Gluten Free Cheese Scones

If you love scones but prefer a savoury treat, you're going to love these gluten free cheese scones!

Savoury scones are massively underrated thanks to their cream-and-jam-topped counterparts.

I actually much prefer a gluten free cheese scone, still warm from the oven, and slathered with melting butter.

My mouth is watering just typing that!

This gluten free cheese scones recipe is perfect to make for a savoury cream tea, or just if you fancy a snack or light lunch.

I love them topped with butter but you can also have them with gluten free chutney, or even with some cream cheese on top. Honestly, the list is endless.

If you fancy a sweet treat for afters, why not make my plain gluten free scones recipe too?

Savoury gluten free scones

If you're new to gluten free baking then these scones are a great place to start.

So what makes these scones so delicious? For starters, they're packed with mature Cheddar, giving them a deliciously cheesy flavour.

Second, they have a cheeky bit of a wholegrain mustard in them too.

I love the flecked appearance it gives these scones, plus it adds a lovely depth of flavour.

My favourite part though? The crispy cheese topping!

Making cheese scones gluten free is very simple and you only need a few basic ingredients to do so.

Ingredients

There's a full printable recipe card with the ingredients below, but for the shopping list here are some of the main ingredients you'll need:

• Self-Raising Gluten Free Flour - I tend to use the FREEE or Asda flours you can find in the free from aisle in most UK supermarkets. If you don't have self-raising flour you'll need to use a plain or all purpose gluten free flour blend with 3 tsp baking powder - plus the extra baking powder in the recipe.
• Unsalted Butter - This recipe works best if the butter is cold as it will be easier to rub it into the flour mix without it melting on your hands.
• Mature Cheddar Cheese - I always like to use a strong Cheddar to ensure you get a lovely cheesy flavour. You could use a milder cheese or even use something like Stilton for twist on this recipe if you like.
• Xantham Gum - Even if your flour already has xantham gum in I recommend still adding this as it really helps with the texture in gluten free baking. If your flour mix does not contain this already, you can add ¾ of a teaspoon instead.
• Wholegrain Mustard - This is optional and can easily be removed if you don't like or can't eat mustard. However I think it adds a lovely texture and flecked appearance to the scones.

This recipe also uses milk and eggs - I haven't tried to make a dairy free or vegan version of these cheese scones before.

However for dairy free scones you could use a vegan cheese, a harder vegan margarine and a dairy free milk instead.

Don't forget the full list and quantities is in the recipe card below.

How to make gluten free cheese scones

These gluten free cheese scones are definitely best when served warm from the oven.

You could microwave them for 10 seconds if you're eating them a few hours or days after baking.

This will freshen them up a little, plus I love a warm scone!

But for the best results, bake them right before serving and let them cool for 10 minutes before serving them up warm. The smell alone will be worth it!

So how do you make the perfect gluten free cheese scone? It's easy.

Firstly, you don't want to over-work the mixture.

When you bring the wet and dry ingredients together with a spoon, stop once you've got a dough formed.

Only knead it a couple of times before flattening and remember, scones look better when they're a bit rustic!

A smooth scone is never as appealing - they look great when they are a bit rough around the edges.

My gluten free cheese scones recipe

So without waiting any longer, here's my gluten free cheese scone recipe for you to try at home!

This recipe is really easy to make, and you can have freshly-baked scones ready to eat in just half an hour.

Make them just before serving for the best results - though they will keep for a couple of days.

You can also freeze them, and if you want them super fresh, just microwave them for 10 seconds before serving.

If you make this recipe and love it, please do let me know by tagging me on my Instagram or using #theglutenfreeblogger. I love seeing your bakes!

And please do also leave a review to let others know you loved it too! It would mean the world to me to get those 5 stars. 

Continue to Content

Gluten free cheese scones

Yield: 12 scones

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

These gluten free cheese scones are really easy to make and ready in less than half-an-hour. Perfect for a savoury cream tea.

Print

Ingredients

• 300 g self-raising gluten free flour, (plus extra for dusting)
• 50 g unsalted butter, (cut into cubes)
• 100 g Cheddar cheese, (grated)
• 1 large egg
• 100 ml semi-skimmed milk, (plus extra for brushing)
• 1.5 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp xanthan gum
• 1 heaped tsp wholegrain mustard, (optional)
• Salt and pepper, (to taste)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 200'C / Fan 180C / Gas Mark 6 and line a baking tray with a sheet of baking paper. Set aside while you make the scone mix.
2. Add the butter to a large mixing bowl and sift in the gluten free flour, baking powder and xantham gum, plus a good sprinkle of salt and pepper. Using your fingers, rub the mix together until it resembles breadcrumbs.
3. Add the milk to a jug and then crack in an egg and beat lightly until combined. Pour into the flour mix. Add the mustard, and the cheese (reserve a small handful for topping) and use a wooden spoon to bring the mix together. As soon as it comes together as a dough, lightly flour the worktop and turn it out.
4. Knead the dough a couple of times to bring it together (you don't want to over-knead) then use your hands to bring the dough into a circle. Flatten using your hands (or a rolling pin) to approx 3cm thick. Using a 5cm fluted cutter, cut out 12 circles from the dough. When you run out, just roughly bring the leftovers together and flatten again - don't keep kneading in between, it doesn't matter if they're a bit rustic!
5. Place the circles on the lined baking tray with a 2cm gap between them. Brush each scone with a little milk and then sprinkle with a little grated cheese. Bake in the oven for 12-15 minutes, until golden on top. Cool on a rack before serving. These are best served fresh and warm, approx 5-10 minutes after removing from the oven.

Notes

The scones will keep for 2-3 days in an airtight container. If not eating fresh from the oven, I recommend giving them a 10-second blast in the microwave before serving. These can also be frozen.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 12 Serving Size: 12 scones
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 162Carbohydrates: 20.7gProtein: 3.9g

Need some more gluten free baking inspiration?

Want to have a go at some of the other gluten free baking recipes on the blog?

Give some of these other gluten free recipes a try! There are plenty to choose from – here are a couple to get you going:

• Gluten free plain scones recipe
• Gluten free brie and asparagus quiche recipe
• My easy gluten free mug cake trio

If you do make this recipe please let me know! I’d love to see your photos using #theglutenfreeblogger, share them in my Facebook group or tag me on Instagram. 

And if you have any recipe suggestions, please let me know in the comments what you’d like to see next!

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Like this recipe? Make sure you pin this recipe card below for late

Like this Gluten Free Cheese Scones recipe?

Make sure you pin these recipe cards below for later! 

Do head over and follow me on Pinterest too for more gluten free recipe inspiration.