These gluten-free cheese scones are fluffy and packed with cheddar flavour! Topped with a savoury chive butter, they are the perfect breakfast, snack, or side dish.
These Gluten-Free Cheese Scones are the perfect combination of cheddar cheese, butter, a little garlic, and some fresh chives. They are perfectly fluffy while delivering intense savoury flavours.
Enjoy for breakfast, a snack, dipped in some cozy soup, or on-the-go! These homemade gluten-free cheese scones will blow away anything you've ever bought or made before. They have a perfect scone texture with defined layers, and are filled with delicious savoury cheese flavours.
With just 15 minutes of hands-on time, you can have delicious scones, perfect for a cool day. Want to learn how you can make homemade gluten-free cheese scones? Keep on reading!
Looking for more gluten-free snacks? Check these out:
- Gluten-Free & Vegan Focaccia Bread
- Gluten-Free Pizza Pockets
- Gluten-Free & Dairy-Free Banana Bread
- Air Fryer Zucchini Fries
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Quick to make. Just 15 minutes of hands-on time can prepare you delicious cheese scones.
- Bakery quality at home. No need to spend $6 a pop when you make them at home! Great ingredients and a little love make the best cheese scone.
- Freezes well for later. See below for storage and freezing instructions. These scones are great to keep on hand for snacks.
Ingredients Needed
Here is everything you'll need to make these gluten-free cheese scones:
- Gluten-free all-purpose flour with xanthan gum: I use Bob's Red Mill 1:1 Baking Flour (blue bag).
- Baking powder: For rise and a fluffy texture!
- Salt: Gives the scones a great flavour.
- Garlic powder: Compliments the cheese flavour very well.
- Mustard powder: Emphasizes the cheese flavour. Optional but recommended.
- Cayenne: A little heat adds a lot of flavour to these scones. Optional but recommended.
- Salted butter: If you use unsalted, add an additional ¼ teaspoon salt to the scones. Ensure your butter is cold and cubed. Use a bit of additional butter to brush on top of the baked scones.
- Shredded old cheddar: There's a lot of cheese in this recipe. Be sure to use an old orange cheddar (not pre-shredded!), as it will lend the most flavour to these scones. Use lactose-free if required.
- Milk: Used both in the scones and as a little brushed on top before baking. Use lactose-free if required.
- Eggs: For binding and rise.
- Chives: Fresh chives go so well with the strong cheddar flavour of these scones. Brush baked scones with butter and sprinkle with chives for additional (optional) yummy flavour.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Be sure to read the recipe card below for the full ingredient list and instructions.
(Prep) Begin by preheating the oven to 400°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
(1) In a large bowl, combine the gluten-free flour, baking powder, salt, garlic powder, mustard powder, and cayenne. Lightly stir together with a fork.
(2) Place the cold butter cubes in the bowl of dry ingredients. Toss to coat them in flour, then use your hands or a pastry cutter to break apart the butter pieces and blend them into the flour. Keep cutting the butter into the flour until the pieces are small and the mixture looks like sand. Work quick to avoid the butter melting.
(3) Next, add the shredded cheddar to the mixture and stir around with a fork to ensure it's evenly incorporated.
(4) & (5) In a separate small bowl, beat together the eggs and milk. Pour into the large bowl. Begin to mix together with a fork or wooden spoon.
(6) Once the wet ingredients are mostly incorporated, turn the dough out onto the counter. Use your hands to bring the dough together and form a disk approximately 8" in diameter and ¾" thick. Cut into 8 slices and transfer them individually to the parchment-lined baking sheet.
(7) Brush the tops of the scones with milk to help with browning and bake for 16-17 minutes until firm.
(8) & (9) Once removed from the oven, immediately brush the tops with butter and sprinkle with some cut chives. Optional but recommended.
Allow to cool for at least 10 minutes before enjoying, or allow to cool completely. Enjoy!
How to Serve
There are so many ways to enjoy these gluten-free cheese scones. Here are some suggestions:
- Eat for breakfast.
- Bring on the go with you as a snack.
- Dip in some chili or hot soup.
- Enjoy on their own.
Storage & Freezing Instructions
Storage Instructions: Gluten-free cheese scones can be kept in a closed container at room temperature for 3-4 days. Eat as is or pop in the microwave for 30 seconds /air fryer for 2-3 minutes at 350ºF.
Freezing Instructions: Once completely cooled, cheese scones can also be frozen in a closed container for 1-2 months. To reheat, microwave for about 1 minute, or more as needed. You could also place scones in the air fryer at 350ºF for 3-5 minutes, or in the oven for 5-7 minutes.
