By These jalapeño cheddar scones have 13g of protein each and not a scoop of protein powder anywhere. Oat flour, cottage cheese, eggs and a serious amount of real cheddar do the whole job. They mix in one bowl with your hands, scoop like drop biscuits, and come out of the oven in about 20 minutes. Savory scones deserve more attention than they get!
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If you've made our blueberry lemon cottage cheese scones, this is the savory cousin, and it's a much easier dough to work with. There are plenty more high protein baking ideas where this came from 🌶️
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let the dough rest before you judge it
Here's the one thing to know going in: this dough looks far too wet when you first mix it. Give it 10 minutes. The oat flour keeps absorbing during that window and it tightens up on its own. What looked like batter turns into something you can scoop. Do not add more flour while it rests! That's the instinct, and it's the thing that will get you dry, heavy scones. Just walk away and let the oat flour do its job 🙌
key ingredients & swaps
All substitutions are a 1:1 substitute unless otherwise noted. See the recipe card for quantities.
- Oat flour: The whole base here. You can absolutely make your own by blending rolled oats, no need to buy it. It keeps these tender without anything heavy, and it's what makes the resting step matter so much.
- Eggs: Three of them, and a real part of where the protein comes from here.
- Yellow cheddar, grated: A cup and a half, and it's doing a lot for both flavor and protein. Grate it yourself if you can, pre-shredded is coated to keep it from clumping and it doesn't melt quite as nicely.
- Cottage cheese: The protein anchor, same as in our cottage cheese bagels. It goes in as-is here, no blending needed.
- Jalapeños: Two, seeded. One finely diced and one roughly chopped (much more on why below). Use just one if you want these mild.
- Baking powder: Check that yours isn't expired. Flat scones are almost always a baking powder problem.
- Salt and black pepper: Savory scones need actual seasoning, don't be shy here.
This recipe has not been tested with other substitutions or variations. If you replace or add any ingredients, please let us know how it turned out in the comments below!
high protein ingredient spotlight: cottage cheese
There's no powder in these and there doesn't need to be, because three separate real ingredients are carrying the protein: cottage cheese, eggs and cheddar. Cottage cheese is the one doing the heaviest lifting. It brings protein and moisture at the same time, which is exactly what a scone needs, and in a savory bake like this you don't have to do anything clever to hide it. No blending, no straining. It just goes in with everything else. That's 12.9g of protein per scone from food you already recognize. Same principle behind all of our cottage cheese recipes, savory or sweet 🧀
step by step: tips to nail this recipe every time
- Use your hands to mix: A spoon will fight you. Hands get the cheese and jalapeños evenly distributed through a thick dough much faster.
- Rest for the full 10 minutes: And resist adding flour during it. The dough tightens on its own as the oat flour absorbs.
- Scoop, don't shape: These behave like drop biscuits. An ice cream scoop gives you eight even mounds and you're done. No patting into a circle, no cutting wedges.
- Leave 2 inches on all sides: They spread! Crowd the pan and you'll get one enormous scone situation.
- Broil for a minute at the end: Optional, but the browned cheese on top is worth the extra minute of attention. Stay right there and watch it, broilers move fast.
quick recipe video
two jalapeños, two ways
This is a small thing that makes a real difference. Dice one jalapeño fine and roughly chop the other. The finely diced one disappears into the dough and gives you gentle heat all the way through. The roughly chopped one gives you actual bites of pepper. You get both, instead of choosing. Seed them both, or these get too spicy. And if you want them mild, just use one pepper instead of two.
reader questions
Only if your oats are certified gluten free. Oats are naturally GF but are very commonly cross-contaminated, so check the bag if that matters for you.
Absolutely, just blend rolled oats until fine. It is cheaper and it is what I usually do.
You can, but the cheddar is carrying a real share of the protein here as well as the flavor, so you will lose some of both.
Mild to medium with both peppers seeded. Use one pepper for mild, and leave some seeds in if you want real heat.
troubleshooting & testing notes
My dough is way too wet.
It's supposed to be, at first! Let it rest the full 10 minutes without touching it. If it's still soupy after that, something's off with the measurements, but the rest solves it almost every time.
My scones ran together on the pan.
They needed more space. Two inches minimum on all sides, and more is better.
The centers seem underdone.
Give them the full 25 minutes. You want golden on the outside and set in the middle, and these are large scones so they take the time they take.
how to store them
These freeze really well, so I'd make a double batch if you have the sheet pan space!
- Fridge: Up to 5 days in an airtight container. After that they start to dry out.
- Freezer: Up to 3 months. Just make sure they're completely cool before you store them.
- Reheating: The air fryer is best. The microwave works too when you're moving fast.
- Best uses: Warm with butter, split for a breakfast sandwich with a fried egg, or alongside soup or chili instead of cornbread.
Recipe
jalapeño cheddar protein scones (13g each, no protein powder)
Ingredients
- 1-½ cups oat flour
- 3 eggs
- 1-½ cups yellow cheddar (grated)
- 1 cup cottage cheese
- 2 jalapeños (seeded, 1 finely diced and 1 roughly chopped)
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Before you start!
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Instructions
- Heat the oven to 375°. Line a sheet pan with parchment.
- Mix the 1-½ cups oat flour, 3 eggs, 1-½ cups yellow cheddar, 1 cup cottage cheese, 2 jalapeños, 2 tsp baking powder, ½ tsp salt, and ¼ tsp black pepper in a large bowl. Hands work best.
- Let the dough rest 10 minutes. It will look too wet at first and tighten up as the oat flour absorbs. Don't add more flour during this window.
- Scoop 8 large scones with an ice cream scoop and drop onto the pan. These behave like drop biscuits, so no shaping needed. Leave 2 or more inches on all sides, they spread.
- Bake 20 to 25 minutes, until golden and set in the center. Broil for a minute at the end if you want the cheese browned on top.
Notes
Looking for more information?
Additional substitution information can be found above in the substitution section of this post.
Nutrition Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate and for informational purposes only.
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