Make breakfast or afternoon tea special with these Mediterranean inspired cheese and olive scones bursting with garlic and basil too. Spread with lots of butter and served warm they are hard to resist!

I have said this before but I am a huge fan of savoury scones. I would much rather eat one of these spread with butter than a sweet scone any day!
The great thing about savoury scones is that they are so versatile. You can eat them for a snack, for a light meal with soup or a salad, for afternoon tea or even for breakfast.
What are these scones like?
These scones are beautifully savoury with a slightly crusty exterior and a soft crumbly centre. They're cheesy of course and the olives give that Mediterranean vibe. As does the basil and garlic.
The garlic is fairly subtle and adds some background flavour while the basil is vibrant and bold.
They are amazing when served slightly warm so the butter melts into them a little.
What do you need to make these cheesy olive scones?
To make these scones I use self-raising flour, salt, mature cheddar cheese, garlic, fresh basil, milk and of course olives.

What to do if you don't have self-raising flour?
If you don't have any self-raising flour you can replace it with plain flour and three teaspoons of baking powder.
What substitutions can you make?
These scones are delicious just as they are but I know that urge to adapt. I love adapting recipes and there are a few ways you could vary the flavours in these scones.
If you want to make the cheesy flavour even stronger then why not susbstitue some or all of the cheddar with parmesan or manchego?
Why not use a mixture of black and green olives?
If you don't have any fresh basil, don't worry, just add one and a half teaspoons of dried basil instead.
If you want to add a little spice then try half a teaspoon of cayenne pepper or paprika. You could even add a finely diced chilli pepper or some diced jalapenos to the scone dough.
What to eat with these cheese and olive scones?
As I said earlier, you don't need anything apart from butter to make a delicious light meal or snack out of these olive scones.
However, we they are great with cold meats and salad. They are also rather special with a simple tomato soup.

How long do they stay fresh for?
Scones are one of these things that really are at their best on the day they are baked. They are also ok the next day but if you want to eat them any later than that it's best to freeze and then reheat them.
How to freshen scones up?
If your scones do feel like they are a little bit soft and have lost their freshness, just pop them in the oven to reheat and refresh them. They'll need about 5 minutes at 160c.
How to freeze scones?
Yes, if you want to freeze them then put them in an airtight freezer bag and they'll keep well for about 3 months.
Defrost at room temperature for a couple of hours before eating. I like to gently reheat them in the oven for about 5 minutes to get that freshly baked aroma again. And of course so the butter melts in again!
Do you need any special equipment to make them?
No, not at all. Just a large bowl, a cutter, a baking tray and some baking paper to line it with.
More scone recipes you might like
And if you fancy some sweet scones then try these chocolate chip ones.
Recipe

Cheese and Olive Scones
Ingredients
- 400 g self-raising flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 80 g butter cubed
- 120 g cheddar grated
- 1 garlic clove crushed
- 220 ml milk
- 2 tablespoon basil chopped
- 70 g olives diced
Instructions
- Put the flour and salt into a bowl.
- Add the butter and rub in with your fingertips till it resembles breadcrumbs.
- Stir in the cheese and garlic.
- Pour the milk in gradually, stirring with a knife. You might not need quite all of the milk. Stop adding extra milk when it forms a dough.
- Knead for about half a minute and then fold in the basil and chopped olives.
- Flatten the dough with your hands and then use a scone cutter to cut out the scones. You should manage to get about 12.
- Place the scones on a baking tray lined with baking paper.
- Bake in the oven at 200°c (180°c fan) for about 15 minutes.
- Cool on a wire rack.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Places I'm sharing these cheesy olive scones
Cook Blog Share hosted by Apply to Face
Iona Anderson-Murchyes
such a good recipe, turned out perfect
Corina Blum
Thank you for letting me know. I'm so pleased you liked them.
Desicart
What a fabulous recipe! So easy and tasty! I’ll definitely be making this one again!Thank you so much for the recipe!
Corina Blum
Thanks! I'm so happy you liked them.
Gita
These scones look amazing. Definitely pinning this on one of my boards. Have you ever tried making these with a sourdough starter? Just curious.
Corina Blum
No I haven't. I haven't done any sourdough baking yet but it's something I really want to get into soon. If you do try it let me know how they turn out.
Beth Sachs
Being Cornish I make scones a lot. We love savoury scones just as much as sweet scones. Great for lunchboxes and beach picnics. The olives sound like a great addition #CookBlogShare
Corina Blum
They are so versatile aren't they? And yes, the olives were lovely in them and it's a great way of using up a jar of olives once they are opened.
Jenny Walters
Wowsers, what a delicious flavour combo! I love both sweet and savoury scones....a lot! So yours just jumped from the page at me. Beautiful! Thank you for linking them up to #CookBlogShare
Corina Blum
And thanks for hosting Jenny! I always see so many tempting recipes on it.
Kat (The Baking Explorer)
I do love a savoury scone and yours sound so tasty!
Corina Blum
Thanks Kat! They were lovely - I need to make them again soon and will probably make them a lot this autumn as they are so good with a bowl of soup.
Choclette
I'm completely with you on savoury scones. Give me a good cheese scone any day and I'm a very happy women. I've been making rather a lot of them over lockdown!
Love your mediterranean twist with the olives and basil. I know I wouldn't be able to stop at one.
Corina Blum
I can't stop at one either! I even ate three one day but it was a little too much. Two is perfect!
Donna
Ah these are fab! I've actually never made cheese scones. I do like eating them though, so will have to have a go!
Corina Blum
You really need to try cheese scones then! I find it hard to stop eating them whenever I make them.
Nic | Nic's Adventures & Bakes
Thanks for sharing, these look lovely perfect for a light lunch 🙂
Nic | Nic's Adventures & Bakes
Corina Blum
I'm so pleased you like them Nic! They were delicious for lunch. We ate them for two days in a row and as my husband is at home at the moment it's nice to have something like this together.