This is the ultimate cheese scone recipe! Different from your usual cheese speckled ones, it has two types of cheese in each biscuit. I spent a few years until I got to what I wanted, which was to bite into a pool of melted cheese and a sharp flavor at the same time. Enter these double cheese scones, so good you’ll want to make them all the time.
I’ve been baking them for a few years now, since the time when I used to have a coffee shop.
Scones ranked very high on my list of things to serve, and let me tell you these became quite famous among the regular crowd.
The only type of cheese scone I had seen around was similar to these parmesan ones (without the green onions) and they were not what I wanted to serve. I was interested in being able to bite cheese, not only have a cheese flavor.
So when it was time to look for my own cheese scone, I went straight to a recipe I’d had my eye on what seemed like forever. It was loaded with butter, cream, and cheese.
At first, it didn’t bother me a bit, those golden triangles were flying off the wooden plate. But a few weeks later, a regular customer came to me and commented that he had to stop at one because they were too heavy to have in the morning.
Too heavy? They were little bombs, tons of double cream, eggs, and a humongous amount of butter. So I streamlined them. A little. Not too much. Enough for my regulars to buy two instead of one if they so wished.
And what did I get? Probably the best scone ever, with a buttery flavor, two types of cheese - each one doing its own thing, one sharp and one melty - a flaky dough that rises and an eye-catching golden top with crunchy bits of cheese around it.
Those crunchy pieces of cheese are by far the best part. The best!
OMG just wanted to say that I made these many times and they are to die for!! So delicious! I freeze them and can eat a whole pan just as they come out of the oven. Your recipes are great Paula!
Macarena ~ a reader
But, let's get on with the recipe.
Ingredients
- Cheeses: what makes these scones different - and in my opinion better - are the two kinds of cheese (image above). One has to melt really well (I use mozzarella, the pizza type which melts like a charm) and the other has to have a sharp flavor (I use Fontina). They each do their thing adding a much-needed kick and a melty bite.
- Baking powder: it is essential when making scones. Otherwise, they won't rise and you will have hockey pucks rather than fluffy scones. Trust me, I've been there. Make sure it works, that is, that is fresh and not three years old.
- Sour cream and milk: this is the liquid part and I always use full fat or regular. You can use low-fat but take into account that they differ in consistency and ingredients depending on the brand, especially sour cream.
- Butter: use unsalted. A good brand will give you good results. It is an important part of a scone, essential for the flakiness.
- Herbs: I love how dill works with the cheeses. But you can certainly use another herb. Thyme and chives always work.
Easy steps
By hand: I like to make them this way. So I use a large bowl (image above) and a fork for mixing the first part. First I add the liquids to the dry, I mix lightly with a fork, add the cheeses and herbs and mix a bit more. The rest is finished in the floured counter.
Food processor: you can make the dough (before adding the cheese) in the processor. The butter has to be processed only until the size of beans, or peas at the most. This is very handy if you tend to overwork doughs or have very hot hands. Remember that this dough needs to be as cold as possible.
Shaping
In the second place, I like triangles like the ones in this post. They can be uneven too. I make a rectangle and cut them with a kitchen knife.
Don't overwork the dough when shaping.
You can, in theory, use any cookie cutter.
But plain round ones or triangles are the best in my opinion.
If you use a shaped cookie cutter - like the flower shape I used with the Buttermilk Scones - you will see that they lose most of the shape after baking. So I don't see the point.
If you do want shapes, choose large ones like starts or those that have few details and sharp angles. They will probably hold the shape better.
Top tips
- The first rule of scone baking is very cold ingredients. I’m not kidding when I say frozen butter, at least very cold. And don’t take the cream half an hour before you start mixing the scones. Butter, cream, milk, they belong in the fridge until you need to scatter and pour them.
- The second rule is not to overwork the dough. It should come together but still have floury patches. You don’t need to work it until it’s smooth, like a pie dough for instance. It is an uneven dough, with a dry spot here and there, and that’s good for flakiness later.
- The third rule is to pop them in the freezer for 15 minutes after shaping them and before baking them. That ensures that they bake and rise as much as they can.
