These air fryer cheese scones are fluffy and airy on the inside with a golden and crispy exterior. Ready in less than 10 minutes, including prep time, enjoy these warm and flaky breakfast biscuits with some butter and jam for a delicious breakfast or afternoon snack.
There's nothing quite like waking up on a Saturday morning, stumbling into the kitchen, and whipping up a batch of cheese scones. Crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside - it's like a biscuit dream come true.
My favorite part is the convenience factor - no need to preheat the oven or clean up a greasy mess from a stovetop pan. My other favorite cheesy breakfast quickies are Air Fryer Cheese Cakes, Air Fryer Tomato Melt, and Air Fryer Grilled Caprese Sandwich.
What is Cheese Scones?
Cheese scones are a type of quick bread that is made with flour, baking powder, butter, milk, and grated cheese. They originated in Scotland and are traditionally served with butter and jam. Cheese scones can also be enjoyed plain or with other toppings, such as bacon, jalapenos, or chives.
In other words, English Cheese Scone is the brother to the American breakfast biscuit. Both are quick bread made with flour, milk, and baking powder, and they can be either sweet or savory.
How to Make Cheese Scones
Making air-fried cheese scones is easy and only takes a few minutes.
Preheat - The first thing you need to do is preheat your air fryer to 375 degrees F (190 C) or oven to 400 degrees F.
Mix the dough - In a large bowl, mix together 1 cup of flour, 2 teaspoons of baking powder, ½ teaspoon of seasoning of choice, and garlic powder. I used Italian seasoning and Ranch seasoning blend. (Picture 2).
Cheese - Stir in 2 cups of grated cheddar cheese and then add ½ cup of milk. Add milk in small amounts at a time, to ensure the mix is not too watery. Mix everything together until it forms a soft dough. Be careful not to overmix the dough or your scones will be tough.
Knead - Next, on a lightly floured surface, knead the dough gently for 10-15 seconds. Then use a biscuit cutter (or a glass) to cut out round shapes from the dough. Or using your hands, form a patty of a shape you like, about ¾ inch thick. (picture 3).
Air fry - Place the rounds directly on the air fryer basket (or tray) ensuring they are not touching each other. Spritz each scone with oil spray (I use Ghee butter spray). Air fry for 3 minutes per side, or until they’re golden brown. (Picture 4). The machine I'm using is Cuisinart Air Fryer Oven.
The air fryer gives the scones a crisp exterior, while the cheese stays melty and gooey inside.
Bake in the oven - Place the rounds on an ungreased baking sheet and bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown.
Serve warm with butter and jam (or your favorite toppings).
Leftovers
To store cheese scones, simply place them in an airtight container and keep them in the fridge for up to 3 days. When ready to reheat, remove the scones from the container and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 5-7 minutes, or until warmed through.
Reheat in the air fryer at 350 degrees F for 3-5 minutes, flipping halfway, or until warmed through.
To freeze uncooked cheese scones, place them on a baking sheet and freeze for two hours. Once they are frozen, transfer them to a freezer-safe bag or container. When you are ready to bake the scones, take them out of the freezer and leave them to defrost for 30 minutes, then follow the steps in the recipe card.
Variations
Cheese Scones can be enjoyed plain or topped with a variety of toppings, such as cheese, ham, bacon, or chives.
Cheese scones are traditionally made with cheddar cheese, but any type of cheese can be used. For a cheesy twist on the classic scone, try adding grated Parmesan cheese to the dough.
For a sweet and savory scone, top with crumbled bacon and shredded cheddar cheese. Or, for a herbaceous scone, top with chopped chives and shredded Swiss cheese.
The possibilities are endless when it comes to topping variations for cheese scones. So feel free to experiment and find your favorite combination. I loved mine with bacon Jalapeno.
Serving
Butter and jam are classic toppings, but you can also try savory toppings such as bacon or chutney.
If you are serving cheese scones for breakfast, they taste divine with Air fryer Poached Egg or Air fryer fried eggs can be accompanied by Potatoes and Sausage.
For a light lunch or dinner, serve them with soup, stew, or salad.
Cheese scones will also hold meats nicely. Make a bigger-sized scone, split it in half, and serve it as a bun for an Air fryer Cheeseburger or deli meats. DELISH!
More Cheesy Appetizers
Easy Air Fryer Breakfast Cheesecakes
Air Fryer Pizza from Can Biscuits
Air fryer cheese scones
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- ½ cup milk
- ¼ teaspoon of salt or to taste
- ½ teaspoon seasoning of choice. I used garlic powder italian seasoning and ranch seasoning blend.
- 2 tablespoon minced chives optional
- 2 TBS Bacon crumbles optional
Instructions
- Preheat your air fryer to 375 degrees F (190 C) or oven to 400 degrees F.
- Then, in a large bowl, mix together 1 cup of flour, 2 teaspoons of baking powder, ½ teaspoon of seasoning of choice, and garlic powder. I used Italian seasoning and Ranch seasoning blend.
- Stir in 2 cups of grated cheddar cheese and then add ½ cup of milk. Add milk in small amounts at a time, to ensure the mix is not too watery. Mix everything together until it forms a soft dough. Be careful not to overmix the dough or your scones will be tough.
- Next, on a lightly floured surface, knead the dough gently for 10-15 seconds. Then use a biscuit cutter (or a glass) to cut out round shapes from the dough. Or using your hands, form a patty of a round shape you like, about ¾ inch thick.
- Air fry: Place the rounds directly on air fryer basket (or tray) ensuring they are not touching each other. Spritz each scone with oil spray. Air fry 3 minutes per side, or until they’re golden brown.
- The air fryer gives the scones a crispy exterior, while the cheese stays melty and gooey on the inside.
- Bake in the oven: Place the rounds on an ungreased baking sheet and bake for 12-15 minutes or until they're golden brown.
- Serve warm with butter and jam (or your favorite toppings). Enjoy!
Kathleen
This recipe for these scones are easy to make and they taste delicious 😋.
I won't be using my normal oven again.
Thanks.
Irina
Delicious! Thank you
Amy L
Have you ever tried it with almond flour or coconut flour? If so, how did it turn out?
Irina
Hello. Yes. I have. Loved them. Fantastic. Recipe: Keto Blueberry scones
Pippa Coombs
These are great many thanks for posting
Irina
You are welcome 😊 thank you for sharing your feedback
Lee Milroy
They were Yummy and very easy to make. Air fryer Cheese Scones for me I will be making many more. Thank you.