Savory Gruyere, Apple and Sage Scones
Have you ever made savory scones? They are flavored with the quintessential fall flavors of apple, sage, and Gruyere – so delicious and the perfect savory scone recipe for fall to serve alongside a large bowl of soup.
Creating This Recipe for Savory Scones
After all of our sweet treats last week with Madeline’s birthday party, this week had me craving savory things to eat — like these Gruyere, Apple and Sage Scones.
One of the things I love best about fall is fall baking. I love savoring scones on cooler mornings or as a late night snack with a good book in hand. When I think of baking, my mind often goes straight to the sweeter side of recipes but that doesn’t have to be the case.
I often forget about savory baked items because I have such a sweet tooth, but after this successful savory scone experiment I know there will be a lot more savory baking in the near future. And hopefully more hearty dinners that can be paired with freshly baked breads and rolls.
Rustic Rosemary Bread has been one of our favorite savory baked goods in the past, but my little herb garden was offering up lots and lots of sage this week so I knew I needed to do something with that.
I did some tweaking to my Basic Scone Formula to come up with a savory version of my favorite scones, which wasn’t very hard at all. Mostly, I just decreased the sugar.
Then I added in some finely minced sage — you don’t want to get a huge mouthful of herbs so it is best to mince them finely. Along with the sage, I paired grated apple and diced gruyere cheese. Because I knew the apple would add moisture to the dough, I decreased the liquid in the recipe.
Tools Needed to Make Savory Scones
You’ll need a few kitchen tools to prepare this savory scone recipe. Here’s what I recommend having on hand before getting started:
- Measuring Cups and Spoons – you’ll need a standard set of each for measuring the simple ingredients in this recipe
- Large Mixing Bowl – to combine the dry ingredients together.
- Small Bowl – to combine the wet ingredients.
- Food Processor, Pastry Blender, or Box Grater – to cut the cold butter into the flour.
- Large Baking Sheet – to bake the savory cheese scones on.
- Parchment Paper – to line the baking sheet.
- Wire Rack – to cool the homemade savory scones after baking.
Ingredients in Savory Scones
These apple, sage, and cheese scones call for fairly basic ingredients. You may have to make a quick trip to the grocery store for a few of them, but all are easy to find!
- All-purpose flour
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Sugar
- Butter
- Eggs
- Buttermilk
- Apples
- Fresh sage
- Gruyere cheese
For the complete ingredient list and detailed instructions to make these savory cheese scones, scroll to the bottom of this post for the FREE printable recipe card.
How to Make Savory Scones
If you’ve never made homemade cheese scones before, don’t fret. They’re incredibly easy to make and are meant to look a bit rustic.
- Combine the dry ingredients: Stir together the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt. Then cut the cold butter into the flour mixture until the butter is in very small pieces.
- Add the mix-ins: Stir the sage, cheese, and apple into the flour mixture.
- Combine the Wet Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs and buttermilk.
- Make the Scone Dough: make a well in the center of the dry ingredients, add the wet ingredients and stir into the flour mixture until just combined.
- Shape the scones: Turn the scone dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and divide into two equal balls. Pat each ball into a disc shape, then place onto a parchment paper-lined cookie sheet. Using a pastry cutter or sharp knife, divide each ball into triangles.
- Apply the egg wash: whisk an egg and buttermilk together, then brush over top of the scones.
- Bake the scones: Bake until golden brown.
The above is simply a quick summary of this recipe for savoury cheese scones. Check out the full recipe in the free printable recipe card at the bottom of this post for all the detailed instructions.
Recipe Tips
- Don’t know what it means to cut butter into flour? Head over to my post and read all of my tips and tricks for cutting butter into flour.
- Don’t overmix the dough. That will make the scones dense and tough rather than tender and flaky.
- Use cold butter for best results. I keep the butter in the fridge until I’m ready to slice it and add it to the dry ingredients. The cold butter will melt and create pockets of steam in the scones as they bake. Those pockets of steam are what make the best scones!
Savory Scone Recipe FAQs
Got questions about how to make this recipe for savory scones? Here are the answers to a few commonly asked questions. Feel free to leave any other questions in the comments on this post and I’ll respond with answers.
Can I substitute the buttermilk?
Yes, if you don’t have buttermilk on hand you can make your own buttermilk substitute in about five minutes.
What else can I add to savory scones?
What to swap out some of the flavors in this recipe to create your own savory scone recipe? Here are a few ideas for making your own savory scones:
- black pepper
- green onion – if that sounds good to you, try these green onion, bacon and cheese scones
- cheddar cheese
- sun-dried tomatoes
- fresh rosemary
How should I store these scones?
You can keep the savory scones in an airtight container on your counter for up to three days. They soften and dry out over time, but they’ll still taste fine. For best results, make sure you cool them to room temperature before storing.
Can you freeze this savory scone recipe?
Yes! Let the sage, apple, and cheese scones cool completely, then place in a gallon-sized freezer bag. Freeze for up to 1 month.