Substitutions & Customizations
While this gluten-free cheese scone recipe is crafted with optimal flavour pairings, there are a few areas in which you have the ability to make it your own! Here are some suggestions:
- Add herbs. Put the chives in the scone dough, or use fresh/dried dill for more flavour.
- Add spice. Add more cayenne and a pinch of red pepper flakes for some heat.
- Change the shape. Shape dough into balls instead of slices for a more biscuit-style shape. Cooking time may vary depending on the size.
- Use lactose-free products. I like to use lactose-free milk and cheese for optimal digestion. You can also use lactose-free butter, although the lactose level in butter is naturally very small.
Expert Tips
- Pre-cube the butter and shred the cheese. Cube the butter and shred the cheese before preparing scones. Place in the fridge until you are ready to make the dough so that they can stay as cold as possible.
- Don't let the butter get too warm. See point number 1. Cold butter = flakey, fluffy scones = delicious snack with no mess. Warm butter may cause the scones to leak and not shape properly.
- Brush with butter and chives while hot. This will allow the butter to melt right into the scones and help the chives stick on top.
- Enjoy warm or at room temperature. Fresh from the oven or cooled.
- Freeze to enjoy later. If you can't eat all 8 of these scones within about 4 days (which I'm sure you can 😉), place them in an airtight container in the freezer to enjoy later. See the freezer section above for defrosting instructions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Cheese, milk, butter, and eggs are all integral parts of this scone recipe. While you may try a dairy-free version using dairy-free cheese, milk, and butter, the eggs are very important in achieving the proper texture, binding, and rise.
If it is quite warm in your kitchen or the butter sits out too long, the dough may become slightly sticky when forming the scones. You could try dusting your hands with some additional flour to bring the dough together, or I would recommend refrigerating the scone dough for 10-15 minutes before proceeding onto the next recipe step.
I recommend using an old orange cheddar cheese because it has the strongest cheese flavour out of the types I tried. I would avoid white cheddar or marble cheese unless you want a more mild cheese flavour.
And there you have a delicious gluten-free snack, appetizer, side—you name it! These gluten-free cheese scones are the epitome of savoury. Perfect to share with your family and friends!
Have you made these gluten-free cheese scones? I'd very much appreciate it if you leave a comment below and tag me on instagram @livglutenfree!
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Recipe
Gluten-Free Cheese Scones
Ingredients
- 2¼ cups gluten-free all-purpose flour with xanthan gum I use Bob's Red Mill 1:1 Baking Flour
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon mustard powder optional but recommended
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne optional but recommended
- ½ cup salted butter cold and cubed
- 1½ cups shredded old cheddar (orange) use lactose-free if required
- ½ cup milk use lactose-free if required
- 2 eggs
- fresh chives, to top optional
Instructions
- Begin by preheating the oven to 400°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, combine the gluten-free flour, baking powder, salt, garlic powder, mustard powder, and cayenne. Lightly stir together with a fork.
- Place the cold butter cubes in the bowl of dry ingredients. Toss to coat them in flour, then use your hands or a pastry cutter to break apart the butter pieces and blend them into the flour. Keep cutting the butter into the flour until the pieces are small and the mixture looks like sand. Work quick to avoid the butter melting.
- Next, add the shredded cheddar to the mixture and stir around with a fork to ensure it's evenly incorporated.
- In a separate small bowl, beat together the eggs and milk. Pour into the large bowl. Begin to mix together with a fork or wooden spoon. Once the wet ingredients are mostly incorporated, turn the dough out onto the counter. Use your hands to bring the dough together and form a disk approximately 8" in diameter and ¾" thick. Cut into 8 slices and transfer them individually to the parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Brush the tops of the scones with milk to help with browning and bake for 16-17 minutes until firm. Once removed from the oven, immediately brush the tops with butter and sprinkle with some cut chives. Optional but recommended.
- Allow to cool for at least 10 minutes before enjoying, or allow to cool completely. Enjoy!
Lexi says
these are delish!!! I’ve made these twice so far, and made a trip to the store just so I could buy milk to make these (we never keep milk in the house usually lol). I even brought some to my non-gluten free cousin and she LOVED them and asked for the recipe and said they tasted like red lobster cheddar biscuits. 10/10 will make again!
Olivia Parsons says
Thank you so much for this kind review Lexi. I'm so glad you and your family enjoy these scones—they're one of my favourites too!
Heather says
These are absolutely the best gluten free cheese scones I've ever made! I have made soooooo many over the years and these are excellent. I'm so glad I found your site! Thanks
Olivia Parsons says
So glad to have you here Heather! I love these cheese scones too. Enjoy!