Chocolate Chip Scones
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I absolutely love making these buttery Chocolate Chip Scones! Like, really, really, really love. And soon you will, too!
How can you resist the crispy, golden tops, crunchy (but not too crunchy) bottoms, their light but tender middles, and the pockets of warm, melty chocolate in each bite?!
At first sniff you will enjoy the fragrant richness of the butter and sugar that mingle so well with the indulgent aromas of chocolate. Pulling you in for a closer look the scones have golden tops and crispy edges. At the center, my ultra buttery Chocolate Chip Scone is soft, tender, flaky, and filled with puddles of chocolate chunks. Have I convinced you that these are amazing yet? Say goodbye to flavorless, dry, dense scones!
And pssst, this is the March Kroll’s Korner Baking Challenge recipe of the month! 🤗
I thoroughly enjoy being in the kitchen and baking. It’s so much fun to create something that people like. I also take a lot of pleasure in knowing that I am making a recipe that is easy to make, something that you want to share with others, and of course, make again. My Chocolate Chip Scones lands in that category.
This scone recipe is easy to make, and with baking time under 30 minutes you could be whipping up a grab-and-go breakfast, mid-day snack, or an after dinner dessert in no time.
Right-out-of-the-oven or cooled to room temperature get ready to take a bite of my Chocolate Chip Scone…it is guaranteed to please!
Reasons Why You Will Love My Chocolate Chip Scones:
- The are slightly sweet and have an incredibly soft texture.
- Buttery and full of flavor!
- The subtle caramel flavor of the turbinado sugar (which is a coarse sugar) is the perfect finishing touch to these Chocolate Chip Scones
- So easy to make. Trust me! I know the thought of making a scone can be intimidating!
- They make a quick and easy breakfast or treat
- Satisfy any chocolate craving!
- And what’s not to love about a freshly baked scone?! I’ll wait 😉
Ingredient Notes
The ingredients are simple. It’s all about keeping the ingredients cold and using quality chocolate.
- All-purpose flour: using all purpose flour results in a higher rising scone that holds its shape. To make a more delicate scone, you can use cake flour. To make these gluten free, use your favorite 1-1 gluten free flour.
- Baking powder: Baking powder adds lift to the scones.
- Kosher Salt: Enhances the favor of the scones without making them taste salty.
- Sugar: Adds a sweetness, tenderness and a fine texture to the scones. Since this recipe doesn’t add much sugar, I like to top the scones with turbinado sugar as well.
- Cold unsalted butter cut into cubes: Cubing the cold butter makes it easier to cut into the flour mixture. Butter helps with the rise of the scones, along with being responsible for the crisp edges, golden brown top and wonderful buttery flakiness.
- Cold heavy cream: brings tenderness to these tasty scones. Keep the cream in the fridge right until you’re ready to use it.
- Buttermilk: Keep refrigerated right until you add the buttermilk to the recipe.
- Vanilla extract: Real Vanilla Extract is recommended.
- Milk or semi sweet chocolate: a high quality 4 oz. chocolate bar works well. Chop into small chunks. I know this recipe is technically called chocolate chip scones, but I love using the chocolate bar. Feel free of course to use chocolate chips in place of the chopped chocolate pieces! 🤗
- Turbinado sugar: adds the perfect crunch and sweetness.
Step by Step Directions
- Sift flour. Then whisk in the baking powder, salt and sugar.
- Cut in the butter using a pastry cutter.
- Add in the chopped chocolate pieces and toss to combine.
- Whisk together the heavy cream, buttermilk and vanilla.
- Pour into the dry ingredients. Stir until a dough begins to form.
- Turn out onto a lightly floured surface.
- Pat into a circle. Cut into 8 wedges.
- Place on parchment paper lined baking sheet. Top with turbinado sugar.
- Freeze for 15-30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Bake for 18-20 minutes or until the tops are golden brown.
Tips and Variations
- To avoid overly dense scones, make sure you work the dough as little as possible. Do not over mix. Just knead the dough until it comes together.
