Savory Ricotta Scones are light and fluffy scones that are perfect for breakfast, brunch, or even served in place of dinner rolls. I can’t decide if this quick bread recipe should be categorized under scone or biscuit, but either way, these scones made for a tasty breakfast bread enjoyed out on the patio last Saturday. Made with ricotta cheese—instead of heavy cream—the texture of these scones is so light they practically melt in your mouth! The savory comes from the chopped scallions (or green onions), fresh parsley, thyme, and rosemary that is mixed right into the dough.
I’ve come to love cooking with fresh herbs. I love the fresh smell when I chop them up and the extra flavor they bring my home cooked sauces. When I find healthy plants at a good price, it’s hard to resist adding them to my shopping cart!
What I’m not so good at is keeping those plants alive once I bring them home. Even though I grew up on a farm, I am not a gardener! That’s why I love finding recipes that feature fresh herbs like today’s scones…so I can use up all the herbs!
Tips for making Savory Ricotta Scones
- As with any scone recipe, the best tip is starting with frozen butter. I use a box grater to shave the butter right into my flour mixture which I think this is much easier than using a pastry cutter.
- This scone batter will be very wet, so you will want to use more flour on your work surface, or pastry mat, before kneading and shaping the dough.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper for easy clean up.
- For a flavorful and lightly crisp top crust, liberally brush the scones with an egg wash and sprinkle with sea salt, freshly ground black pepper, and smoked paprika before baking.
For this recipe, you’ll need these kitchen tools:
Scones or biscuits?
Even though savory scones are typically served for breakfast or brunch, these little “biscuits” would also be delicious served in place of dinner rolls. For our weekend breakfast, we sliced the scones and used them to make breakfast sandwiches layered with peppered bacon and fried eggs…my hubby loved that combination!
These Savory Ricotta Scones are delicious warm from the oven with or without butter — but who can resist a little more butter?! The scones are best reheated wrapped in foil and warmed in a 350-degree oven for about 10-15 minutes.
You may also like these other scone recipes found at Life, Love, and Good Food:
- Bacon Cheddar Scones
- Cranberry Pistachio Scones
- Mini Chocolate Chip Scones
- White Chocolate Cranberry Scones
- Blueberry Scones
DID YOU MAKE THIS SAVORY RICOTTA SCONE RECIPE?
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Savory Ricotta Scones
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ¾ tablespoons sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 5 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter
- ½ cup green onions or scallions, chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley, minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
- 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, minced
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- ⅔ cup milk
- 1 egg, beaten with 1 teaspoon water (for egg wash)
- sea salt
- black pepper
- smoked paprika
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
- Whisk together flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Grate butter into the flour mixture and stir with a fork until the consistency of coarse meal.
- Stir in scallions and fresh herbs. Add ricotta cheese, then add milk and stir until just combined.
- Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead 2 to 3 times, then pat dough into a 9-inch rectangle. Dip knife into flour and cut dough into 12 equal pieces.
- Transfer scones to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Brush tops liberally with egg wash. Sprinkle tops with sea salt, freshly ground black pepper, and smoked paprika.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes or until scones are golden brown.
Notes
Rachel says
September 14, 2016 at 12:10 amGreat recipe! Easy to make. My husband thought I had bought them.
Melissa says
October 11, 2016 at 4:57 pmLiterally just devoured one of these just 10 seconds ago. I make my own ricotta(simplest thing you can make and you’ll never go back to store bought, I might add) and this last batch was flavored with fennel salt and sauteed mushrooms, so these scones are flecked with mushroom as well as the herbs. So delicious! I’d rather make these than traditional biscuits any day. The sea salt crunch gives them a little added bonus. Thanks for sharing this recipe. It’s gone onto my Tried and True Recipes board on Pinterest.
sheilathigpen says
October 11, 2016 at 7:29 pmMelissa, I love your variation on the ricotta scones — must try next time! So glad you enjoyed the scones, and yes, sea salt is a must with these!
Sophia says
June 14, 2017 at 11:58 amDo these scones keep well? I’d like to make them 1-2days in advance of a large brunch. Thanks!
sheilathigpen says
June 14, 2017 at 12:05 pmSophia, to make the Scones ahead of time, I would suggest baking and then cooking completely before sealing and storing in the refrigerator. To reheat, wrap in aluminum foil and gradually warm in a 300-degree oven. Good luck!
Marilyn Johnson says
August 21, 2017 at 2:27 pmOMG! So good! I could eat the entire batch. I will be making these often and trying some variation; not that they need anything. They are perfect. Thank you!
sheilathigpen says
August 21, 2017 at 2:30 pmOh! You are so welcome! And thanks so much for the feedback 🙂
Karen says
October 14, 2017 at 4:20 pmOh my! These look soo good plus easy to make. Do you think it’ll still turn out great if I substitute cottage cheese instead of ricotta?
sheilathigpen says
October 14, 2017 at 4:29 pmThanks, Karen! I honestly don’t know — I think the cottage cheese may be too wet for this recipe.
Lacey says
November 14, 2018 at 5:34 pmHas anyone had any luck adding breakfast sausage to these?
Maysa says
February 21, 2019 at 4:16 pmGood, easy and delicious… thank you for the recipe!
Christine says
April 4, 2019 at 7:33 pmI made these tonight for a bridal shower. They turned out wonderful!
sheilathigpen says
April 5, 2019 at 7:53 amI’m sooo glad you liked them!