshly shredded cheese will always melt better, but pre-shredded cheese works in a pinch.
Totally! Divide the dough into two smaller circles and cut each into 6-8 wedges. Reduce the bake time by a few minutes.
Storage
Room Temperature: store cooled scones in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
Refrigerator: keep for up to 4 days, reheating gently before serving.
Freezer: freeze baked scones for up to 3 months. Reheat in a 325°F oven until warmed through.
Freeze Before Baking: freeze the raw wedges (before adding milk), then bake from frozen.
More Savory Breakfast Recipes You'll Love
What to Know When Cooking with The Cozy Plum
- All recipes are created with Diamond Crystal kosher salt, the least salty variety of kosher salt. If using Morton's, you'll need to cut the amount of salt in half as it's 2x as salty. This will be the same for sea salt. Please do not use table salt.
- Switch between Cups vs Metric using the toggle on the recipe card. Baking by weight using a digital scale will always produce the most accurate results.
- Scale the recipe using the '1X' '2X' '3X' buttons on the recipe card. Note that this does not make an adjustment for baking times, only quantities.
📖Recipe
Ham and Cheese Scones
Equipment
- Large sheet pan
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter grated & very cold
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder optional
- 1 ½ cups shredded sharp aged cheddar cheese
- 1 ½ cups chopped ham
- ¼ cup minced fresh chives optional
- ¾ cup whole milk cold
Instructions
- Note: Grate the ½ cup butter first, then place the grated butter in the freezer while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.½ cup unsalted butter
- Whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt, then toss with the butter shreds to coat them completely.2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 tablespoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- Mix in the cheese, ham, and chives (if using) to coat in flour, then drizzle the milk all over. Use a wooden spoon to bring the mixture together into a shaggy dough, then finish bringing it together with your hands until combined.1 ½ cups shredded sharp aged cheddar cheese, 1 ½ cups chopped ham, ¼ cup minced fresh chives, ¾ cup whole milk
- Note: if the mixture is still very dry and crumbly, drizzle in a bit more milk until it's mostly moistened (but not wet) and sticks together.
- Transfer the dough to a sheet pan lined with parchment paper, sprinkle with flour, and pat it into an 8” circle, at least 1” thick.
- Cut into 6 or 8 wedges, and pull them apart from each other slightly - at least 1” (use a bench scraper or spatula to do this).
- Pop the pan in the fridge or freezer while the oven preheats to 400℉.
- Once preheated, brush the top of the scones with milk and sprinkle with a bit of extra cheese (if you have some).
- Bake for 20-24 minutes until golden. Cool for a few minutes, then serve.
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