Chocolate Chip Scones
Chocolate Chip Scones are a delectable treat perfect for breakfast, tea, or any time you need a snack. While the classic scone is crumbly and dry, both this chocolate chip scone recipe and my Earl Grey scones use heavy cream and lots of butter to make them much closer to American biscuits.
Read on to learn all the tips and tricks so you too can make 16 buttery, flaky scones loaded with chocolate chips in under an hour. Or just dust off your apron, hit that Jump to Recipe button, and let’s make chocolate chip scones!
Ingredients
Chocolate chips
You can use any type of chocolate chip, chocolate chunks, or chopped bar chocolate in this chocolate scone recipe. My go-to is either Ghirardelli or Scharffen Berger chocolate.
Do you love chocolate chip cookies and need to put chocolate chips in everything like I do? Try:
Heavy cream – use either heavy cream or heavy whipping cream – these are the same things. Making your scones with cream increases the richness of flavor.
Unsalted butter – I recommend using a European-style butter because it has a higher fat content and also gives your scones a richer flavor.
Please see the recipe card below for complete information on ingredients and quantities.
Variations and substitutions
- Feel free to top these with sugar prior to baking, glaze them, or drizzle on more chocolate.
- Sub in any type of chocolate chip or chocolate chunk for the milk chocolate chips.
- Try these scones with dried currants, raisins, or cranberries or chopped dried apricots.
- Use a combination of all of the above!
Recipe tips and tricks
The instructions in this chocolate chip scone recipe should remind you of making pie crust and puff pastry. The goal is to work the dough as lightly as possible and prevent the butter from getting warm.
If your kitchen is hot, you might need to put the dough into the refrigerator for 15 minutes between turns. The goal is to get flaky layers and not a dry, crumbly scone. I hate those.
Step by step
Step 1: Combine the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt) in your mixing bowl.
Step 2: Add the butter and mix on low speed for 1 minute until the butter is flattened.
Step 3: Add the cold heavy cream and mix until the scone dough starts to come together.
Step 4: Add the chocolate chips to the scone dough with the heavy cream and butter and mix on low speed until the chocolate chips are just incorporated into the scone dough. Turn the mixture out onto a clean, lightly floured countertop. It should still be a bit crumbly.
Step 5: Knead the chocolate chip scone dough with your hands very briefly to make sure the dough comes together uniformly. Then roll the dough out into a rectangle that is 1 inch thick and approximately 8 inches by 12 inches. But don’t worry about being too exact.
Step 6: Fold the dough into thirds like a business letter, and turn it 90 degrees.
Step 7: Repeat the prior step, rolling the dough out, folding it into thirds, and turning it 90 degrees, for a total of four turns. The edges will become straighter and more even with each turn.
Step 8: After the last turn, roll the dough out one last time into a rectangle that is 8 inches by 12 inches. Try to get these edges as straight as possible, but again, don’t stress about it. If you trim the edges of your rectangle, you are more likely to get a straight rise of your layers, if you care that much about not making ugly scones.
Step 8: Using a bench scraper or knife, cut the dough lengthwise so you have two rectangles that are each 4 inches by 12 inch rectangles.
Then cut each 4 inch by 12 inch rectangle three times crosswise so you now have eight 4 inch by 3 inch rectangles.
Finally, cut each rectangle along the diagonal so you have 16 right triangles that are 3 by 4 by 5 inches. Pythagoras would be so happy with these chocolate chip scones!
Step 9: Lay out the 16 triangles on two baking sheets covered with parchment paper or a silicone mat and bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until the tops are just starting to brown and the scones feel slightly firm.
Remove the chocolate chip scones immediately from the baking sheet and let them cool on a rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Recipe FAQs
No, it is not required. But everyone scoops flour differently, and you’ll get more consistent results if you measure ingredients by weight.
Once cooled, baked chocolate chip scones can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for a few days. Or store baked or unbaked scones in a freezer bag for three to six months.
Yes, scones freeze well either baked or unbaked. You can bake them directly from the freezer – just add a couple of minutes to the baking time.
Related pastry recipes
Check out other pie and pastry recipes from the Ugly Duckling Bakery archives like:
Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-heart 💜💜💜💜💜 rating in the recipe card below. Let me know how much you loved it, or any problems you had, in the comments section further down.
Recipe
Chocolate Chip Scones
Equipment
- Stand mixer
Ingredients
- 4½ cups (562 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour
- ½ cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (8 ounces) unsalted butter, cold, cut into ½ inch cubes
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 cup milk chocolate chips or other chocolate chips or chunks
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Combine the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt) in the mixing bowl.4½ cups (562 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour, ½ cup (100 grams) granulated sugar, 2 teaspoons baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ¼ teaspoon salt
- Add the butter and mix on low speed for 1 minute until the butter is flattened.1 cup (8 ounces) unsalted butter, cold, cut into ½ inch cubes
- Add the heavy cream and mix until the mixture just starts to come together.2 cups heavy cream
- Add the chocolate chips to the scone dough and mix on low speed just until incorporated.1 cup milk chocolate chips
- Turn the mixture out onto a clean, lightly floured countertop, and knead very briefly to make sure the dough comes together uniformly.
- Roll the chocolate chip scone dough out into a rectangle 1 inch thick, approximately 8 inches by 12 inches. But don't worry about being too exact.
- Fold the dough into thirds like a business letter, and turn it 90 degrees.
- Repeat the prior step, rolling the dough out, folding it into thirds, and turning it 90 degrees, for a total of four turns. The edges will become straighter and more even with each turn.
- After the last turn, roll the dough out one last time to a rectangle of 8×12 inches. Using a bench scraper or knife, cut the dough lengthwise so you have two 4×12 inch rectangles. Then cut each 4 inch by 12 inch rectangle three times crosswise so you now have eight 4 inch by 3 inch rectangles. Finally, cut each rectangle along the diagonal so you have 16 right triangles (3 by 4 by 5 inches – Pythagoras would be quite happy). See photo for reference.
- Lay out the 16 triangles on two baking sheets covered with silicone or parchment paper and bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until the tops are just starting to brown and the scones feel slightly firm.
- Remove immediately from the baking sheet and cool on a rack.
Notes
Nutrition
Bored with the recipes you’ve been cooking and baking lately? Get inspiration here:
This recipe is only slightly adapted from the currant scones in Rose Levy Beranbaum’s Pie and Pastry Bible. This recipe was first posted for the 2021 reddit 52 weeks of baking challenge timed challenge – 1 hour to bake! So you can bake this recipe, clean your countertop, and wash the dishes in 59 minutes from start to finish!
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