Savory Bacon Cheddar Chive Scones
Easy Savory Bacon Cheddar Chive Scones — tall, flaky, deeply golden scones with crispy bacon, sharp cheddar melted through every layer, and fresh chives throughout, made with cold grated butter and cold buttermilk and baked until the cheddar crust is golden and bubbly. Breakfast ready in 45 minutes.
Equipment
- large mixing bowl
- Box grater (for butter and cheese)
- parchment-lined baking sheet
- Biscuit cutter or bench scraper
- Pastry brush
Ingredients
Scone Dough
- 2.5 cups all-purpose flour spooned and leveled
- 1 tbsp baking powder fresh — check expiration
- 0.25 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 0.25 tsp black pepper
- 0.5 cup unsalted butter, frozen 1 stick — grated on large holes of box grater
- 0.75 cup cold full-fat buttermilk straight from refrigerator
- 1 large egg
Mix-Ins
- 6 strips bacon, cooked until shatteringly crispy and crumbled reserve 1 tbsp bacon fat
- 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, freshly shredded from a block — reserve 2 tbsp for pressing onto tops
- 3 tbsp fresh chives, finely snipped
Topping
- 2 tbsp buttermilk or reserved bacon fat for brushing tops before baking
- 2 tbsp sharp cheddar, shredded reserved from above — pressed onto tops before baking
Instructions
- Cook bacon until shatteringly crispy. Drain on paper towels and reserve 1 tablespoon of bacon fat. Let cool completely, then crumble finely.
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and pepper in a large bowl.
- Grate frozen butter on the large holes of a box grater directly into the flour. Toss quickly with a fork to coat butter pieces in flour.
- Add shredded cheddar (reserving 2 tablespoons), crumbled bacon, and chives. Toss briefly.
- Whisk together cold buttermilk, egg, and 1 tablespoon reserved bacon fat. Pour into the flour mixture and mix gently with a fork just until a shaggy dough forms — do not overmix.
- Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface. Gently pat to 1-inch thickness. Cut into 8 triangles or rounds, pressing straight down without twisting.
- Place on parchment-lined baking sheet 2 inches apart. Press reserved cheddar into each top. Brush with buttermilk or bacon fat. Refrigerate 15 minutes.
- Bake 18 to 22 minutes until deeply golden and cheese on top is bubbly and lightly browned. Rest 5 minutes before serving warm.
Notes
Keep everything cold — frozen butter is the key to flaky layers. Grate butter directly from frozen using a box grater. Cook bacon until shatteringly crispy and drain completely — soggy bacon makes wet dough. Let bacon cool fully before adding. Reserve 1 tablespoon bacon fat for the buttermilk mixture and extra for brushing the tops. Pat to a full 1-inch thickness. Press straight down with biscuit cutter without twisting. Press reserved cheddar into the tops. Chill shaped scones 15 minutes before baking. Freeze unbaked shaped scones for fresh scones any morning — bake from frozen at 400°F for 24 to 26 minutes.