When ready to eat, thaw overnight on the counter or reheat gently the savory scones in the oven on a lined baking sheet.
What to Serve with Savory Cheese Scones
Served as a side dish, these fall scones were a delicious addition to our dinner alongside a bowl of butternut squash apple soup for dinner. They are also delicious warmed in the toaster for a savory breakfast.
Here are some ideas for dishes you can enjoy alongside the scones:
- Butternut Squash Soup with Bacon
- Cheesy Broccoli Soup
- Cream of Tomato Soup
- Rosemary Chicken Chowder
- Potato Corn Chowder
Don’t see what you’re looking for here? You can always head over to check out the recipe index to look for more recipes.
Try this Recipe for Savory Scones!
Next time you’re looking for a great scone recipe for fall, give this savory scone recipe a try!
Did you think they were the perfect addition to a warm bowl of soup? Leave a comment below and give it a review for others to see what you thought of this great recipe.
On Instagram? Share your photo and tag me @goodlifeeats #goodlifeeatsrecipes. I’d love to see your photo of your savory cheese scones!
More Easy Scone Recipes:
Something I like even better than toaster pastries for a quick and cozy morning breakfast are these Maple Walnut Scones.
These Buttermilk Poppy Seed Citrus Scones make a tasty springtime scone. I’ve also given my basic scone formula in this post!
This recipe for Blueberry Scones is a simple scone recipe that features hints of lemon juice and fresh blueberries to a traditional flakey scone. They have a yummy, sweet lemon glaze.
Toasted almonds and coconut combine to make an incredible topping to these Almond Coconut Scones.
With fresh strawberries and a bag of Meyer lemons added to my grocery cart, these Strawberry Scones with Lemon Glaze were practically begging to be made.
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Do you crave sweet or savory recipes when you are baking?
Gruyere, Apple and Sage Scones
These Savory Scones are flavored with the quintessential fall flavors of apple, sage, and Gruyere. Perfect for dipping into a warm bowl of soup!
Ingredients
Scones:
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- 1 cup unsalted butter (very cold)
- 2 large eggs
- 4 - 5 tablespoons buttermilk
- 2 green or red apples, finely diced or grated
- 2 - 4 teaspoons finely minced sage (according to your preference)
- 1/3 cup diced gruyere cheese
Egg wash:
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon buttermilk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt.
- Cut or grate the butter into the flour mixture. Then, stir in the sage, apple, and gruyere until well distributed. Set aside.
- In a smaller bowl, combine the 2 eggs and buttermilk. Whisk until well combined.
- Make a well in the center of the flour mixture, pour in the egg mixture and stir until it comes together.
- Whisk together the egg wash in a separate bowl. Set aside.
- Turn out on a lightly floured counter and knead a few times until it holds its shape, adding additional flour if needed. Divide into two equal portions (a kitchen scale helps with this) and roll into an 8 or 9-inch circle. Dust the bottom of the circles with flour.
- Cut each circle into 6 to 8 triangles. Place the triangles on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Lightly brush with the egg wash, then bake for 15-25 minutes at 375 degrees F, or until golden and cooked through.
- Cool on a wire rack until cool enough to handle. Serve.
Notes
To Freeze: cool completely, then place in a gallon-sized Ziploc bag. Freeze for up to 1 month.
Adapted from Basic Scone Formula
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 16 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 260Total Fat: 14gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 80mgSodium: 358mgCarbohydrates: 28gFiber: 1gSugar: 3gProtein: 6g
GoodLifeEats.com offers recipe nutritional information as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. Although GoodLifeEats.com makes every effort to provide accurate information, these figures are only estimates.
George says
I’ve never made scones before, but these look like the first ones I want to try. Thanks.
Jamie | My Baking Addiction says
These scones look incredible and these photos are beautiful!
Jennifer says
What is the approximate weight of the butter? I find trying to measure butter in terms of volume rather than weight a little tricky.
Alison @ Ingredients Inc. says
These look and sound so good!
Tracy says
Gorgeous savory scone! Definitely one I will have to try.
TidyMom says
you know, I’ve never made scones….I think I need to start…with these!!
Beautiful Katie
Robyn | Add a Pinch says
Love these, Katie! They sound amazing.
Courtney says
Wow, this sounds awesome!
Amy | She Wears Many Hats says
Oooh…these look delish Katie!
Sylvie @ Gourmande in the Kitchen says
You are right, I always think sweet when I make scones. I need to shift gears and make some of your savory scones.
Heidi / foodiecrush says
I’m on an apple kick. And the gruyere just kicked it up a notch.
Erin at $5 Dinners says
Do you overnight!? ;P
Bev Weidner says
I. cannot. breathe.
The Blue-Eyed Bakers says
We totally default to sweet baked goods too but after seeing these divine looking scones may have to start doing some savory stuff!
chriesi says
I also love scones and there are great!
Blog is the New Black says
I love making scones, but I’ve never made the savory variety! These flavors sound like they complement each other so well!