Bacon Cheddar Cheese Scones

These savory Bacon and Cheddar Cheese Scones are buttery and moist with a tender crumb and slightly crunchy exterior. They are bursting with flavor and perfect for any special occasion breakfast or brunch!

Y’all know I LOVE breakfast and brunch.  I’ll take an omelet and waffles any time of the day.  That’s why I am so excited to share these savory bacon and cheddar cheese scones with you today!

Some people don’t love scones because they CAN be dry and bland.  However, these scones are anything but dry and bland!  They are buttery and moist with a tender crumb and slightly crunchy exterior.  They are also BURSTING with flavor!  Applewood smoked bacon and cheddar cheese are the stars of the show, with a hint of green onion and ground black pepper.

This recipe comes from one of my all-time favorite cookbooks, The Pastry Queen cookbook by Rebecca Rather.  I’ve adapted and shared some of her recipes on here before (like these Honey Roasted Peanut Butter Cookies), and they are all SO great.  All of her recipes are a fun twist on down-home, unpretentious recipes…  My favorite kind!

Before you get started, I want to share some tips to ensure you get a buttery and tender crumb instead of a hard, dry texture:

• Use cold butter.  This is one of the rare recipes where you don’t have to wait for your butter to come to room temperature… Yay!  Using cold butter will ensure a buttery, tender texture.  P.S. If you are looking to get your butter to room temperature fast for another recipe, I recently shared my favorite tip on my Instagram story highlights under “Tips”.
• Mix by hand. If you use an electric mixer here, you will over-work your dough, resulting in a hard, dry texture.  I like to use a pastry cutter to cut the butter into the dry ingredients, then use a wood spoon or spatula to mix the rest of the ingredients.
• Chill out.  You want to keep your dough as cold as you possible to (again) avoid a rough dry texture.  If you notice the butter becoming greasy, or the dough becomes too pliable, pop it in the fridge for 10 minutes then take it out and resume making your scones.
• Serve warm & fresh  Scones are really best fresh out of the oven.  You can store your shaped, unbaked scones in the refrigerator overnight- make sure they are well covered- then pop them in the oven the next morning!

These savory scones would be the perfect addition to any special occasion breakfast or brunch you host!

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Bacon Cheddar Cheese Scones

These savory Bacon and Cheddar Cheese Scones are buttery and moist with a tender crumb and slightly crunchy exterior. They are bursting with flavor and perfect for any special occasion breakfast or brunch!

Course Breakfast, brunch

Cuisine American

Keyword Brunch recipe, Savory scone recipe

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 50 minutes

Servings 8 -10 scones

Ingredients

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup 1 stick chilled unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
• 1 1/2 grated Cheddar cheese
• 4 green onions thinly chopped
• 10 slices applewood smoked bacon or regular bacon, cooked and chopped into 1/2 inch slices
• 3/4 to 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
• 1 large egg
• 2 tablespoons water

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Combine and whisk flour, baking powder, salt, and black pepper in a large bowl.
3. Gradually add the small cubes of chilled butter, cutting them into the dry ingredients with a pastry cutter until mixture is crumbly and resembles the size of small peas.
4. Add the grated cheese, onions, and bacon and mix until just blended.
5. Add 3/4 cup buttermilk and stir gently until all ingredients are incorporated. If the dough is too dry to hold together, use the remaining buttermilk, one tablespoon at a time until the dough is pliable and can be formed into a ball. Stir as lightly as possible to ensure a light-textured scone.
6. Remove the dough from the bowl and place on a lightly floured surface, and pat the dough into a ball.
7. Using a floured rolling pin, flatten the dough into a circle, about 8 inches wide and 1/2 inch thick.
8. Cut the dough into 8 to 10 equal wedges and place on an ungreased baking sheet.
9. Whisk the egg and water in a small bowl. Using a pastry brush, brush each scone with the egg wash.
10. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown and no longer sticky on top.
11. Best served warm out of the oven. (Note: You can make the dough the night before and place covered and unbaked scones in refrigerator overnight.)

Recipe Notes

Recipe from The Pastry Queen cookbook by Rebecca Rather.