Name: Cauliflower Cheese Scones
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 2½ cups all-purpose/plain flour; 4.94 ounces cauliflower florets (roughly chopped); ½ cup mature cheddar cheese (coarsely grated); ⅘ stick butter (cubed); 6 tablespoons buttermilk; 1 large egg; 3 teaspoons baking powder; ½ teaspoon fine sea salt; ⅓ teaspoon onion granules/powder

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These Cauliflower Scones are made using cauliflower rice and a moderate amount of cheese. These savoury scones with a healthy twist are perfect for breakfast, brunch or with soup!

See also savoury cauliflower muffins and cauliflower pasties!

Side view of cauliflower scones on top of parchment.

These Cauliflower Scones are made using raw cauliflower rice which gives these savoury scones freshness and a delicious flavour twist. Preparation is easy and the scones are ready in only about 30 minutes!

Cauliflower scones ingredients and substitutions

Cauliflower

Look for firm cauliflower that has a creamy white colour, without dark or wet spots. I do not recommend using store-bought cauliflower rice.

Cheese

I used mature cheddar cheese but you can use any semi-hard or hard cheese.

Butter

Dice it finely so it's easy to combine with the dry mixture.

Dry ingredients

I recommend sifting the flour along with the baking powder to ensure your scones are light and fluffy.

Wet ingredients

Egg and buttermilk (use kefir instead if preferred) should be combined and lightly beaten (using a fork) before adding to the dry mixture.

Seasoning

I used a bit of salt, but you can also add freshly ground black pepper or cayenne pepper. I also added onion granules, which enhance the flavour of the cauliflower as well as the cheese. I strongly recommend that you do not omit this ingredient.

Ingredients for making cauliflower scones in individual dishes. — Cauliflower scones ingredients.

How to prepare the cauliflower

To make these savoury cauliflower scones you have to use cauliflower rice, which is simply a crumbly cauliflower mixture. The most efficient way of preparing it is in a food processor, which is fast and produces even crumb. You can prepare it by hand, if you prefer, but this will take longer.

Step-by-step recipe instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 425F/220C/gas mark 7. Line a large baking sheet with parchment and set aside.

2. Prepare cauliflower: Chop the cauliflower roughly, place in a food processor and pulse until crumbly (do not overblend). Set aside.

3. Prepare dry ingredients: Sift the flour with the baking powder. Whisk in the onion granules and salt.

Flour mixture inside large white bowl with green whisk.

4. Combine wet ingredients: Whisk together the egg and buttermilk until smooth and set aside.

5. Add butter: Add the butter into the flour mixture and rub with your fingertips until the mixture has the consistency of fine breadcrumbs.

Flour and cubed butter inside large white bowl. — 4a.

Dry mixture inside large white bowl. — 4a.

6. Add cauliflower: Add the cauliflower and cheese and stir thoroughly.

Grated cheese and cauliflower rice with flour inside large white bowl.

7. Add wet ingredients: Stir in the egg mixture using a wooden spoon.

Combining flour and buttermilk mixture with wooden spatula inside large white bowl.

8. Make dough: Knead very briefly just to bring all the ingredients together and form a dough. Place on top of a floured surface, fold the dough over 2-3 times, dust with a little flour then roll out to a thickness of about 3cm/1.2'' (no less).

Top down view of round cauliflower scones dough.

9. Cut out scones: Using a 5-6cm/2-2½'' cookie cutter (use the smooth edge) cut out rounds by firmly pressing down once (do NOT twist your cookie cutter) for each round. Bring together leftover dough, roll out again and cut out more scones. You should have a total of 10-11 scones.

Cutting out cauliflower scones on top of wooden board.

10. Bake: Place the scones on top of the baking sheet and brush the tops with a little milk, buttermilk or egg wash (beaten egg with a few drops of water). Bake in the upper part of the oven for 15-18 minutes until the scones are nicely browned (see *Notes below).

5 scones before baking on top of parchment.

11. Cool: Remove from the oven and place on a rack to cool for a few more minutes. Serve slightly warm.

5 scones with nicely browned tops on parchment.

Serving suggestions

Cauliflower scones can be served for breakfast with a little butter, cream cheese or marmite. They are delicious with soup or as a snack. Best served a little warm on the day they are made, but you can also enjoy them the next day. Simply broil (or place under the grill) for a few minutes or heat in the microwave and enjoy!

It's better to break the scone with your hands rather than cut it with a knife.

Close-up side view of cauliflower scones.

