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Bake tender cheddar cheese scones from scratch and drizzle with spicy honey glaze. An easy savory scone recipe to share.
Savory bakes deserve a place alongside coffee just as much as cookies and cake. These cheddar cheese scones are buttery, flaky, and packed with sharp cheddar, finished with a warm hot honey glaze that makes them feel a little extra special.
Ingredients & Notes
- All-Purpose Flour – The foundation of these scones, giving them structure while keeping the crumb tender and light.
- Cold Grated Butter – Grated butter is easier to work into the dough than butter cubes and creates little pockets of steam as the scones bake, helping them rise into tender, flaky layers. Keep is as cold as you can before adding it into the dough!
- Cheddar Cheese – Sharp cheddar adds richness and a savory depth that balances the sweetness of the honey.
- Honey – Warm honey brings a gentle sweetness and glossy finish that makes these scones feel a little special.
- Hot Sauce – A splash of hot sauce adds warmth and tang, giving the glaze its signature sweet-and-spicy flavor. Use your favorite hot sauce here—I love Frank’s RedHot for its vinegary tang, which balances the richness of the cheddar beautifully.
- Red Chili Flakes – Infused into the honey, chili flakes add a subtle heat that pairs beautifully with the buttery cheddar scones.
- Silicone mats – I love using these silicone mats for baking, so I’m not wasting parchment paper all the time.
How to make Hot Honey Cheese Scones?
Combine the Dry Ingredients, Butter & Cheese
Whisk the dry ingredients together, then add the cold, grated butter. Mix until it looks sandy, with a few larger pieces of butter throughout. Stir in the cheddar until evenly distributed.
Bring the Dough Together
Add the wet ingredients and mix just until a shaggy dough comes together. It may look a little rough at this stage, and that’s exactly what you want.
Shape & Cut the Scones
Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently pat it into a round. Try to handle the dough as little as possible to keep the scones tender. Cut the round into wedges and transfer them to a baking sheet. The edges don’t need to be perfect—rustic scones bake up beautifully.
Bake the Scones
Bake until the tops are golden and the edges look lightly crisp. Let the scones cool for a few minutes before glazing.
Make the Hot Honey (optional)
While the scones bake, warm the honey with the hot sauce and chili flakes. Let everything infuse gently without bringing it to a boil.
Drizzle with Hot Honey
Brush or drizzle the warm hot honey over the scones while they’re still slightly warm. The sweet heat settles into all the little cracks and layers.
Baking Notes
- Sharp or aged cheddar adds the most flavor and pairs beautifully with the sweet heat of the hot honey glaze.
- Grated butter is easier to work into the dough than butter cubes and helps distribute the butter evenly throughout the scones, creating tender, flaky layers.
- Cold butter is key to flaky scones. If your kitchen is warm, pop the grated butter into the freezer for a few minutes before mixing.
- Mix the dough just until it comes together. A slightly shaggy dough will bake up more tender than a perfectly smooth one.
- For a milder glaze, reduce the chili flakes or add them gradually until the heat level feels right for you.
- These scones are especially good served warm with coffee, tea, or a bowl of tomato soup.
- Store leftover scones in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Warm them briefly before serving for the best texture.
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Cheddar Cheese Scones with Hot Honey Glaze
Ingredients
Scones
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup butter unsalted, cold, grated
- 1 egg, large
- ½ cup milk
- ½ cup cheddar cheese grated
Hot Honey Glaze
- ½ cup honey
- 1 tablespoon hot sauce
- 1 tablespoon red chili flakes
Instructions
Make the Scones
- Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
- Add the cold grated butter and toss to coat. Use your fingers or a pastry cutter to work it into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs.
- Stir in the cheddar cheese.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and milk. Pour into the dry ingredients and mix gently until a shaggy dough forms. Do not overmix.
- Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently pat it into a 1-inch-thick round.
- Cut into 8 wedges and place them on the prepared baking sheet, leaving a little space between each scone.
- Bake for 18–22 minutes, or until golden brown and cooked through.
Make the Hot Honey Glaze
- While the scones bake, combine the honey, hot sauce, and red chili flakes in a small saucepan.
- Warm over low heat for 2–3 minutes, until heated through and infused. Do not boil.
- Remove from the heat and let cool slightly.
Finish
- Brush or drizzle the warm hot honey glaze over the scones while they are still slightly warm.
- Serve immediately, with extra hot honey on the side if desired.
Notes
- For a sharper flavor, use aged cheddar.
- For flakier scones, freeze the butter for 10 minutes before grating.
- If you prefer less heat, reduce the chili flakes to 1 teaspoon.
- Any leftover hot honey can be stored in an airtight container and warmed gently before serving.
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