These buttery Cheese and Onion Scones are filled with caramelized onions, Gruyere cheese, and fresh thyme. They are equally delicious for breakfast or brunch or as a side dish for dinner. Spread with thyme butter for an extra special touch.
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This post was originally published in November 2020 and has been updated.
Scones are one of my weaknesses. They are so buttery and studded with delicious pockets of flavor. They can be sweet or savory like these Jalapeño Popper scones.
These savory Gruyere and Caramelized Onion scones are perfect when served any time of day.
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Why you will love this recipe
- These cheese and onion scones are next level—so decadent. They taste like a warm hug. Serve warm with a slather of thyme butter, and they will disappear before you finish saying grace.
- Flavor-packed ingredients. The onions are caramelized, which brings out their sweetness. The Gruyere cheese is nutty and buttery. Fresh thyme adds a herby touch and rounds out the flavors.
- There are so many serving options. Serve these scones for breakfast or brunch alongside a salad or a bowl of soup for lunch or in place of rolls for dinner. Serve warm with thyme butter—just blend softened butter with fresh thyme—divine!
Ingredients
- Gruyere cheese adds a nutty flavor and melts beautifully. Fontina and Monterey Jack can also be used.
- Heavy cream contributes to the rich, flaky texture. Half-and-half can be used.
- Thyme - Fresh is best, but dried can be substituted.
Caramelizing onions
Caramelizing onions means cooking them low and slow until they turn a golden brown color. Caramelization brings out their sweetness. I love adding them to dips, casseroles, quiche, pizza, burgers, and grilled cheese sandwiches.
Caramelizing onions is very easy - it just requires a little patience. Keep reading for specific instructions.
Step-by-step instructions
See the recipe card for complete instructions and ingredient amounts.
- Grate 7 tablespoons of butter and keep it cold while prepping the rest of the ingredients. (I like to put it in the freezer so it stays extra cold.)
- To caramelize the onions: Preheat a skillet over medium heat with the remaining one tablespoon of butter and the oil. Add the onions to the skillet. Cook the onions until they have softened, about 5 minutes.
- Turn down the heat to medium-low. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions have turned a deep brown color, approximately 20-30 minutes. If the onions start to dry out, turn down the heat or add a splash of water or beef broth. If desired, a pinch or two of sugar can be added to assist with the caramelization. Set aside to let the onions cool.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and fresh thyme. Whisk to combine.
- Add the grated butter and use a fork to toss the ingredients together. Add the cooled caramelized onions and shredded cheese. Toss to combine.
- In a small pitcher or bowl, whisk together the egg and heavy cream. Pour the cream mixture into the flour mixture. Stir until just combined. The mixture will be sticky but not wet.
- Pour the dough out onto a floured pastry board. Shape the dough into a circle, roughly ¾ - 1 inch thick. Slice into 6-8 wedges. Transfer the pieces to the baking sheet. Brush the tops with heavy cream. Sprinkle with thyme leaves.
- Bake for 18-25 minutes until just starting to turn golden brown.
- Meanwhile, add fresh thyme leaves to the whipped butter and blend. Serve with the scones. Store leftovers in the refrigerator.
Expert Tips
I'm sharing my tips to ensure perfect scones every time.
- Grate the butter. Grating the butter creates small shards that can easily be distributed evenly in the flour by tossing the ingredients with a fork. Alternatively, cut the butter into small cubes and use a pastry cutter to "cut" the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles crumbs the size of peas.
- Use cold ingredients. Keep the grated butter in the refrigerator (or freezer) while you gather the rest of the ingredients. Cold butter creates steam in the hot oven, and this steam causes the scones to rise. It also minimizes spreading. Keep the egg and cream cold until ready to add to the dough.
- Toss the cheese, onions, and thyme in the flour mixture before adding the wet ingredients. This helps to evenly distribute these add-ins throughout the dough.
- Don't overmix the dough. Overmixing will create a tough scone. Mix the ingredients just enough to bring the dough together. Then, turn out on a floured board to shape the scones.
- Place the scones close together on the baking sheet. This helps the scones rise tall instead of spreading wide.
- Brush the tops with heavy cream. The cream helps to brown the scones.
Storing
These cheese and onion scones are best eaten the day they are made. But they can be stored in an airtight container for 1-2 days. Then, to serve, microwave for 15-20 seconds before topping with butter.
Recipe FAQs
A great scone starts with cold ingredients. Using cold butter, cream, and eggs ensures a flaky texture, and the cold butter prevents it from melting before the scones are baked.
Make sure your oven is properly preheated before baking the scones. Baked goods placed in a cool oven do not rise properly as the oven comes up to temperature.
A sticky, moist dough results in a light, flaky, delicious texture. Dough that is too dry and crumbly will not rise much, thus creating dense scones.