Top tips

Cauliflower: Pulse until crumbly but do not overprocess.
Dough: Bring all the ingredients together first using a wooden spoon then form a round dough using your hands (do not overwork it or your scones won't rice well). The dough should be lumpy so resist the urge to 'fix' it with kneading and adding more flour. The dough is ready to be flattened once all the ingredients have been mixed in.
Cutting out scones: Use a 5-6cm/2-2.5'' cookie cutter (use the smooth edge of the cutter). Press it into the dough firmly once without twisting it.
Baking: I prefer to bake these scones in the upper part of the oven but if you have a fan-assisted oven you can bake them in the centre. Bake until they are nicely browned on top (13-17 minutes, depending on your oven and personal taste).
Store the scones in a paper bag for up to 2 days. When I am serving them the next day I like to place them under the grill (broil) for a minutes before serving.
Freeze in a bag or airtight container for up to 3 months. Defrost in a microwave.

More scones recipes to try next

See also these other easy breakfast recipes including this collection of vegetable breakfast recipes.

Recipe

Cauliflower Cheese Scones

These Cauliflower Scones are made using cauliflower rice and a moderate amount of cheese. These savoury scones with a healthy twist make a delicious brunch idea or snack anytime.

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Course: Brunch, Snack

Cuisine: British, vegetarian

Prep Time: 15

Cook Time: 15

Total Time: 30

Servings: scones

Calories: 189kcal

Author: Monika Dabrowski

Ingredients

▢ 2½ cups (315 g) all-purpose/plain flour
▢ 4.94 ounces (140 g) cauliflower florets roughly chopped
▢ ½ cup (70 g) mature cheddar cheese coarsely grated
▢ ⅘ stick (90 g) butter cubed
▢ 6 tablespoons buttermilk
▢ 1 large egg
▢ 3 teaspoons baking powder
▢ ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
▢ ⅓ teaspoon onion granules/powder

Instructions

Preheat oven: Preheat the oven to 425 F/ 220 C/ gas mark 7. Line a large baking sheet with parchment and set aside.
Prepare cauliflower: Chop the cauliflower roughly, place in a food processor and pulse until crumbly (do not overblend). Set aside.
Prepare dry ingredients: Sift the flour with the baking powder. Whisk in the onion granules and salt.
Combine wet ingredients: Whisk together the egg and buttermilk until smooth and set aside.
Add butter: Add the butter into the flour mixture and rub with your fingertips until the mixture has the consistency of fine breadcrumbs.
Add cauliflower: Add the cauliflower and cheese and stir thoroughly.
Add wet ingredients: Stir in the egg mixture using a wooden spoon.
Make dough: Knead very briefly just to bring all the ingredients together and form a dough. Place on top of a floured surface, fold the dough over 2-3 times, dust with a little flour then roll out to a thickness of about 3cm/1.2'' (no less).
Cut out scones: Using a 5-6cm/2-2½'' cookie cutter (use the smooth edge) cut out rounds by firmly pressing down once (do NOT twist your cookie cutter) for each round. Bring together leftover dough, roll out again and cut out more scones. You should have a total of 10-11 scones.
Bake: Place the scones on top of the baking sheet and brush the tops with a little milk, buttermilk or egg wash (beaten egg with a few drops of water). Bake in the upper part of the oven for 15-18 minutes until the scones are nicely browned (see *Notes below).
Cool: Remove from the oven and place on a rack to cool for a few more minutes. Serve slightly warm.

Notes

Cauliflower: Pulse until crumbly but do not overprocess.
Dough: Bring all the ingredients together first using a wooden spoon then form a round dough using your hands (do not overwork it or your scones won't rice well). The dough should be lumpy so resist the urge to 'fix' it with kneading and adding more flour. The dough is ready to be flattened once all the ingredients have been mixed in.
Cutting out scones: Use a 5-6cm/2-2.5'' cookie cutter (use the smooth edge of the cutter). Press it into the dough firmly once without twisting it.
*Baking: I prefer to bake these scones in the upper part of the oven but if you have a fan-assisted oven you can bake them in the centre. Bake until they are nicely browned on top (13-17 minutes, depending on your oven and personal taste).
Store the scones in a paper bag for up to 2 days. When I am serving them the next day I like to place them under the grill (broil) for a minutes before serving.
Freeze in a bag or airtight container for up to 3 months. Defrost in a microwave.

Nutrition

*Nutritional information is automatically generated and should be considered as an estimate.

**A note about baking: If using a fan-assisted oven refer to your appliance's instructions and adjust the temperature accordingly.

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If you make these easy cauliflower scones I'd love to know how they turned out for you. Let me know in the comments below, thanks!

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