This sweet and savory Apple Cheddar and Thyme Scones recipe is one of those recipes that unites. Aside from uniting the sweet and savory ingredients, I swear this easy scone recipe feels like it brings people together. Maybe it’s an opposites attract situation. Like we see in my legendary Apple Cheddar Pie recipe. The combo of sweet apples and savory cheddar may seem polarizing at first. But once you understand it, you’ll never go back.
Sweet meets savory in these Apple Cheddar and Thyme Scones
This year I have felt a draw to commensurate and collaborate. Working alone from home can feel, well, lonely. Especially when you are working for yourself and you really only have your dog to rely on for creative direction and project management advice. Human contact is indeed important. Who knew?
Reaching out to other food bloggers, recipe developers, food enthusiasts and food brands has been a big driver of motivation for me lately. It feels uncomfortable at first but it has helped me feel not so alone in this work from home world. I feel like I am finally getting that sweet to savory balance right in my career. Maybe these deliciously balanced Apple Cheddar and Thyme Scones had something to do with it.
Salty cheddar & sweet apples are a perfectly balanced flavor combo
For the past 15ish years I've been pairing up apples and cheddar in my famous Apple Cheddar Pie, watch and learn how to make it yourself on my Skillshare class Picture Perfect Pie - Modernizing The Classic. There is just something so magical about the collaboration between the salty bite of cheddar and the mildly sweet and tart apples.
11 basic ingredients combine in these Apple Cheddar and Thyme Scones
- All Purpose Flour
- Sugar
- Baking Powder
- Salt
- Black Pepper
- Fresh Thyme
- Butter
- Buttermilk
- Eggs
- Cheddar Cheese
- Apples
The buttery, biscuity scone base is tender and crumbly
The best scone recipe is tender, not tough. A good scone will have crumbly, craggy bits with crisp outer edges. But the center of the scone should still have a tender crumb. These Apple Cheddar and Thyme Scones once again show off their ability to find balance in the texture department. They have all of the tenderness and crumbly edges you want in a delicious scone recipe.
Apples add natural sweetness to the scones
The sweetness of the apples comes through. Even when using a tart apple, such as Granny Smith Apples, the sweetness escapes as the apples bake. A bit of sugar helps to sweeten The pot too! But what’s great about these Apple Cheddar and Thyme Scones is that they aren’t overtly sweet, allowing that natural apple flavor to shine.
Any type of cheddar cheese will work in this sweet and savory scone recipe
In this Apple Cheddar and Thyme Scones recipe I use a nutty, sweet cheddar. But really any cheddar cheese will work here. You can go with a medium cheddar or an aged, sharp cheddar. Try some different options and see if you like a more sweet or savory sway to your scones.
The creamy, slight sharpness of the sweet cheddar along with the honey sweetness from the apples and the herby green thyme wrapped in the buttery, biscuity base makes these scones a sophisticated balance between sweet and savory flavors.
These Apple Cheddar and Thyme Scones are a trifecta of sweet, salty and savory
I encourage you to branch out of your comfort zone and try something new. Whether it’s delving into the sweet, salty and savory trifecta that is Apple Cheddar and Thyme Scones. Or maybe reaching out to a peer with a similar career and scheduling a working side-by-side coffee date. You’ll be so glad you tried both!
I'd say the collaboration between flavors and textures in these Apple Cheddar and Thyme Scones is reason enough to believe in the power of community and collaboration.
📖 Recipe
Apple Cheddar and Thyme Scones
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 12 small scones
Description
These Apple Cheddar and Thyme Scones combine sweet and savory with salty cheddar, sweet apples & herby thyme wrapped in a buttery, biscuity scone base.
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups all purpose flour
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper (- freshly ground)
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme (- finely chopped)
- ½ cup unsalted butter (- cold & cut into ½" cubes)
- ½ cup buttermilk (+ 2 tablespoons)
- 2 large eggs (- at room temperature)
- 1 cup Sweet or Sharp Cheddar (- grated)
- 2 medium apples (Honeycrisp or Granny Smith) (- chopped into ¼" cubes)
Instructions
- Measure the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and black pepper into a large bowl and whisk to combine.
- Dice the butter into ¼" -½" cubes. Use your hands, a pastry cutter or the paddle attachment of the stand mixer on low speed to blend the butter into the dry ingredients until the pieces of butter are the size of almonds.
- Add the grated cheddar cheese and chopped thyme to the mix. Blend in just until evenly distributed.
- Whisk the eggs and buttermilk together. Add two-thirds of the mixture to the dry ingredients. Gently mix the dough just until it comes together, then add the remaining buttermilk mixture, the dough should look scrappy and rough at this point. Gently fold in the apples.
