These vegan cheddar chive scones are puffy triangles of happiness.
Buttery, flaky, cheddar chivy goodness.
Sometimes we forget how quickly time passes. I’m 26—that feels weird to say. I feel like 25 was a monumental year for me but it went by so fast I don’t even remember what it was that made it monumental. I also feel like I’ve grown, or maybe not that I’ve grown but perhaps I’ve just let some things go.
Maybe that’s a part of growing?
I used to get caught up in the little things, I used to worry day in and day out about appeasing the people in my life. Worry about people reading into stuff I say—did I say that at a bad time? Should I have just sucked it up and done what they wanted? Are they mad at me? All these stupid little things that made me anxious—but at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter. The people who matter most will stick around and that’s what’s important.
Now my friends are coming across huge life milestones—engagements, homes, new jobs, promotions, kids—I thought I would feel the pressure of meeting those milestones too, but to be honest, I’m just happy for everyone. It’s not about me.
I love seeing my friends be successful, being in love, doing what they do best. They’ve gone through so much over time that things are finally going their way and that’s amazing. It’s about time.
If I were to look and critique my life, I think the only bad things would be that my apartment is a little smaller than I’d like, my car is a little older than I thought, I’m still pretty broke, and I don’t see my friends as often as I’d like, but in the grand scheme of things—things are still good.
I have food on the fridge, gas in the car, hot water when I want it, my wee kitchen is just right for what we have, my car gets me from point A to B, my credit score is really good, I’m slowly but surely paying off student loans, and my friends and family are there when I need them. I never thought I would meet someone who’d fit me as well as Eddie does. My job lets me shoot and write about food for a living. And I feel like I’m doing good in the world.
Life is pretty good.
And life is always better with scones. By now you probably know that I’m much more of a savoury than a sweet person—I’d choose a savoury scone over a sweet one any day. These have a bunch of cheddary flavour thanks to vegan cheese, vegan buttermilk makes these fluffy and tender, and chives add a hint of herby goodness that makes these vegan cheddar chive scones such a classic.
I made these for a cookie exchange a couple weeks ago (I know, they’re not cookies), and everyone loved them. There were some extras and those were snagged really quickly once everyone had exchanged cookies, which is always exciting. I’m considering making them again for a bake sale at the Toronto Vegetarian Association this weekend, but maybe I’ll make some cookies instead. Or maybe I’ll just overcommit and do both haha.
Anyway, thank you for sticking around this far and bothering to read my rambles. Most people just want the recipe, but I find the post just feels a little empty if I don’t take some time to think and write something. Plus, self-reflection is always good.
For the visual version of this recipe, as I know many of you are visual learners, here’s my video version of the recipe (also full of fumbles). A big shoutout and a thank you to Eddie who helped me with dishes and cleaning the apartment before filming, and for swooping in just before he had to leave for work to help knead the dough because my hands are still a little on the rough side.
Until next time, enjoy :)
Recipe adapted from Laughing Spatula
Vegan Cheddar Chive Scones
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp flax meal
- 3 tbsp warm water
- 3/4 cup soy milk
- 1 tbsp vinegar
- 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour plus maybe 2 tbsp more as you work and shape the dough
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1/2 cup vegan margarine I used vegan Becel
- a hefty pinch of kosher salt
- 1/4 cup chives chopped into 1 cm pieces (1/2 inch)
- 1 cup vegan cheddar I used Daiya
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400ºF (if your oven runs hot, bring it down to 375ºF)
- In a small bowl, combine flax meal and water and let thicken.
- In another small bowl, combine soy milk and vinegar and let curdle to make vegan buttermilk.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt and stir until combined. Using a pastry knife (or just rub in with your fingers), cut the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles a coarse sand.
- Stir in the flax mixture and vegan buttermilk. Gently knead together dough until all flour is incorporated.
- Fold in the chives and vegan cheddar, then shape into a thick, round disc (see the video if you want to know how big) and cut into 6-8 wedges (depending on how you like the shape).
- Bake for 25-30 min at 400ºF (if your oven runs hot, bring it down to 375ºF) until you have golden edges on your scones.
- Remove from oven, let cool on a wire rack and enjoy!
Sarah | Well and Full says
I’m kind of stuck where you used to be – worrying about what I say, if it will offend people, it I say something at the wrong time. Hopefully time will relieve me of this anxiety as it did for you.
Lisa Le says
It took me a very long time—and I still find if I’m not aware of it, I get sucked back in. It’s such an emotionally draining habit >< I hope you eventually learn to let it go.
Donna says
Great, used pepper jack by daiya to make a little zippier and used 1.5 tsp of chia instead of 1 TBS of flax. Thanks for the yummy recipe.
Miranda says
Have you tried these with GF flour at all?
Lisa Le says
I have not, I’m not sure how they’d work. I’ve heard using aquafaba makes GF flours stick together better though?
Yoanna says
These are gooood.
No notes.
(I used aquafaba)
Erin Ryan says
I tried this yesterday with Bob Red Mill GF flour. It was incredibly dry and they split :( I am looking up what I could do to get a bit of moisture in them.
Lisa Le says
You might need to add some more soy milk and increase the amount of butter if they’re super dry! I’ll have to buy some to retest, but I’ve known some people who made the swap without issues?