- The fourth rule is a rather high oven. They need that extra heat (and baking powder) to rise however they can in spite of all that butter and cream. And if by any chance you forgot to turn the oven on before you start with the mixing, please don’t leave the baking sheet with the cut scones waiting on the counter. Put them in the fridge or freezer the ten or fifteen minutes it takes for the oven to reach its temperature.
When you sell food, the visual aspect is very important, so I was somewhat concerned about that cheese melting in the oven and turning dark and crispy around the scones, because, well, they looked too rustic and homey.
It ended up being the main reason these cheese scones were a hit, they had to have those cheesy bits or customers would complain. And as we all know, the customer is always right.
I used to serve one of these cheese scones, warm, with a bowl of soup (pumpkin or leek/potato) and a small green salad.
Other recipes you might like:
Orange Cream Mini Scones
Parmesan Chive Scones
Strawberry Buttermilk Scones
Easy Buttermilk Scones
Mozzarella Pesto Naan Bread
Let me know if you make this recipe! I’d love to hear what you think about it.
Thank you for being here, I appreciate it! Let’s connect via Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest.
Best Double Cheese Scones
- Prep Time: 30
- Cook Time: 25
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 12 tirangles 1x
- Category: Bakery
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: International
Description
This is the ultimate cheese scone! It has two types of cheese in each melty bite.
I spent a few years until I got what I wanted, which was to bite into a pool of melted cheese and a sharp flavor at the same time.
Enter these double cheese scones, so good you’ll want to make them all the time.
Ingredients
- 1 1/3 cup (300g) unsalted butter, cold
- 4 cups (560g) all-purpose flour
- 2 Tbs (30g) sugar
- 2 Tbs baking powder
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 extra large egg
- 1/3 cup sour cream
- 2/3 cup whole milk
- 5 oz (140g) mozzarella cheese, in small cubes
- 5oz (140g) sharp cheddar cheese, in small cubes (I used Fontina before, but cheddar is SO much tastier!)
- 2 Tbs coarsely chopped fresh dill or 2 teaspoons dried or fresh thyme (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375ºF / 190ºC
- Cut cheeses into bite size pieces.
- In a small bowl lightly mix egg, sour cream and milk.
- In the bowl of a food processor, mix flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Add cold butter, cut into cubes and pulse until you have a coarse mixture, the butter the size of peas.
- Transfer to a large bowl, add wet ingredients and mix with a fork until you have a shaggy mass with some dry patches. Add cheeses and dill and mix some more but just to combine.
- Dump onto a lightly floured counter, and form into a rough rectangle. It doesn’t matter if it’s very irregular and has a dry bit here and there.
- Cut scones into triangles with a kitchen knife or dough scraper, or use a round cookie cutter (dip it in flour and make one clean press down, don’t rotate it left and right when cutting, as it will prevent the scones from rising properly).
- Transfer to a greased baking pan or lined with parchment paper.
- Bake for about 25 to 30 minutes, until golden, dry and cheese has melted and crusted.
- Cool for 5 minutes and eat warm.
- Store leftovers in the fridge, wrapped in foil. Rewarm for 5 or 10 minutes before eating.
- You can freeze the unbaked scones for 1 month, wrapped in foil. Bake the frozen as directed above.
Notes
- Cheeses: what makes these scones different - and in my opinion better - are the two kinds of cheese (image above). One has to melt really well (I use mozzarella, the pizza type which melts like a charm) and the other has to have a sharp flavor (I use Cheddar, but Fontina works well too). They each do their thing adding a much-needed kick and a melty bite.
- Baking powder: it is essential when making scones. Otherwise, they won't rise and you will have hockey pucks rather than fluffy scones. Trust me, I've been there. Make sure it works, that is, that is fresh and not three years old.
- Herbs: I love how dill and thyme work with the cheeses. But you can certainly use another herb. Chives will work also.
Top tips:
- The first rule of scone baking is very cold ingredients. I’m not kidding when I say frozen butter, at least very cold. And don’t take the cream half an hour before you start mixing the scones. Butter, cream, milk, they belong in the fridge until you need to scatter and pour them.
