Soft, fluffy, cheesy scones made in just 8 minutes in the air fryer! Perfect for breakfast, tea-time, or served warm with butter, soup, chutney, or salad.
✔️ Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Ready in 8 minutes
- Light, soft, perfectly cheesy
- Freezer-friendly
- Great for quick snacks, lunchboxes, or tea-time
🛒 Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 175g Self-raising flour
- ¼ tsp Salt
- ⅛ tsp Cayenne pepper
- ¼ tsp Mustard powder
- ½ tsp Baking powder
Other Ingredients
- 55g Unsalted butter (cold, cubed)
- 120g Cheddar cheese (grated – reserve some for topping)
- 85ml Whole milk
- ¼ tsp Lemon juice
- 2 tbsp Plain flour (for dusting)
- 2 tbsp Milk (for glazing)
🔪 How to Make Air Fryer Cheese Scones
1. Preheat
Preheat your air fryer to 200°C (400°F).
2. Mix Dry Ingredients
Add flour, salt, cayenne, mustard powder, and baking powder to a bowl. Mix well.
3. Add Butter
Rub cold butter into the flour using your fingertips until the mixture looks like fine breadcrumbs.
4. Add Cheese
Mix in 100g grated cheddar (reserve the rest for topping).
5. Make Sour Milk
Warm milk for 20 seconds, add lemon juice, and let it sit for 2–3 minutes.
Pour into the flour mixture and mix using a metal knife.
6. Form Dough
Bring the dough together with your hands.
Lightly flour your work surface and knead gently for just a few seconds.
7. Shape & Cut
Press the dough into a 3cm thick disc and cut out 5 scones using a 5cm cutter. Reform dough as needed.
8. Glaze & Top
Brush scone tops with milk and add the remaining cheese.
9. Air Fry
Place in your air fryer basket and cook for 8 minutes, until golden and risen.
⭐ Top Tips
- Always use cold butter for light, flaky scones.
- Don’t over-knead the dough — handle it gently.
- Keep your hands cool so the butter doesn’t melt.
- Ensure your flour + baking powder are fresh for a good rise.
🍴 Serving Ideas
- Serve warm with butter, chutney, salad, or blue cheese
- Delicious with soup
- Perfect for picnics and afternoon tea
📖 Variations
- Use blue cheese, gruyere, or parmesan
- Add herbs: thyme, oregano, rosemary
- Add garlic powder
- Add chilli powder for heat
- Mix in cooked bacon pieces
🥡 Storage
- Room Temperature: 2–3 days in an airtight box
- Freeze: Up to 3 months
- Reheat: Air fryer 2–3 minutes, or microwave
Nutrition (per scone – approx)
- Calories: 329
- Protein: 11g
- Carbs: 30g
- Fat: 18g
