Savory Scones with Gruyere and Chives

Published: Jun 10, 2020 · Modified: Jun 17, 2020 by Marissa Stevens · 28 Comments

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Though I enjoy sweet scones, it's these Savory Scones with Gruyere and Chives that have my heart. They're wonderful alongside fried or scrambled eggs any time of year and an unbeatable companion for a steaming hot bowl of soup when the weather is chilly.

I've been making these ever since lovely Paula of Vintage Kitchen posted her mini scones several years ago. Though I love sweet breakfast foods like Oatmeal Banana Bread, Belgian Waffles, and Banana Oatmeal Pancakes, it's usually savory breakfasts that I crave. And these flaky, crunchy edged, buttery soft centered, savory scones always deliver.

Ingredients You Need to Make Savory Scones

Savory Scones ingredients on a marble board

Butter: start with very cold butter when making these scones for the flakiest scones.
Gruyere cheese: I love to use gruyere, but you have lots of cheese options for this recipe including sharp cheddar and pecorino or parmesan cheese.
Chives: Look for perky, bright green chives. And if you don't have chives on hand, green onions work well.
Egg: I've made these with and without an egg and much prefer the texture with it.
Heavy Cream: like the butter, start with very cold heavy cream.
Flours: You'll need both all-purpose flour and white whole wheat flour for this recipe.
Baking Powder: I use non-aluminum baking powder.
Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper: If you use salted butter, you'll want to reduce the salt by ½ teaspoon. Pepper adds great flavor to these!

The ingredient list above is just a suggestion since this savory scone recipe is infinitely adaptable - jalapeño and sharp cheddar cheese for example, or pecorino with roasted garlic, or a sour cream version with green onions and dill. Try the original first and then get creative making it your own.

What to eat with Savory Scones.

These are just the sort of thing to serve for brunch on a lazy weekend (I like to serve them with Baked Eggs). Or when the days get shorter and the mercury falls, to pair with your favorite soup for a simple dinner. (Vegan Butternut Squash Soup, Tuscan White Bean Soup, Chicken Noodle Soup, Winter Squash Soup would all be excellent choices.)

How to Reheat Frozen Scones

If you're lucky enough to have leftover scones, they freeze beautifully. Let them cool completely and then store in the freezer in a freezer bag or other airtight, freezer-safe container. To reheat, remove from freezer container and place on a cooling rack while your oven heats to 350˚F. Arrange partially thawed scones on a baking sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes until heated through. (You can also bake straight from the freezer, but it will take a couple of extra minutes and you run the risk of cold spots in the center.)

How to Make Savory Scones

Step 1: Add dry ingredients to the bowl of a food processor and pulse to combine. Add cold butter and shredded cheese; pulse until the mixture resembles a coarse meal. Add chives and black pepper; pulse to combine.

savory scone ingredients in food processor

Step 2: Transfer flour mixture to a large bowl. Whisk together heavy cream and egg; drizzle over flour mixture and fold with fork just to combine. Turn dough out onto lightly floured work surface and form into a ball. Divide ball in half and pat each half into a ¾-inch thick circle. Cut each circle into 6 equal wedges.

mixing dough for and shaping and cutting savory scones

Step 3: Arrange wedges, spaced 1-inch apart, onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Brush tops with cream and bake at 400˚F for 20-25 minutes until golden brown. Serve warm or at room temperature.