Easy and delicious butternut scones with cheese recipe

I felt like making a version of my very popular easy pumpkin scones with Parmesan and thyme from last year. Butternut is more of a staple than a pumpkin in South Africa, and I decided to change the cheese. Cheese and chives work perfectly together, so these easy butternut scones with cheese were the result.

I have used a combination of Parmesan and Gruyere cheese because I love its nutty flavour. An aged sharp Cheddar would also work beautifully.

A few tricks on how to make perfect scones:

Don’t overwork the dough, and with these, you literally mix everything up with a regular eating knife until everything comes together.

Give the dough a very light kneading on a floured surface. Pat it out rather than roll it flat, and always make quite thick scones. This way you are already winning.

Use a very sharp cookie cutter and I flour the edges. I make swift direct cuts into the dough to cut out the scones. If the cutter is blunt, it will drag the sides of the sides down which inhibits its rising.

Only brush the tops of the scone, never the sides. Brushing the sides can also prevent the scone from rising.

Scones are best eaten warm as they come out of the oven with lashings of butter and perhaps even more cheese. I like to freeze what I don’t eat on the day straight away in a Ziploc bag. When I want a snack in the future I simply whip out and microwave it for 20 seconds. A slice of smoky ham in one of these made a fabulous sandwich too.

A few other recipes you might like:

My best cheese scones

Easy pumpkin and Parmesan scones

Quick & easy cranberry & orange scones

Easy lemonade scones with cheese and herbs

My best baking recipes o Drizzleanddip

Recipe – makes 10 – 12 scones

Ingredients

350 g butternut peeled and cut up into cubes
21/2 cups self raising flour
1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup grated Gruyere
1/2 t salt
1/2 t black pepper
4 T finely chopped chives
1/2 cup buttermilk

eggwash

1 egg yolk
1 T buttermilk
3 T sunflower or pumpkin seeds optional for the top

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 200 C (400 F)
Steam the butternut in a metal basket or sieve over boiling water (lid on). Cook for 10 - 15 minutes until soft. Set aside to cool and dry off in the air. Blend in a food processor or with an immersion blender until smooth (you could also mash by hand)
Mix the flour, cheese, chives, salt and pepper in a bowl.
Add the buttermilk and butternut puree to the dry mixture and using a knife lightly mix it until it is just combined.
Turn the mixture out onto a lightly floured surface and knead slightly to form a dough.
Press the dough down to about 4-5cm and cut the scones using a 5 - 6cm cookie cutter and place on a baking sheet lined with silicone or baking paper.
Mix the egg yolk and extra buttermilk together and brush the tops of the scones (NOT the sides)
Sprinkle on the seeds, and bake in the oven for 20 - 25 minutes until golden brown.

Author: Sam Linsell

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12 Comments

I love a good savory scone, these look divine!

These are beautiful!

I have some butternut languishing in my kitchen and am going to make these pronto! Delicious breakfast scones for the next few days 🙂

Love the colour on those scones, they look delicious!

I do love scones!! These look tasty!!

Oh yum! I just the most wonderful scone in Scotland. I think if you add a slathering of cream cheese and a piece of smoked salmon it would be pretty much the same. I’m now in Iceland and I don’t think they have chives and Gruyere cheese here, but I’ll have a quick look.

Wow these looks delicious! I need to make them this weekend. Beautiful photos, as always!

Thanks Louisa

What is the amount (in ounces, cups, etc.) of cooked, mashed butternut squash used? I don’t also buy fresh and have the mashed kind available to me in the freezer section of my supermarket.

Hi Adam, Im sorry but I didnt measure the quantitiy of cooked butternut. I will try and add this in as soon as I can. We dont get ready processed pumpkin in a tin here. 350g = 9.9 oz (raw). the cooked weith will be a little less I think.