These flaky, savory Gluten-Free Cheese Scones are packed with flavor and perfect for serving alongside soup, chili, or a cozy fall meal. A blend of cheese, herbs, and soft corn flour creates a light, buttery crumb with a crisp golden crust. You can use your favorite cheese and herbs to make this recipe your own.
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❤️ Sandi’s Summary
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If you’re learning to bake gluten-free, don’t miss my Gluten-Free Scones Guide. It’s full of delicious scone recipes and tips to help you make buttery, tender scones every time. For more savory inspiration, try my Gluten-Free Cheese Biscuits! To try something different, make these fruity Gluten-Free Blueberry Scones.
Allergen Information:
I know many of my readers have a lot of other food allergens they need to avoid. This cheese scones recipe is:
- gluten-free
- nut-free
- oat-free
- soy-free
Ingredient Notes:
For the full list of ingredients and amounts, please go to the recipe card below.
- Gluten Free Flour Blend –
- Baking Powder – Aluminum-free baking powder prevents a metallic aftertaste.
- Butter – Cold, unsalted butter is ideal. Use vegan butter sticks if dairy-free.
- Eggs – I use large eggs to bind the dough and help it rise.
- Cheese – Cheddar
- Herbs – Dried herbs are best for even distribution in baking. Use flavors that pair with your chosen cheese.
- Milk – Any milk works! Use unsweetened plant-based milk if avoiding dairy.
Substitutions and Modifications:
- No binder? If your flour blend doesn’t contain xanthan gum, add 3/4 teaspoon.
- Dairy-free? Use vegan butter and shredded dairy-free cheese like VioLife or Daiya.
- Have fun experimenting with different types of cheese and herb combinations!
Tips For Success
- Make sure your butter is very cold before cutting it into the flour—this creates the flaky layers.
- Grate frozen butter if you don’t have a pastry blender.
- Don’t overwork the dough—it should look crumbly and slightly dry before shaping.
- If you use a biscuit cutter, do not twist it when you cut out the biscuits. Twisting seals the edges, making it more difficult for the biscuit to rise.
Step-By-Step Photos and Directions:
Note From The Kitchen: These savory scones are a great way to add something special to any meal. They freeze beautifully, too, so you can always have some on hand.
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Step 1: Prepare the dry ingredients. Add your dry ingredients to a large bowl.
Step 2: Pour in the wet ingredients. Add the wet ingredients to a medium bowl and whisk to blend. Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients.
Step 3: Cut in the butter. Add very cold butter chunks. Use a pastry blender to cut the butter into the dough. When you are finished, you want your scone mixture to be grainy. If you don’t have a pastry blender, freeze your butter and then shred the butter into the dry ingredients with a cheese grater.
Step 4: Mix the dough. Mix the wet and dry ingredients into a nice scone dough. It will be moist with a crumbly texture, as shown in this picture (until you shape it).
📢 Sandi says: Every gluten-free flour blend has a different starch-to-grain ratio. The brand of gluten-free flour you use will affect the moisture of the batter. If your cake batter is too runny, add more flour, and if it is too thick, add more liquids.
Read Why Gluten-Free Flour Blends Vary to learn more about this.
Step 5: Shape the dough. Shape the savory scone dough on a piece of parchment paper. Press to 1″ thickness and then cut the raw dough into sections. I also press around the edges to make them uniform and not as textured.
👀 Texture Check: The dough should hold together when pressed but still feel slightly crumbly. The baked scones will have golden edges and a soft, cheesy center.
Step 6: Prepare the dough. Use a knife to cut the dough into 8 wedges, as pictured above. This will make your cut lines so much easier to re-cut when the scones are baked! If you prefer, you can cut through the wedge lines and separate the scones for baking. Either way will work great.
Then, lift the parchment paper onto a large baking sheet. You can bake it directly on the parchment paper. This will prevent any sticking.
Step 6: Bake the scones. Bake at 350º F for 20-25 minutes. The actual bake time will vary depending on whether you bake in a circle, scone pan, or drop style. Baking time can also vary by the thickness and size of the scones.
