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With a crisp cheesy topping and a kick of spice, these Gluten Free Chilli Cheese Scones are the perfect savoury bake! Serve them warm with butter for a gluten free afternoon tea or alongside your favourite soup.
As a Devon girl, gluten free scones will always have a place in my heart. But I much prefer a savoury version!
Believe it or not, you don’t need gluten to make the most amazing, soft, delicious gluten free cheese and chilli scones.
These easy chilli cheese scones only need a few simple ingredients and can be whipped up and in the oven in less than 10 minutes.
This recipe is an adaptation of my popular gluten free cheese scones. But these are made in the American-style wedge shape and packed with a chilli kick.
So whether you’re creating a gluten free afternoon tea or want a savoury bake in lieu of traditional gluten free bread, I’ve got you covered.
These cheese scones have the addition of both fresh chilli paste for colour and a sprinkle of cayenne, giving them a kick without being overly hot.
Chilli Cheese Scones Ingredients
There’s a printable recipe card below with the ingredients and quantities. But here I’ll list what you’ll need for the shopping list.
- Self Raising Gluten Free Flour – I use the FREEE self-raising gluten free flour or the Juvela white mix. If you don’t have self raising flour, don’t worry! Make your own by using the same amount of plain or all purpose gluten free flour and adding 1 tsp baking powder per 100g of flour.
- Baking Powder – We want these scones to be super light to you’ll need some additional baking powder. Make sure you choose a gluten free baking powder as some contain wheat or have ‘may contain’ warnings.
- Xanthan Gum – A little goes a long way with xanthan gum but it is essential in gluten free bakes. It helps to replicate the texture of the gluten. Without it your scones will be very crumbly!
- Unsalted Butter – I always have unsalted butter on hand so I tend to use this but add a pinch of salt to the mix. If you only have salted butter this will work – just omit the extra salt in the recipe. And make sure your butter is cold!
- Mature Cheddar cheese – The stronger the cheese, the stronger the flavour. I recommend a mature or extra mature Cheddar cheese for this. But other strong flavours like gruyere will work too.
- Cayenne Pepper – You only need a little bit of cayenne pepper to add some spice to these scones. Feel free to add extra for heat or omit this if you don’t want them too spicy.
- Chilli Paste – Using fresh chilli paste from a jar or tube not only adds a lovely heat, it also makes these scones a beautiful colour. You’ll have little flecks of red throughout the bake which just looks delightful.
- Egg – I use one, large UK egg for this recipe. I find gluten free scones need extra moisture so an egg really helps get that lovely, soft texture.
- Milk – This is both added to the scones and brushed on top for a golden top. Full fat, semi-skimmed or skimmed milk are all fine.
Chilli Cheese Scones Frequently Asked Questions
Hopefully the recipe card below will make it super clear how to make these scones, but I’ll answer some common questions here first.
Are chilli cheese scones gluten free?
Usually scones are made with wheat flour so are not gluten free or suitable for people with coeliac disease.
However, as with all my recipes, these chilli cheese scones are 100% gluten free.
They are made using gluten free flour and completely safe for anyone with coeliac disease to eat and enjoy.
Are these scones dairy free / vegan?
This recipe does contain dairy and egg, but you could make it dairy free with some simple substitutions.
Simply use a dairy free cheese and dairy free milk, plus a vegan butter alternative, and the scones will be dairy free too.
I haven’t got a recommended egg replacement to make this recipe vegan but if you try anything that works, leave a comment below and let me know!
Should scones be round or triangle?
You may have noticed my other scones recipes are round in shape, while these chilli cheese scones are cut into wedges.
There’s no right or wrong way and personally, I like to mix it up each time!
Traditionally British scones are cut into circles, while American scones are cut into triangles.
I find these wedge-shape scones much easier. There’s not re-rolling and shaping the dough, then cut it into wedges.
But if you’d rather make round-shaped scones, this recipe works for that too!
How do I store these gluten free scones?
These gluten free scones are best eaten fresh and warm from the oven, as with many gluten free bakes.
If you need to make them in advance, let them cool completely and store in an airtight container for 3-5 days.
Before serving, refresh them in the oven or microwave until warm.
Can I freeze gluten free scones?
Yes – you can freeze these gluten free chilli cheese scones!
Simply cool them, then freeze in a bag or tub, placing some small pieces of baking paper between them so they don’t stick together.
Defrost at room temperature and then refresh in a warm oven or microwave before serving.
What do you eat chilli cheese scones with?
These easy gluten free scones are super versatile and there are lots of ways to enjoy them.
I love to serve these chilli cheese scones alongside my favourite soups, such as my sweet potato, chilli and coconut soup or my pea and ham soup.
They’re lovely slathered in butter and you can dip them in to scoop up the soupy goodness!
I also serve them up with butter, cheese and chutneys are part of a savoury gluten free afternoon tea.
They make a lovely alternative to a traditional plain scone with cream and jam.
And of course, these cheesy scones are great ideas for lunchboxes and picnics too!
My chilli cheese scones recipe
This recipe makes enough for eight gluten free chilli cheese scones, cut into wedges.
If you prefer you can use a round cutter instead and you may get between 10-12 scones, depending on the size of your cutter.
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!
Gluten Free Chilli Cheese Scones
These delicious gluten free cheese scones with chilli are perfect for a savoury afternoon tea or for having with soup. I love them served warm and slathered in butter!
Ingredients
- 300 g self-raising gluten free flour
- 1.5 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp xanthan gum
- Pinch of salt
- 50 g unsalted butter (cut into cubes)
- 150 g Mature Cheddar cheese, (grated)
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp chilli paste
- 1 large egg
- 100 ml semi-skimmed milk, (plus extra for brushing)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200'C / Fan 180C / Gas Mark 6 and line a baking tray with a sheet of baking paper.
- Mix the GF flour, baking powder, cayenne pepper and xanthan gum. Add the butter and using your fingers, rub the mix together until it resembles breadcrumbs.
- Beat the milk and egg together and then add to the flour mix. Add the chilli paste and 100g of cheese 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 onto the floured surface.
- 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 approx 2-inches thick. Cut into 8 wedges.
- Place the wedges on the lined baking tray, brush with milk and sprinkle with the leftover cheese. Bake for 15 mins until golden - best served warm (NOT hot!).
Notes
- These gluten free scones are best eaten warm from the oven. Always allow them to cool for at least 10-15 minutes before eating - you want them warm, NOT hot.
- Any leftovers can be refreshed in the oven before eating. You can also freeze them - deforst at room temperature and then warm before eating.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
8Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 274Total Fat: 13gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 56mgSodium: 249mgCarbohydrates: 30gFiber: 1gSugar: 1gProtein: 9g
NEED MORE GLUTEN FREE Baking RECIPES?
Here are some more gluten free baking recipes you can try out once you’ve made this gluten free Chilli Cheese Scones recipe:
- Gluten Free Cheese Scones
- Plain or Fruit Gluten Free Scones
- Gluten Free Shortcrust Pastry
- Gluten Free Puff Pastry
- Easy Gluten Free White Bread
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.
If you have any recipe suggestions, please let me know in the comments below what you’d like to see next!
LIKE THIS GLUTEN FREE CHILLI CHEESE SCONES RECIPE?
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Hi Would you have a recipe for g/f yeast free brown bread
Really mix homemade brown bread
In France I can’t get g-f self-raising flour. How much extra baking powder or xanthan gum should I add to get the right balance?