More scone recipes to try
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📖 Recipe Card
Cheese and Onion Scones [Gruyere+Caramelized Onion Scones]
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Ingredients
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter (divided)
- 1 large yellow onion (or 2 medium onions, cut into a medium dice)
- 2 teaspoons oil
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme (+ extra for garnishing)
- 1 ¼ cups shredded Gruyere cheese
- 1 cup heavy cream (plus 2 tablespoons for brushing on top)
- 1 large egg
- whipped butter (for serving)
Instructions
- Grate 7 tablespoons of butter and keep cold while prepping the rest of the ingredients. (I like to keep the grated butter in the freezer so it stays very cold.)
- Preheat a skillet over medium heat with the remaining one tablespoon of butter and the oil. Add the onions to the skillet. Cook the onions until they have softened, about 5 minutes.
- Turn down the heat to medium-low. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions have turned a deep brown color, approx. 20-30 minutes. If the onions start to dry out, turn down the heat or add a splash of water or beef broth. Also, a pinch or two of sugar can be added to assist with the caramelization if desired. Set aside to let the onions cool.
- Preheat the oven to 400℉. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and fresh thyme. Whisk to combine. Add the grated butter and use a fork to toss the ingredients together. Add the cooled caramelized onions and shredded cheese. Toss to combine.
- In a small pitcher or bowl, whisk together the egg and heavy cream. Pour the cream mixture into the flour mixture. Stir until just combined. The mixture will be sticky but not wet.
- Pour the dough out onto a floured pastry board. Shape the dough into a circle, roughly ¾ - 1 inch thick. Slice into 6-8 wedges. Transfer the pieces to the baking sheet. Brush the tops with heavy cream. Sprinkle with thyme leaves.
- Bake for 18-25 minutes until just starting to turn golden brown.
- Meanwhile, mix together the thyme butter, if desired. Add fresh thyme leaves to the whipped butter and blend together. Serve with the scones. Store leftovers in the refrigerator.
- Scones are best eaten the same day but will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for 1-2 days.
Notes
- Grate the butter. Grating the butter creates small shards which can easily be distributed evenly in the flour by tossing the ingredients with a fork. Alternatively, cut the butter into small cubes and use a pastry cutter to "cut" the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles crumbs the size of peas.
- Use cold ingredients. Keep the grated butter in the refrigerator (or freezer) while you gather the rest of the ingredients. Cold butter will create steam in the hot oven and this steam causes the scones to rise. It also minimizes spreading. Keep the egg and cream cold until ready to add to the dough.
- Toss the cheese, onions, and thyme in the flour mixture before adding the wet ingredients. This helps to evenly distribute these add-ins throughout the dough.
- Don't overmix the dough. Overmixing will create a tough scone. Mix the ingredients just enough to bring the dough together. Then, turn out on a floured board to shape the scones.
- Place the scones close together on the baking sheet. This helps the scones to rise tall instead of spreading wide.
- Brush the tops with heavy cream. The cream helps to brown the scones
- Make sure your oven is properly preheated before baking the scones. Baked goods that are placed in a cool oven do not rise properly as the oven comes up to temperature.
- A sticky, moist dough results in a light, flaky, delicious texture. Dough that is too dry and crumbly will not rise much, thus creating dense scones.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimate and will vary depending on the exact amounts and specific ingredients used.
Maria D says
Make them for my Fall tea party and and they were a big hit. I serve them with bacon butter.
Abbey McDermott says
I'm so happy you enjoyed these Maria. I love the idea of bacon butter... sounds delicious!
Karly Hudson says
how do I get these to become fluffy? mine spread really flat 🙁
Abbey McDermott says
Karly,
Flat scones are most likely caused by the ingredients not being cold enough. I have lots of tips in the post that will help. Most importantly, keep the butter cold while prepping the other ingredients. Use cold ingredients, not room temp. Also, allow the onions to cool completely before adding to the mixture. Lastly, you can also chill the scones before baking to ensure the butter is cold when they go into the oven.
Cynthia says
is the measurement for salt in the recipe for Kosher salt or regular fine salt? I made these tonight and used Kosher salt and doubled it as per usual substitute for salt in a recipe. Too salty so next time I will use my salt according to the recipe here.
Other than that, tremendous recipe - nice and fluffy and tender. Thank yo.
Abbey McDermott says
Cynthia,
The measurement is for Kosher salt. I've updated the recipe card accordingly. Thank you. I'm happy you enjoyed these scones!
Barbara Van Gelder says
I made these yesterday and added some sautéed mushroom. They were delicious. Light and buttery. Took them to a friends for dinner they were a hit!
Abbey McDermott says
Thank you, Barbara. I'm so happy you enjoyed these scones! The mushrooms sound delicious!