- Scrape the dough from the bottom and sides of the bowl to incorporate floury scraps. Move the dough to a lightly floured surface, it should come out as mostly one big chunk with some scrappy bits.
- Gather the dough ball and bits and pat until it just comes together. The top should be chunky and rough, this ensures the crunchy crumbly character of the finished scones. Gently form the dough into two 3"-5" disks for smaller scones, or one 7"-8" disk for larger scones.
- Place the scone disks on a lined baking sheet and chill in the freezer for 20-30 minutes. *This will help the scones hold their structure and prevent them from falling and spreading too much in the oven.
- Preheat oven to 350° while the dough finishes chilling.
- Cut the disk(s) into 6 wedges and spread out evenly on two baking sheets. Gently brush the tops and sides of the scones with remaining 2 tablespoons of buttermilk.
- Bake the small scones for 20-25 minutes or large scones for 25-30 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through the baking time. *The scones should come out a golden brown with bubbly melty cheese bits and some deep golden browns on the edges, giving that crumbly crunch to the exterior.
- Place the baked scones on a cooling rack to cool for at least 10 minutes.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Breakfast
This post was made in collaboration with a big community of fellow food bloggers to bring you an inspiring list of apple inspired recipes. Check out the apple recipe collection by this talented group of my friends in food!
#Aisforalltheapples Collaborator Recipes
Cloudy Kitchen’s Salted Caramel and Apple Babka
Square Meal Round Table’s Chai Spiced Tarte Tatin
The Wood and Spoon’s Maple Apple Cake
The Cooking of Joy’s Deep Fried Apple Dumplings with Miso Caramel Dipping Sauce
Pensive Foodie’s Mini Bacon Crusted Apple Pies
My Kitchen Love’s Bird’s Nest Caramel Apple Cake
Casey Joy Lister’s Waldorf Salad’s Twisted Sister
What Should I Make For’s Apple Puff Pastry Tarts
Jessie Sheehan Bakes’ Apple Fritters
Smart in the Kitchen’s Gluten Free Apple Cranberry Crisp
This Healthy Table’s Cardamom Apple Tart
Figs & Flour’s Apple Purple Potato Pizza
Something New for Dinner’s Savory Bread Pudding with Apples, Sausage, and Pecan
Always Eat Dessert’s Apple Spice Scones with Maple Bourbon Glaze
Rezel Kealoha’s Rose Poached Apples with Rosewater Reduction
The Soup Solution’s Fennel Sausage and and Apple Dressing (Stuffing)
Lemon Thyme and Ginger’s Smoky Maple Apple Dutch Baby
Gobble the Cook’s One Pan Pork Chops and Sausages with Apple
Hola Jalapeno’s Fluffy Apple Chili Biscuits
Salt and Wind’s Pomegranate Ginger Apple Cider Punch
What Annie’s Eating’s Butternut Squash/Apple Soup with Asiago and Sage Croutons
Flours in Your Hair’s Brown Butter Bourbon Apple Pie
Confetti Kitchen’s Kale Salad with Chicken and Apple
Salted Plains’ Gluten-Free Apple Crumb Cake
Easy and Delish’s Fun Candy Corn Apple Pops
This Mess is Ours’ Easy Baked Apple Custard
Butter Loves Company’s Gingerbread with Brandied Apples
Zestful Kitchen’s Puffed Apple Pancake
Sweet Pillar Food’s Apple Honey Brie
A Farm Girl’s Dabbles’ Peanut Butter Apple Cookies
A Savory Dish’s Peanut Butter Protein Dip
Especially Southern Dishes’ Apple Pie Egg Rolls
Pie Girl Bakes’ Salted Caramel Apple Pie
Cocoa and Salt’s Vegan Apple Stuffin’ Muffins
Saltnpepperhere’s Honey Apple Muffins
Worthy Pause’s Thanksgiving-in-Your-Mouth Paleo Stuffing
Smart in the Kitchen’s Gluten Free Apple Cranberry Crisp
Something New For Dinner's Savory Bread Pudding with Apples, Sausage and Pecans
Farm and Coast Cookery’s Apple Cider Donut & Cinnamon Apple "French Toast" Casserole
Ful-filled’s Milopita - Greek Apple Cake
Allo Maman, What’s Cooking’s Apple & Camembert Tarte Tatin
It’s a Veg World After All’s 5-minute Microwave Apple Crisp
Sprouting Radiance’s White Bean and Apple Soup
Champagne and Cookies’ Apple Galette