- Some of the easiest ways to cut the butter into the dry ingredients are to use a pastry cutter or pastry blender, two butter knives held together at an angle, or just get in there and use your hands/fingertips.
- If you feel your dough got too warm, especially if you use your fingertips to break the butter into pieces, be sure to freeze or refrigerate the scones prior to baking.
- Use cold butter, or even frozen butter for a better rise. The colder the better.
- Using heavy cream and buttermilk (thick liquids) avoids the scones from coming out flat and flavorless.
- Work fairly quickly with the dough so the cold ingredients stay cold.
- Be sure to work on a lightly floured surface and you can add a little bit of flour to help form into a ball, but do not add too much flour.
- Cut the butter into the scones using a pastry blender.
- Cut the scones into wedges using a bench scraper for clean cuts.
- Free free to add nuts, or use regular chocolate chips.
What is the difference between a scone and a biscuit?
- Scones are sweet and usually have fruit or chocolate in them…biscuits are not sweet and usually do not have fruit in them.
- Scones have a higher sugar ratio
- They are both considered “quick breads” because they do not need to rise before baking.
- They are both light and flakey.
FAQ
Why do I need to sift the flour?
Sifting the flour will break up any lumps, and will provide you with a more accurate measurement of the flour. By sifting the flour, it becomes lighter and airier and makes it easier to mix into other ingredients.
Do I have to “cut” in the butter?
Yes, this is a must if you want to produce a flaky texture. When you cut the butter into dry ingredients, you create pockets of butter, which melt as the scone bakes creating air pockets that make a flaky scone.
Can I make these chocolate chip scones gluten free?
While I have never personally tested this recipe using gluten free flour, you can try a 1-1 gluten free flour or an oat flour.
Can I use frozen butter?
Yes. Working with very cold butter when making scones is a crucial step so using frozen butter can be done. When the scones are baked the butter melts in the oven and creates an ultra-flaky, tender, soft Chocolate Chip Scone.
Storage
- Once baked and cooled, store at room temperature in an air tight container for 2-3 days.
- Freezing instructions after baking: Let them cool at room temperature and place in a re-sealable bag or airtight container to protect from freezer burn. Enjoy them within 3 months.
- Freezing scones before baking: Freeze the unbaked scone wedges on a plate or baking sheet for 1 hour. Then layer them in a freezer-friendly bag or container. Bake from frozen, adding a few minutes to the bake time or thaw overnight in the fridge and bake as directed.
More Kroll’s Korner Scone Recipes:
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Chocolate Chip Scones
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 1 Tbsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp. kosher salt
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 6 Tbsp. cold, unsalted butter, cut into cubes
- 3/4 cup cold heavy cream
- 1/4 cup buttermilk
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 4 oz. semi sweet chocolate bar, chopped*
- turbinado sugar, for garnish (optional).
Last step! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.
Instructions
- Sift the flour in a large mixing bowl. Then whisk in the baking powder, salt and sugar.
- Cut in the butter using a pastry cutter. Alternatively, you can use your fingers and smash each butter piece flat between your fingertips. Continue smashing and rubbing until butter disappears into a coarse meal.
- Add in the chopped chocolate pieces and toss to combine.
- Whisk together the heavy cream, buttermilk and vanilla.
- Pour the heavy cream mixture into the dry ingredients. Stir until a dough begins to form. It will be soft and shaggy at this point.
- Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Begin to gently knead and fold just until combined and you're able to form into a circle. Pat it around the edges and use the palms of your hands to tidy up the circle around the edges.
- Cut the scones into 8 wedges, or 6 if you'd like a large scone.
- Place the scones on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Top the scones with turdinado sugar, if using. I like adding this to add a caramel-y crunch and for a touch more sweetness. You can also garnish with more chocolate chunks or chocolate chips on top.
