Cheese and Olive Scones (2024)

Make breakfast or afternoon tea special with these Mediterranean inspired cheese and olive scones bursting with garlic and basil too. Spread with lots of butter and served warm they are hard to resist!

I have said this before but I am a huge fan of savoury scones. I would much rather eat one of these spread with butter than a sweet scone any day!

The great thing about savoury scones is that they are so versatile. You can eat them for a snack, for a light meal with soup or a salad, for afternoon tea or even for breakfast.

What are these scones like?

These scones are beautifully savoury with a slightly crusty exterior and a soft crumbly centre. They're cheesy of course and the olives give that Mediterranean vibe. As does the basil and garlic.

The garlic is fairly subtle and adds some background flavour while the basil is vibrant and bold.

They are amazing when served slightly warm so the butter melts into them a little.

What do you need to make these cheesy olive scones?

To make these scones I use self-raising flour, salt, mature cheddar cheese, garlic, fresh basil, milk and of course olives.

What to do if you don't have self-raising flour?

If you don't have any self-raising flour you can replace it with plain flour and three teaspoons of baking powder.

What substitutions can you make?

These scones are delicious just as they are but I know that urge to adapt. I love adapting recipes and there are a few ways you could vary the flavours in these scones.

If you want to make the cheesy flavour even stronger then why not susbstitue some or all of the cheddar with parmesan or manchego?

Why not use a mixture of black and green olives?

If you don't have any fresh basil, don't worry, just add one and a half teaspoons of dried basil instead.

If you want to add a little spice then try half a teaspoon of cayenne pepper or paprika. You could even add a finely diced chilli pepper or some diced jalapenos to the scone dough.

What to eat with these cheese and olive scones?

As I said earlier, you don't need anything apart from butter to make a delicious light meal or snack out of these olive scones.

However, we they are great with cold meats and salad. They are also rather special with a simple tomato soup.

How long do they stay fresh for?

Scones are one of these things that really are at their best on the day they are baked. They are also ok the next day but if you want to eat them any later than that it's best to freeze and then reheat them.

How to freshen scones up?

If your scones do feel like they are a little bit soft and have lost their freshness, just pop them in the oven to reheat and refresh them. They'll need about 5 minutes at 160c.

How to freeze scones?

Yes, if you want to freeze them then put them in an airtight freezer bag and they'll keep well for about 3 months.

Defrost at room temperature for a couple of hours before eating. I like to gently reheat them in the oven for about 5 minutes to get that freshly baked aroma again. And of course so the butter melts in again!

Do you need any special equipment to make them?

No, not at all. Just a large bowl, a cutter, a baking tray and some baking paper to line it with.

More scone recipes you might like

And if you fancy some sweet scones then try these chocolate chip ones.

Recipe

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