Chocolate Chip Scones Recipe
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This Chocolate Chip Scones Recipe combines a classic scone dough plus mini chocolate chips. These crumbly, tender scones are the perfect treats to accompany your morning coffee and are super easy to make at home!
Make yourself a coffee to go with these scones. Try a Caramel Latte or some Pumpkin Foam Cold Brew!
Easy Chocolate Chip Scones
Any scone lovers out there? My love of coffee AND cute coffee shops has contributed to my scone passion. One thing Mike and I love to do together is explore new towns for neat little shops.
If there are great scones, there is probably great coffee. And if there is both, we are happy little campers for sure.
Making your own scones at home is the icing on the cake because you can keep a stash in the freezer for anytime you get a craving. I occasionally will prep a batch ahead of time, place them on baking sheets, and refrigerate until the next morning. FRESH scones? OMG yes.
What You’ll Need (to make the best chocolate chip scones):
Let’s go shopping! I keep most of these ingredients on hand and always have an assortment of chocolate chips to make the best scone recipe! This is a pretty large recipe but the best part is enjoying them on a regular basis at no extra cost.
- All-purpose flour
- Granulated Sugar
- Baking powder, salt, and cinnamon – baking staples.
- Vanilla Extract
- COLD Unsalted butter
- One large egg
- Heavy Cream
- Mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
Step-by-Step Instructions:
Step 1
Prep the butter. Freeze some butter ahead of time. Then use a box cutter (or food processor) to shred the frozen butter and store it in the freezer until you’re ready to use in the scones.
If you don’t have a box cutter or food processor, use a sharp knife and cut the frozen butter into small pieces.
Step 2
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Then add two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Step 3
Mix the dry ingredients. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Mix well.
Step 4
Combine the wet ingredients. Combine the egg, heavy cream, and vanilla in a small bowl.
Step 5
Add butter. Use your hands (or a pastry cutter) to press the frozen butter into the dry mixture. Add in chocolate chips and combine.
Step 5
Add the wet ingredients to the flour mixture. Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and stir with a spoon.
Step 7
Combine. Use your hands to get everything to stick together. This may take a bit of time, but just squeeze the dough with your fingers until you have one large ball of dough. You may need to add a few more drops of liquid to make it come together into a shaggy ball. Some coarse crumbs are good.
Step 8
Form the dough. When the scone dough comes together form it into a one inch thick square on a lightly floured surface or some parchment paper. You can use a sharp knife or a biscuit cutter to make desired shapes.
You will see some pieces of cold butter throughout the dough.
Step 9
Slice the dough into squares. Use a sharp knife and slice the dough into 16 even squares. Transfer half of the shapes to each parchment-lined baking sheet.
Step 10
Add sugar. (Optional Step) Use a pastry brush to brush the top of the unbaked scones with some heavy cream. Then add some sparkling coarse sugar to the tops (if desired).
Step 11
Bake. Bake scones for 14-15 minutes or until golden brown on the tops and bottoms. (Baking time may vary.) Remove to a wire rack to cool.
STORE scones at room temperature for 2-3 days. You can also store them in the freezer (in a freezer bag) and take out one at a time as you need (or desire!).
Recipe Tips:
- Make sure you have everything out on your kitchen counter and ready to go, before the step where you add the butter.
- The butter should be COLD when you add it to the mixture. I usually shred frozen butter and then stick it back in the freezer while I’m getting everything else ready to go.
- When you mix the wet ingredients with the dry, be careful to add JUST enough so that the dough is somewhat dry. If your dough is too wet, the scone will not be crumbly. It will be more like a muffin. We are going for a flaky texture!
- If the dough gets too wet, add more flour. If the dough is too dry and won’t stay together, add more cream VERY slowly (just a few drops at a time).
Recipe FAQs:
The secret is using cold butter (I use frozen butter) and to not over-work the dough. It’s also important to have the right ratio of wet to dry ingredients to achieve a crumbly texture.
You can use buttermilk instead of heavy cream but it will be less rich. Still good though!
No. Scone dough should be treated lightly unlike bread that requires kneading. Handle the dough gently to ensure a perfect texture.
If you have time to chill the scones for about 30 minutes before baking, it will yield even better scones. You can also just chill them while you’re preheating the oven.
Other delicious scones to enjoy:
- Petite Vanilla Scones – Zach’s favorite scone.
- Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Scones – Great all year long.
- Maple Oat Pecan Scones – Mike’s fav, and the first scone recipe I’ve ever shared.
- Best Blueberry Lemon Scones – Perfect for springtime.
Kitchen Tools Used: (affiliate links)
xoxo ~Sue
Chocolate Chip Scones Recipe
Ingredients
- 2.5 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 cup mini chocolate chips
- 1 cup unsalted butter – cubed and frozen
- 1 large egg
- 3/4 cup heavy cream – plus possibly more
- 2 teaspoons vanilla – I use pure vanilla paste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Prepare baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Shred some frozen butter and place in the freezer for at least 30 minutes before using. (You can do this step the day before.)
- Combine dry ingredients in large mixing bowl – the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.
- Mix the wet ingredients in a measuring cup – the egg, heavy cream, and vanilla. Put it in the refrigerator to keep cold until ready to use.
- Use your hands to press the butter into the dry ingredients until it resembles course crumbs. Then add the chocolate chips, followed by the wet ingredients.
- Mix with a spoon at first, and then use your hands to squeeze the dough together. If the dough isn't coming together, add a bit more heavy cream a few drops at a time.
- Use a baking mat (with a light dusting of flour) or some parchment paper to form the scones. Transfer the scone dough onto the surface and form it into a square about one inch thick. Use a sharp knife to slice the square into about 16 square pieces (or any shape and size of your choice).
- Transfer the scone pieces to prepared baking sheets (lined with parchment paper). Bake until slightly browned on top, about 14-15 minutes. Let scones sit on pan for about five minutes before transferring to cooling rack.
Video
Notes
How to make the best crumbly scones:
- Make sure you have everything out on your kitchen counter and ready to go, before the step where you add the butter.
- The butter should be COLD when you add it to the mixture. I usually shred frozen butter and then stick it back in the freezer while I’m getting everything else ready to go.
- When you mix the wet ingredients with the dry, be careful to add JUST enough so that the dough is somewhat dry. If your dough is too wet, the scone will not be crumbly. It will be more like a muffin.
- If the dough gets too wet, add more flour. If the dough is too dry and won’t stay together, add more cream VERY slowly (just a few drops at a time).
Crumbly and delicious. We enjoy having these “dessert” scones– as my dad calls them– as an easy option for weekday breakfast!
I’m a baker!! These scones are perfection!! Flakey and so delicious!!
Thanks Shari! You ARE a baker!
I love scones and mini chocolate chips. Hook me up as this recipe is outstanding!
Thank you! 🙂