Lewis Perry says
Hmmmmm. This recipe is yummy and healthy! Two thumbs up!
Lisa Le says
Glad you enjoyed it! :)
Nathan says
We’ve made this twice in the last two weeks, we ended up using green onions instead of chives and they proved a good substitute. We also doubled the cheese on our second batch and although it made mixing more difficult and required more cook time for the extra moisture it was very cheezy on the inside!
This is on our go-to breakfast list now.
Rebecca says
Just made these tonight and they turned out fabulously! Thank you so much! Love them!
Jana says
Hi, do you think that these could these be made with almond or cashew milk instead of soy? I never keep soy milk in the house so would be handy if I could sub for something I already have. :)
Lisa Le says
Definitely! Most milk alternatives are interchangeable (except coconut milk).
Jana says
Awesome! Thanks! Will try them out tonight to pair with veggie chilli. :)
Emma says
Hey do you know if these freeze well? Like if I make them in advance?
Thanks.
Lisa Le says
Hi Emma! I haven’t tried it myself, but scones are typically very freezer friendly unbaked. So if you make the dough ahead of time, cut them to their respective shapes then freeze on a lined baking sheet, then transfer to an airtight bag/container.
When you bake them, just use the same settings as the recipe, but just bake for a little longer until it’s golden brown :)
Heather says
Hey Lisa,
It looks like you’re missing a step: where to incorporate your savory ingredients, salt, chives and cheese. Are they mixed in after the flax meal and milk, or before?
Thanks!
Lisa Le says
Ah you’re right! I’ve added it in. I’m surprised no one pointed that out before haha, but I guess I also have the video to demo the recipe so maybe thats why no one mentioned it XD Thanks for the comment!!
DMS says
This recipe was so easy and fun! The video helped a lot too. Easily the best vegan scones I have ever made. Thanks!!
Lisa Le says
Yay! Glad to hear it :) Thanks for the feedback!
Jill says
I’ve been looking for a good savory scone recipe to take the place of the ones I usually buy at Whole Foods at $2.50 a pop! I’m excited to try these today. Thx for sharing! (google searched for a recipe and yours came up. Love your ‘ramblings!)
Lisa Le says
Yay! I hope you like them :) these are one of my faves!
Sue says
I use this recipe for every type of scone! It is so versatile and forgiving. I use spelt flour, apple cider vinegar and if i’m making a sweet scone, up the sugar a bit, replace some of the flax egg’s water with vanilla (or almond) extract and otherwise go nuts! We’ve made these as cheddar chive (yum!), vanilla with a vanilla bean glaze, lemon blueberry (or raspberry) with a lemon-y glaze, cherry almond (with an almond glaze) and maple walnut (with…yep, maple butter glaze). I also make them as one giant round scone and cut after – I did this by accident once and found the scones to be that much fluffier from the reduced handling. I make these for company and take them with me as a contribution to other hosts. The reaction is always the same: “these are the best scones…i need the recipe”! And if I forget to send said recipe, I get emails or texts asking again for the recipe. Thank you for this!!
Sam says
Hi, I’m new to veganism, just finding vegan recipes for all my favourite non-vegan bakes and am crazy excited to try this one! I was just wondering how long these scones would last in the fridge? Also, are they freezable? I assume they would be but thought I’d double check!
Lisa Le says
Most baked goods are better frozen than in the fridge :)
Natalie says
I can’t stop making these! Also, I will admit that once I made them when I was alone and…I may or may not have eaten the entire batch within one day. Now I’ve restricted myself to making them ONLY when others are around! ;)
These scones are AMAZING! They are buttery, flakey and completely addictive. Thank you so much for sharing this great recipe (I love the tomato basil ones too!) and for keeping it so simple and straightforward. I almost always have these recipes on hand and everything comes together so quickly. Foolproof!
Kim says
Thank you so much for this fabulous recipe! They turned out light and fluffy, and my husband loved them. I will make these often!
Anjani says
Can I use coconut oil instead of butter to make it vegan?
Lisa Le says
Coconut oil won’t have the same impact, I believe it will be significantly more crumbly. I used vegan butter/margarine.
Kathi says
These are lovely! You did a great job making our recipe Vegan. Thanks for the ping back :).
Lucinda says
Thanks for the recipe. These are a vegan hit :-)
Lisa Le says
I’m so happy to hear that :D These are a favourite in my household!
Anya says
So glad I found this recipe. I followed the directions as written but also added some vegan bacon. These scones are crunchy on the outside and soft and flaky on the inside. They were so good. Will definitely be making them again soon.
SandraM says
Good stuff! Definitely a favourite thing to make before going plant based.
This recipe was perfect. I brushed them with milk before baking and also a grind of black pepper.
Going in the repeat file!
Brigitte says
These scones are so versatile , I added 1/3 cup of scallions the green part and 1/4 cup of chives . I also added 2 cooked field roast apple sage vegan sausages , I diced and added to the dough along with 1/2tsp garlic powder. The taste was so good . I like when the edges gets crispy .
Becca says
Hi,
What kind of vinegar are you using? Is it apple cider vinegar? Thank you!
Lisa Le says
White vinegar! ACV would work here too