- The second rule is not to overwork the dough. It should come together but still have floury patches. You don’t need to work it until it’s smooth, like a pie dough for instance. It is an uneven dough, with a dry spot here and there, and that’s good for flakiness later.
- The third rule is to pop them in the freezer for 15 minutes after shaping them and before baking them. That ensures that they bake and rise as much as they can.
- The fourth rule is a rather high oven. They need that extra heat (and baking powder) to rise however they can in spite of all that butter and cream. And if by any chance you forgot to turn the oven on before you start with the mixing, please don’t leave the baking sheet with the cut scones waiting on the counter. Put them in the fridge or freezer the ten or fifteen minutes it takes for the oven to reach its temperature.
Keywords: cheese scones
Very adapted from The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook, by Ina Garten
Hi Paula
These cheese scones look so delicious. Thanks for sharing the recipe and tips!
May I know what is the the measurement (in grams) if I am use buttermilk in replacement of sour cream and milk?
Hi Ida, use 1 scant cup of buttermilk.
That cheese oozing out of the scones, oh goodness! It's making me so hungry! love the savory version.
★★★★★
Oh wow that cheese pull is incredible! I haven’t had a cheese scone in ages but now I’m definitely craving them! These scones look outstanding (and so cheesy!).
★★★★★
I've never made a a savory scone! Just sweet ones.Can't wait to try these. Thanks!
★★★★★
Have never tried cheese scones and these looks delicious! The dill adds a nice touch as well.
My husband will definitely LOVE this recipe. He loves cheese and these scones look just delicious. Will pin the recipe and try making it soon, will let you know how it turns 🙂
★★★★★
I love making scones but don't make a savory version very often. This recipe sounds delicious so I'm going to have to give it a try!
Forget cornbread with stews or chili, these cheese scones are the perfect pairing for both!
★★★★★
Oh this is soooo yum! I would never say no to a warm scone straight out of oven! Even better if there is cheese involved too! That pull-apart shot, with cheese stretch literally made me drool!
★★★★★
love how simple the ingredients are! Can't wait to try these!!!
Yum! This is cheese scone recipe is making me drool! It's definitely unique and I love the idea that it has two types of cheese in each biscuit. I can't wait to try this.
★★★★★
I just make scones this week. They are always a hit. I love ALL of them. Sweet or savoury...I will never pass up a warm scone right out of the oven.
★★★★★
I bake scones at my summer job, and I feel like this summer I may have to up my game a bit. I mean plain scones are fantastic, but we have our own dairy there so it just feels like we totally should make cheese scones! Thank you for the recipe!
★★★★★
OMG just wanted to say that I made these many times and they are to die for!! So delicious! I freeze them and can eat a whole pan just as they come out of the oven. Your recipes are great Paula!
★★★★★
Oh, thanks so much! Glad you like them. They are my favorite also.
I love cheese scones, the addition of dill sounds perfect.
WOW! These are such beautiful scones, Paula. Super high, fluffy, crispy, cheesy. I've only made scones a few times and I've never been happy with how they turned out. Your words always paint such lovely photos for me, Paula. Everytime I read your posts, I feel like I'm right there, in the situation, living it with you. Now if only I were because I'd kill for one of these right now!
Paula, esta es la receta de scones que de seguro mi esposo y mi hijo estaban esperando que les haga, es que salado bien definido y con queso, será de todas maneras su favorito
Si Nydia, completamente distinto de los dulces. Avisame si los hacés!
Your pictures are beautiful, but you describe them so vividly, I'd be craving one even without the pictures!
Did I read correctly? You're a book jacket hater, too? I HATE them. I immediately take them off all cookbooks (and other books) and recycle them. I'd much rather just see the plain-colored binding 🙂
And totally agree about Ina's recipes. I've never had one of her recipes turn out poorly. They're always great. But many of them are just TOO MUCH of everything. I love this streamlined scone that you made. I would love to have one of these to dunk into a bowl of soup!
I should recycle them too!
I love any scone that has cheese oozing out the sides! Awesome!