- Freeze the scones for 15-30 minutes, especially if you feel the dough got warm while you were working with it. Cold dough = best scones.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Once preheated, bake the scones for 18-20 minutes or until the tops are golden brown. Baking time will depend on how thick you make your scones. Adjust as needed.
- Let scones cool for a few minutes, then dig in! Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- I love using a chopped chocolate bar, like Ghirardelli. I love how the chocolate shreds disperse through the scones but like the recipe name says “chocolate chip” feel free to also use milk or semi sweet chocolate chips.
- Once baked and cooled, store at room temperature in an air tight container for 2-3 days.
- Freezing instructions after baking: Let them cool at room temperature and place in a re-sealable bag or airtight container to protect from freezer burn. Enjoy them within 3 months.
- Freezing scones before baking: Freeze the unbaked scone wedges on a plate or baking sheet for 1 hour. Then layer them in a freezer-friendly bag or container. Bake from frozen, adding a few minutes to the bake time or thaw overnight in the fridge and bake as directed.
My dough was very wet. Is this normal?
hmmm no! Reference the video and images for how the dough should look. Maybe you didn’t add enough flour or used too much cream? I am not sure. But you can try adding a touch more flour when bringing the dough together to help out! So sorry!
Good flavor but mine spread all over the pan! While they were still hot, I re-formed them into a triangle shape but still very flat.
Hey Lisa! I replied to you the other day about this. Sorry this happened .I’ve made these a dozen times and mine have never spread. Were all of your ingredients kept very cold? Did you chill the scones prior to baking? Some of my tips: If you feel your dough got too warm, especially if you use your fingertips to break the butter into pieces, be sure to freeze or refrigerate the scones prior to baking.
Use cold butter, or even frozen butter for a better rise. The colder the better.
Using heavy cream and buttermilk (thick liquids) avoids the scones from coming out flat and flavorless.
Work fairly quickly with the dough so the cold ingredients stay cold.
Nice flavor, but mine spread like crazy!
Hmmm..I’ve made these a dozen times and mine have never spread. Were all of your ingredients kept very cold? Did you chill the scones prior to baking? Some of my tips: If you feel your dough got too warm, especially if you use your fingertips to break the butter into pieces, be sure to freeze or refrigerate the scones prior to baking.
Use cold butter, or even frozen butter for a better rise. The colder the better.
Using heavy cream and buttermilk (thick liquids) avoids the scones from coming out flat and flavorless.
Work fairly quickly with the dough so the cold ingredients stay cold.
So good and easy to make! I will be making these regularly for sure!
This is the second time I made them this month. Huge fan 👍👏
You’re on top of it! yayyyy thank you!!
I don’t have a picture of them baked because they disappeared! This recipe was delicious and I plan to make them again doubling the recipe to make sure I have some extra to freeze! Scones are usually dry and crumbly- these were like really firm muffins in biscuit form if that makes any sense. Great recipe!
BEAUTIFUL! thank you so much 🙂
I loved these so much! I never knew scones were so simple and therefore have always avoided them. Looking forward to making these again and maybe some variations 🙂 YUM!
Gorg! They’re so easy to make right?! And yes, this is a good base recipe to add variations to! Thank you!
This was my first time making scones and was so surprised by how easy they were to make! I feel like you can definitely freeze these and bake as you need and I can’t wait to try out different flavor scones 🙂 Mine took about 30 minutes in the oven
Amazing! So glad your first time was a success, thank you!
So yummy! The texture was soft and dense and filled with chocolate chunks! I was intimidated by making scones but this recipe was very easy to follow. I topped mine with a dark chocolate sea salt!
They look perfect, thank you sooo so much!
This was my first time making scones, and this recipe was super easy, quick, and tasted great! They were not overly sweet and not dry or too dense like some! I can’t wait to make them again with a chocolate bar!
Yayyy I am so glad your first time was a success, thank you!
Made these a second time and definitely recommend using a Ghirardelli chocolate bar! And the turbinado sugar is a must!
YAYYYY! Thank you 🙂