Delicious Blue Cheese Scones with Pear and Walnut
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Tender, flaky, and sweet with little pops of salty blue cheese flavor, these blue cheese scones are a lovely savory option for brunch or as an afternoon snack! The dough comes together with moments of effort, and they’ll be ready in less than 30 minutes. Perfect for a party!
Why you’ll love these pear and blue cheese scones
Equipment
You don’t need much to make the best blue cheese scones! I recommend using the food processor to make the dough in just moments of effort.
- Food processor
- Half sheet pan
- Parchment paper
- Sharp chef’s knife
- By hand: large bowl, rolling pin, bench scraper
Ingredients
- Whole wheat flour: Whole wheat gives these scones a slightly nutty flavor that pairs well with the honey and crunchy walnuts.
- Kosher salt: This will make the flavors really pop!
- Baking powder: Baking powder will make the scones light and fluffy.
- Egg: This will bind the dough together and give it a soft, fluffy texture.
- Butter: It’s important to use very cold unsalted butter. Cut it into small cubes.
- Blue cheese: Use your favorite crumbled blue cheese. I usually use crumbled gorgonzola from Costco as it’s so affordable.
- Honey: These scones don’t need sugar, but I like how honey complements the whole wheat and walnuts.
- Buttermilk: Buttermilk will give you the best rise, but I love the tenderness of cream scones made with heavy cream.
- Walnuts: Toast walnuts, then chop them to add to the scone dough.
- Pear: Choose 1-2 firm, ripe pears and dice them into small pieces.
How to Make Blue Cheese Scones with Pear and Walnut
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Prep a half sheet tray with parchment.
- In the bowl of your food processor, add flour, salt, and baking powder. Pulse to combine.
- Add cubed butter. Run for 5-6 seconds only until the butter turns into tiny little pieces.
- Add the honey, blue cheese, egg, walnuts, and buttermilk. Pulse 5-6 times or until combined. If it looks really dry, add up to 2 tbs of buttermilk extra, but try not to because the pear will add moisture.
- Pour out the mixture on your parchment paper and sprinkle with diced pear. Gently press the pieces together to form a ball. It gets a little messy with the pear – just keep going.
- Press the dough ball down into a smooth round and slice it into 8-10 equal wedges. Separate them on your prepared baking sheet and bake for 18-20 minutes. They’re done when the bottoms are golden brown.
- Remove the tray from the oven and let the scones cool on the tray for 4-5 minutes. Transfer scones to a wire rack and cool completely.
Storage
Store leftover scones in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. They’re best within the first day or two. Since there is cooked fruit in these scones, they aren’t safe to store at room temperature.
Tips
- If you work the dough too much, it will not be light and flaky. If you’re even slightly worried that you overworked it, place the whole tray of prepped scones in the fridge for 30 minutes before baking. This is a good tip anyway, but I almost never do it, and the scones are always great.
- Watch the temperature. Although 400 degrees F is just right for my oven, each one is different. You can always try baking at 375 degrees F instead. The scones just may need a little extra time.
Variations
- No food processor? Grate the cold butter into the flour mixture, then gradually mix in the other ingredients. You may need to add slightly more milk (I find I can use less when I use the food processor).
- Use goat cheese. For a milder cheese flavor, try using pieces of goat cheese instead.
- Change the add-ins. No pear? Try adding diced dried apricots. They’re also wonderful with some crumbled bacon, and you can easily use pecans instead of walnuts.
- Use all purpose flour. I love the flavor of whole wheat, but regular all purpose works great in this pear and blue cheese scone recipe.
- Use an egg wash. For a shiny crust, whisk together one egg with a splash of water and brush it over the scones before baking.
- Make them by hand. Instead of using a food processor, combine all the ingredients in a large mixing bowl (dry ingredients first, then mix in the butter before the wet ingredients). After you get a soft dough, knead it into a loose ball on a lightly floured work surface until the dough comes together. Roll or press into a 1-inch tall circle and cut into wedges.
FAQs
Why are my cheese scones hard?
The worst thing you can do to scones is overwork the dough. Scones are like biscuits or pie crust. If you mix them too much, you will activate the gluten and have a dense mess on your hands. If you even think you overworked the dough, chill it in the fridge for 30 minutes to relax the gluten and keep the butter very cold.
Should you chill scones before baking?
Yes! I often sneak by without this step using the food processor, but it’s a good tip. The secret to great scones is very cold butter. Chilling will relax the dough and give you maximum flakiness.
Are scones better with milk or water?
I highly recommend using milk, ideally buttermilk or even heavy cream, and would not recommend water. The fat from the dairy will help give your scones a lovely, tender texture. Buttermilk is great for fluffy scones, but cream scones are something else! You can also try using plant-based milk or cream.
Related Recipes
If you love easy cream scone recipes, try these delicious options:
- Green Chile Cheddar Scones
- Light and Fluffy Cheese Scones
- Matcha Scones
- Date Scones
- Apple Crumble Scones
- Blood Orange Scones
- Whole Wheat Scones
Blue Cheese Scones with Pear and Walnut
Tender, flaky, and sweet with little pops of salty blue cheese flavor, these blue cheese scones are a lovely savory option for brunch or as an afternoon snack! The dough comes together with moments of effort, and they'll be ready in less than 30 minutes. Perfect for a party.
Equipment
- Chef's knife
Ingredients
- 2 cups whole wheat flour
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 egg, cold
- 8 oz unsalted butter, very cold; cubed
- 5 oz crumbled blue cheese
- 1 tbs honey
- 1/2 cup buttermilk, or cream; very cold
- 1/4 toasted walnuts
- 1 pear, fully ripe; diced
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Prep a half sheet tray with parchment.
- In the bowl of your food processor, add flour, salt, and baking powder. Pulse to combine.
- Add cubed butter. Run for 5-6 seconds only until the butter turns into tiny little pieces.
- Add the honey, blue cheese, egg, walnuts, and buttermilk. Pulse 5-6 times or until combined. If it looks really dry, add up to 2 tbs of buttermilk extra, but try not to because the pear will add moisture.
- Pour out the mixture on your parchment paper and sprinkle with diced pear. Gently press the pieces together to form a ball. It gets a little messy with the pear – just keep going.
- Press the dough ball down into a smooth round and slice it into 8-10 equal wedges. Separate them on your prepared baking sheet and bake for 18-20 minutes. They’re done when the bottoms are golden brown.
- Remove the tray from the oven and let the scones cool on the tray for 4-5 minutes. Transfer scones to a wire rack and cool completely.
Notes
Store leftover scones in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. They’re best within the first day or two. Since these is cooked fruit in these scones, they aren’t safe to store at room temperature.
Tips & Variations
- If you work the dough too much, it will not be light and flaky. If you’re even slightly worried that you overworked it, place the whole tray of prepped scones in the fridge for 30 minutes before baking. This is a good tip anyway, but I almost never do it, and the scones are always great.
- Watch the temperature. Although 400 degrees F is just right for my oven, each one is different. You can always try baking at 375 degrees F instead.
Nutrition
Calories: 407kcalCarbohydrates: 29gProtein: 9gFat: 30gSaturated Fat: 18gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 96mgSodium: 628mgPotassium: 217mgFiber: 4gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 906IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 192mgIron: 1mg
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