Try them sliced and served with eggs for breakfast or a hearty lunch salad.
Note for Dairy-Free Bakers: Some dairy-free cheeses don’t melt the same as regular cheese, so the scones may be a little firmer in texture. I’ve had good results with VioLife and Miyoko’s brands.
Four Ways to Shape Scones:
You can make your scones in any shape you like!! Here are my three favorite ways to shape scone dough:
- Use a large
cookie scoop to make your scones drop biscuit style. - Make them in wedges like mine.
- Use a biscuit cutter to make round scones. The process is the same as when making biscuits!
- If you like smaller wedge-shaped scones, use a mini scone pan like the one pictured below with maple bacon scone dough. This makes smaller scones perfect for entertaining.
Make Ahead and Freezer Tips:
- Store the scones in an airtight container for up to 3 days. I recommend freezing the scones if you don’t finish them within 2-3 days. Gluten-free tends to spoil quickly. You can freeze the scones once they are cooled in a freezer-safe zipper bag.
- These scones can be made ahead and baked later. You can refrigerate the dough for up to 2 days or freeze the dough for up to 3 months.
- Thaw the dough on the counter for 20 minutes, then bake as directed in the recipe.
- To freeze, let scones cool completely. Wrap each individually in plastic wrap, then store in a freezer-safe bag. Reheat in a toaster oven or microwave before serving.
Frequently Asked Questions:
You can definitely use other cheeses! These are some of our favorite types of cheese to use in a scone recipe: Cheddar, Pepper Jack, mozzarella, and Gouda.
You can definitely use different herbs in this recipe. Consider this gluten free savory scone recipe a base that you can customize. I love to grow herbs in my kitchen window for all sorts of baking and cooking.
More Gluten-Free Scone Recipes:
- These Gluten-Free Chocolate Scones are for chocolate lovers!
- My quick and easy Gluten-Free Buttermilk Scones are great any time!
- This easy scone recipe, Gluten-Free Coconut Pecan Date Scones, is more classic and is filled with sweet dates.
- If you love pumpkin, these Gluten-Free Pumpkin Spice Scones are absolutely delicious!
Love This Recipe?
💬 Did you make this recipe? Drop a comment below, and let me know how it turned out! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Please include which flour blend you used. This will help others know this recipe is delicious. Thank you!
Easy Gluten Free Cheese Scones
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Preheat the oven to 350º F.
- Add 2 1/4 cups gluten-free flour blend, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon dried thyme to a large bowl.
- Add 6 tablespoons unsalted cold butter and cut the butter into the dry ingredients with a pastry blender. The mixture should resemble coarse crumbs.
- In a small bowl, add 3/4 cup regular or non-dairy milk, 6 ounces grated cheese, and 2 eggs. Mix well.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix to form a dough.
- Place a piece of parchment paper on a baking sheet.
- Put dough in middle and press into a circle shape about 1 inch thick.
- Make cut lines 1/4 inch deep in the raw dough.
- Bake the scones for 20-25 minutes until done. After the scones have cooled, cut all the way through the cut lines.
Nutrition
Notes
- I tested this recipe with Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 and King Arthur Measure for Measure gluten free flour blends. Other blends will work, but you may need to add more liquid or flour depending on the dough texture.
- Make sure your butter is very cold so that it will add flakiness to your scones.
- These scones will stay fresh in the refrigerator up to 4 days. They will get hard in the refrigerator, but you can microwave them for 35 seconds to soften them.
- Freeze cooled scones in a freezer-safe zipper bag.
Nutritional Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the actual nutritional information with the products and brands you are using with your preferred nutritional calculator.
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sorry , posted under wrong thing. My daughter is Gluten and Dairy free. Can i use dairy free milk in this? looks AMAZING and want to try.
Hi Shaina, you can use a dairy free milk, you will also need to sub to use a vegan butter.
it says 1/4 tapioca starch. 1/4 what? Cup?
You are correct Kim, it is a 1/4 cup. I will clarify in the recipe. Thank you so much for emailing and pointing it out.