Light and Fluffy Cheese Scones

These Light and Fluffy Cheese Scones are super flaky, loaded up with sharp cheddar cheese, and make the perfect breakfast or brunch!

Course Breakfast, Brunch

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 22

Total Time 35

Servings servings

Calories 366kcal

Author Kelly Nash

Cost $5

Equipment

Ingredients

2½ cups all-purpose flour spooned and leveled
1 tbsp baking powder
2 tsp granulated sugar
¾ tsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper
½ cup unsalted butter cold and grated or cubed
1½ cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese plus extra for topping (optional)
¾ cup whole milk
1 large egg
1 tbsp milk or cream for egg wash
1 large egg yolk for egg wash
flaky sea salt optional

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Grate the frozen butter using a box grater, or cut it into cubes. Place grated butter back in the freezer while you prep the dry ingredients.
Whisk flour, baking powder, sugar, garlic powder, salt, and pepper together in a large bowl. Stir in the shredded cheese.
Add the frozen butter to the dry ingredients and combine using a pastry cutter, two forks, or just your hands, mixing until you get pea-sized crumbles. Place this into the fridge or freezer while you mix the wet ingredients.
Whisk together the milk and egg. Pour into the flour/butter mixture and mix until the dough starts to come together. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface, and knead with floured hands just a few times to get the crumbs to stick. The dough should be sticky, but if it's too sticky, add a tbsp or two of flour.
Shape the dough into an even disc, about 8 inches around. Cut the dough into 8 even triangles using a sharp knife or bench scraper, and place them spread out on the lined baking sheet.
Put the baking sheet into the fridge for 15-20 minutes. Preheat the oven to 400°F while the scones are chilling.
Make the egg wash by mixing together the egg yolk and 1 tbsp of milk. Before placing the scones in the oven, brush them lightly with the egg wash and sprinkle them with extra shredded cheese and flaky sea salt (optional).
Bake for 22–25 minutes or until golden brown around the edges and lightly browned on top. Remove from the oven and let them cool for a few minutes on the baking sheets before enjoying.

Notes

Storing & Freezing
These cheese scones are best eaten on the day of baking. You can store them in an airtight container for up to 3 days, or they can be frozen for up to 1 month.
If you want to make these ahead of time, I suggest making the scones up to step 5 when you’re cutting them into triangles. Place in a freezer-safe container for up to 2 months. Let them sit out to defrost until they come to room temperature and then bake.
Grate frozen butter - I find this to be the easiest way to incorporate the butter into the scone mixture. The frozen grated butter mixes in so easily!
Chilling the scones - make sure you chill the scones for 15-20 minutes before baking as you want the butter to be cold. This will help the scones keep their shape as they’re baking and allow the cold butter to create steam, giving us tall and fluffy cheese scones.