These delightful and cute wee classic cheese scones are based on an old-fashioned British recipe. It's quick and easy to whip up a batch of vegan cheese scones to enjoy along with a tasty home-cooked soup for lunch, or a nice cup of tea or coffee for morning break.
Vegan cheesy scones are also perfect for breakfast, brunch, side-dish, snacks, picnics, parties, pack lunches, food on-the-go, or buffets/pot-lucks.
What Is A Scone?
A scone is a curious Scottish bake and has been around since the 1500s.
Not quite a cake as scones tend to be less sweet with a denser crumblier texture, although the best scones are light and not stodgy. And not quite a bread, bun, muffin or cupcake, either.
British rock cakes are similar to scones yet not completely, and Welsh cakes are even further away from a scone!
American biscuits are very similar to British scones but not exactly prepared the same or with the exact same texture.
Scones actually originate from the Scottish bannock bread which is rather like a large flat fruit scone in nature and is prepared with wheat, oats and dried fruit. Scones also share resemblances to the Irish soda bread, but scones are less chewy and more lighter in texture than soda bread.
Regardless of what a scone is they are a wonderful bake and so versatile as they can be adapted with so many sweet and savoury flavours.
A few simple basic every-day ingredients are required to bake a batch of scones: flour, margarine/butter, baking powder, and milk. Add extras such as dried fruit, fresh fruit, spices, herbs, chocolate, coconut, cheese, veggies, endless possibilities and combinations.
Scones can even stand in for bread, rolls, baps, crackers or even doughballs. Try a vegan cheese scone dunked into a bowl of home-made soup or stew, and you won't need to prepare any doughballs.
Do have a look at our large vegan soup recipes collection for inspiration for your next yummy soup. Home-cooked soup with a home-made scone, is just the perfect home comfort combination. And very budget-friendly as scones only cost a few pennies to bake.
How To Prepare Old-Fashioned Vegan Cheese Scones
These scones may be adapted from an old-fashioned recipe but they are packed with cheesy savoury flavours and brilliant for today's home-cooking and baking kitchens.
Old gems never get old!
First sift the plain flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl.
Next pop in the vegan margarine and using your fingertips rub the fat into the flour until it resembles fine breadcrumbs.
Add the shredded vegan cheese and mustard powder, stir.
Slowly add the vegan milk and bring the flour mixture into a smooth dough ball.
Once a dough ball is formed, place it on a floured surface and using your hands gently pat it down into a 1 inch high round.
Using a cookie/biscuit cutter stamp our scone rounds.
Place the scones onto a baking tray.
Brush the top with a little vegan milk and add a few pieces of shredded vegan cheese.
Bake for 15-20 minutes until risen, firm and lightly golden.
Leave on the tray for a few minutes before cooling on a wire rack.
Recipe Notes
What's the best way to store vegan cheese scones?
Scones are best stored within a covered food container and stored somewhere cool and dry for 2-3 days.
Wrapping in kitchen foil can help keep the scones fresher for longer.
Or wrap and keep in the refrigerator.
Can cheese scones be frozen?
Yes.
Cheese scones are perfect for freezing and defrost quickly. Freeze for 3-4 months.
Can cheese scones be reheated?
Yes, reheating older or stale cheese scones are the ideal way to refresh these tasty bakes. Pop into a hot oven for a few minutes until just heated through.
Or slice each scone in two and toast until golden and crispy. Spread with vegan butter or margarine and enjoy.
Any top tips for preparing the best cheese scones?
- When stamping our scones with a cookie/biscuit cutter be careful to not twist the cutter as you remove the scone, as this can cause the scone to rise in a squint fashion. Although even if your scones are a little wonky, who cares? It just means they have personality and will taste extra delicious!
- As you brush your scones with a little plant milk before baking, try not to drip any of the milk down the sides.
- It's best not to use a rolling pin to roll out the scone dough as it can result in tougher scones, simply pat down with your hands.
- To achieve taller scones that rise well don't pat down the dough below ¾ of an inch. An inch high is best.
