Name: Chocolate Chip Scones
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 35 min
Ingredients: 3⅔ Cups All purpose flour; 2½ Tablespoons Baking powder; 1 Teaspoon Salt; ⅓ Cups Salted butter - soft; ¼ Cup Sugar; 2 Large Eggs; 1 Cup Milk; ½ Cup Dark chocolate chunks

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Chocolate chip scones are a bakery style treat that combines the buttery, crumbly texture of traditional scones with the rich indulgence of dark chocolate chunks. They are perfect for a sweet breakfast when you are craving a chocolate chip cookie or serve one as a snack with coffee or tea!

Four chocolate chip scones in a blue basket with jam in a glass on the right side.

If you love the sweet crumbly edges of crunchy chocolate chips cookies but the soft centers of chewy chocolate chip cookies and the flakiness of a tea biscuit then these chocolate chip scones will be your new favorite indulgence!

They are simple to make with a few dry ingredients, butter, milk and eggs and then just cut into desired shapes and bake until buttery and golden. Enjoy one for breakfast with a cup of coffee, serve them to a crowd at brunch or freeze some for later when you get a craving for afternoon snack!

If homemade scones are a favorite pastry of yours, too, try these other favorite scone recipes including strawberry scones and soda bread scones! Once you master a classic scone recipe using basic ingredients the variations are endless.

Table of Contents

Why You’ll Love This Chocolate Chip Scone Recipe

Sweet and tender: A tender crumb and sweetened pastry dough ensures that these have melt-in-your mouth results.
Cake-like and flaky: If you want a flaky pastry look no further than a scone! Cold butter ensures that during the baking process the butter melts, releases steam and creates air pockets leading to the best flaky texture.
Crisp exterior: While the butter keeps these soft on the interior it creates a coating on the outside that leads to the best golden brown, crisp outer exterior.
Dark chocolate: Studded with dark chocolate chunks makes every bite of these easy chocolate chip scones rich and indulgent!

Chocolate Chip Scone Recipe Ingredients

Ingredients to make chocolate chip scones in separate bowls.

All-purpose flour: Plain flour provides structure to the scones.
Baking powder: Adds lift and rise to baked goods.
Salt: Enhances the taste.
Salted butter: Cold butter that is slightly soft is what works best for flaky scone pastries. Unsalted butter can be used and added salt adjusted for taste.
Sugar: Granulated sugar adds sweetness.
Large eggs: Adds moisture and binding to the rich dough.
Milk: The higher the percentage of fat in your milk the more rich and flavorful your chocolate chip scones will taste!
Dark chocolate chunks: Dark chocolate chunks add the best pockets of rich chocolate flavor to the sweet scone dough!

Variations

Instead of milk: Making buttermilk scones can aid in a better rise while heavy cream will lead to rich tasting tender scones with chocolate chips.
Swap out the chocolate chunks: Use mini chocolate chips, regular chocolate chips or even milk chocolate chips if preferred. You can even use other chips like white chocolate if desired.
Cut into wedges: Pat dough into a circle and then cut into evenly sized wedges like cutting a pizza.
Brush tops with cream: Use heavy cream to brush the tops instead of reserved egg mixture.
Glazed scones: Add a chocolate glaze or vanilla glaze after the scones have cooled.

One scone cut in half with jam on it on a white plate and the rest of the scones in a blue basket in the back.

How to Make Chocolate Chip Scones

First, whisk dry ingredients including flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Add pieces of butter and rub it in with your fingertips until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add in sugar and mix everything together.

Next, combine eggs and milk in a medium sized bowl and then stir to combine. Place 2 tablespoons of the egg mixture aside to glaze scones before baking.

Gradually add egg mixture to the dry ingredients, stirring with a fork until almost combined and fold in the chocolate chunks. Mix until you have a soft dough. The mixture should be on the wet side and sticky to the touch.

Soft scone dough on a floured flat surface.

Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and flatten with your hand or a rolling pin to a ½ – ¾ inch thickness. Use a cookie cutter to make round scones or cut into wedges.

Dough flattened and cut in circles with a cookie cutter.

Place scones on a prepared baking sheet and brush tops of scones with reserved egg mixture and some coarse sugar if you would like.

Bake for 10-15 minutes at 425°F or until golden. Transfer to a wire rack to cool and enjoy freshly baked scone with butter and jam if desired.

Baked chocolate chip scones on a baking sheet.

Baking Tips for Light and Flaky Chocolate Chip Scones

Cold ingredients: Using chilled butter straight from the fridge and cold wet ingredients allows your scones to bake properly.
How to cut butter into the dry ingredients: Use a pastry cutter, pastry blender, grate frozen butter into the bowl or use two forks. You can even use your hands!
Quickly work the dough: As you handle the dough, the butter will start to warm up from the heat of your hands. Knead the dough quickly to prevent the butter melting.
Avoid overworking the dough: This is the key to flaky light-textured scones! Less mixing of the dough results in softer scones. Knead, shape and bake for the best flaky layers!
Chill the dough: If the chocolate chip scone dough has gotten too warm, chill the dough before baking to increase the flakiness of the dough.

Storing and Freezing Scones

While scones taste best the day they are made, store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days or for longer storage in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat in the oven for a few minutes to enjoy them warm again.

You can also freeze scones! To freeze unbaked scones, after cutting out the dough into desired shapes, flash freeze on a parchment lined baking sheet. Once frozen, place in a freezer safe bag or container. Bake from frozen adding a few minutes to the cooking time or thaw and bake.

To freeze baked scones, cool completely then flash freeze on a baking sheet. Place in a freezer safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw and then reheat in the microwave or in the oven at 300°F for 10 minutes until warmed through.

FAQs

What is the difference between scones and biscuits?

While both are flaky and tender baked goods there are differences! Scones are sweetened with sugar while biscuits are not. Biscuits do not usually contain egg while some scones recipes like this one do contain eggs.

Why did my scones not rise?

If you follow the recipe exactly, your homemade chocolate chips scones should rise without any problem! There could be a few issues though, your baking powder is expired, the dough is too dry, the dough is too wet or your oven was not set at the correct temperature.

Can scones be made in advance?

Yes! This chocolate chip scones recipe can be made up to 24 hours ahead of time. Store dough covered in the fridge and then bake in the morning. This is a great way to enjoy fresh scones for breakfast even during a busy weekday morning.

A cut chocolate chip scone with jam in the middle on a white plate.

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