Name: Old-Fashioned Cheese Scones [Vegan]
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 40 min
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; 200 millilitre vegan milk (may require more or less)

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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.

Two cheese scones on a small yellow-rimmed plate with flower image, white doily mat, soup cup with images of tomatoes to distance and more doily's, wooden board background.

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!

cheese scone dry ingredients added to mixing bowl with silver spoon.

margarine added to dry ingredients with a silver spoon.

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.

grated vegan cheese and mustard powder added to crumbed dry ingredients in mixing bowl.

cheese scone with milk added and the dough brought together.

Add the shredded vegan cheese and mustard powder, stir.

Slowly add the vegan milk and bring the flour mixture into a smooth dough ball.

ingredients brought together into a dough ball and placed onto wooden board, cookie cutter to side.

scone dough patted down and a scone stamped out with cookie cutter.

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.

cheese scones split open and buttered, two whole cheese scones, all on small plate with white doily to background.

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.

scones served with cherry tomatoes, cup of tomato soup to background, white doily placemats, wooden background.

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.

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