However, the best top tip for the best cheese scones is not too worry about it so much!
It's certainly not a baking failure to have your scones wonky, or bake into strange mysterious looking shapes, its home-baking and as long as your scones have baked they will taste amazing.
For more delicious recipes check out our vegan baking recipes. Especially these wee Edinburgh fruit scones, and these old-school British rock cakes, and this classic Weetabix loaf cake.
Old-Fashioned Cheese Scones [Vegan]
Equipment
- Baking tray [greaseproof/baking paper, optional]
- Small cookie/biscuit cutter about 2 inch [5 cm] wide
Ingredients
- 225 gram plain flour all-purpose flour, [sifted]
- 1 tablespoon baking powder use a knife to level the top of the spoon to avoid too much baking powder, [sifted]
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon mustard powder such as Coleman's
- 60 gram vegan margarine or vegan butter [not the lite versions]
- 120 gram vegan cheese [use a strong flavoured one, such as Asda Free From Grated Mozzarella Alternative] plus a little extra for the top of each scone
- 200 millilitre vegan milk may require more or less
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200 Fan/ 220 C/ 428 F/ Gas 7.
- Prepare a baking tray with a sheet of greaseproof/baking paper or grease with a little margarine and sprinkle with a dusting of flour.
- Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Stir.
- Add the margarine. Using your fingertips rub the margarine into the flour mixture until it resembles fine breadcrumbs.
- Mix through the mustard powder and grated cheese.
- Pour in half the milk and stir through, add a little more and press the scone dough together into a smooth ball. The exact amount of milk required depends on the flour so add a little milk at a time, stir, and bring the scone dough together.
- Place the scone dough onto a floured surface and pat it together. If too sticky sprinkle over extra flour, and if too dry and cracked use your fingertips and dip into the leftover milk and work this into the scone mix.
- Press the scone dough down into a round about 1 inch high. Using a biscuit/cookie cutter gently stamp out scone rounds.Don't twist the cutter as you lift up the scone, and pull away any dough sticking to the outside of the cutter. Gently pop the scone out of the cutter and lay it on the baking tray.
- Work the leftover dough together and press down to 1 inch, stamp out more scones, and so on until all the dough has been used.
- You may end up with a small amount of scone dough that doesn't quite fit into the cutter so just use your hands to roughly form a scone that is the same size and shape as the rest. I like to munch this little rough diamond soon after baking with a nice cup of tea!
- Using a pastry brush or just your finger tips brush the tops of the scones with a small amount of milk. Sprinkle a few pieces of grated cheese over each scone.
- Bake on the middle shelf for 15-20 minutes. My scones were ready at the 18 minute mark using an electric oven at 220C, but do check after 15 minutes as ovens vary. If your using a fan oven check the scones after about 13 minutes.Scones are ready when they have risen, are firm to touch, and are lightly golden.
- Leave on the baking tray for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool or just leave to cool on the tray.
- Enjoy warm or at room temperature with a nice bowl of soup, or for break with a relaxing cup of tea or coffee.
Notes
- Nutritional data is provided for guidance only and is not a strict calculation as ingredients vary.
- Store cheese scones within a covered food container, in a cool, dry area for 2-3 days.
- Wrap scones in kitchen foil to keep fresher for longer.
- Cheese scones can also be stored, covered, within the refrigerator.
- Or freeze for 3-4 months.
- Refresh older scones by popping in a warm oven for a few minutes until heated through.
- Scones are delicious sliced and toasted, spread wit a little vegan butter.
- Cheese scones can be enjoyed as they are, or split open and spread with vegan margarine, vegan butter, hummus, lentil pate, chutney, vegan soft cream cheese, etc.
- A few juicy, sweet cherry tomatoes or cucumber slices are a delicious filling.
- Or dunk a cheesy scone into your favourite soup or stew.
- Vegan cheese scones are perfect for picnics, buffets, parties, pack lunches, after-school snacks, and snacks on-the-go.
Nutrition
Prepared these delicious vegan cheese scones?
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Thanks so much
Jacq x
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