Mary Berry Cheese and Bacon Scones Recipe

These Mary Berry cheese and bacon scones are rich, savoury, and wonderfully fluffy with crisp golden tops and a soft cheesy centre. Packed with mature cheddar and smoky bacon, they make a delicious lunch, picnic bake, or warm afternoon snack straight from the oven. The recipe is simple enough for beginners and comes together quickly with basic pantry ingredients. From start to finish, these savoury scones take around 35 minutes to prepare and bake.

What Are Mary Berry Cheese and Bacon Scones?

Mary Berry cheese and bacon scones are classic British savoury scones made with self-raising flour, butter, mature cheddar cheese, and crispy bacon pieces. They have a light, crumbly texture inside with a crisp golden crust on top. The smoky bacon adds deep savoury flavour while the cheese melts beautifully throughout the dough, creating rich and satisfying bites.

These savoury scones are perfect served warm with butter, soup, salad, or even eggs for breakfast. Unlike sweet cream scones, they have a hearty flavour that works wonderfully for brunches, packed lunches, or afternoon tea spreads.

Mary Berry Cheese and Bacon Scones Recipe Ingredients

For the Scone Dough

• 450g self-raising flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 100g cold unsalted butter, diced
• 250g mature cheddar cheese, grated
• 200ml whole milk
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp English mustard powder
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp black pepper

For the Bacon Filling

• 150g smoked bacon rashers, cooked crispy and chopped
• 2 tbsp chopped chives

For the Topping

• 1 egg, beaten
• Extra grated cheddar cheese

How to Make Mary Berry Cheese and Bacon Scones

• Prepare the oven: Preheat the oven to 220°C or 200°C fan. Line a large baking tray with baking parchment and place a shelf in the middle of the oven for even baking.
• Cook the bacon: Fry the bacon in a dry frying pan over medium heat until crisp and golden. Transfer to kitchen paper and allow it to cool before chopping into small pieces.
• Mix the dry ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, combine the self-raising flour, baking powder, mustard powder, salt, and black pepper.
• Rub in the butter: Add the cold diced butter and rub it into the flour using your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
• Add the cheese and bacon: Stir in most of the grated cheddar, keeping a little aside for topping. Add the chopped bacon and chives and mix evenly.
• Make the dough: Beat the eggs with the milk, then pour into the flour mixture. Stir gently with a knife until the dough comes together. Avoid overmixing to keep the scones light.
• Shape the scones: Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently pat it out to about 2.5cm thick. Use a round cutter to stamp out scones, pressing straight down without twisting.
• Add the topping: Place the scones onto the prepared baking tray. Brush the tops with beaten egg and sprinkle over the reserved grated cheddar.
• Bake the scones: Bake for 12 to 15 minutes until well risen, golden brown, and cooked through. The tops should be crisp and lightly bubbling with melted cheese.
• Cool and serve: Transfer the scones to a wire rack and allow them to cool slightly before serving warm with butter.

Helpful Tips for the Best Cheese and Bacon Scones

How do you keep savoury scones light and fluffy?

Handle the dough as little as possible. Overmixing develops gluten and can make the scones dense instead of soft and airy.

Should the butter be cold?

Yes, cold butter creates steam during baking which helps the scones rise properly and gives them a flaky texture.

Why should you avoid twisting the cutter?

Twisting seals the edges of the dough and prevents the scones from rising evenly. Press straight down for tall, neat scones.

Can you make the dough ahead of time?

Yes, you can prepare the dough and keep it chilled in the refrigerator for a few hours before baking.

Serving Suggestions

• Serve warm with salted butter
• Pair with tomato soup or vegetable soup
• Add to a brunch spread with eggs and salad
• Enjoy with chutney or pickle
• Pack into lunchboxes or picnic baskets

Storage

Room Temperature

Store the cooled scones in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Reheat briefly before serving for the best texture.

Refrigerator

Keep refrigerated in a sealed container for up to 5 days. Warm in the oven for a few minutes to refresh them.

Freezing

Freeze baked scones in freezer-safe bags for up to 3 months. Defrost at room temperature and reheat before serving.

Nutrition

• Calories: 320 kcal
• Carbohydrates: 28g
• Protein: 12g
• Fat: 18g
• Saturated Fat: 10g
• Sodium: 620mg

Nutrition values are estimates and may vary depending on ingredients used.

FAQs

Mary Berry Cheese and Bacon Scones Recipe

Recipe by Milli RoseCourse: SnackCuisine: BritishDifficulty: Easy

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

30

minutes

Cooking time

40

minutes

Calories

300

kcal

Total time

1

hour 

10

minutes

Light and fluffy savoury scones packed with mature cheddar cheese and crispy smoky bacon. Perfect served warm for lunch, brunch, or afternoon tea.

Ingredients

• 450g self-raising flour

• 2 tsp baking powder

• 100g cold unsalted butter, diced

• 250g mature cheddar cheese, grated

• 200ml whole milk

• 2 large eggs

• 1 tsp English mustard powder

• 150g smoked bacon rashers, cooked crispy and chopped

• 2 tbsp chopped chives

• 1 egg, beaten

• Extra grated cheddar cheese

• Baking parchment

Directions

• Preheat oven to 220°C (200°C fan). Line a baking tray with baking parchment.
• Cook the bacon until crisp, then cool and chop into small pieces.
• Mix flour, baking powder, mustard powder, salt, and pepper in a bowl.
• Rub the cold butter into the flour until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
• Stir in grated cheddar, chopped bacon, and chives.
• Beat eggs with milk and mix into the flour mixture to form a soft dough.
• Pat out the dough and cut into rounds using a cutter.
• Brush tops with beaten egg and sprinkle with extra cheese.
• Bake for 12–15 minutes until golden brown and well risen.
• Cool slightly on a wire rack before serving warm.

Notes

• Use cold butter for the lightest texture.
• Do not overwork the dough or the scones may become dense.
• Scones are best served warm on the day they are baked.